I prayed that this day wouldn't happen. I have to sell the electra. I can't find any good prices for bodywork and its too much for me to handle on my own. Its on craigslist for $7000 obo since the engine has less then 15,000 miles on it.

I was thinking about picking up one of these:

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsfo...ark/443453.html

Reasonably priced and the mileage is fine since i dont communte anywhere.

Theres also a 71 SS Fastback in burnt orange with black stripes that i like.

What kind of body work are we talking about here?

around the headlights theres dents which i couldnt even begin to imagine how to get out. on the passengers rear quarter panel, the body is all wavey from attempts of trying to move it into a garage by an old lady, and the general other dents.

That's it? and you want to sell it because of dents?

its just a lot to handle. I have no expierience too.

Thats a pretyt bad pic, have any clearer ones? Als you didn't mention the rust....where in NY are you?

Long Island

I'd need to see some more pics of it before I could determine the extent of the work needed.

Have to go eat dinner, then ill take pics be bac later

no prob, take your time...

Depending on the rust, you may want to start with an Arizona or California car later when you can afford it.

I'd love, love, love to see this car saved but if it is rusty....Good luck, and keep us posted.

Chris

Fortunatelly the car is not rusted through anywhere. Just surface stuff that can be sanded.

this one is prob the best one to see the rear damage.

Hard to tell from the pics, but it might be possible to pop a lot of that out from behind. Crawl into the trunk and see if that's double metal back there. If not, get a hammer and dolly. Have one person hold the dolly and the other hit the dolly from behind. You won't get it perfect but you'll minimize the amount of body filler you need to use. You might be able to do a similar thing with the fenders, but you at least have the luxury of changing them with a better set (assming they're available).

EDIT: Thanks for the new pics - they do help. Looks like you'll have to dissemble the interior a bit to get at the rest of that quarter panel damage. Don't just sand the rust, eliminate it, cover it with rust encapsulating paint, and you'll probably have to put a thin wipe of filler there to fill the pitted metal. As for the fenders, yeah that's going to be pretty tough to get out. Try to find a good set of fenders before deciding if it's worth the effort to fix the ones you have.

WHat year is this beast? I'd suggest doing the work....that car would be one mean looking ride fixed up. The condition it' sin right now, I doubt you'd get 7 grand for it.

This beast is a 66

d'oh should have looked at the sig...well for the money you'd spend (assuming from the sale of this car) to buy something else...I would suggest saving that money in another way and fix up the Buick. If it has less than 15K on it, why not restore it little by little?

Ya. Im gonna keep it. You've saved the buick from leaving my driveway. I think I'll start with the smaller dents. The more I do myself, the less I spend for bodywork.

Well good luck with it

No one works on old cars around here. Except for the high priced bady shops.

No one works on old cars around here. Except for the high priced bady shops.

I know it might seem like you've misspelled that, but its an accurate description of some of those places' work.

That site sound interesting Joe, I may have to look into that myself

I just emailed them. They seem like an honest fair shop.

If you feel like bringing it to NC (LOL) I have an excellent body man that does all of my work. My '73 camaro was in MUCH worse shape than that when I started on it.

Body work is the worst part of restoration IMO because unless you know how to do your own work (which I don't, yet) you'll sink A LOT of money into the car.

Either way, I think it's a sweet ride as it is right now.

Yeah- learn the right way to hammer & dolly; you do not hit the dolly, nor do the hammer and dolly meet the fender from the same side.

Front fender: either replace it, or weld in a new section from a good doner fender- you are going to have a hellve time getting at the backside of that dent even with the fender off.

Rear quarter is tough because it's such a vast, low-crown area of damage; getting the thing visually straight is not easy. On the flip side, the quarter is not double-walled, but the rear wheelwell is going to get in the way of a bunch of it.

Bottom line- this is minor damage without rust to contend with. Practice & learn how to fix it yourself, at your own pace. None of it effects the usage of the car- you have all the time in the world. The main factor is: NO rust.

Yeah- learn the right way to hammer & dolly; you do not hit the dolly, nor do the hammer and dolly meet the fender from the same side.

Front fender: either replace it, or weld in a new section from a good doner fender- you are going to have a hellve time getting at the backside of that dent even with the fender off.

Rear quarter is tough because it's such a vast, low-crown area of damage; getting the thing visually straight is not easy. On the flip side, the quarter is not double-walled, but the rear wheelwell is going to get in the way of a bunch of it.

Bottom line- this is minor damage without rust to contend with. Practice & learn how to fix it yourself, at your own pace. None of it effects the usage of the car- you have all the time in the world. The main factor is: NO rust.

What he said.

I forbid you to sell such a beautiful car!

Do not sell you car. Do not be discouraged... I was very frustrated the other day with my Toronado. I was ready to send it to the junk yard. I then realized it is not as bad as it seems.

It was the video I posted in the Oldsmobile section that inspired me to continue to go forward.

http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...showtopic=18041

I have done many things myself like:

program the keyless remote( not easy as it sounds)

change all the screws in the instrumentation panel

change the black trim on the b-pillar

repair the storage box on the instrumentation panel

changing the warning light plates ( it required taking the instrumentation panel apart and putting it back together)

fix the drivers seat

change the battery

get all new brake lines and fuel lines

put carpet back in the right rear quarters. It was gone when I bought the car

The next thing is getting that 3800 V6 and getting it installed. ( saving for that right now)

getting another 1991-1992 Oldsmobile Toronado stereo with graphic equalizer

getting new exhaust system front to back

getting new tires

getting a new paint job and changing the color.

get the headliner fixed

get new floor mats

get a 1991-1992 steering wheel with all the steering wheel controls all working and light up at night.

You are fortunate. Your car is moving. Mine is not. It has not been driven since May 11th.

Edited June 27, 200718 yr by NINETY EIGHT REGENCY

Oi! NINETY EIGHT: Try pulling the body off the frame and every 2 pieces apart, re-engineering the powertrain then putting it all back together. Welding, fabricating, cross-referencing parts from other years.... all plumbing is custom (brake, fuel, exhaust, wiring) all with zero GM aftermarket support.

Oi! NINETY EIGHT: Try pulling the body off the frame and every 2 pieces apart, re-engineering the powertrain then putting it all back together. Welding, fabricating, cross-referencing parts from other years.... all plumbing is custom (brake, fuel, exhaust, wiring) all with zero GM aftermarket support.

Dang! That is a job!!! That is more than I have to deal with.

Oi! NINETY EIGHT: Try pulling the body off the frame and every 2 pieces apart, re-engineering the powertrain then putting it all back together. Welding, fabricating, cross-referencing parts from other years.... all plumbing is custom (brake, fuel, exhaust, wiring) all with zero GM aftermarket support.

You my friend deserve a beer for that effort

The fact that there is no rust is an excellent thing.

My '73 was completely rusted through in many places. In fact, there are only 2 100% original body panels on the car; the trunk and the roof. The rest have either been patched, re-skined or replaced completely.