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Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

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  • Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

    damndamndamndamnDAMN!!!

    One of the reasons I HATE T-top cars is the inevitable leakage associated with them, amplified by not having indoor storage(gave up my first home with a garage for a bigger home without one.....family was expanding).

    I went out and inspected my pride and joy('85 Z28)........water pooled in the left rear footwell, floor is rotten. Checked left framerail, it's rotten too......

    Not certain if there's a good fix for this, or if I just need to find a new roller to dump the engine and trans into.

    Suggestions? I have my own idea(s), but always like to have "second" opinions......Tuesday Night Street Drags at IRP(O'Reilly my ass) have begun once again, and I'm ready to finally run down the 1320 and quit coming up with BS excuses for not having done so.

    The fact that I park my semi next door further exacerbates this longing..........*cues doppler sound of screaming engines hurtling down the track*

  • #2
    Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

    I helped a buddy replace the subframe rails in his 73 Camaro some years ago. We cut the donor rails out of a 78 Camaro. We made sure to cut enough of the rail out of the donor car so we would have enough material available to overlap the good material on the 73. If I remember correctly...when we installed the donor rail, we overlapped the good material by 1 1/2 inches on each end. After that was done, we installed the floorpan peices, welded the framerails to the floorpan, and then capped both ends of the new frame rails for added strength. Throughought the whole process, we constantly checked to make sure everythign was "true" before we started welding. We had the car on jack stands and we had two hydraulic jacks (with wood between the jacks and the car) at the very back of the car to ensure it wouldn't move when we cut out the old frame rails. My buddy still has the car and has had no problems since.

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    • #3
      Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

      There's subframe caps available for mopars that do this kind of repair properly. I have to think there would be for just about any GM built as well...

      Auto-body specialties??? I think was the name of the outfit????

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      • #4
        Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

        Nope - sorry the company I was thinking of is called Auto Rust Technicians and it looks like the frame caps they make are Mopar-specific only. But I'm sure someone must make this kind of thing for Gm cars just given the sheer number of them there are on the road.

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        • #5
          Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

          Check <shermanparts.com>. Not sure if they have these, but they have a BUNCH of stuff (even if they don't have a core support for my '78). This is definitely fixable, in any case. In the worst case, get a chunk of 16 gage and have your local sheet metal shop bend it to the right shape. I did an MGB that way, and it worked great.

          Good luck
          Dan

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          • #6
            Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

            We have a 85 camaro that you can have that has good rails that you can have. We are scrapping it. You would have to pick it up however...might be a long drive.

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            • #7
              Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

              Rick -
              You wouldn't have a Gen 2 with a decent core support would ya? Mine's rotted on the battery side - evidently pretty common. You would think they'd make a Chinese replacement, but no. I found a couple used ones on line but they want a potfull for them. Sooner or later I expect I'll find one here in the area and I've cobbled something together in the meantime.

              Dan

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              • #8
                Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                Dan,

                I saw a 77 T/A a couple of weeks ago at Pick-n-Pull. I assume that would work (provided they haven't crushed the car yet). Where do you live?

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                • #9
                  Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                  Wilmington NC - SE corner of the state. If you get a chance, please take a look at the bottom passenger's side of the core support. The battery tends to slop on there and rot 'em out. If it's OK, we'll talk. Might ship cheaper if I just got the bottom - I have a wire feed and I'm not afraid to use it.

                  Thanks
                  Dan

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                  • #10
                    Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                    A lot of the fire bird stuff wont fit camaros,Abetter fix mite be to back half it.
                    Just an idea
                    terry

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                    • #11
                      Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                      Originally posted by terry russell
                      A lot of the fire bird stuff wont fit camaros,Abetter fix mite be to back half it.
                      Just an idea
                      terry
                      My last post was for Dan. If I was tiresmoke, I'd pull them from another Camaro.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                        Sounds like a good excuse to put a 6point cage in it ,maybe tie it together w/tubing underneath .Yeah what terry said,same idea.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                          The back-half idea has crossed my mind......just gotta figure out the financials behind it. Like most everything I do, it ends up being done on a McBudget.....learned that phrase from DF, circa CC-late '90's....

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                          • #14
                            Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                            Hey remimber I'm not that far away ,if you want somebody elses head up under there for ideas. I want to meat all CJ's in the central Ind. area anyways.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Rotten left subframe rail.....SH@T!!!!!

                              That may have to happen....even if only to stare at it and say "yup, it's ferked up"..... :D

                              Got back to the parking area where I park my semi next to IRP today, looks like a divisional meet going on.....sounded like the Super Comp dragsters were giving it hell.....

                              To have the loot for half of those glorious parts....the hell I could raise......the tickets I'd incur.... ;D

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