79 Trans am

[Swims350]

pin hole near the silver tape crap, scale, pits, and the big hole you can see on the underside near the left torque box section from way up above lol.

You must be registered for see images attach

this is the driver's side, it's where everything meets, inner and outer rocker, wheel well, inner 1/4 etc. I think after looking I may be able to patch that over from inside the wheel well with like one piece I'm hoping. I'll have to trim it out and make the piece and weld in from the wheel well.

You must be registered for see images attach

front firewall brace/torque box in front. This is the area right under the driver's front toe board portion of the floor. I figure cutting out the top floor and getting into this will make it bigger and of course this needs a patch itself.

You must be registered for see images attach

same area but inside the wheel house view.

You must be registered for see images attach

This is the big damaged area, it took a hard hit and got moved in a bit from the bottom. The very bottom of this pic up under the frame rail is that new hole I found under the seam sealer. This entire piece mainly is the one from the underseat pan to the trunk that's rusted, bent and etc. You can also see the underseat pan is in front of this and that corner had a bad hit and bend, so really I think the under seat pan needs complete replacement since half is bent and pin holed and the other rotted or bads pits.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Swims350]

same as the last above but I know the pic sucks, the front area of this pic is like a v shaped portion and it's bare steel, well it got such a hit in back is caused that bow out or buckle. That area does raise up there factory but this is more in the tunnel and buckled out.

You must be registered for see images attach

a peek inside the frame this is that hole in the rear panel that I found buried under the sealer, my guess is it rotted from in here out.

You must be registered for see images attach

if you guys have read along (I'm ure maybe one or two of you have, thanks for that LOL) this is that rear cross rail or tail panel area they hacked in and is not welded to the 1/4. I did nothing here but remove the trunk drop off and it's just like this all crap.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[bucket]

I gotta admit, that's looking rough. I feel real bad too, because the Camaro body has way less bad areas. And here you are with this project.

I hope you keep at it though, and I still really recommend that you try fabbing as many of the areas as you can. You can do a lot of metal shaping with stuff you probably already have on hand. Besides the usual dollies, pick hammers, shrinking hammers, vice, wood, torch and stuff, anything around your garage can become metal shaping tools. Various piping, angle iron or even your engine hoist can be good shaping tools (as long as you don't care about chipping the paint off). And an old bar stool works as a sandbag along with a reshaped mallet for doing the gentle curves in larger panels.

 

[Swims350]

I gotta admit, that's looking rough. I feel real bad too, because the Camaro body has way less bad areas. And here you are with this project.

I hope you keep at it though, and I still really recommend that you try fabbing as many of the areas as you can. You can do a lot of metal shaping with stuff you probably already have on hand. Besides the usual dollies, pick hammers, shrinking hammers, vice, wood, torch and stuff, anything around your garage can become metal shaping tools. Various piping, angle iron or even your engine hoist can be good shaping tools (as long as you don't care about chipping the paint off). And an old bar stool works as a sandbag along with a reshaped mallet for doing the gentle curves in larger panels.

I'm far too picky lol I'd probably find tons in the camaro I'd want changed too, but oh well. I'm just kinda hanging around waiting not sure what I'll do.

You shouldn't feel bad lol I decided to sell it and did. At this point I'm sure it'd faster and cheaper and easier to fix then the TA, same I bet to be said for the 83 squarebody I traded for this pile.

 

[Swims350]

aint sh!t been going on. I did buy the pass. floor pan with toe board all the way back to the rear seat, got it from jegs, came in today. I did order the torque box from advance just waiting for it to ship. I gotta order plenty more though.

 

[Swims350]

got my torque box in the other day the seat belt bolt is in the wrong location compared to mine and must be an older car thing according to google, other f body forums and youtube. No big deal. I got more to order still need more patch panels. They also forgot to drill one hole ad of course seems to be thinner gauge then stock.

 

[Swims350]

I haven't given up yet, just nothing has been going on, just accumulating parts. I think I got all the floor pan pieces and brace now. I'm looking into ordering more asap, like the 1/4's wheel houses, drop offs, tail pan etc. I'm also needing to look into if I need door skins or not. I found a good deal on at least one side, so I need to sand it down and check it, if it's full of filler I'm getting skinned.

 

[Swims350]

well some of you may be upset by this, but..

NO I'm not getting rid of it.....

I'm switching directions. I'm not going for like show car or perfect now which would require all new panels everywhere. I'm going now for cheap as possible, get it on the road. I was told to do this by others when I first got it and should have. I like tearing things apart and doing nice shiney show car stuff, but anymore I have trouble staying on it. I lose interest and get rid of them, example, the 79 camaro bucket has and the 83 squarebody I traded for this.

