Thread: When buying, How much Rust is too much?

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I'm looking for another firebird to play with. I'm interested in this 78 Formula. It has a little bit of rust as shown in these pics, but overall looks like a pretty solid little car for it's age and location (OHIO). Sounds like it was a seasonal car and garaged for the most part. Here's the link to the auction and additional pics of the rust areas.

Here's the auction link & the other spot:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...sPageName=WDVW

Dang! There is a T/A exactly like that one in my neighborhood. And I mean exactly like that!! Same hood, paint job, rims, and everything else. The only rust on this one is one is the roof and that's cuase it's been sitting out in this guys front yard uncovered for a very long time! I guess that means this one is a '78 too then.

Well good luck with it! It is definitely a sharp car!

yeah what he said Oh Boy for a minit I thought that was one of the birds I use to own had check .It wasn't but It was cancering in the same place my did down on the bottom I ended up replacing the hole quarter panel I would shy away but on the other hand that formula is other wise a nise looking car you might want a body person check it out and see how much damage there is dam jeri what is this I use to have three bird at one time Im down to one It still up in wasington this summer I got go after it

John, you're a nut. lol.

Alrighty then, here's the REAL question. I'm waffling on changing up the Bird i've got which is why i've been looking a bit at some that aren't as pretty as mine...I love Dave Severenson's quote..."Anybody can restore a classic, takes a man to cut one up."

I bought the T/A right where you suggested Techie...it came from New Mexico. The dry climate is exactly why I bought one there. I really wanted to start with a good base...and I paid a bit too much for her ha ha! I bought the T/A fully intending to really make it mine...custom everything. But now that i've had her for awhile...and i've played around with ideas...well, lol, i'm not sure i'm "man" enough to change her up much.

Have you guys ever gotten nervous about changing up an unmolested car? Have you had reservations or doubts about doing it? How did you get over it?

A good thing you could do, if you can go see the car, do a bondo nock test around the heavy rust area's on the car, and also, in the door openings, on the bottom corners, rear and front, they tend to rust there, which it seems that's where the car needs work. Also, take a computer hard drive magnet, carfully, hold it a few inches from the metal surface, hold it and move it around tightly in your hand, if the magnet lets up, that's bondo in that spot. DO NOT let go of the magnet, you will find yourself paying the owner for dent removal because it will snap at the metal and could very well den't it because they are very very strong. Also, don't hold them near TV's or computer monitors ( CRT monitors ) without a degausse function, it will permanently magnatize it and will show multi color around the edges but, it's fun ( turns entire screen into a rainbow whail still showing the picture ) as long as the tv or monitor has a degausse function. The function can be reconized with the humm heard 1ce the appliance is turned on, that discharges magnatism and static electricity.

Originally posted by Jerilynne1965
John, you're a nut. lol.

Alrighty then, here's the REAL question. I'm waffling on changing up the Bird i've got which is why i've been looking a bit at some that aren't as pretty as mine...I love Dave Severenson's quote..."Anybody can restore a classic, takes a man to cut one up."

I bought the T/A right where you suggested Techie...it came from New Mexico. The dry climate is exactly why I bought one there. I really wanted to start with a good base...and I paid a bit too much for her ha ha! I bought the T/A fully intending to really make it mine...custom everything. But now that i've had her for awhile...and i've played around with ideas...well, lol, i'm not sure i'm "man" enough to change her up much.

Have you guys ever gotten nervous about changing up an unmolested car? Have you had reservations or doubts about doing it? How did you get over it?

every one but once you get in to it the butterflys go away and then anticipation sets in

Originally posted by Jerilynne1965
John, you're a nut. lol.

Alrighty then, here's the REAL question. I'm waffling on changing up the Bird i've got which is why i've been looking a bit at some that aren't as pretty as mine...I love Dave Severenson's quote..."Anybody can restore a classic, takes a man to cut one up."

