Hello, this is my first thread. I have been reading ALOT on here and was able to learn alot. I have just purchased a 1989 formula, havent drove it as the motor is screwed. pretty amazing what happens when you don't change oil enough. Sludge doesnt even begin to describe it. Any way the body is pretty good, but underneath is where th problems are. I can put three fingers through the driver side floor by the pedals. I understand theses lovely cars are unibody, which really worries me because if it is rooted through there then how bad is this going to be down the road. I plan on putting some real power between the fenders and don't want the car breaking up in pieces. How bad is too bad should I try to get a cleaner car, This one sat behind a barn for a few years- IN THE GRASS. Just kills me how people could do this to one of these beauties. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I absolutely love the car and It deserves to be somebody;s baby again. Thank you great site

 

This is too rusted:

Scarey Camaro

How does your car compare?

 

Well first thanks for the reply. I am torn because it seems tha car and mine are comparable. I would be quite upset if I have to scrap it because of this but if it is too much then it is too much.
My car sat in some a holes field for a few years , I took him home for around 400 bucks.This is my first f-body, know whats funny?? when you go to the junkyard you find cars that are nicer than your own sometimes?? there is another in the yard a red 83-85 firebird t-top. It looks really good. Like someone ditched it the day the motor blew. I have been considering if the yard owner would trade with me. Im so hesitant to get off this car because its a formula, are the bumpers - front an rear clip interchangeable on 82-92 firebird. I love th front bumper on the 89-90 and the rear lights. Love the wrap around wing too. Thanks for reading and replying

 

I'm going to preempt some other member who will no doubt come along and say that even that convertible I linked you to is salvagable. It will depend on your fab skills and how well you handle a welder. There is that and then the amount of time and money you are willing to spend bringing it back from the dead.

Pretty much, the bumpers (front and back) are interchangeable even between the Camaros and Firebirds.

 

I wouldn't count on that!

 

i don't think that is too rusted.. my floors were way worse than that.. not to mention a few holes other places, but they got fixed pretty easily..

 

If I lived in Calif. or ariz., I'd say it's a downright disaster. You just don't see any real sigificant rust lke that in those areas.

But then again, I live in the midwest (the rust belt)- and that amount of rust is pretty common, and the older these cars get the more common it will be.

But by saying that, I do agree - these are unibody cars, and if the rust is too widespread, you'll be better off going with another car.....although convertibles are HARD to find!!

I guess you'll need to beat all that rust out to see if the rust is really compromising the cars integrity and go from there. Get that interior and carpet torn out, and you'll get a better idea. Check close around where the floor pans meet the lower door sill areas for rust too. Much more critical than rust in the middle of the floor pans. The sills are where you'll need to have some good metal to weld new pans in - or patch panels....Just my take on it.

Either way, good luck!!

 

Thanks everyone for writing. The floor pans arent too much of a worry, it's just that I dont want the major stress points rotting out like where the front an rear subframes connect. Places like that are what im really concerned about. If they are really bad are those areas salvagable , I mean anything is fixible with enough $$$$$ but I dont have enough $$$$$$$$$$ to do everything absolutely perfect. I just want to get him on the road with lots of ooomph and not constantly worrying if the thing is gonna come apart in pieces. Thanks again everyone,
MUCH APPRECIATED

 

Mine looks about like that as well. It is really disheartening. My quarters are rusted as well as the strut towers. I have no holes through the floor...yet.

Here is the advantage.

If you are not attached to that particular vehicle take your money and dump it into the drive train. Rebuild a nice powerplant and beef up your tranny. Don't forget the rearend. You have the opportunity to try somethings out and figure what works and what doesn't. Especially body work!

Now here is the glory of the SBC.

Once you have poored your money into the drive train you can swap it into any vehicle you like with a body that is in great shape. Find someone with a nice f-body that blew up their 305 or V6 and doesn't feel like fooling with it. Or go with a Corvette, Monte Carlo, or Nova. What ever you may come across that is a great deal.

 

pretty much any car is salvageable..

just comes down to your fab skills and metal working skills, welding skills... etc..

 

Ehhh. This is very true.

But there are so many f-bodies out there with great bodies for 2 grand or less. Even if I could do the work, I couldn't justify spending the money and time to fix a rotted out 3rd gen. Now a first or second, my tone perhaps will change.

But that is me and that is my car.

 

As mentioned, it depends on your skills and patience. Does the car have sub frame connectors?

 

Well I have spent many hours on the floor pan replacement search on this site . From what I have come up with is that this is a common problem on these cars and becoming a common repair. So I have decided to go against my brain and side with my heart (and ego) and do her up. The plan is a full floor replacement front to back. Oh yeah the car has no sub frame connestors -yet. I just couldn't bear to let another third-gen go to the crusher, especially mine. I already lost a car I adore to the crusher, I am quite fond of the w- body too. Really like the luminas, Z-34 an Euros 2 door only. But to the point , She must be saved. All too often I see dumasses driving f- body's in the winter, and say to my self WHY??? . Drive a metro or something in the winter. Well I must express great thanks to all who have taken time to help a noob. Your time and knowledge is MUCH APPRECIATED thank you. I will update you on how this goes if you like. Thanks again.

 

good luck. save them rather than crush them if you can. luckily mine is from the midwest but never seen winter or salt in it's life. But that's about as rare as they come around here

 

You know, I kinda got to commend you for this.. For being such nice cars, up ere in the north, the ratio of nice, or even respectable cars, to the paint gone, primered up, rust visible while passing by cars is at least 1:4... The ration or nice, to simply bad cars is at least 1:6... IT's a shame, and gives us Camaro owners a bad name, especially 3rd gen.

3rd gen seems to be getting the insults now.. Fourth gen seems to new to really be getting the rust in mass numbers (bear with me, I know the 94s are only a year newer, you get my drift). The 2nd Gens aren't THAT common unless they are faily nice.. It seems like the 2nd gens I see are at least respectable, but that may be my location. I don't mean NICE cars, just, alright. Unfortunately, we're getting the heat, so good job fixing one up..
The compliments of a 3rd gen with a nice paint job and looks and performance are unexpected. I think in general people liek the cars, they just don't get to see the nice examples.

 

The only limitation are your pocket book. Anything is fixable.

I know folks who have rebuilt entire cars arond nothing but a vin plate they cut out of a rusty hulk...

Anything is fixable.