Calling bodywork gurus

[wrightz28]

Alrighty then, any help on this is greatly appreciated.

3rd gen '85 Z28 in desperate trouble. Has fallen victim to it's 19 years of enduring Chicago area roads and salt. This is the same way I lost my old Camaro and I'm not letting it happen again now that I'm a little better with body work, but still learning, so tips and pointers are welcome.

The problem, cracked floor pan, all the way, rocker to trans tunnel. Discovered the problem after finding the front driver's seat mount bolts were loose, tightened them up and the seat still rocked back and forth, due to the pan being cracked in half under the seat.

Before this discovery, I had the car jacked up putting new tires & rims on it (GTA rims look great on Camaros!) and the doors didn't tweak much and still opened and closed so it is not as bad as my previous camaro that suffered the same ill fate (although visually it looks worse?).

Anyway, I found a site that has replacement pans for $200 a side, which isn't too bad. However, is htere anything else I should keep an eye out for structurally? To quote Dr. McCoy of Star Trek fame, damn it Jim, I'm a mechanic not a bodyman!

Help soon, wife is already talking about a mustang she saw :O

[Dober89]

Main areas that like to rott out are the floor pans like you noticed, especially at the very front where you feet go. I replaced my inner wheel well last summer because it had a big hole in it. My core support looks pretty rotten too and besides that all I can think of is the t-bar, and the windshield frame posts like to rust near where they meet the fender.

[wrightz28]

Thanks Dober. I knew from my first one about the A pillar rot, which was really bad on that one and the wheel wells, so I looked this one over before I bought it. And I made the compromise that yes it needed rear 1/4 panels and wells, but the undercarrage was ok, which is what entirely blew me away that in less than a year, hardly being driven thiis happened.