I just purchased an 86, and am completely new to this older car journey. Im walking blind. Essentially up to this point I have replaced the majority of the wire harnesess, switches, almost all of the rubber hoses in the front, just put rebuilt distributor and carburetor on, changed the head gaskets, flushed the engine cleaned all of the components. Flushed the transmission, new fluid. New coolant tank, flushed the radiator. Suspension components are fairly new no visible leaking. But beyond what I have already sunk into it, I am in need of a new subframe. Not really sure how to approach it. I know framework is expensive but im having trouble even finding a factory that currently reproduces one in my year model. I was told my best bet from a frame guy was trying to find a donor car and stripping it to get what I need. Any suggestions or hints in the right direction would be great. Ive already contacted gm, year one, classic industries, thirdgen ranch, and ricks camaros...all to no avail. They apparently only reproduce up to 81..which might work but my current knowledge of interchangeable components on this car is nothing currently.

 

Which part of the subframe and are we talking the front or rear frame sections? if its part of the unibody structure, nothing is available other than a piece from a doner
car
any pictures you can upload? How bad is it really?

 

Its the front.

 

*And the bolt/nut combo on the front was the guy before me. And the floor pan metal is rippled underneath back to the passenger seats in the back.

 

Looks like it got fender bendered pretty good. The radiator support could be cut out and replaced, but the front frame horns aren't reproduced. The front subframe is permanently welded to the body of the car, and isn't something most people are going to replace themselves. It would raise real questions about the structural integrity and the quality of the work.

If you try to fix that right, you're going to spend a lot more than the car is potentially worth. You could do a bit of work, and make it better than it is, but I sure wouldn't sink a lot of money into it. If you're just gonna drive it as a fun beater, run it the way it is until you find something better.

 

It would most likely be cheaper to buy a roller, V6 thirdgen or Thirdgen with a blown engine then to fix the car back to stock specs. If you must keep that car I would take it to a frame shop so they can verify the suspension pickup points have not moved and the alignment can still be moved to be within spec.