but we do know what his ability level is, just look at everything he posted so far just in this tread.

"I just think it would be easier to drop a new body on it”
“I have never undertaken anything of this magnitude so I am unsure”
“Can you just chop off the back section above the wheels and weld that part in?”

I love that fact that you want to save your car, but unless you have a mentor there is no amount of information on the internet that could walk you threw this. before you even make the decision to put another top on, you first need to find out if sub frame are bent and everything is square underneath the car... then your going to have to weld in a cage just to keep the body strait before you cut it the old roof off... not trying to be a dream killer.

in fact when i was 17 my best friends mom was murdered, his whole family was in my home my room everywhere(crying, praying, being interviewed by detectives....). I need some space to deal with everything, so i grabbed a piece of sand paper and went to town peeping my car for paint. No DA sander, just some sand paper and my hands. It took me a week but i got it to bare metal. so i understand what you mean by having sentimental value to you... but to be honest the feeling i get when driving my thirdgen is just unreal, hope you realize how long your going to have to go with out that feeling. you could have everything swaped over form your car in less then two weeks and be back on the road.

not trying to be the bad guy, just trying to give advice that wont leave you broke and thirdgen-less

 

I'm picking up what your putting down there BurnOut.

I was feeling a little better today after a few silly pills and checked the car out underneath. Its tweaked pretty bad. Frame (rail) repair is a going a little too far. I will unfortunately have to scrap it.

Kinda wishing I didnt sell my D.D. now but I have an 87 Supra I have been holding onto that I can get on the road to hold me over a few months until I can afford a new chasis to swap everything onto. The engine died when it rolled, from fuel starvation I assume, so I think its fine. The fluids are still full minus what came out of the dipstick tubes.
If anyone near Wisconsin has a rolling chasis for sale I am interested.
Funny thing is I just picked up 2 T-tops off craigslist for 10 bucks just a couple days before I was gonna sell or trade on here. Guess I have that part covered.

Good looking out fellas and I appreciate the advice. See you when I start the swap.

-Matt

 

Might be able to save this one after all! Have a guy coming tomorrow to look at it. He gave me an estimate from some photos for 825 to straighten the top to get it ready for glass.
By the way, I did the engine running again. God I missed that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guNOScf0pBQ

 

I have a 91 5 Spd RS I'm letting go cheap if you want to throw your motor in. Pm me

 

That's awesome man, don't give up yet! Just make sure once you fix it you take care of that stickey throttle problem once and for all!

 

Yeah, I hear you man! I think the spring I had on it was too big. One things for sure, I cant find it anywhere. Think I'll pay more than 2 dollars for the next one, lol. Word to the wise, dont buy one from auto zone, lol.

 

sounds like somethings not quit right... that engine needs a good massage bud..

 

Hmm, you might want to see if you can find one from a car in the yard (one without body damage and looks mechanically sound). You could always use that one to compare to a similar spring and make sure it has the same dimensions as the old one. Or just use the one you find in the yard as your replacement.

 

It sounds like you have an attachment to your car. I concur with what Sailtexas said though. Once you repair that car, it still wont be as good as it as was before. The body panels just wont line up right, the rear glass wont sit like it used to, and the pass and driver windows will never seat correctly again against the A-pillars, I could go on and on.... There are some very gifted and talented body work guys out there, but its just not practical to expect anyone to get all those things to line up as they used too. When you drive in the rain and water is leaking in through the imperfections of the new weatherstrip/window seals, not to mention the new wind noises you will hear, I really believe you will wish you had just started over again. The bodyguy who looked at it might believe he can do you well, or he might just be trying to pick up a big job in this economy, and not too concerned if he does an astounding job or just a so-so job. I used to repair cars at Caddy dealership, and you could always tell if a car had been wrecked and repaired, because they were often hack-repair-jobs. These cars usually came in because they had all sorts of problems for months after the bodyshop was done doing their substandard repairs. Outside the cars were always shiny and looked good, save for a few body panel lines that were out of wack, but once you popped the hood and saw how the radiator had to be tweaked to fit within the newly tweaked radiator rails(and was now leaking) and how the subframe bolts no longer fit right into place like they should, due to residual body tweaking that was never fully corrected. So they just wouldnt put in that bolt, which created a rattle, or the time a proper alignment became impossible due to a slightly tweaked spindle that the bodyshop didin't even notice when they did the repairs. But a few thousand miles down the road, the unequaly wearing front passenger tire noticed. Do you think the bodyshop is going to write you a check for parts like that which they missed? Are you prepared to battle them every time you find one of these flaws? These stories come my experience with $50k+ cadillacs. Do you believe they will work harder on a 3rd gen to make sure its all done right? I cant say it enough man, bodywork is NEVER as good as the assembly line product. Machines put our failable eyes and hands to shame.