I've now got the subframe painted and could reassemble if not for it being in the way. I'm going to order some por15 or chassis saver in silver, whichever is cheaper, and silver because it has alum. fiber in it. I plan like I told Andy to try and use that on those floors, and use their mat which is a fiberglass mat to see how long it will keep rust from getting worse.

Yes I have all those panels I can put in it if need be and if it gets worse then it will get them replaced.

I do have to do the trunk drop offs since they were so bad and I cut em loose. I plan to try and reinforce that tail pan area, and some in the seat belt areas in back. I also have to patch up at least that one wheel house in back.

As I mentioned before I'm not a welder my eyesight keeps me from doing good.

So that is what I've came up with as little welding as possible.


If I had done this right, it'd need every panel, I kid you not. Both 1/4s were patched up and used over 1/4 of filler, not over rot, but over there tacked every inch panels. Both outer wheel houses because the outer lips gone and the pass has alot of holes. Both trunk drop offs are trashed, tail pan is junk flat sheet metal, the inner is halfway gone and hacked. the doors had some rust that was filler over and thick filler again, so they'd need skins. The roof we all know how jacked that is, warped, 1/2 filler, big hole for sunroof. both fenders had ****** patchwork front and rear. The hood had bad surface rust and pits. The trunk lid had patches underneath and bubbles, so yea plus the floors, all panels to be done right.

As for the roof you may ask I think I'll sand it all down to get their filler off, try to torch heat and cold rag shrink it, or a stud gun and get it as good as I can, maybe some filler work if it's not gonna be thick and make it better, then use the sunroof I already bought.

I already bought most of the parts for engine rebuild either a chevy 350 or the olds 403.

The body as far as what I'm going to do, now I have to patch the 1/4 on the DS front and rear lower, bodywork that, he roof of course and the hood. I also plan to sand down that filler on the doors, and then skim those. As for fenders and other 1/4' maybe nothing more then a scuff and shoot. I'm thinking of trying out tractor paint, it's cheap, I can change colors whenever or mix my own, if it works it works if not I'm not ou tmuch. I say this because I figure every year or so I'll get some blisters come out that need ground and filled, and if so be easy enough to fix and touch up in cheapo paint. I was going to just do black epoxy primer and leave it be, which I may still or even get some flat black tractor paint. I'm not big on it, be my first and be new for me.

Anymore though I've been feeling down and hopeless on it so i figure it's time for a change. I couldn't sell it and make any money, parting out maybe, but that'd be sad and really the parts are crap. If I can do this my family can enjoy it, both my kids can ride it unlike the vette or the old mans truck, so I think it's for the best. I can always improve on it later or even strip it and redo it all.

I'll continue to post as I go along, goal now is get it back on the ground on 4 wheels and tires, rolling, then running, then driving. ASAP



PS also really wanting another square 4wd, so might get one as a project and build ground up sometime in the near future who knows. I also got dad's here now to mess with.

 

[4WDKC]

well some of you may be upset by this, but..

NO I'm not getting rid of it.....

I'm switching directions. I'm not going for like show car or perfect now which would require all new panels everywhere. I'm going now for cheap as possible, get it on the road. I was told to do this by others when I first got it and should have. I like tearing things apart and doing nice shiney show car stuff, but anymore I have trouble staying on it. I lose interest and get rid of them, example, the 79 camaro bucket has and the 83 squarebody I traded for this.

I've now got the subframe painted and could reassemble if not for it being in the way. I'm going to order some por15 or chassis saver in silver, whichever is cheaper, and silver because it has alum. fiber in it. I plan like I told Andy to try and use that on those floors, and use their mat which is a fiberglass mat to see how long it will keep rust from getting worse.

Yes I have all those panels I can put in it if need be and if it gets worse then it will get them replaced.

I do have to do the trunk drop offs since they were so bad and I cut em loose. I plan to try and reinforce that tail pan area, and some in the seat belt areas in back. I also have to patch up at least that one wheel house in back.

As I mentioned before I'm not a welder my eyesight keeps me from doing good.

So that is what I've came up with as little welding as possible.


If I had done this right, it'd need every panel, I kid you not. Both 1/4s were patched up and used over 1/4 of filler, not over rot, but over there tacked every inch panels. Both outer wheel houses because the outer lips gone and the pass has alot of holes. Both trunk drop offs are trashed, tail pan is junk flat sheet metal, the inner is halfway gone and hacked. the doors had some rust that was filler over and thick filler again, so they'd need skins. The roof we all know how jacked that is, warped, 1/2 filler, big hole for sunroof. both fenders had ****** patchwork front and rear. The hood had bad surface rust and pits. The trunk lid had patches underneath and bubbles, so yea plus the floors, all panels to be done right.