I bought the T/A right where you suggested Techie...it came from New Mexico. The dry climate is exactly why I bought one there. I really wanted to start with a good base...and I paid a bit too much for her ha ha! I bought the T/A fully intending to really make it mine...custom everything. But now that i've had her for awhile...and i've played around with ideas...well, lol, i'm not sure i'm "man" enough to change her up much.

Have you guys ever gotten nervous about changing up an unmolested car? Have you had reservations or doubts about doing it? How did you get over it?

Think of how many '81 T/A T tops with the turbo 301 there are, unmolested or restored, making 1 custom won't hurt.

If that's the only rust on the car then you can buy new replacement metal or the rocker panels and 1/4 panels there. I would check it out in person though, I looked at over 20 cars here and wen't back to look at most of them twice and the first time it looked alright and then I went back again and looked over it again and better and noticed way more than it looked before.

Matt...ha ha...I guess that's the thing...the 301 Turbo doesn't get any respect...and...well...I suppose that it shouldn't from a performance standpoint because the thing is a freaking Boat ANCHOR lol! However, there's this part of me that's wondering...ok, 10 years from now, will it (the turbo t/a) be more interesting because it was an experiment or will the 403 ALWAYS be where it's at for an original unmolested T/A? I just can't imagine that there are very many Turbo T/A's left like mine...only 2000 made...blah blah blah...so...how do you decide what is chopping up material and what's best left unmolested? That...is the question. ha ha!
Denny ~ Funny you mention the pencil & paper...I actually have done drawings...& i've got samples and notebooks full of rims, paint, flames, (i'm actually playing with the avatar you made me for my hood bird), fabrics, engine info etc...I'm not sure I would actually play with the build/body of the car...I've never seen it done with a second gen T/A...but i'm open to new ideas ha ha!

John...too bad you mentioned the snowshoes idea...now i'm gonna weigh 400 lbs...ha ha! I'm totally addicted...who would have thought, hot chocolate, whipped cream and peppermint schnapps!!! Seriously...absolutely yummy...i've got you to thank...lol...thanks! (hey, it's my thread, i can hijack it can't i?)

If ur real affraid of doing anything, keep the 301 on a stand in the garage and don't do anything to the car that cannot be reversed. You could upgrade the 301's turbo if you wanted. 2000 T/A 301 T tops cars were made, probably about 50% of that number remains on the road in stock form, the rest are probably ither been destroyed ( in crashes, sent threw the crusher or other ) and the rest are customized in some way.

Glad you like them they kinda warmed ya up didn't they yep them some good stuff hey went and dug these photos of my brid I have up north I stll have to do get I really have way to many toys

Originally posted by Matt167
If ur real affraid of doing anything, keep the 301 on a stand in the garage and don't do anything to the car that cannot be reversed. You could upgrade the 301's turbo if you wanted. 2000 T/A 301 T tops cars were made, probably about 50% of that number remains on the road in stock form, the rest are probably ither been destroyed ( in crashes, sent threw the crusher or other ) and the rest are customized in some way.

I was kinda thinkin that too...an with what Denny is thinkin about gettin a parts car so I can save my original parts...lol...but now that i'm actually saying that out loud...i'd basically be using the frame of my current car & storing the makings of almost an entire T/A "just in case" I want to put it back to it's original state...Now that I actually say it/write it...it sounds a little insane/impractical/paranoid ha ha...I know that there are actually wierdo's like me out there that WANT a 301 Turbo engine to stick in thier otherwise perfect T/A...why? I have no idea b/c it's slow...and if MINE ever blew...I would not find another one to replace it...OK, I just gotta get past the 1st cut right?

What's a logical order to work in when you want to change up a car completely...interior, engine, paint...uh, is suspension or frame a consideration? anything i should be thinking about there?

Super nice T/A John! Was that an 80 or 81? Was it a Turbo? I don't see a shaker...nice Cragars too ha ha! So 80's!!!!