Hey guys, I was recently given a 1992 Camaro RS by my father, he spent some time fixing it up a few years ago but has let it sit for the past year and figured I could do more with it. I used to help him work on it so I am really motivated to do something with it but I just want everyone's opinion on what I should do with it. I am also new to the forum since I now have a third gen, so hello and thank you everyone!

 

Worth it? Hell yes it is. Welcome to the site.

 

Looks to be nice shape low rust go for it.

Edit did you add more pics?

What does it look like underneath.

 

If you don't have access to a welder and a garage, I would say pass. The pillars and rear wheel well areas aren't an outside afternoon repair.

 

Mine was worse then that and look at it now

 

 

Definitely worth it.

 

If those repairs cost $1500 by a professional, then he'd have a $1500 car. Why would you advise him to pass?

 

go for it!!! that car looks nice!! and the rust is low and not alot so i would jump on it so you can have one of the sexiest bad @SS's cars in town!

 

Thanks for the replies guys! But I have a grandfather who worked for Buick for 16 years, and has been a mechanic the past 30 years. I have access to a lift, probably over 10k worth of snap on tools and welding machines. Thank you for the reassurance to be 100% sure I wanna do this!

 

welcome to the club. Once I make sure you're not stashing a pony car somewhere, I'll show you the secret handshake.

 

I would probably pass. I might consider it if I had a welder and a lot of knowledge on repairing rust, IF that was a Z28... but since it's just an RS the appeal is pretty much zilch to me.

 

I love that paint color

 

I paid 1500 for mine and yours looks nicer. Even has t-tops! What engine/trans combo does it have? A v6 still wouldn't be a deal breaker to me.

 

Do it man

 

the rear wheel well lip is an easy fix i used a sheet of steel an hammered it to the correct shape then cutout old and weld in the new. the pillar i would probably have a pro fix that

 

The entire passenger side rear wheelwell was actually completely replaced by my grandfather to show an example of the work done by who I have to help me with this car. The engine is a 305 v8 305 tbi with an auto trans, although I wish it was manual. Thanks again for the replies I will update this when I start to work on it. I live in Illinois so I am waiting for spring time to roll around so I can get started.

 

Strip out the interior and get it up on the lift as well. Give it a thorough once over before commiting to this. I have the exact same problem and found a much bigger one when I started chasing rust bubbles:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...ace-floor.html

$1800 worth of parts & labor to replace my floor after I found a few rust bubbles.

 

Thats a pretty good condition camaro especially for around here. Sounds like the powertrain has some potential.

 

WHERE ARE YOU IN ILLINOIS

 

its worth fixing

 

Oh also out up more pictures!!

 

Northern-ish, I go to school near dekalb but I live about 50 miles south of there.

 

I am doubting that that is the only problem with that car. With obvious rust in those two areas, what about the aforementioned floor pans? What about the strut towers? The engine would probably be pulled and built, New suspension items. The rear bumper supports will probably need replacing also. I have run into many doors that look clean until you take off the ground effects and see the rust. $1500 is a good deal, but cost could increase to 2000, 4000, 5000, 7000? Many good condition 3'rd gens can be had for 5K. Excellent around 10K. I just think it would be a good idea to thoroughly go over the entire car and make a cost list instead of just seeing a low initial cost.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but rust and engine rebuilds would be issues on nearly every car of the OP's vintage, let alone just the F-bodies. If he were to utilize the people around him and make use of that ultimate set of tools, he could have a solid rig for little investment. Seems that in the OP's case, based on his original post, advising him to pass seems to be the easy way out.

 

With the help and tools he has available I would definitely reccomend he put it on a lift and check for floor rust then blast the wheel whell and decide how he is best to fix it. I would take it and fix it without any hesitation. It may not be a Z28 but it has T-Tops and the ground effects so it would still be a good sharp car when done. It even has (though not my favorite) a decent set of wheels on it.

 

Okay guys I got an update on this car! the floor pans are rusted out, but I have free labor and the I'm looking around 350 for the floor pans online. another 250 for carpet? I know there are threads on this job but do you guys still think I should go for it? I thought about just putting some money into this so I can sell it an upgrade to a Z28, but then again I could just completely restore this. OPINIONS!?

 

Having been there & done that on the floor pans as I mentioned before, you'll save yourself a ton of headaches & time if you buy brand new pans from Classic Industries. I saved myself nearly a $1500 in labor by spending $700 on a new full set of pans from them.

Yes, you can buy an entire floor for $350. But, you'll then spend the next two weeks hammering, cutting, and welding them to fit your car. If your not a body work pro, I'd highly recommend that you spend the money on a set of OEM spec new pans. That way, all you need is some sheet steel to finish the pinch weld and a ruler to make sure your pans match the cutout old floor.

 

Looks like the vote is about 10:1 for fixing it. You will be sorry if you go ahead with fixing it, soft "A" pillars are a warning that the whole car if junk. If it was a Duesenberg or a 69 Z28 it would definitely be worth the rust repairs, but it's not - it's a dime a dozen Camaro.

If you spent $5k on this thing it will end up being a patched up POS.

You can buy a really nice southern RS for $5k and you would be at a much better starting point for whatever other plans you had for it after you fixed the rust that one in the pics.

 

as long as the rust is not bad on the frame and floor, definitely worth fixing

 

If anyone spent $5k on body work and ended up with a patched up POS, they have more dollars than sense in my book. I spent $2k having the floor in my car fixed and its anything but a patched up POS. Sure, its got more rust in other places, but its safe & water tight. Too bad the electrical system started crapping out on it, otherwise I'd still be driving it. But, a nice used truck is what I really need right now, so it all worked out so far.

And this is what really bothers me about these threads. People either think all body shops will rob you blind or they dive into something that they have no clue in the world about until its too late and end up with a chopped up hunk of steel. Find the local weekend car cruise guys or talk to people you work with. They will more than likely either know someone to talk to or give you the card of their body work guy. If the shop won't talk to you and let you tour the shop before you even commit to the work, don't go there.

I've found that a dose of patience combined with asking the correct question & finding the parts the shop WANTS (IE their dream replacement parts, not something you scavenge off another car) gets you a very long way in getting a great price on your work.