I won?t waste your time with the story. I bought a 82 el-camino that had been sitting in a barn in down state Illinois for a long, Long time. I was told that the rear section of frame was severly rusted.AS well as the rear bumper. is this s common problem with this car? The car is in tact and all original conditional, as it was owned by an old man of 91 who recently passed away. Any information would be helpful. Thanks, Mike
On 20 Apr 2005 11:31:23 -0400, MichaelMars puked:
I don't know, but I'm willing to bet you can find an 82 Monte Carlo frame to fix it...
-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?
The rear frame rusting on the G Body cars from 1978 to 1988 is common. They are also prone to rusting of the radiator core support and the door bottoms. Another area on the El Camino of those years to inspect closely is under the rear window. Dirt and debris gets trapped under the lower window moulding and stays damp causing the problem. The lower rear quarter panels between the door and the wheel opening are another place that frequently rust through so check there as well. Paint blisters or small lumps in the paint in any of those body areas is a sure clue that the rusting has started.
If all that is wrong with that car ( truck ) is the rear of the frame behind the wheel arch and axle it might be worth having it repaired. The rear bumper needs to be from a 78 to 87 El Camino or any G Body station wagon of the same years ( Malibu, Buick Regal, Olds Cutlass, or Pontiac ). A sedan bumper doesn't have tail lights in it. New bumpers no longer exist from GM so its off to the bone yard or swap meet to locate one.
-- Mike.................................................... "Opportunities are spawned from crisis"
THANK YOU. This is useful information. I drove down state, had the car pulled out of the barn on a flat bed. taken to my dads place 18 miles away. I worked on the car two days before i had to return home. I did everything! but i did not check the frame in back. The doors are not rusted. nor is any part of the front end. All though i did not remove it. the spare tire appears to be in new condition. I will check the compartment when i go back down to pick it up. There is rust hole in front of the passenger side rear wheel. It was said that the car sat in the barn for 6 or 7 years. The first task was to drain out the gas tank. judgeing by the stench, this could be true. The tires were almost flat. There was a long screw driver stuck down the quadrajet. I found (mud) wasp nests in the barrels & manifold. After everything was replaced & changed, The car fired up with a few squirts of gas. The first attempt to drive it... The brake line burst. also the air tubes in the manifold fell apart. and was leaking exhust. I left the car and had a local guy do it up for me. Was notified today that the car is finished. This guy also found a rear bumper and installed it for me. thats when he found the rusted frame. Once all the hay & chicken shit was washed off, the old girl looked pretty good... Than you for your reply. you have been most helpful. Mike In Illinois
Happy to have been able to offer you some info. I've owned a 78 and currently own an 81. Good luck with it.
-- Mike.................................................... "Opportunities are spawned from crisis"
THANK YOU. This is useful information. I drove down state, had the car pulled out of the barn on a flat bed. taken to my dads place 18 miles away. I worked on the car two days before i had to return home. I did everything! but i did not check the frame in back. The doors are not rusted. nor is any part of the front end. All though i did not remove it. the spare tire appears to be in new condition. I will check the compartment when i go back down to pick it up. There is rust hole in front of the passenger side rear wheel. It was said that the car sat in the barn for 6 or 7 years. The first task was to drain out the gas tank. judgeing by the stench, this could be true. The tires were almost flat. There was a long screw driver stuck down the quadrajet. I found (mud) wasp nests in the barrels & manifold. After everything was replaced & changed, The car fired up with a few squirts of gas. The first attempt to drive it... The brake line burst. also the air tubes in the manifold fell apart. and was leaking exhust. I left the car and had a local guy do it up for me. Was notified today that the car is finished. This guy also found a rear bumper and installed it for me. thats when he found the rusted frame. Once all the hay & chicken shit was washed off, the old girl looked pretty good... Than you for your reply. you have been most helpful. Mike In Illinois
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