I bought a 1997 firebird, and found out afterwards it has some rust spots on the frame. my dad took it to a shop and was quoted 1700 to repair it. is that reasonable, and would it be safe to drive until I can save up the money to pay for the costs?
We can’t see and evaluate the extent of the rust damage, so it would not be possible to answer your questions via cyberspace. If you have any doubts about that shop’s findings, you should ask for a second opinion from another shop.
It’s 23 yrs old. It’s not a collector car so it has little value. At least if it was a 98 it might have the LS motor. It is a v8 at least?
What you see is not always what you get with rust.Its always spreading somewhere that you cannot see.A little surface rust isn’t much of a problem,all it needs is to be sanded down and painted with POR 5 rust paint.
Or, as Neil Young sang…
I’m curious to know what kind of “shop” this is and what qualifications they have for evaluating and remediating rust damage. You definitely need another evaluation or two from other shops qualified to do this. Perhaps you could check with a classic/old car group in your area for references.
Reasonable? That’s why you need more estimates. Also, you need details of what is to be done and how it will be done, so that you are comparing “apples” to “apples”.
Safe? That was a question for the “shop”. Nobody here can tell if “some rust spots” are making the car unsafe. If I can put a couple of fingers or my fist through the spots then it is not safe, for example.
The good thing is that you have a little time to work with and that is the proper approach. Rushing things could result in a less than desirable outcome and waste money.
Let us know what happens, please. Good Luck! It sounds like an adventure.
CSA
We’re talking frame rust? If there is frame rust, there surely is sheet metal rust that has maybe been covered up and painted. Maybe it was repaired properly with welded panels or maybe not, but I think a full evaluation is in order. The frame is usually not the first place to require repair.
I thought Firebirds were uni-body.
Even uni-body cars have integral body components that function as frame components. Many people refer to them as frame members.
CSA
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