As for the roof you may ask I think I'll sand it all down to get their filler off, try to torch heat and cold rag shrink it, or a stud gun and get it as good as I can, maybe some filler work if it's not gonna be thick and make it better, then use the sunroof I already bought.

I already bought most of the parts for engine rebuild either a chevy 350 or the olds 403.

The body as far as what I'm going to do, now I have to patch the 1/4 on the DS front and rear lower, bodywork that, he roof of course and the hood. I also plan to sand down that filler on the doors, and then skim those. As for fenders and other 1/4' maybe nothing more then a scuff and shoot. I'm thinking of trying out tractor paint, it's cheap, I can change colors whenever or mix my own, if it works it works if not I'm not ou tmuch. I say this because I figure every year or so I'll get some blisters come out that need ground and filled, and if so be easy enough to fix and touch up in cheapo paint. I was going to just do black epoxy primer and leave it be, which I may still or even get some flat black tractor paint. I'm not big on it, be my first and be new for me.

Anymore though I've been feeling down and hopeless on it so i figure it's time for a change. I couldn't sell it and make any money, parting out maybe, but that'd be sad and really the parts are crap. If I can do this my family can enjoy it, both my kids can ride it unlike the vette or the old mans truck, so I think it's for the best. I can always improve on it later or even strip it and redo it all.

I'll continue to post as I go along, goal now is get it back on the ground on 4 wheels and tires, rolling, then running, then driving. ASAP



PS also really wanting another square 4wd, so might get one as a project and build ground up sometime in the near future who knows. I also got dad's here now to mess with.

I get it, on 1 hand I say put it together and drive it. On the other hand fix the rust you already have access to so it doesnt get worse ie the floor boards cut the rust out, put in new metal best you can (it can always be fixed later). Im willing to bet rebuilding that 350 is going to be cheaper than the 403 unless you dont have the accessory brackets for the 350 in a FBody.

 

[Swims350]

I already bought the parts for both the 350 and the 403, the rings, bearings, timing set, etc. I just need a cam and lifter set for either.

I do have all the brackets for the 403, and for the 350 shouldn't be anything more then some old school chrome v belt brackets like the camaro had. It's the chevy 350 I had from my 88. I was going to buy the long water pump chrome brackets for the alt. and power steering pump on ebay. I don't plan to have ac or anything on it.

I do need some headers for either.

I may need some floor pan replacement in back, depends on how much I mess up getting the rest of the torque box off, but no worrys I've got all panels needed to do those right. I also forgot to mention I was going to pick up some nice weld in style subframe connectors and solid bushings for it. So if I hack up that pan too much I'll just end up doing the entire side on the ps basically and then that one part on the drivers.




gotta get the c3 out on the road this year. Just the wife and I while th ekids are in school.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Do what makes you happy. Get that sucker running and enjoy it. Crusty Biscuit has rust, some areas I fear are really bad. I am only fixing mechanical stuff at the moment. Eventually I get a welder and then start tackling the rust spots. It sucks having a project sitting in pieces when you want to drive it.

 

[bucket]

I think I forgot to tell you, about the time you started rethinking your plans for the T/A, a buddy of mine was getting on my case about not just putting the Camaro together and enjoying it. Between you and him, it's persuaded me to have a similar change of plans. He says he's going to come help me on it so it can be on the road by early fall, lol.

 

[yevgenievich]

Not a bad change. It is pretty much where I am at with the 79 C10. It is running/driving and good enough for now. But if there is rust that will not be accessible later, I would say try to take care of it now.

 

[Swims350]

wow guys I missed 3 replys to this, sorry about that.


Anyway splans have changed a lil.

I AM changing at least the full pass. side floor, rear underseat pan, front pan, I'm eye balls deep in it now. I may change the other pan between the driver's front and rear seats. If not then I'll be using the mat and por15 but I'll see how well this other pan change goes.

I've got the front and rear pans on the pass. side almost completely fit, and need to trim them along the tunnel, screwed down for now etc. I'm waiting for some weld thru primer, some chassis saver, and a punch/flange tool to come in.

My plan is unlike others, I plan to leave a 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch overlap whatever the flange dictates, and then punch holes to plug weld, seam seal over the joints top and bottom and not butt weld. I'm not sure I could butt weld th ewhole thing I'm afraid I'd just waste time, wire and mes it up.

Once I get this done I'm moving on to the trunk drop offs only because I removed one. Then I can focus on getting it back down on the ground and rolling.





question for all of you reading, should I strip everything and coat with por15, chassis saver etc. or just strip and epoxy prime then some paint later? Inside and ou ton the floors?


Some spots have rust, most is new metal.

 

[bucket]

I'd just use POR on the surface rusted areas. It takes some prep to get it to stick well to clean metal.

How's your compressor doing?