I recently pulled up my carpeting and to my dismay, I found the floorpans have started to rust, nothing is through but it's getting pretty bad. Also, I need pretty much body work and a new paintjob and my rear main seal needs replacing along with a new clutch. I'm trying to decide if I should keep mine and fix ALL the things that are wrong with it or just part it out and buy another 3rd gen which has a good body/ no rust... What do yous all think?

 

20 views and only 3 votes? Cmon guys!

 

Depends on how much money/work youre looking to put into it. If you want a good car, and have the time, buy an 86 base model body, and throw your parts into it. If you dont have the time/space, part it.

 

I would replace the floorpan at first, then work my way over time. But, if you don't fell like spending money on it, then part it.

 

I'd say fix it. It gets tougher every year to find a good solid thirdgen. Also since yours is an IROC, the desirability is there. Also with the demise of the F-body prices for all of them are going to increase. I'd say fix what you have because you have it now.

Buying another one could cause you to "inherit" the previous owner's headaches. You know what yours needs -- another one will be a mystery.

 

Floors are an easy fix. Buy the panels you need and glue them in. (3M metal bonding)

If the floors are bad, how are the lower doors and lower quarters?

If your in for the long haul i'd say find a clean one. Might as well find a good one now rather than 5-10 years from now.

My car has never been in snow or much rain, 50k, rust free, except the bottom rear corners of my doors are junk (dime size rot bubble) because the water does'nt drain out of the corners. I washed my way to my doorskins demise. I'm putting on door skins this winter but just the price of skins (the parts) aren't good. You have molding to cover up, but are they ok? Body work is expensive, consider finding a clean one for dollar sake. Glue in floor patches and give it the boot.

 

Well everything is good except the pass floorpan and then along the inside fender well wehre it comes up by the side of the dash has a little rust hole in it.

I'm just wondering if most F-Body's I find will have the same problem?

 

Paul, is it a t-top car that's otherwise rust free?

Was it just a t-top leak? Or cowl leak?

You said other body work, dings, scratches, and tired paint? Or other rusted areas?

When i think rusted floor, i'm thinking rusted everything else. NY uses a ton of salt in the winter so the word rust carries more weight in my mind.

If it's just one spot on the floor, but otherwise solid, and you like the car, mechanical items bolt on. Fix it. You could buy a cherry one and have clutch and main seal problems. Clutches are cake on thirds. An afternoon job for a DIYer.

Any pics?

 

If the rust is bad, part it out. IMHO you'll never stop it without a a lot of money and effort and you're better off finding a clean car to drive. Rust problems have to be fixed properly or you're just flushing money away on good paint because done improperly or poorly, rust will come back.

I used to live in the midwest years ago and back then redid the door skins and some panels on my daily driver '84 Z to take care of some rust. It looked great for about three of four years and then those little annoying little rust bubbles started coming up in other spots.

Again, my opinion -- depending on the level of "infection" it may not be worth it, especially if the car is going to continue to be exposed to salt and other road muck. Any car can be restored with enough time and money. You need to consider what the car is worth to you and whether or not you want to put that much into it to save it.

 

Well, I'm just wondering if the prices of F-Bodies WILL actually go up by the time I have hte money which will be next spring or if they will stay the same...

 

Also, Did all F-Bodies come with state Special Vehicle plates under the hood on the deck near the back of hte engine bay?

 

I think you should find a clean body and transfer the parts over--engine, interior-everything! That's if you really have the time-that's what I did.
here's the donor--was an 89 Formula 350--loved the car but got rearended-plus it had some body cracks from flex.
Found an 86 T/A w/a clean body,t-tops, ratty interior and blown motor--still had a good trans. Paid $450 for it. also had good GTA rims on it.

 

The flex cracks. 350+ t-tops=cracks!

 

pillar crack

 

This is the driver side rear floor area.

 

Motor

 

Semi-finished product
I like the bulge hood much better then the T/A hood.

 

In the process of putting 92 gfx on it.
If you part your car and swap parts over you can add anything you'd want to--

 

i voted fix it, but if you dont have the means to do so then buy a nice solid body thirdgen and part out/swap parts on the other..