If you have a lot in the car, buy it back from the insurance company, strip all the parts you want, part out the rest, and find yourself a new 3rd gen. Also, never, never, take their first offer. Hope this helps, and I hope whatever choice you take, you are pleased with the results.

 

I kinda like the way it sounds. Lopey!! My carb is a little off but not much. I used a vacuum pressure guage to tune it once before but that was when it was 20 below temperature in WI. Thank god those days are gone.

 

I didnt have full coverage. Too bad. Its all out of pocket. I plan on taking it for a spin tomorrow and seeing how it feels. Just up and down my deadend road a couple times. I am not too concerned with the leaks, it had new seals in it before and the damn thing still leaked a little. Not enough to be a problem though, just a nuisance.
About the glass not sitting right, I figured as much. I thought I would use a dremel tool to sand the glass down where it needed it. I seen Foose use a glass cutter to make a groove then fill the groove with lighter fluid, torch it then snap it off clean. It can be done.

I dont know if it will ever ride the same but I rolled it only going like 20 miles an hour. Tires just sunk and it flipped. I have been looking for a replacement camaro for nearly 3 months and I cant find one that I like for the right price. Either there rusted to crap or 5000 bucks you know.

The thing already rode like a bumpy log anyway lol

 

If you can find a camaro or bird with a good roof for a donor car and a body guy willing to do the work I would fix it. From the pics it looks like your door gaps are not all messed up and if you bent the "frame" the doors wouldn't even open. However the easy and less expensive route is to find another camaro and change the parts over. If you go that route the damaged car could always be sold to someone willing to put in the dollars and time to fix the roof.

 

I tried to find something to swap my parts over to but I couldn't. The time it would take me to go ground up is probably tripled compared to the average TGO member. For 800 bucks to fix the top and put it on a frame stretcher, I think it is my best route.

I can't be the only one in here that's fixed a rollover (or hopefully will, lol).

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cama...-roller-w.html

Here is a camaro roller for $500, less than the cost of your repair. Now this one has also been wrecked, and I'm not saying you want this one, but there are some cheap rollers out there that would gladly accept all your transfered parts.

 

Like I said if you can find a shop to do the work for a decent price go for it, but remember that once the roof is off the car will buckle and bend in half if not supported properly. So find a good shop that has the qualifications and know how to get the job done and make the car safe to drive.

When I was in this situation I chose to let my car go rather than fix the damage. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but in the end I found other cars to enjoy.

My '85 Z28 that was hit in 1998 that I kept around for ten years hoping to fix it.




My '86 IROC I bought last fall to replace the '85 Z28

 

[QUOTE=jharrison5;4947265]Like I said if you can find a shop to do the work for a decent price go for it


Looks like it was a real nice ride. I just received my corrected estimate for 1000 buck give or take 100. That includes welding the top of another car on. I found a place in WI called "firebird city" that has an 84 that I can cut the top off of and take for 100 bucks.

So it looks like it will cost

$1000- frame stretcher and new top welded on

$100 - new t top from an 84

$200-225- new t-tops, driver and passenger window glass and rear hatch glass

$250- new windsield

roughly $1500 to fix this one minus the paint and dents

A good rolling chasis would cost about 1000 atleast for me to buy and retrieve.

I know what I have in mine and I would have to switch everything over, that will save countless weeks of work for me and get me back in the saddle a lot sooner. I will throw some before and afters up and let you guys know how the wind noise, leaks and ride quality is afterwards.

 

i have a feeling this wont end well... and your going to be out 1500 bucks, but more power to you if you pull this off...

 

Anyone that needs Gen 3 parts and lives somewhere near Chicago needs to call this man for parts. I got insanely rust free parts from him for near to nothing. Great guy with a **** load of parts. Highly recommended. I drove from La Crosse to Chitown to get parts with my truck lol, nothing like a 6 hour drive for parts


Also if you dont mind me asking where did you crash it? Buddy told me about a red bird that rolled outside of LaX, curious if it was yours

 

hes got a camaro

 

I had 1 of each. Last summer I owned a 2008 shelby GT. Man I miss that car. By far the best looking S197 "GT" based stang made in my eyes. Sold it to fund my TA project, but I was also getting sick of monthly car payments that were over $500!

I have that problem all too often. My throttle sticks all the time.....mostly going around a corner or while driving through a parking lot. Ussually ends up with black strips behind the car too. Can't say I've ever rolled anything while I had my "sticking" throttle though.

