Well, got my mom's 68 towed over to the house, and started on it last Wednesday. As I started looking it over, I started getting the feeling I'm in for a LOT of work.

1. The car had been sitting, and a neighbors truck rolled into the rear, majorly warping the passenger side quarter panel, not to mention generally effin up the trunk area to where it won;t close right. It looks like it's pushed everything down and under. The back bumper is pointing slightly down, and everything is a bit off. (Holds breath) Is there a way to fix this?

2. The trunk floor is swiss cheese, so it's gotta come out. How expensive is plain sheet metal? I thought that might be cheaper than $200 for a new floor.

I've taken pics, which I'll post later. You guys have to see my pic of the trunk floor, which I took in the dark with a light shining up through. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

All the little things on this beast are going to add up, even just to get it to daily driver status. She's had it a looong time and it means a lot to her, that's why I volunteered to fix it up. Now I kinda wish I'd just offered to buy the damn thing. Sheesh. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Oh yeah, also whats a good gasless MIG welder? How thick of sheetmetal would one need to weld on a car?

Thanks!

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Eric Taylor
'72 350 Malibu
www.geocities.com/eandbtaylor/ (http://www.geocities.com/eandbtaylor/)

[This message has been edited by ETAYLOR72 (edited 03-21-2001).]

Eric. It looks like you have room and a barn..I would #1 Take the car to a competent frame shop and have the rear area checked for alignment (heck the whole frame) BEFORE you do anything..Then buy a donor car that has cherry rear sheetmetal...maybe the front end is toast from a crash..Your interior is cherry so you have saved major $$$ there. If you are willing to learn and do your own stuff, it will be cheap to go this route. Buy a mig welder and start practicing. Perhaps a body off is in order ? You have the room, and you are tearing it up to fix the heater anyway...If you have friends who can weld and do 1/4 panels, have them help you do the quarter/trunk reconstruction. If you HAVE to keep this car, then you are in for some work. Or you could cannibalize this car (interior frame all good sheetmetal/trim etc)detail it, and buy another cherry shell and rebuild that way...This way your frame is ready to go,and you are looking at a nice paint job and interior to put in...It's a tough call. keep us appraised-Shawn

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