does this look like frame rot to you?

gribbs

Coast to Coast
So I know this isn;t a bike, BUT if I don't get a car in the next few days I will be buying a 1980 Seca 550 and choppin it up, so I figure I can still ask for your help on a car this one time :-\

This is the undercarriage of a 66 El Camino I went to look at the other day. What do you think? Owner says the car is solid, but I see some rot in the first picture.....

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def got some rust. that first pic is tough to tell what i'm looking at. it looks like the exhaust is shot. the rear pinion seal is leaking. I dont know how much you want to spend but if your looking for a project it might be alright. be careful dont want to see you get into a money pit. looking at the pics again it looks like the frame should be solid but rusty. good luck
 
Yeah I can't tell what's frame and what's exhaust in that first pic, but something's coming apart. One of the floorboards looks like it might be original and looks to be good, and those are often first to go because they weren't galvanized.

That's one of my favorite years. Have you seen the STYLO video?

Gorillaz - Stylo (HD)

It's not an easy year to track down so I probably wouldn't let it go for one bad frame rail, but that would bring the value down. Get under there and tap on everything, if it's rusting out from the inside you should be able to feel and hear it.
 
Hell... Nothing in those pics looks to be beyond repair. Id buy it of the price was right. Its no driver though...
 
wow cool video!!!! thaks for sharing

you guys are right, its hard to tell. The floors that werent redone felt really solid. The exhaust is definitely completed rotted away, and that makes it difficult to tell. I noticed the small holes in the upper right of the first pic and thats when I figured i should ask you guys.

I am not very handy, so this project could be too much for me. The guy is asking $5k. Remember too that up here in Canada everything costs a lil more. I dunno, I am probably better off getting a good runner for 7-9k and clean it up more over the winter.....
 
id buy it for 5k... definitely needs work.

im with von on this one.
 
if you can weld nothing is beyond repair ;D other than that the the frame apears to be surface rust . take a hammer with you . give the frame a good wack if the hammer goes through you got your answer . if the owner says its solid and is honest he shouldnt mind if he does , look elsewhere
 
The owner had a restored 68 camino too, and he said it could be for sale, and told me out right that he patched the frame on it. He insists the beat up one has a solid frame, so i dont think he would tell me about a frame on a mint car, and lie about a frame on something so rusty. I like the hammer idea, so i will probably go back next week and take a second look and prolly more pics for you all to help me with.

These are great opinions, i wish i knew more about this stuff like you guys do. 5 large does seem like alot when i can get so many types of different cars road worthy for 7-10. Decisions decisions.....but they wont be as cool as this one!
 
Brad.. sexy as that El Camino "can be", that is one big ass project that will take lots of time and money!!..
For 5g's, you'd get more pleasure from buying a Norton Commando or some sexy bike...

Unless you are willing to throw lots of cash at it and right away, I forsee you cruzing in that ride a few years out...
At the end of the day, it would probabbly be cheaper for you to fly to Arizona, pick one up and jus drive it back!!...

That was what I was planning to do with a 69 Charger before I got addicted to bikes...
 
I hear ya buddy.....I was also thinking that since its already august, chances are i could find a better deal on many cars if i can just wait to fall/winter. Driving one up from the states is something i would enjoy too.


How do you yankees stand craigslist?? the search is balls, and half the ads have no pics.....can anyone recommend sites in the U.S. for classic cars? some sites have like 50 cars total on them too. Just frustrating

something in the carolinas
 
You just have to fly down to Phoenix AZ, stay in a cheapie motel and spend a week looking & searching at all the local "car yards"... and find the one you want..

Literally... Some of the dealers have yards in the dessert where cars are parked according to year/make!!... you tell the dealer what kind of car you are looking for and he will golf cart you to section...

My kid sister went to college at ASU and I flew down once summer to help her look for a car!!.. I couldnt believe how many 60's muscle cars there were there, (in various conditions), and for sale CHEAP!!.. I swore I was going to come back and drive back home in an 67-69 Charger!!.. Make a road trip out of it with a few of the boys!!..
 
That sounds awesome!! hmmm i need to look more into that

that gold monte carlo u commented on is 8 grand, but could need tires, brakes and shocks/springs. The rest of it is pretty clean and the paint is decent

I like this arizona deal alot! not sure i can get a whole week, but i aint that picky anyways. Maybe do that in the winter, and buy another bike for now.

How is the SR dude???
 
VonYinzer said:
Hell... Nothing in those pics looks to be beyond repair. Id buy it of the price was right. Its no driver though...

That's definately driver capable.

Here's my 64 Valiant that I daily drove until mechanical issues took her off the road.

Passenger front "floor pan"

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Driver floor pan

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The passenger goes through to the rear "pan" area as well. I'm working on getting the mechanicals straightened out to resume daily driver duty. Your quite critical of your vehicles.
 
Looks like whats gone is the exhaust pipe, it looks weird because its right in front of a cross member. What I don't like is the mess of wires under the dash.

Looks solid to me.
 
Would a complete new wiring loom clear up the dash issues? they are about 5-600 bucks. If it needs that, and exhaust and windshield only, I would do it

I wish there was a 100% way of knowing what the total project price would cost.....i guess then it wouldnt really be a true project at all though.....
 
My best advice is for a first project, don't buy a project. A daily driver you can drive from day one and wrench on the weekends is a best. As stuff brakes/ needs fixing and expect it will you can learn along the way.

Does it run right now or can the owner get it going for you?

Will you have someone there to help you and teach you all about this stuff? Someone to call when it brakes down for help?
 
Ha im from MN so most old cars look like that from the salt they use on the roads in the winter. If you are looking to just repair the floor cheap without welding here is what i have done on "beaters". Cut out all the bad shit seal the remaining rust with brush on rust converter. It converts rust into a hard black plastic and seals it up Than rivet in sheet aluminum with aluminum rivets (with a generous overlap on existing floor) and fiberglass all of the seams/holes with kitty hair (pre-mixed fiberglass with strand in it). Aluminum and fiberglass because it obviously won't rust. Finish with some undercoating on the bottom and paint/primer on the floor. Cheap fix and actually works quite well. Just make sure that seat/seat belt mounting point are still structurally sound.
 
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