The car is a female XD?

Male ones have roof racks. Like deer.

Fave comment.

Dad always told me that one.

So it took like... 10 years for him to tell you?

I don't follow.

Mother of god, the left rear quarter panel. Maybe you could scavenge some scrapyards for a few pieces and just have them painted?

Well, I can buy a new rear quarter, not that hard to find online, and not too much...just if there is LOTS more to fix on her...not sure if worth saving.

I agree. Get a few more quotes and see if there are parts around, otherwise they'd have to be fabricated, and that is ridiculously pricey. x.x

Seems pretty rusty oO Will be a bit hard to restore it to a satisfactory state... but hey, if you're determined and have passion, anything can happen ;3

I thought you were the beast. :O At any rate sweet looking ride, even if in need of a little attention.

Call her Christine :D

And she'll repair herself XD But the cost...My god...

Only works on Chrysler products, sorry. This could be Cliff Jumper though.

Only the really UGLY Chrysler products too... like...the Plymouth Fury. :P

That Chrysler ain't that bad looking. try this one: http://www.remarkablecars.com/main/.....perial-1-1.jpg

Yeah, the Imperial. :P

White wall tires with such a pretty car zomygoodness

It's a gorgeous looking car. Hope you can get those repairs and rust problems taken care of.

Rust is lighter than carbon fiber.

With classic cars your always better to buy the best you can afford. Trust me. Fixer uppers seem like good deals till you start getting nickeled and dimed by them. Don't ask me how I know. But moving on. For 6k you can buy a nice welder and some panels and fix her yourself. Just depends on what your looking for in the end. A daily driver or a show car?

I'm lookin at a driver, not a show car at all. Yeah, I mighta bit off more than I can chew...was thinkn more like $2K in body work...again..stars in my eyes when I got her. BUT she was not much soo even if I sold her...I thnk I'd get bout $1,500 alone for what is good bout her.

if her mechanicals and drivetrain are in good shape you can always look for a roller and keep this one as a parts car.

Honest opinion, you can find a clean 78 for like $3000 or less if you look hard enough. THAT much body rot is a lot to deal with.

Yeah, that is true...I am lookin at maybe selling her for like $1,500. I really think is worth that at least, the engine runs and all the interior guages, tac, lights, seats, all there.

That seems fair, honestly, especially for the 305. Hell, if you're ambitious look for an 85-ish IROC and slap a 350 into it. I've rebuilt two third-gens and a second-gen, so let me know if you have questions.

Got an estimate on how much full repairs will cost ya? =)

Neat ride for the rest, I love bikes more but that is a very neat muscle car!

But I still think a '68 Dodge Charger is the sexiest!

67 firebird has you beat I am afraid

I have to agree with this. The old Firebird/Trans Ams are just fucking beautiful.

66 GTO

Can I get you to pose on my cars??

And break the car? Pssshaw...

But there's an idea. ° u °

OK then..NEXT to the car!

We can show off how big you are, muscles and muscle cars are a lovely combo if you ask me

Hahah, either way's good image in my head. 'Sides...

They don't build 'em like they used to! I'm pretty sure classic wheels can handle... AAAWL the Skyrilla.

hehe....my cars are from the 80s..leg warmers are optional for the photo shoot

Like what a Pontiac Trans-Am? ° u °

Close...

My race car is an 89 Chevy Camaro...painted like a Tiger

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7606777/

and my hotrod is an 84 Monte SS

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2348509/

And now you can see why Id rather have YOU pose next to it then me...

Actually, the two of you dressed up by your Monte would be pretty awesome.

Thankyou

Finally, a fellow Mopar fan!

Congratulations!! that's a real bad ass muscle car :D
Of course it needs some work but if the chassis is good, the body work will be easier!
If you haven't planned to work on it for the next months, you should just apply some rustproof paint to stop the carnage ;)

I will garage her so she dun get anymore rain from the elmements..had to wipe water outta the inside trunk lid, woot. Rust proof pain you say? Do tell more.

Rust is everywhere here, I live on the west coast of France and I am use to paint every piece of metal here with this product:
http://www.owatrol.com/index.php?langue=en&page=produits-rustol-owatrol

There's probably something like that in USA... It's really efficient to stop rust ;)

Wanna' race? :P

I think its worth to get those repairs even its cost much , when ure done with that Babe it will look surely like a beast again ... And u willl be proud if its that beast again ;] ..

Most cost effective option would be to find a roller (body with not engine or transmission) for cheap and then scavange all the good parts from your 78. Combine the decent body with the good parts from yours into one car. Your going to spend way more money than you could get out of the 78 restoring it. Unless it hold some sentimental value or something, I'd look for a better starting point or find a second car.

