Hi all. I've posted many posts regarding my car, and appreciate all the knowledge the users and this site provides. I've come across a few more things of concern and I being a novice have never seen before... as i tear apart this 86 camaroI, I noticed a few cracks that I myself cannot explain. I'm hoping someone has seen these before and can advise me if this is fixable or is this car scrap metal! The first pics are where the gear shift boot come up thru the floor and attaches to the gear boot, the other one is the top rear drivers side where the T roof attaches. Thoughts? Is this car done? Something to note there appears to be no damage to this car in the front or underneath. It has a clear title with no claims against it.

 

Just because you have a clean history and or the underside doesn't appear to show damage, it still could have been rear ended or went up a curb, just a guess

 

Not good, but if the rest of the unibody is good(examine it on a lift) I'd have it welded and gusseted and go on. Couple small gussets.

 

I'd chalk it up to being a wet noodle t-top car, but I could be wrong

 

True bro... I'm hoping for the best here.

 

Body flex basically, pretty common on these cars.Especially the b-pillar at the t-top.Even HT crack there, sometimes.Drill a small hole if front of the crack to keep it from getting longer.Then weld them up.The metal kinda looks a little tweaked at the shifter, but not 100% on that.Definitely not scrap material.

 

The shifter area does look a little tweaked. I can compare to my car later and see what it looks like since my carpet is out. It may just look like that in the pic though.

 

You mean drill a small hole at the roof edge on the b pillar where the crack kinda goes or on the gear shifter or all 3? That hole would then be filled with body filler?

 

Thanks What are you guys referring to the term tweaked? Is it Torque from the transmission? I realize were just guessing here. Just wondering if it's a safety issue.

 

Gusseted? You mean small holes like another member has suggested?

 

No, the hole from the drill and the crack would need to be WELDED

 

Man it looks like your trans tunnel is dented/tweaked where that crack is. Like I said it might just be your pic though

 

Drill end of crack, weld entire crack. Gusset is a piece of steel, welded in place on top of the crack, to strengthen the base metal. Maybe overkill, but quick and easy, if you have room.

 

Drilling a hole at the end of a migrating crack helps to stop the crack from going any further. Fill hole and the rest of the crack with a good weld.

 

Your car in a former life.

 

As mentioned, at the end of the crack, all three (or however many you find).Then weld them,NO bondo!

 

The crack will keep propagating even if you weld it up, so you need to send the crack into a dead end cul de sac where it can't run any further. That's the purpose of the holes.

 

What about the famous center dash face crack?

Heres another thread with pics:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...or-issues.html

 

^^ mines like that. I like these cars but when someone calls them junk I can’t defend them.

 

The cars or the person saying that? My 84 was like that too, but it never went past that first bend in 28 years.

 

I can’t defend the cars. I like the cars, but man they were put together cheap. Same thing for 4th gens. I just wish they would have made the t top and convertible cars with factory subframe connectors and used better/different material for the dash and consoles. I love the look of the 3rd gen interior but I’m always being careful not to break something.

 

Never understood why bother w/ uni-bodies myself. Their not really any lighter than full frame cars and was the whole point mostly. Plastics and vinyl, well that was the technology of the time unfortunately.