Hey guys,

I hope you don't mind me asking some "general" 2nd gen questions. I no longer own my 1976 Camaro LT-350. The car was soo badly gone when I got it (I got it for free) that it just wasn't worth it.

In any case, I have a 1981 TransAm. I've totally stripped the rear of the car. The car has always been a Florida car as records show. I've replaced everything on the subframe all new suspension, and even installed new subframe bolts.

Basically, it looks as if water and debris pooled up around the base of the rear window. This caused rust to form and eventually ate it's way through. It then pooled in teh trunk and rotted out the rear valence.

The trunk floor itself is still ok, the A-pillar corner by the drivers side is rotted out, the base of the rear-windows have 2 quarter sized holes on each side, the rear of the package tray by the rear window is rotted out, and the rear valence is totally rotted out.

The rest of the car, including the floor-boards and everything else is totally rust free. I've removed the fuel tank and the rear frame rails seem really good with the eception of pitting where the frame rails bolt to the rear bumper. but I weigh 225 pounds and even when I jump up and down on the rear bumper, it doesn't budge.

Now, this is the sheetmetal that I have:

1) WHOLE replacement cowl panel / dash panel with about 4"s of A-pillar. (It even has the stereo speaker holes, not the big one in the middle)

2) Entire rear valence with way more metal cut out than I need.

3) Whole new rear package tray metal along with the rear window support.

4) Pieces to repair the quarter panels.


Now, I really think I can do almost everything on this car, except repair the quarter panels. I have a 1/8" welder, it's a Lincoln Electric wire-feed welder that uses 120 volts. Do you think that is sufficient? I have used it to weld in a battery tray on my Fiero, and I cut the roof off my friend's 78 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz and used the welder to cap off the B-pillars.

Does anyone know of a web site, or a good book that explains how to remove the quarters and how to repair sheet metal on our 2nd gens?

I'm really bummed out, because I don't know if I should just go looking for another rust-free hull or what. But this car has the rare C&C ttops (what Hurst ended up becomming) and I would hate to junk it... http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/frown.gif

It has a permenant spot in the garage so I've got the space and climate to work on it.


Any advice, or help is appreciated...

Thanks!!!!

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Todd,
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE WS6
1981 Pontiac TransAm
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

The 120v Lincoln is plenty welder to do the body, and just about everything else on your car that might need welding.

Replacing an entire quarterpanel is lots of work. The right way to do it is to remove the old panel first. You will need to support the body first because once the quarter panel is off, the car might bend out of shape. Then weld the new one on carefully. Tack weld the panel all around making sure everything is straight, and avoid welding too long in any one spot because the metal distorts easily. Here, the more welding skill you have, the better the finished results.

Thanks Gary, I really appreciate the advice.

Do you think I should probably take the car off it's wheels and support it on some sort of platform? Like something made of cinderblocks and plywood?


Thanks!

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Todd,
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE WS6
1981 Pontiac TransAm
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

cinderblocks are not car supports, they are life enders, use jack stands, but I would leave it on the ground for most of the work, if you can get to it all

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To err is human; but to really screw things up
requires a computer.


Give blood play hockey!

I hate to say it, but someone needs to.....crush the car. Keep and / or sell the decent parts and make Miller Lite cans out of the rest.

'76 Camaros that are rustbuckets are worth squat. Even decent ones aren't worth much. You can buy any '74 or later without rust for around $1,000. At that price it won't run and will need to be gone through from headlight to tail light, but at least the foundation will be sound.

If you want a good project car I have a rust free '79 plain jane that I would let go, FWIW.

leave the rust. put in a big block out of an old cheap boat. turn it into a sleeper and go beat up on nice expensivly painted ricers.

MikeM79, the 76 is long gone. It was faar too rusted, I sold it to a guy on here for $20 bucks who stripped it.

The car I'm trying to fix up is an 81 TA with C&C ttops.

All I have to do is repair the rear quarters, replace the rear valence, and the cowl panel, and the car is fine. I have all the sheet metal, except the rear quarters.