I was lookin at...bout $2,000 to put into the body...does that seem a super gullible estimate or maybe doable?

Not for one that will need major repair. Decent paint jobs can't be done for what Maaco would like you to believe. The $299 job they advertise all the time is just paint sprayed over the old. By the time they add prep work, minor repair, sanding and polishing etc you're looking at, at least, $1200-$1500 for a basic job. The quote of 6k for this car probably includes cutting off, and rewelding new sheet metal onto the car, media blasting of some sort, sealing, body work, paint, etc. Really if you only want to spend $2k on the body your going to have to find a rust free one and start from there.

Like I said, you'd be better off taking the engine and any salvageable parts from the red car (ie interior,chrome and body trim, glass,dash if uncracked, and spare parts) and using them on a roller. Depending on year and model rollers can be had for anywhere from a few hundred dollars to as most $2 or $3K. Expect a roller that cost into the thousands though to be in good shape, possible partially restored and really only need an engine to be a good driver

Just from the pics you posted this car is going to need, new rocker panels *cut out weld in new*, new rear quarters *cut old weld new* new doors, new floor boards/pan, sections of the windshield frame cut out and repaired, new heater cowl, and whatever other metal that will need to be replaced that is hidden like under carpet and behind other panels.

Yeah, more I read, the more I see yer point. Eh...I am sure I was not the first to buy a car and then see it as too much. I am sure I can Craigslist her for like $1500 I think. Some peopl love workin on this kinda stuff.

Yeah and sometimes it just takes tearing into one to see just how deep the hole in your wallet would be. I did the same thing with an old old VW I owned. The more work I did on it, the more I found it needed. If anything, in the future ask the seller if they'll let you take the car for an inspection. Let a mechanic look at it and run it by a body shop. Tell them your plans or what you want for the car and let them give you a reality check. It's hard to step back and look at things like purchasing an old iconic car objectively. Most people will look at what the car could be or once was not what it is as a project/expense *guilty myself*


Good luck with your venture whatever you decide to keep or sell it and hope you have fun getting this one fixed or or looking for a new one.

rockauto.com

Personally I'd sell it, I did the exact same thing with an old Beetle and that sort of rust is a wallet killer, fell in love with it and as soon as I got it home I started to see more and more rust. Luckily those particular Camaros aren't too rare and they're becoming increasingly popular, so you'll be able to find one that has a lot less rust and is only a little rough, just enough roughness to get fixed and make you feel a little more connected to the car :3 Even if you don't do it yourself it does feel good to see your money steadily change your baby into what you knew it could be or wanted it to be.

Also if you live in a rusty area it might be a good idea to look further away and plan a trip, it's a fun memory and you get a much cleaner car.

Probably wouldn't pay more than $500 for it.

Well, the engine, interior, guages, lights, American Racing wheels, she can easily get $1500 I believe. Runs good too, that alone is something Camaro people'd want for a parts car/project.

maybe, practically anything pre - 90's don't exist anymore around here, either rusted away, or at the junkyard.

Time to hit the Pick'N'Pull for body panels?

I had the 79 Z28 version and I have some parts and even contacts on speed dial for that car. Wish I still had it. Let me know if I can help.

You could question  zimskunk about it since he knows a thing or two about it.
I do believe  herro is also an avid gearhead.

Best of luck. :V

despite the shabby look of the machine, at a car would be a nice ride.

Sadly anything rust through has to be replaced with 'new' metal. One of the inner doors looks like its trim is coming off as well. The 6,000 estimate sounds about right if they are going to restore it fully. Sadly resale of this car in its current shape may only net the low end of kelly blue book prices.

Yeah, it was definitly a..WOW and din think much when I got it...oh well.Thinkin Craigslist for $1500 since the engine runs, interior is nice, all guages and lights work, original factory mags and American Racing wheels and yeah. total original car. For a parts/project car I might find a buyer.

My brother has been through three Camaro's, all of which have met tragic ends. One of which he was under when a drunk driver hit it, amazingly it spun around above him missing him completely before being driven into a ditch.

Wow, a cool car! o.o

really thats your care, that is awesome, my dad bough a car like that once to be a fixer up but yours is in much better condition but yeah all my gear head friends are out of town lol

Awesome, did not know you had a thing for cars *tailwags* The rust looks to be fairly substantial (its even under the windows), but it all should be repairable with a full tear down and restore :3

Who would let a beauty like that get into such a state of wear and tear? D:>

the time tooth... and seawater, salt really is horendous on a cars bodywork in collaberation with moisture

It'd be cheaper to get another IMHO, I love cars and can understand some sentimental value they have. I read your description and it sounds like it's something you just got...

