I recently came into a free 1985 base v8 car. Free is good but the car is a wreck and I was thinking it might make a good drag car since it won't be very pretty. Known issues so far are a bad right door, rusted out rear lower arm brackets both front fenders and at least one rear quarter as well as all floor pans. Any thoughts?

 

Sounds like a parts car.

 

Normally, if that is showing rust, you're going to find the floor at the front of the firewall is also gone, plus some other issues.

 

So would the idea be that it isn't worth saving then?

 

If it looks like this, then it is to far gone.

 

On the contrary ^^^^^^ There's alot of guy's on my truck board that would cut the trees out of that panel and piece it back together......

 

Not necessarily. Got some good pics of it?
So true! They would do the same with the tri 5 Chevy's as well.

 

This is a restoration forum so some optimism is expected.
However, I'm sure your car is toast. Parts car!

 

You said you came "into" can you give it back?
Maybe donate it to a tech school for reconstruction if they still have such things. Many years ago, I donate a '36 Olds to a tech school and they made it into a pretty, well maybe it never was pretty, but a nice vehicle and the kids learned many things in the reconstruction like body work, welding, electronics, engines etc. Not enough of the younger generation are learning 'FOR REAL" mechanical things! With this car they could even learn some practical computing.
You could actually get a tax deduction also.

 

sounds like it's too far gone but might be good to donate to a vocational technical school or high school auto shop class if they still have them.

 

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

 

sorry, should have said i was laughing about the picture! Never seen a delivery truck haul a tree like that before!

 

Ill suggest a different view. Rear control arm mounts and floor are rotted? A back half, tubs, and a raised floor to accommodate will fix that. Rotted doors can be replaced with fiberglass ones. Since it is not a show car, patches can be used to fix the quarters. That is of course you want to build a serious drag car and the wreck and rust leaves some clean metal to weld to.

 

Don't know it, that truck may be salvageable. It may be just surface rust. And given the rarity, a lot of people with cut out the holes and use new sheet metal patches welded in.