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Todd,
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE WS6
1981 Pontiac TransAm
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

Just replace "76 camaro" in Mike's reply everywhere it appears with "81 T/A" and you get the same effect -

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by 82-T/A:

All I have to do is repair the rear quarters, replace the rear valence, and the cowl panel, and the car is fine.

</font>

LOL. It's your money. Unless this car has some sentimental value I would find a better car.

Hey PowerGlide350, remember me? I'm the guy that used to live in the apartment that you got the intake manifold from!

I ended up junking that Camaro that I had. The guy gave me $20 bucks, and hauled it off....




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Todd,
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE WS6
1981 Pontiac TransAm
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

Yep I remember. Thanks again! Haven't been to Florida in a while.

If this is the car you have your heart set on, then fix it. If you want to/can afford to travel/search for a better body hull, that would be alot easier. As has been said, any rust can be fixed, its just a question if you really want this particular car. Also, T-top cars like to twist at the bottoms of the A-pillars, so rust there makes me nervous.
C&C tops have nothing to do with hurst tops. Hurst was the "factory" supplier of T-tops until fisher tops came out and made them obsolete(even then there were a few dealer installed units) C&C tops were completely aftermarket(some installed at or for dealers). C&C tops actually hurt the value of a car as there are little or no replacement parts/weatherstrips available for them. This may also be something to consider when you decide to keep or throw.

Eberhama, yeah... very true. The thing is, I really like this car, I like the options it has, and I might as well.

What I meant by C&C was that they later bought Hurst (in the early 80s). Hurst was seperate at the time that C&C was making TTOPs for the 2nd gen.

C&C ttops weren't exactly "aftermarket" like the American TTOPs were. They were more aftermarket like an SLP RAM-AIR TransAm was.

C&C bought Hurst, and then they went on to produce the Hurst Olds package in 84, and a couple of other cars during that time.

C&C also made all the TTOPs for the Pontiac Fiero.

They're excellent TTOPs. They're larger than the Hurst and Fisher, and they are leak-proof.

Sunroof Doctor actually makes C&C TTOP replacement gaskets. It's the trim that's hard to find (the one that goes around the inside of the headliner).




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Todd,
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE WS6
1981 Pontiac TransAm
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

Todd,
It sounds like you like to wrench and you like the car, if it makes you smile when you look at your work, and it is something you enjoy, go for it! A better doner may be apropriate if you can find one, but, if you feel confident you can take on this challenge then great!

stay away from cinder blocks, they can crumble. Get several jack stands, theye are cheap. A bunch of large chunks of wood can do a good job as well.

I've got a junk car with a whole C&C T-top setup. FWIW.

Hey PowerGlide, do you want to sell parts off of it?

I'd probably buy most of that stuff, especially if you have the interior brackets (though I may try to make new ones out of metal)


Thanks,

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Todd,
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE WS6
1981 Pontiac TransAm
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

Make it into a bbq grill! (i know its not 2004 anymore)

Make it into a bbq grill! (i know its not 2004 anymore)


Damn, I've sold like half the cars in my signature script.

I actually don't have that 81 anymore. I dumped another grand or so, and three more summers of welding and patch panels. It actually started to come out really well. I ended up selling the car on eBay to someone who basically finished the job. It was painted, and it's now sitting in the kid's garage in pieces (but painted and rust free now).

I sold have those Fieros, then got hooked on a Porsche 944 which I totally restored, and then sold that, and then bought a crashed 73 Oldsmobile Cutlass, repaired it, and now that's for sale on eBay (ends tomorrow, $2,000)...

I got married, my wife had a kid (she's 5 months old now) and I'm going through a phase where I'm selling all my cars. I'm keeping my 87 Fiero (my first car) my 73 VW Bus, my grandfather's 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX, we just traded in my wife's 2004 VW Beetle Convertible for a 2008 Jeep Patriot, and I'm looking to trade in my 2006 Pontiac Solstice for a Volvo S80...

Crazy how things change...

Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot
2006 Pontiac Solstice
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX-P74
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1981 Miami Dolphins EZ-GO Xi875a Medical Cart
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter
1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 350