Gen II Camaros are fairly easy to come across for not much money, especially a late 70's model, here's an example:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/.....330679781.html

IF you desperately want to keep it, you could have a shop replace the rear quarter and rocker panels, while you could replace some items yourself, like the doors/hood etc. Then with such things as surface rust (like that near the truck lid hinge) clean off as much rust as possible and cover it up with some rust inhibitor/paint to stop it from spreading. It won't be the best looking car, but it'll still be the same.

loosk great for its age, not much rust, chassi looks intact and not to much bodywork to do (yes im not sarcastic i seen WAY worse cars and been part in mending em)

to go on body work there is a show form uk that you should se then its "a car is reborn" as they restore a very beaten up E-type or the sequal "a MG is born" with they restore a rotten MGB ( http://www.streetfire.net/video/an-.....e-4_730547.htm )

You should seriously patch up that rust. It makes old chocolate more attractive.

Oof... She has the cancer bad, doesn't she... She has been ridden hard and put away wet. Poor girl. Hope you can get her back on the roads :P

nice car, the back wong looks the most worst, most of the rust areas are from trapped water, where it has no where to go.

best thing to do is to go into your magazine store and buy some classic car mags, look up on how they do resto's.

parts should be easy to find SURF THE NET TIME! that and local ads or scrap yards might yeald parts.

take pictures, alway do this, so that if you get to the point of asking "how's this serpose to go back?" you have pictures showing how to do it.

be sure to check for dis colouring, if its lighter or darker then it might be a nasty 90's bodge or a load of filler,

just remember to set your self a price otherwise you'll be buying stuff and it'll all be for nothing,

Erf...I've always been a drivetrain kinda guy...never was good with bodywork. The problem that I see is that there's a lot of cancer SHOWING. At this point, I'd be going around to a bunch of backwoods body shops for estimates, and one mainstream shop to pinpoint all the bad spots that are hiding. (Like around the window seams...). After that...crunch the numbers and decide if you want to go into it for the long haul. Honestly, I hate to say it but you're probably looking about 7K-10K just in body work.

Eh, shouldn't feel bad, just a live and learn experience for me is how I am lookin at it. I got bit by the old car bug and felt HEY I got the money for it, DO IT! I do think I can still sell it for like $1500 and not really lose much at all. But...gonna kinda be sad to let her go...but I think with that much in bodywork...I can get another for haf that with hardly any rust and in decent shape. Oh well!

I agree. I've been bit by the old car bug...but I can't find anything I'm looking for in the area, or in my price range that's not a terminal cancer patient. The thing you might consider is finding something that's not as popular and go for a driver. I mean, Carrol Shelby loved the little Dodge that he built in the mid 80s. It looks like a Yugo, but apparently it's a blast to drive.

As long as there's no big holes in the rear quarters then parts are easily interchangeable and replaced for cheap if you track em' down.
Rear quarter panels are a whole other story though because they either have to be patched with sheet metal or cut out and replaced. The problem with this however is if you are not very skilled in shaping and welding then the car will not be perfectly straight in the rear quarters and look wonky.

Never be discouraged by rust if you can;t fix the hole, replace the part. Camaros are probably one of the easiest cars to find parts for especially since the year does not need to match for the part to fit in most cases. I myself just recently bought a 1982 Camaro Z28 with a couple spots that need attending too.

Yeah, sadly I got NO experience doin metal work and would prolly end up takin her to a shop. I think I just undrestimated how much it cost and how much there really was to fix up.

Replacing parts is cheaper than getting it patched in most cases, so I'd suggest swapping what you can and patching the rest to save cost

Coming from someone who has dropped $15000 into a $1500 car in the past, it looks very fixable, but I think the right question you want to ask is "will a project like this be economically feasible for your primary mode of transport?" Now, I'm not certain if this is your only car or not. I had an 81 T/A (same body style) that was much worse as far as rust goes, but I let it go because someone offered me good money for it as it sat. My opinion, based on experience doing this type of work, is that the car will need significant metal work to bring it back to prime condition. Those cars are hard to find in original condition (not modified) and this looks like a pretty good example of that. I think most cars around that age usually need 4-5k in work if they have spent their entire lives here in the Northeast with salt and moisture, unlike the solid bodied cars you can still find out west.

Bottom line, if you can afford it as a project, it might be do able. However, for a daily driver Camaro without desirable (z28) options, 6-7k is a lot to sink into a bodywork on a classic that can easily be stolen or damaged in a metropolitan area. If its your only car, and spending that money would be a strain, I suggest finding another mode of transport.

