khellendros

Im lookin at an 89 Firebird with T-tops that is for sale. The guy is selling the car cheap but i have one problem with it. The rear quarter has been damaged and dented on both sides, and i have no clue as to how in the hell u get that off to replace it.... do u have to cut/weld or are their bolts that just come un-done to replace the pieces? Thanks

2vmodular

yep, rear quater panel replacement is cut & weld.

not cheap work to have done professionally. would probably be better off money wise buying a thirdgen in good shape, than buying this one and paying to have it fixed.

orange rocket

Well new rear quarters are $200 plus install...

2vmodular

cost to have a rear quater panel professionally installed is several times the cost of the sheetmetal.

watch cheap import panels, are often made of very thin sheetmetal. might be better off with a used salvage yard peice. salvage yard peice will also give you a little extra metal to work with.

hint: older cars are often considered a "total loss" by insurance companies due to damage similar to what you're describing.

CNY89rs

You could find a good body man and have him fix it. As long as it's not rusted out or rotted beyond repair. A good body man could prob. save you a lot of $$$$, just find someone who is up to the task & you trust. Ask friends or other people you see at shows, cruises, etc to give you a name of someone that they recomend. Dents are a pretty easy fix to someone with the right knowledge and tools. Just my opinion I hope it helps.

Brian

khellendros

Anyone know the price range of changing the back quarter panels? Thanks.. the car has T-tops, if it matters.

orange rocket

Well as I stated before, The panels are $200 a pair from Classic Industries. Yea most replacement panels are cheap but Classic said these are factory gauge, and I have checked em out and they are great quality. I have been told be prepared for $200 a side for install. That is allowing them 5hrs on a side to install.

Trevor K

It might not be the right way to do it, but with a car of this age it might be the most cost-effective solution.

Just use the slide hammer and pull the dents out. Anyone who says "real body men don't do this" are absolutely right. This is used by people who are fixing cars that aren't worth all the money for welding on new panels. A good body man can pull the dents out and it'll look just like the new one.

orange rocket

Yea and to get out all dents without welding would require alot of skill. What about the ones tat have flexed/ stretched the metal. I dare say it would be worth heating and stretching the metal is a cost effective method for a car that is not worth a absolute mint The only true way to get decent size dents out is to cut and weld! Unless you want to use bondo on em. Hell I have minor dents and one rot hole yet I amd having both sides replaced! A friend of mine has at least 1" of bondo in places on one of his. The whole panel is covered with atleast 1/4".Skimming is not a good idea either. If theer is alot cut and weld or do it the half ***, retarded way and use a gallon of bondo on each

2vmodular

problem: 89' firebird in excellent shape with reasonable mileage is worth only $2,000 - $3,000. paying a bodyshop to replace 2 rear quarter panels + repaint car exceeds the value of the car.

solution: body hammers + bondo + cheap paint

no mention has been made of time on a frame machine, so it's being assumed that the car is straight at the moment.

$200 will get a front fender (front quarter panel) installed, but you'll be hard pressed to find any bodyshop willing to cut out the factory spot welds and replace the rear quarter panels for that amount.

orange rocket

Well actually I stated approx $200 per side. For the replacement quarters it is not drilling welds but rather a complete cut and seem weld. I guess you guys know it all The body shops that I have gone to must be wrong huh??? These number s do not inclued paint at all but rather them cutting and welding. I will have to grind the welds and prep the seems after but it is around $200 per for install! The only time you would drill out the spot welds was if you bought $500ea GM replacements!


Also enlighten me as to how a 89 Bird in excellent condition with low miles is worth $2k??? Jason E had a 89 RS that was perfect (minor issues that only we knew) had 98k miles, not original paint, and was a 2.8 AT. In less then a week he got the $4k he was asking. Now if this bird is a V8 (I am assuming it is) seeing as you want to fix it up. How is a excellent V8 anything 3rd gen worth $2k??? Give me a break! Hell Jason E works for a dealer and just picked up a 89 Formula 305 AT with 100k(?) for $1k, this car needs a spoiler, paint, interior cleaning, and has surface rust. Now on the street for $1k more you can find a excellent condition bird with less miles??? Please...

82camaro

A shop may be able to fix those dents without replacement depending on how they look, with minimal bondo. Probably just as much bondo as they use when the quarter is welded up if they replace it.

orange rocket

If the panel is in good shape yea minimal bondo is needed but how many people jump to replacement? I see your point I just figure the are bad enough if someone wants to tackle a project like that. The other thing is if the panels are welded in properly no bondo should be needed. That is like saying when our cars were built that GM used bondo along the roofline seem What it appears like to me is a copper like seem. It does not appear to be a weld and looks like copper(probably beacuse it is easy to sand and work with). If it is done right all yoiu should end up with are ridges from the weld. Grind it down and prep it. That is one of the advantages of welding NO BONDO

2vmodular

when i used word "excellent" meant a daily driver with no big dents, obvious rust, tears in seat covers, big mechanical issues, etc. typical well taken care of older car. maybe "good" would have been a more appropriate description.

no way an 89' RS would fetch around $4k where i am, i've been offered similar cars for $1k-$2k. i've found thirdgen f-body mechanic's specials too in need of various repairs for around $500. was the $4k figure perhaps 4,000 canadian dollars?

go take a look at some of the "book values" for thirdgen f-bodies www.nadaguides.com & www.kbb.com
since you're not a dealer, you're likely to get somewhere very close to the private party value on a private party sale or the tradein value on a tradein at the new car dealership.
it's unlikely that you'll be able to sell your otherwise stock car for "retail value". i know a few people that have tried and ended up with their car sitting unsold on their front lawns for over a year.

orange rocket

No this was american money sold in Massachusetts. There is a difference between daily driver and excellent. A excellent condition car will have no rust. As for Jason is a dealer and I recently got out of the business. It also helps if you know how to sell a car. There is alot more then just a # it is all mind games and manipulation. That is also probably how he was able to get it. However I would like to know where you are seeing as here in South florida you are not finding a clean low mileage F-body for $1-2k. I could go through the magazines and list em all but that is crazy. Yes they don not fetch very high dollars but thats because most are hammered and KKB and NADA take those numbers into account. KBB is also way off on everything. It would help if the post starter gave us some more details about the condition or even picture....