How much is too much?

[Travlin]

I'm in the process of stripping my (new) 58 for a restoration, and I'm becoming excedingly discuraged by the amount of rusted out panels I'm finding. Last night I found the rear subframe to be pretty well shot -- Much rust.

So my question is -- How much rust is too much? When does one decide that the car simply isn't restorable?

[coastie124]

Originally Posted by Travlin

I'm in the process of stripping my (new) 58 for a restoration, and I'm becoming excedingly discuraged by the amount of rusted out panels I'm finding. Last night I found the rear subframe to be pretty well shot -- Much rust.

So my question is -- How much rust is too much? When does one decide that the car simply isn't restorable?

I am in the same situation right know and I plan on just spending alot of time rebuilding the metal. I have rot on the sub frame in the rear and rocker panels are rotting and the front bumber mounts are rotting and the floor boards are in the process of rotting. My plan is to have it dipped in an akaline tank to remove all rust and paint. To do this you have to remove everything from the car. Anything left on the car that isn't steel will be gone when the process is done. Then when I've done this I hope to have accumalated all the metal that I can order. When I get it back I will have a rust free car to work on. Then I will fabricate everything that isn't ordered. The thing is I have a metal shop at my disposal and three hour lunch breaks every night.

What I do is just tell my self that if I don't then no one will and its another classic gone. Remember don't crush them send them to me. :)

[Travlin]

Originally Posted by coastie124

I am in the same situation right know and I plan on just spending alot of time rebuilding the metal. I have rot on the sub frame in the rear and rocker panels are rotting and the front bumber mounts are rotting and the floor boards are in the process of rotting. My plan is to have it dipped in an akaline tank to remove all rust and paint. To do this you have to remove everything from the car. Anything left on the car that isn't steel will be gone when the process is done. Then when I've done this I hope to have accumalated all the metal that I can order. When I get it back I will have a rust free car to work on. Then I will fabricate everything that isn't ordered. The thing is I have a metal shop at my disposal and three hour lunch breaks every night. :)

I'm afraid if I had her dipped, I'd get what's left of her back in a shoebox.

Maybe that's a tad bit of an exageration, but right now I'm looking at a heck of a lot of work.

[coastie124]

Originally Posted by Travlin

I'm afraid if I had her dipped, I'd get what's left of her back in a shoebox.

Maybe that's a tad bit of an exageration, but right now I'm looking at a heck of a lot of work.

I know how you feel. I tell everybody that the rust is holding her together. Which we all know is an exageration but not much of one. I have ever type of rot you can come up with. Lets put it this way I purchased it for 500 bucks. Even crappy ones can cost a few thousand. And mine is a complete car. I have every piece that I need for it. Excluding sheet metal. Next project.

I have been keeping up on your post on squarebirds.org and I feel the most important view on that thread is to preserve the car. I feel crushing them is like taking away from our kids classics. "And mine someday when I get the money."

[Travlin]

Originally Posted by coastie124

I know how you feel. I tell everybody that the rust is holding her together. Which we all know is an exageration but not much of one. I have ever type of rot you can come up with. Lets put it this way I purchased it for 500 bucks. Even crappy ones can cost a few thousand. And mine is a complete car. I have every piece that I need for it. Excluding sheet metal. Next project.

Well -- I'm already in the tank for about 5 large. You're not kidding about crappy ones costing. As for the sheet metal ... That's my next project too. Go figure! I need to check the rockers and see what the stuff in there looks like. Then of course there's the motor and trans. And then there's ....

Originally Posted by coastie124

I have been keeping up on your post on squarebirds.org and I feel the most important view on that thread is to preserve the car. I feel crushing them is like taking away from our kids classics. "And mine someday when I get the money."

LoL. My kids are NEVER driving my Bird! :nono I don't want a paperweight!

[coastie124]

LoL. My kids are NEVER driving my Bird! :nono I don't want a paperweight! [/quote]




I mean one for them to rebuild after I crash it or die in sixty years or so.