Would I rock it? Yes. I am not afraid to get nasty with an angle grinder on something like that.

definitely try learning how to do it and make a project out of it :). My brother restored a '65 mustang fastback that had a lot of rust. He was only 15 when he started the project and just learned as he went. Back then it was an estimated $2000 to fix the body. But let me tell you he did a FANTASTIC job! It is worth it if you have the time :)

Rust is VERY hard to repair. Like cancer, you have to cut it out most of the time, and then weld or rivet in patch panels, or replace body panels entirely. My personal advice... unless you have a special attachment to *this* car.. sell it, and look for another with a rust-free body. Even if it needs a new engine and transmission, it will be an easier repair in the long run.

I hear ya...enough experienced gearheads here have turned me to...sell it. I have no real attachment to her, I would have likd to build one...but with the work she needs...I should let her go. Ithink $1500 is not too much and should sel to a Camaro enthusiast/restorer.

I bet hurricane sandy did wonders

:ONLY IF ALL ELSE FAILS:

Armageddon the crap out of her. Talkin' duel 50's up front, cattle guard for the bumper. Gotta work out some steel plating and spiked hub caps but I can see it workin'.

And speakin' of notes o-o...heh...um...

Truth is I've always wanted to do that to a old muscle car. Asked both City and State patrol up here, its legal, long as it don't hinder traffic (lookee loos don't count).

She's a beaut...reminds me of my moms fiero

cunt destroyer

Honestly I wouldn't put the money in her. The 305's are solid, they're reliable, but they were made in the late 70s, early 80s, up until the 90s. They had a wierd bore/stroke combination to get that 5.0L displacement, and they're just super wheezy. Cant get any power out of them affordably.

Unfortunately, I'm a Ford man, I'd try to steer you towards a 1988-92 Lincoln Mark VII LSC, seems to fit your bigness. They're the same underneath as a mustang, 225HP from factory, endless aftermarket, infinitely comfortable, and I own a Mark VII Bill Blass my father drives, he can get 24MPG out of it.

http://www.classiclincolns.com/Gall....._003.sized.jpg

you have the same problem as me. i know of a place that it would be 2 to 4K to fix that, ill be changing the whole floor and both sides of my 1986 300ZX there for 2k. but probably too long a drive for it from Philadelphia to RI.

best thing to do since you cant fix it yourself is to search for body shops in your area and find the one with best quality/price balance for you

I would expect to pay minimum 10-15K to fix the body up on it. From looking at the pics, I can grantee there is a lot more hidden under the trim and underneath. I would not be surprised if the floors or trunk needed replacement too. That's a common rust area on those cars.

If you aren't prepared to spend the $. don't ruin it. Sell it to someone who can and get one you can manage

Oh dun worry, I am not gonna do work to her if I am not prepared to finsish the job. BUT yeah, I am leaning towards selling her. She has a working engine, inacti interior, she'd be a good parts car and think I can get $1500 for he on Caigslist/Ebay motors. Thanks for the advice...just had that old car bug. NEXT TIME...think more, inspect more and not overreach with my goals.

This is no problem, easy fix. Go to auto parts online

I think the best you can do is try to part her out and get back what you spent on it. That car has a lot of earth cancer and if that's the rust i can see, their is a lot more i can't. I would check the battery tray and the bottom of the trunk. Might need to pull a few carpets or at least get her on some jack stands and give the undercarriage the once over. You can buy replacement panels but then you need to have them fitted and then painted which gets expensive FAST!

Your best bet is to head as far south as you can and pick up the cleanest southern car you can find. No snow means no salt which means no rust. Georgia particularly the Atlanta area is great place to pick up projects and there are still many good disco Camaro's to be found. Of course if you can find one closer that's always good to. Some one said it, but you want to buy the absolute best car you can afford because it will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS save you money. Also time and your sanity. Might want to look at some camaro specific forms for cars in good shape.

Look for one with a swapped 350 or 400 SBC. The 305 is just a not a good motor. It's reliable and makes good noise but it has almost zero redeemable qualities and doesn't do a single thing better than a 350/400 SBC which are the cheapest motors available in junkyards today. The 305's have very bad heads and just don't flow. They also don't share many parts with other SBC's. Building one is just a waste of time when you could have the bigger motor with the largest aftermarket known to man. A late 80's early 90's SBC with a pair of votec heads is about the best way to go on a budget. A junkyard 400, a set of junk yard vortec heads, a good carb, some time with a machine shop and you are on your way.


