Philadelphia-area prognosis help needed

[MattL]

Hello all,

I'm only a few months into my 2002, and I'm already considering cutting my losses until I can find a better one. I picked up a 74 2002 early this summer. It didn't run, and the pedal box needed a rebuild (springs were corroded/frozen). I was willing to overlook those things, though, since the body seemed mostly solid. There was some rust showing on doors and panels, but the shock towers and rockers looked solid. So, I bought it, got it towed home, and have been working on it here and there, mostly on the pedal box. That job itself has been way more work than expected, due mostly to the seized bolts encountered. In the meantime, I also realized that the rockers are NOT solid: they've got a hard shell of undercoating over some foil tape stuff, but under that are at least two completely corroded spots.

When I finally jacked the car up is when I started to get really discouraged, though. First of all, because of the rusty rockers, I put the jack stands under the frame rails. Bad idea (I'm sure some of you are shaking your heads, saying "no kidding"). In slow-motion, the passenger-side rail collapsed under the load, and I jacked the car back up again right away. I moved the stands over to the jack points which, despite my initial fears, held fast.

I didn't want to spend much time under there, so I just took a quick look around with a flashlight. The undercoating covers much of the underside, but it's peeling off in places, and pretty much everywhere that's exposed metal is brown with rust. I can't tell how "deep" it is. I tried to take some pics, but they didn't come out well.

I knew before I bought this car that learning to mig weld would probably be in my future. It's a project/hobby car, so it's not like I'm pressed for time. But I don't have a lift or any other specialized equipment. And since I'm new to this, it's hard for me to tell whether this one should be considered a lost cause. If I have to junk it or let it go as a parts car, I'd obviously rather do it sooner than later.

Is there a kind soul in the Philadelphia or South Jersey area that would be willing to come to Collingswood and take a look? Any advice/prognosis from someone with more experience with 2002s would be very much appreciated. It should go without saying that lunch is on me. And a case or bottle of your poison of choice.

Thanks,

Matt

[Rattfink81]

I'm pretty new to 2002's my self but have been messing with e30's and my e28 for a bit plus I've owned many American 60's and 70's cars so I might be of some help. I think your about a half hour from me. If you no one else can help you then send me a email at rattfink81 at yahoo dot com

[Psymon]

Hello all,

I'm only a few months into my 2002, and I'm already considering cutting my losses until I can find a better one. I picked up a 74 2002 early this summer. It didn't run, and the pedal box needed a rebuild (springs were corroded/frozen). I was willing to overlook those things, though, since the body seemed mostly solid. There was some rust showing on doors and panels, but the shock towers and rockers looked solid. So, I bought it, got it towed home, and have been working on it here and there, mostly on the pedal box. That job itself has been way more work than expected, due mostly to the seized bolts encountered. In the meantime, I also realized that the rockers are NOT solid: they've got a hard shell of undercoating over some foil tape stuff, but under that are at least two completely corroded spots.

When I finally jacked the car up is when I started to get really discouraged, though. First of all, because of the rusty rockers, I put the jack stands under the frame rails. Bad idea (I'm sure some of you are shaking your heads, saying "no kidding"). In slow-motion, the passenger-side rail collapsed under the load, and I jacked the car back up again right away. I moved the stands over to the jack points which, despite my initial fears, held fast.

I didn't want to spend much time under there, so I just took a quick look around with a flashlight. The undercoating covers much of the underside, but it's peeling off in places, and pretty much everywhere that's exposed metal is brown with rust. I can't tell how "deep" it is. I tried to take some pics, but they didn't come out well.

I knew before I bought this car that learning to mig weld would probably be in my future. It's a project/hobby car, so it's not like I'm pressed for time. But I don't have a lift or any other specialized equipment. And since I'm new to this, it's hard for me to tell whether this one should be considered a lost cause. If I have to junk it or let it go as a parts car, I'd obviously rather do it sooner than later.

Is there a kind soul in the Philadelphia or South Jersey area that would be willing to come to Collingswood and take a look? Any advice/prognosis from someone with more experience with 2002s would be very much appreciated. It should go without saying that lunch is on me. And a case or bottle of your poison of choice.

Thanks,

Matt

Matt,

Sorry to hear about this. Hopefully it's not that bad, but if it is, you should be able to part it out and chalk it up to experience.

You can try calling chris at stone racing. He is in Philly and when I spoke to him a few months back about a car I was looking at, he was very helpful and honest. He knows his stuff and will give you a no bs diagnosis.

[MattL]

Thanks, guys. Rattfink81, your offer is much appreciated, and I would welcome your opinion. Even if you're new to 2002s, your experience with cars in general is way beyond mine, and is sure to be helpful. And it would be good to meet you in any case. You bought the silver tii in Center City, right? I was bummed that I lost out on that one, and I think I rushed into this one to avoid losing out again! I'll send you an email to see if we can set something up. Thanks again.

Psymon, I will definitely also try to get in touch with Chris. I know I've seen some phone numbers for him in other posts. Thanks.

Have a great holiday weekend, both of you!

[Psymon]

Here you go

Stone Racing-215-520-6718

Let us know how it goes. If you do dcide to part out, I will be first in line for you euro turn signals :-)

[MattL]

I just talked to Chris, and he's going to come take a look. Sounds like a great guy. RF, if you're interested in coming by as well, you're certainly welcome. Chris really does sound uber-knowledgeable, and I'm sure I'll learn a lot just from having him take a look at the car. He's going to try to come by on Thursday morning (I work from home), which I assume is not convenient for most people. That might be postponed to the weekend, though, depending on his schedule.

Fingers crossed for an optimistic outlook.

Thanks again,

Matt