Well guys i've got an issue. I have an 88 Firebird. It has a good running 350tpi that uses not one drop of oil. The body on it has rust. Not a lot really, I've definitely seen worse cars. The other day I was out working on putting the front passenger seat in, and I thought since I had a piece of metal on me I would go around checking the rust spots to see how solid they are. All are pretty solid, except the passenger door. I lightly tapped it, and the ratchet handle went clean through.

It also has two holes in the wheel wells in the rear. T tops leak. The roof has surface rust. Under the carpet there is little rust. Just a few spots. That and the body underneath the door on the drivers side (side skirt?) is rusted through.

Would it just be worth my while to find a Base model or a formula (I like how they look without the ground effects) and swap in my 350?
I'll have me the money in about..oh 2 or 3 months to either grab a nice Formy or to get the body redone. I really have no attachment to this car.

Any thoughts are welcome. And yes, I know. This thread is useless without pics. I'll try to get some posted soon.

 

as you said very hard to say without pics, but the option of a roller to put your engine in is a good idea, but most rollers i see are pure junk, but then again you got a whole car that runs good to throw parts at a roller

 

I think you answered your own question: no attachment to the car. These cars are too common to spend a ton of time repairing rust in my opinion, unless it's a high option/low production # oddball model. Personally, I'd be on the lookout for a rust free car to swap your engine into.

 

where are you in charles county????

 

la plata

 

small world i was born there, i still go up there 2-3 times a year to see family, stay at the gradparents in waldorf/white plains

is there any junk yards up that way that have any 3rds in em, im always looking for parts to mail home when im on trips

 

I am from Connecticut, I have only lived out here for 3 years so I am not super familiar with all there is out here. From what I know though, no good junkyards. Brandywine bought out all the small yards and their prices are in many cases worse than new parts, I skip them altogether. I have to get everything on Ebay and craigslist.

 

Thanks for the imput guys. I'm kind of leaning towards getting a car with a good body and just working from there. Every now and again a good car with a 2.8 or 3.1 pops up on craigslist.

Here are some pictures of my rust.


This is the hole in the door.

 

Passenger Side Tire Hide Away


Passenger Side Wheel Well Top


Underneath Driver Side Door. Looks like it has been bondo'd or glassed.

 

I am restoing my car even though I have to get new floor pans and there is some surface rust on the roof and the bottom of my rear tire well. I love my Z and I don't see many 92 Z28 around anymore. I think if my car wasn't a 92 z I woudn't put as much money into, but I am attached to my car and coudn't stand to see it crushed or parted out.

 

The rust is fixable, but i think you may end up spending much more to fix the rust/body work/paint than to find a clean roller, or like you said, V6 car and swap your drivetrain into it. With no real attatchment to the car, thats what i would do.

 

Does not look too bad I have repaired worse. I would say if you can do it so it your self probably not much more work than swapping into a roller.

 

If it were a Formula, GTA, or T/A, I'd say consider fixing it. But as this is a base model Firebird that will never be valuable and you apparently have no attachment to the car, I'd look for another car.

 

Well guys, I think I am going to go to the route of finding a different car and swap my motor in, assuming I don't find a 350 car. I found more rust today. My drivers side strut tower, has a rust hole. Maybe the size of a half dollar and its almost all the way through. I figure by the time I get everything welded and patched I could have just spent the money and got me a car that either has no rust, or a lot less rust and no holes. lets go find my third bird!

 

yea better go get yourself another bird. im on my 4 firebird and finally have one with no rust. but yes i was in your shoes about 5 years ago. had to let my 87 formula go because of rusted holes in strut towers and holes around the car. like the guys stated above if it was not a base model it would be worth fixing. but my 87 formula i let go was alot worse then yours.