Look here for inspiration

http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/.....s/viewall.html
http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/.....et_camaro_z28/
http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/.....3_engine_swap/

And if you need information about ANYTHING just go here

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/

They have the best automotive forum on the web.

Yeah...I had stars in my eyes I'm afraid...the old car bug. I don't regret th buy, the dude selling it was not scammin me, he told me it was rough. I think I got into...I'd love to bring this car back to life...but din think of the extent or cost of. The car was not in any crashes. I think I can sell her for $1500...do you concur on th estimate? Craigslist or ebay motors I kinda am taking it as a live and learn experience. Next old car...spend lil more upfront. inspect her more, look for rust EVERYWHERE, see if I can have it taken to a garage to look at it, and not make decisions hastily.

What parts of a car CAN be a lil off and still be a good buy? Obviously not the body, I wanna make sure it is as solid and rust free as I can find.

ebay or camero clubs?

I'm a diesel mechanic. I do engines, fuel systems, brakes, and hydraulics... I never got into sheet metal or wiring.
and my welding is best left where no one can see it. you can pick a tank up by my welds, but they are butt ugly >.<

Automatic or stick shift?

She's automatic

It appears you've acquired a bunch of advice though, I shall add my two cents being the uber gear-head I am! Very nice car. and a lot of potential for the right price. I'm restoring a 1983 Camaro at the moment and Ill tell you.. doing body work ssuuuccckkk.. and I have two buds who do body-work for a living. Its a shame you aren't local! (Chicago) could get you a real quote! None-the-less.. just from the pics I see $2,000 will buy you a bondo bucket. It will NOT fix all the spots, though it may patch and cover them meaning, in 2-3 years down the road, the bondo will have started to flex, crack, expand and contract.. and EVERY spot will start to show if its painted and look horrible. It'll cost a lot more to be done right (welt in new steel, use bondo appropriately).

I'd drive it till it sells and save, put a couple grand (if you can) down on something a little more solid. Take a local gear-head if you know any with you and have them look over the body of anything you oogle real well. Seeing older cars in person is key, very VERY few will be bondo or rust free but those gems are out there!

Good luck on your work, grats for picken a Camaro <3 An hope to see more of it soon!

Bondo! BUUUUUUUUUUUU! :P

ehhh..... i'd sell it and get something a little better. anyone that i've ever seen or met that drove a camaro was an asshole. Not saying you are , but thats the impression they gave.

It's likes the poor mans muscle car , and really , a gto/challenger/charger/mustang would be much cooler. Get somthing that they didn't make A MILLION of. Somthing more unique , like a 58 fury or something really cool. Not a car that everyone has in their back yard.

Well, we shall see! And yeah, heheh the rep lotta Camaro owners have. *grows a mullet and tucks a pack of Camels under my sleeve* Uh, well, sadly Challengers and Chargers are WAY outta my league. Even shitty rustbucket/project ones go for WAY too much. I do like that 70s era Camaro though...yeah they ar kinda dime a dozen, but also helps for parts. BUT who knows what I will look for next...Coronets, Cutlasses, lotta NOT as desirable or collectible cars but can be damn fun to play with!

Really tho , go for somthing 50's , it soooooo much cooler pleasepleaseplease. dont be another camaro driver.

Lol, I know what'cha mean. But hey to each their own, right?

and I agree a "not as desireable" classic would be cool.

I had a 1964 plymouth belvedere 4 door and it was totally rad.

id myself would go for a audi S2, minor cpu alteration and just like that you can hit 300kmh and it was a extremely rare car.. rare one was the porsche tuned RS2

theo if id go mroe rare ther is instance the super light caterham seven.

in the us tho , those are kinda.... meh...

they're very "sensable" "top gear recommended" cars. but when it come to badass and classic , logic goes out the window.

Most americans will turn their heads for a classic american car , but a classic euro car doesn't get a whole lotaa praise here.

i dont mind ameircan cars either, like the chevelle form 69 concorse we had as i was smal and i still like it before the 70s model or the cuda.

well i seen to americans euro cars are often treatend like wear and trow products even some cars that are exeptionally rare (lotus omega) with bothers me, thoe it dosent matter where its form if it is a rare car and treat like dirt im really agrevated by it for instance this is a common sight around spring here http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2025.....a25daf47_o.jpg they ride around in it like that and bang it pp to look cool in it.

the parts for euro cars here are really expensive so generally when somthing breaks on an old euro car people will junk it. you dont really see any old bmws or mercedes audi's or anything like that driving around.

bmw, mercedes and audi is always expensive in spare parts even in europe, volvos as 700 series i know for its a imported car to america but even without proper parts volvos and early mercs are very similar (build like tanks and very simplefied mecanics) and as a golden rule with any car, dont drive it like you stole it and service it regularly and it will run for along time, volvo even holds the record of longest running car with is a p1800 and the car is even in america.