In all honesty though, I have really never heard of a throttle sticking, even on a carb car. Unless you have a home made spring bracket or a rusted to hell spring, I don't know how it could happen. As far as the car, I'm going to be down to earth here and tell you to not even bother fixing it. I understand that it may mean something to you, but theres a reason that insurance companies will instantly total a car once the windshield frame bends....it's because thats one of the most important structural parts of the car. Yours looks pretty damn bad...even if you were to weld on a new one, god forbid the car ever flipped again, the welds are now the weak points and that windshield frame is now going to snap off rather than bend. Next thing in line after that goes is your head.

I too don't see this having a good outcome. Don't think we are trying to be negative or shoot you down man. We just want you to know that even though you have been getting a few estimates and it seems reasonable, theres WAY more to this ballgame than you may think. The A and B pillars are very structural parts of the car, and in a sense you really can't just weld on new ones and call it a day. My votes on finding another shell and swapping everything. Best of luck.

 

Rolled behind the qwik trip/burger king in Holmen. 3/21/2011


Roof replacements happen more than you think. The reason insurance companies total the vehicle is because the cost of the repairs exceed the worth of the vehicle. I cant remember the percentage but they go off like 60% of the value and if it exceeds that then they scrap it.

Right now my brothers wife is driving a Nissan Maxima that had the roof cut and a new one welded on. A tree fell on it after a hurricane in Florida a few years ago. It was brand new at the time so the repairs were cheaper than the payoff. He has drove it before and after and told me you cannot tell at all.

As far as structural integrity goes, if it is done right then it is as strong as before. The welds will obviously be the weakest points in case of another collision but I do plan on getting a roll cage before the next rollover, lol. I havent priced them out yet but trust me, coming from a guy thats rolled one already, it will be worth it, lol.

I hope those of you that advise against it are wrong and if it turns out to be a bad idea I will let you know. I only ask that you do some research before just jumping to conclusions. I have had 2 1/2 months to consider this, I think it is the right choice. SAVE A THIRD GEN!!!

 

hows the progress coming

 

\


Can't get it stretched till first week of July. I have stripped the interior out and plan on freshening up the plastic while I wait. I thought I might start sanding it down too, next week, she's gonna need a paint job. The shop is booking out about 2 1/2 weeks so that gives me a little time to mess around with the car till then. Let me tell you, the wait is killing me.

 

Where are you getting it done? Ive heard of good things out of Midwest Body in La Crosse

 

always does. have you gone over the engine bay and everything to make sure everythings nice and sound?

 

Getting the work done at B&K auto in Holmen. They seem like pretty good, knowledgeable guys. I seen a few cars that they did too and they look real nice.

I have checked over everything under the hood. Need a new battery, thats about it. I had to secure the fan with some wire as 2 fan latch support things broke. Not a big deal, it was never pretty under there anyway. I have always had a little bit of a vacuum leak I think, I have never been able to get the idle just right. Thought about a vacuum canister, maybe its overlapping, but all that was there before and I have no performance problems.

 

but it just sounds odd from that video so i would just double check everything. i would hate for you to do all this then get standed because a little over looking didnt happen, know what i mean? just tryin to look out for a fellow TGO member

 

If I were you I would buy one like this and have it shipped for $600! You could be into this car for $1100 and then begin transferring your good stuff to this car.
--Cars in Washington (and on the west coast) do not have rust (it doesnt snow here so they dont salt the roads). Our interiors are also usually in decent shape because its always rather cool here (they dont get baked like in some states)...

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/2436846968.html

 

I do this stuff everyday for a living and based on your pictures and the price you were quoted, swapping shells is the proper repair. Chopping a donor roof off in a straightline and splicing it onto another car is not a proper repair. Everything must be removed at the factory seams to be done properly. Are they going to cut through your pillars or go to all the factory seams? These cars flex alot and your car has more damage than what you can see. Does this shop have any modern measuring system they use? If this car means that much to you, that you have to fix it, a $1500 hack job is going to ruin it anyway. Go to the shop and ask how they plan on repairing it. Most quality shops would not want anything to do with this job and if they did it would be way more than $1500. I had a '82 Z28 in high school that after buying I discovered some one had done a half *** clip job on it. They cut through the A pillars and floor and welded two cars together and put a cage in it to hold it together. I kept this car for 10 years because it was my first car and I wanted to keep it. I finally gave up on it because it was a '82 and '85 Z28 all cobbed into one P.O.S. with no value.

 

Your best bet is to just get a new shell. No point in trying to fix a car that will never be the same. I know you say you don't care what it takes to fix, but in all honesty, when you get the bill and then think about the shell you could have picked up for $500, I am sure your mind will change.

Shells are plentiful and cheap... Saving one isn't that big of a deal. I see them at the junkyard rust free with great bodies. People should be saving those instead of a car that has been rolled and most likely is tweaked to all hell.

