First was this 57 Chevy 2 dr post car. Had a 283 PowerPack that even though had the air cleaner on it and was covered, water still got inside the cylinders, and in winter froze and pushed the cylinder wall into the water jacket. Every body mount, floor piece and body panel was rusted, even the heater assembly was toast. Even in 83, you could buy all these parts, the Tri-5 Chevy's were the first cars you could almost build from a catalog. The killer of the car was when unbolted the lower control arm, the frame was missing where it bolted in the back. Only good parts on the car was the stainless trim, not a nick or dent in any of it. Unfortunately, those got destroyed in the house fire.
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Other was my 66 Coronet. I knew of the rust in engine compartment, but rest of car looked solid when I bought it. But after having to cut the upper control arm bolts out and finding one side with holes in shock tower, I should have dug into it more. Instead, decided to "restore it". Pulled the carpets, and the front floors were rotted so fixed them and the trans crossmember. Then I found out a sagging rear bumper on a B-body isn't just a rusty bumper mount. That's when I tore into it and found it needed 3 frame rails, 2 shock towers, inner fenders, quarters, rear crossmembers. Beyond my ability to fix at the time both financially and time/space wise, the junkyard charged me to haul it away.
Don't have pictures but the rustiest car I ever bought was a '68 Dart 170, /6-auto. Spent it's whole life on the coast so it was rusted inside-out. Very much like Rich's 1 of 1 '67 383 4bbl 4-speed wagon.
If a man speaks while in his garage and his wife does not hear it, is he still wrong?
Mine would be my first 67 Coronet 500. It only had one rocker trim piece left and one day noticed that was gone also.
It had a street sign for a drivers side floor so it got really wet in there when it rained. I painted the rocker area flat black to hide the rot... you still see it..
The Idaho Andy I love the smell of race fuel in the morning
I recently purchased a 78 GMC K15 that was owned by an elderly couple. They bought the truck brand new, put a blade on it and used it to clear the parking lot of their business for many years. The truck only has 74k original miles on it and runs like a champ but.. There isnt a good panel on the dang thing. Obviously they used a lot of road salt and the truck must have been bathed in it. The frame really isnt bad but the rest of it is terrible. On the positive side, the more I drive it around the faster it gets and the better the gas mileage from all the rusty pieces falling off of her.
kalincloyd Wrote:I recently purchased a 78 GMC K15 that was owned by an elderly couple. They bought the truck brand new, put a blade on it and used it to clear the parking lot of their business for many years. The truck only has 74k original miles on it and runs like a champ but.. There isnt a good panel on the dang thing. Obviously they used a lot of road salt and the truck must have been bathed in it. The frame really isnt bad but the rest of it is terrible. On the positive side, the more I drive it around the faster it gets and the better the gas mileage from all the rusty pieces falling off of her.
I had a 75 Chevy Suburban like that... ran great but when you went thru puddles it'd give you a shower from what came thru the floorboard.
I worked on a VW Beetle once that when I put it on the lift the entire front suspension fell off and was hanging by the steering column. Only thing holding it to the car was 2 bolts to the body below the gas tank and they snapped the mounts when the weight shifted. The owner tried to make us fix it for free... didn't happen.
I love Mopars so much I'm date coding the skid marks in my underwear.
lanceh13 Wrote:Mike..those all pictures from the same garage?
Mine would have to be one of my first vehicles growing up. It was a 89 'Eddie Bauer' Bronco II...rusty as hell but fun to drive.
Yessir.. different house on the foundation but same address. (Shortly after I joined Navy guy my parents rented my room to burned it down smoking in bed)
'57 old house, '66 replacement.
I love Mopars so much I'm date coding the skid marks in my underwear.
67440Dodge Wrote:Yessir.. different house on the foundation but same address. (Shortly after I joined Navy guy my parents rented my room to burned it down smoking in bed)
'57 old house, '66 replacement.
Ahh yes. I remember that story. I thought you started your car journey in VW's...maybe I'm right on that...they just weren't rusty haha.
Living the dream...
1949 Dodge Flat Fender Power Wagon (Sherman)
1969 Coronet R/T drop top 440 w/manual 4 spd (Audrey)
1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst / Olds W-30
1993 Dodge W-250 Cummins w/manual (low mile) (Frank)
2016 Ram 3500 w/manual 6 spd (Betty)
06-29-23, 02:09 PM (This post was last modified: 06-29-23, 04:16 PM by 67440Dodge.)
Yup.. I did start on VW's...owned 11 of em (I was the Piper of the VW world).. This is only one I restored.. it had some rust, but not as bad as others.. (no pics of those)
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I love Mopars so much I'm date coding the skid marks in my underwear.