Good luck, sir. My father has tried to breathe life into a Cherry red 1954 Mercedes Convertible since I've been in middle school (14 years ago). The damn thing still doesn't have a working fuel gauge.

Hey dude! Long time no see.

As for the car... Well, it depends. Do you really want it? Do you really love it? Is it the body you've always wanted? Do you want to make this a project car?

If you've answered 'No' to most of the questions, sell it. A car of that age and that condition will take a lot of work. It won't be a fully functioning car unless you sink money into it.

If you've answered 'Yes' to most of the questions, keep it. Some cars are very sentimental. Some cars are pretty damn awesome. It's up to you to make that decision.

As for myself, I'm more partial to fuel injection, dual overhead cams, good suspension, a manual transmission and RWD.

Good luck on your quest for fun cars!

Hey dude! Good to see ya! Yeeeah I am likely sellin her. I mean, as I stated in some replies..I got bit by the old car bug and eh...blinded me to stuff that I shoulda stayed away from. But, if I can sell her, put that money towards another BETTER beast...that be OK too!

Or a down-payment on a new Challenger ... or something! :D

DELICIOUS!

I would change a few body panels, shoot it primer and unload the rest of the money into the driveline.

Oh my goodness, this is such a gorgeous model! I almost got a '68 Challenger a couple years back, but was $1k too short. I hope you turn out something awesome with her!

Oh my god. That is a sexy as fuck car. Id say if you can find the money and the right person to help you fix it, youre looking at a hot rod thats gonna have heads turning. Im actually jealous.

This is a true car. The only reason i say this is because modern cars are crap.
Its worth keeping because if you get it fixed up with parts from its year and it looks nice you can easily get $20,000 maybe even $30,000 if your lucky

Bitchin Camaro!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v3CzvQ9e_w

Just a general note on paint for your car/painting your car- it's ALWAYS cheaper to do it yourself.

I changed/painted my car for $360 and a favor owed ( wheel alignment for the clear-coat sprayer).

the clear coat was the most expensive bit- $200 for just the coat.
$60 for one of the younger guys to sand and rough up the panels so the paint and clear would stick
and I spent another $100 on my paint ( diamont and house of color)
I had a guy spray the clear coat ( and my dad turned over the favor of the wheel alignment).

I didn't coat the whole car ( did more artsy airbrushing! ) but even stuff like the compressor($350) and a detail airbrush ( $75) made it worth it. And a lot of places like paint shops and even autobody shops will have stuff for rent or used and cheap.

Also if you know anyone in auto repair business- there are a lot of times where it's favor for favor. Like we got to use the tow truck to pull out our bushes, but my dad then spends a few weekends working on the boss's buddies cars. Or even with me- I painted a shovel for one of the employees for her husband and they gave me a discount on repairs...

As for the rust- I know there is rust paint for it! It probably would be cheaper to buy a welder and lessons though to repair the panels instead of HAVING them repaired. You save on labor.

Good luck!

You might want to watch the series "Wheeler Dealers" on https://www.streetfire.net to get an idea of how to handle restorations on older cars. Generally, when you buy an older car, you want to spend as much as possible to get the car in the best possible condition as opposed to the cheapest car you can get. The basic formula for return on investment for these older cars is for every $1 you spend in repairing it, expect to get back only $0.50. So the more you can take advantage of someone else's time and money during the purchasing process, the better!

For example, I spent $3250 buying an old car and ended up spending $9000 having it restored. I could probably sell it for about $6-8K, but I could have bought one in as good a shape for about $7-9K and saved myself a lot of money. D'oh! (Hindsight is always 20/20!)

There's a reason why rust is called "car cancer." Still, if the engine runs great and the transmission is fine, you could just enjoy the car as a daily driver as-is. Maybe hit it with some primer on the rusted out spots to slow the decay. And get rid of it before it develops further problems. If you decide to keep it, just come to terms that you'll be spending a LOT of money restoring it--and likely won't ever get that investment back.

I love Camaros...in fact I have one of my own that I race...but. I think this one might be too far gone, that rear quarter is just nasty, gonna need LOTS of metal welded into it or a replacement. So....I think it would be better to sell the car and start over. For $6000 you can find a really nice 2nd generation Camaro like this that won't be coated in rust. The great thing about these old chevies is that the driveline is VERY cheap to take car of and upgrade. A few thousand will get you a very nasty engine for the car, a few hundred gets you a rebuilt transmission, etc, etc, etc... So the best bet is to save up your money for a good body and chassis. Paintwork isnt that expensive so long as the metal is in good shape.