 

I don't know if this has been said yet but I am impressed at the integrity of the roof (A pillar and T top structure) in this accident. I thought these cars were weaker in this area then some but looking at the damage they are definitely designed to save your butt in a rollover!!

Save another third gen with the powertrain out of this one. This chassis is toast.

 

I've been pretty busy for the past month putting roofs on cars from a hail storm. I've put many used roofs on and most of the time it wasn't at the factory seams. I-Car and GM both have approved sectioning procedures for roofs. My car has a donor roof from my 84. You can't tell it and there are no cracks after 3 years. As far as value, look at my pics and tell me that car is worth less than when it was a V-6 hardtop with manual windows. Any shop with a decent measuring system (required for most direct repair programs) and good frame equipment should be able to get that car right again. While you've got it gutted inside check out how well GM lined up all the panels. I've seen GM weld panels half an inch off. It can be done better than GM. Most of the best fitting cars are hand built. JMO

Just because it looks straight and doesn't have rust, doesn't make it a good chassis.

BTW If you haven't cranked it yet, you may want to remove the plugs and spin it over to blow out any oil that may have slipped by the rings when it was upside down. You can bend a rod.

 

Well said. Thanks for the support. I have already drained it and got it running. Smoked like hell for an hour but its good as new. Only have 1500 miles on this new engine.

 

Hello white gold 88!!

Have you got any "tips" about replacing a t-top with a hard top!!

You can PM me with some "tips"!!



Hello matts86cam!!

Sorry for the temporary thread hi-jack!!





Your heart is in the right spot with the save a third gen, however, your head is in the wrong spot!! ie $$$$$$

Having said that, all the power to you if you pull this off!!!

 

Anytime you're ready Dan! I'll help any way I can. Be glad to tell you how I done mine.

Matt, if the guys that are doing your car want to know how I did mine just let me know. It really worked out well in the B pillars. Two of the three layers are able to be put together at the factory seams without making a big mess. If you have yours gutted you should be able to see the areas.

 

Thanks White Gold. I will let them know.

I just towed the car over to the body shop today and they are expecting 2 weeks, 3 if the have to weld a new roof on. We are hoping it walks out pretty nice and doesnt need a new top.

Gonna start repaint the interior plastics and cleaning the seats and panels up.

2 weeks seems like forever!

 

Imagine that, it was in the body shop 3 weeks longer than they said but I have it now. Cost a grand but its straight and goes down the road. Its a little rough looking but I will eventually gets some new fenders doors and rear quarters for it. I always planned on putting a stinger hood on it too. Here are the pics.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...8113120&type=1

Theres the before and afters in there along with my other cars.

 

Just read this entire thread. Glad there was a happy ending, had me worried there for a minute............

 

not going to lie man. i'm glad to see you didn't let people get to you. assuming the work is straight and professional i'd say things turned out great. glad to see you had the dedication, desire, and loyalty to your car to save it instead of taking the path most travel by disposing of it.

 

I drove it home from the body shop and it rode straight. Gonna look like crap for the next year, maybe two, but it will look nice again eventually.

Worse thing about it is the exhaust bent a little, not bad, but just enough to rattle against the floor boards. The sound is driving me crazy! Could just be the hanger, I really havent checked.

Thanks for the support fellows!

 

I hate when you put up and idea of what you want to do and people come and trash you for it. I'm glad you stuck to your original plans and everything worked out.

 

Glad to here you saved your car

 

I gotta admit I was gonna tell you to dump it.....nice job, good save!

 

i have a friend with a 68 mustang that has been totaled TWICE. the first time by his own dumb @$$-ness and the second by some one elses. looked unsalvageable both times, though the second ripped the front clean off.

he has rebuilt that car twice and each time made it better. if you look at the car now you'd never tell it was ever in an accident and would swear it's a very clean car. no one ever believes it till they see the pictures. just goes to show if you have to time, money and desire you can fix whatever you want and if it has meaning to you it doesn't matter what people think. Kudos and congrats once again.

 

Thats amazing!!!Great save man.

 

With how cheap these cars still sell for, most people would get off cheaper just buying a new shell, or entire car rather than salvaging a wrecked one. Glad to see you saved it and that everything worked out. $1000 seems pretty cheap for the work that was done so it sounds like you got lucky on that deal! In the end, you figure though that it was $1K to straighten it, and at least $2K for the body work and a decent paintjob, so it's borderline on whether it's worth it to fix one or just buy another one in good shape. If it has sentimental value though, then by all means I would have done what I could to save it to a certain extent myself.

Anyways, like I said, glad to see it all worked out. Good luck with it.

 

This.

Best of luck.