Hope that helps, if you DO decide to stick with this car.....keep us updated is all I ask. I for one know what its like to fall in love with a car.

YEah...I am gonna sell it prolly, well..definitely. I had the car bug bite and eh...no blame to the seller, I knew it be a tough one...just din know HOW much hehe!

I'm a huge fan of your artwork AND I'm also a a car racer and ASE master tech. So if you need any advice or ideas on cars feel free to drop me a line

If all else fails, Gideon...

Turn it into a post-apocalyptic-proof smashing machine.

*drools* do want <3

yeah we need to meet up Gideon i have a 85 oldsmobile cuttlass supreme brouham XD we would be pimp.

well, sadly my mind is made up to sell her. Just tooo much rust to deal with, otherwise I'da kept the beast easy! Just the amount I'd need to take care of the rust, I can get a few cars hehe. ^_^

well i mean it doesn't look to bad and i am in need of a project...*rubs chin* how much?

Just tossed you a note!

okay :3 and hopefully some day we can find a nice flat safe area and have a race ^.^

Ooh, to me that doesn't look too bad. If you're not into welding new repair sections in and blending them, there's always fiberglass and bondo to patch the holes, too.

Id say keep her as a runabout/screwaround camaro she seems pretty beat up but from how it sounds mechanically she seems ok id say keep that as your fun screw around camaro that way you can get used to the v8 power and if you crash it its not like your mangling a nice one ya know. But i would look for another cleaner one you'd be surprised what you can get for like 3-4k especially on old camaro's if your looking for a sort of showcar. But if your interested in learning bodywork and such your current one that beat up would be a great way to learn. If you do wanna do the bodywork Ive built a few cars/trucks before and I built 2 from nothing more then a frame and engine block.

But for example this was my bfs truck when we got in the accident.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/77...../img0024bt.jpg
And after.
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/.....img0057uko.jpg

Im currently using bondo on the hood corner since its a minor ding and have since this pic was taken sanded the fender and primered it. Just waiting on the paint shop to mix the paint.

But its got a 305 too. :3

But if you decide to feel free to send me a note id be more then happy to give you pointers and advice. ^^

Awe boo! But it's understandable.... that's some serious rust. I'd say a parts car would have been the best solution... if you were a California guy I would have helped out out man!

Well, we talked about this in person... and yeah.. dump it.

305? Bwahahaha... no.

Coronet or Fury with a 440.. now you're ready to pound the pavement!

There are still several companies that readily make replacement steel panels for the rust spots you have. Bad part is, if you've never done any body work before, that is one hell of a starter project. I know body work quite well, and that would even prove a hell of a project for myself. Also, you have to keep in mind that whereever you have visible rust on the outside, there is probably twice as much more rust in areas that you can't see.

I wish I lived in your area, or I would offer to help. I would honestly say if you are gonna make a long term project out of the car, great, but if not, you are probably better off selling the car as is and cut your losses.

replace the panels that are rusted through, treat surface rust. it's not that bad in your case

Oh my GOD that rocks

hehe sadly just WAY too much rust...she will be sold. When the cost to fix her is WAY in the upper 4 figure range...time to go!

Dude YOU have no idea how much I love Camaros dude!
This car is the shit I've always been more partial to F-bodies but this car is the shit the birth of bad ass

Jesus Christ, bro! Did you get into a Drive-BY shootout or sumthin'?

Yes, yes I did.

I'd suggest selling it and saving up for one in the best shape you can afford. It's always cheaper to buy better quality then to try to fix up. Nice looking design.

yeah! it's all just buff out! -leans on quarter panel...only to have it fall off- o_o.....>.> <.< -places it back gently...then jumps into his 2012 mustang GT 5.0 and burns outta there-

but on a serious note if not restoring it.then well...drive her into the ground OR if you ARE planning on restoring it get a Doner car in terms of it's body panels. and exterior trim. as for the RUST..* ear splitting screams* <.< alot of cutting and re-welding.. o_o do what body work you can on it to save as much money as possible when it comes time to repainting it. and if you wanna learn more go into Youtube and look up

Wheeler Dealers. it's a UK program alot of advice. they even work on some american cars too. my two cents. happy driving.

Ouch....That's gonna require new panels. WAY too much rust all the way through to patch....and there's probably more on the inside...the east coast is NOT a good place for american steel...all that crap salt on the road and ice...you end up rustin' anything out. >.< Ohhh that poor beauty though...they are RARE out here on the west coast...how is the chassis and engine and interior though? If those are in decent condition, she might be save-able...

Keep in mind that you'll have a lot of problems with the 305, Unless you're going for all original, I'd upgrade to a 350 at least. Love the 2nd gen Camaros though, was may favorite of them. As for the rust, you can go to your local auto parts store and pick up some chemicals that will stop it from spreading. Worry about making sure that everything runs good before delving into the body. That's what I'm doing with my 71 Buick Skylark, and it has just as much if not more rust. Funny, I called mine the Beast too when I uploaded a picture of it! XD Make sure you check every single vacume hose in the engine bay as well. Also, look for leaks of any kind. Rebuilding the Carburetor is probably a good idea too, depending on how long it's sat or how long it's gone without a carb rebuild. Good luck with the project! Can't wait to see it when it's done!

Ouch...I am no body expert, nor am I a mechanic or any of that stuff, but, I can tell you right now that rust would end up eating your bank account pretty badly. Found myself in a similar situation with a 89 Firebird, just trying to get the rust touched up or buffed or whatever they do sent me back 2Gs and then the transmission just decided two months later it should stop working. I know a Philly fur and he tends to get beaters and get them into at least a decent condition. I could ask him for a suggestion to an Auto-Body shop around his area.


Having only been to Philly once, I can only suggest traveling to South Philadelphia where stuff tends to hit the fringe of the bad part of town, find yourself a Ma and Pa kind of shop and see if you can hammer out a lower price or see if they'd take it off your hands. If I lived any closer I'd pick that sucker up in a second, I love older cars, back when they were made solid as hell and with metal and a V-8 was pretty much standard fare. I can see why you bought it though, she can be a real beauty if you sink quite a bit of time and cash into it.

it all depends on what you want to do with it. daily driver? road sport?

You still have this Beauty in front of your garage?

Well, she's INSIDE the garage for now. ^_^

That's what I thought. Is she still in that bad condition, or have you started to fix her?
You're going to have lots of metal work and welding ahead of you :D

ps. Just wondering, that how someone has been managed to let this beauty rust so badly (the owner before you)

She's still in this state unfortunately. Been shoppin around for bodywork but most is WAY too expensive. Options are...sell her off, someone will definitely want her least for parts. Or I MIGHT have a lead on good yet affordable body work from a friend of a friend...shall see! If he thinks is too much of a job well she gets Craigslisted sadly.

That's a shame. You could always do the bodywork yourself, but it is going to take time...
Hope ya'll get her fixed. Such a beauty deserves good bodywork

well i might have some fun restoring it for you :3 just hit me up

Dude omg. DEF worth saving up. I mean it's gonna cost a lot of money but think of just how HARD you'll be pimpin' once you get it done.

If you really are dead set on keeping the car, your best shot would be to make your own mini panels. Just to replace the rusted areas, then sand things flat and finally clean/repaint EVERY part of the body. Cleaning is very important with an older car so you known the situation with everything. It also helps keep things in good shape. I would look for a local generic metalworking shop for help.

You could also just order new panels from anyplace online but I bet it would be hella expensive.

Or I guess third option is do everything yourself and learn as you go.

Final Option: Joyride!

as far as the rust goes, it might be cheaper to find new panels and just repaint them all to match x3 but other than that, nice ride B3

went through that with my 69 Camaro SS 6k is actually fairly good price seeing they are going to pull it apart and remove all the rust and replace all the rotted sheet metal. They will also have to replace body bushings and everything And make sure the sub frame is good. even if your just restore it back to original stock the car will be worth 30K easy unmolested. Sadly I got deployed and sold/gave the car away seeing the 67 - 69 are pretty much untouchable now. It well worth investing getting it restored, and letting somebody do it thats knows what they are doing saves your dealing with the cars apart for 2 to 5 years as your struggle with restoring it, and just locating the parts alone the correct ones is a nightmare

Cheaper to buy one rust free from the desert and swap in your drivetrain parts if there are any mechanical issues on the rust-free car. Oh, and your interior pieces will probably be less sun-beaten than the desert car's.

Rust repair always goes deep, and fixing it right is hideously expensive and time consuming.

One thing a friend of mine did was use lead or some metal to patch the rust but you'd have to repaint the whole thing. It works really good on rust spots. He had an old ford galaxy that he turned into a Baja car

Very cool very nice!

I love the old muscle & pony cars, they just don't make em like they used to.. Las Vegas has a ton of rebuild & restoration garages/specialists I've come across so many really cool cars.

rad! Still have it?