87 GN T-Top Rust help

[HotAirGN]

I've found a 71k mile 87 GN with T-Tops that has a considerable amount of rust. The entire T bar is rusty with holes going through where the T-Top bolts in. The pillers are not rusted but when I pull the carpet the drivers side has surface rust and the front passenger floorboard has a hole.

The passenger rear floorboard is completely gone. Drivers side door is ok but the passenger door has a hole from the outside with the bottom length rusty.
The front is near perfect and the rear trunk lid has a hole but the underneath part of the deck isn't too bad. On the roof drivers side on the back side of the T-Top trim there is a small hole where water can barely get in.

The drive drain is completely stock (getting from original owner). Shocks feel bad and steering wheel/column is broken. The owner had no idea of the real shape until I starting removing trim and pulling carpet.

I wanted to buy it but now I'm not sure if I should. Wanted a driver and now feel I could only part it out. What should I do. Is the body really that bad?/ Any ideas?

 

[rmar]

Unless you have a lot of time, patience, money and skill and not necessarily in that order wait and find something else. Or it is a money pit project......:biggrin:

Just an opinion......

 

[WE287GN]

Just adding my 2 cents..
I am going through a GN that probably should have been left to die..But I am stuborn and doing it on the cheap..With a donor car for sheetmetal I am saving some money , and being a newb its really labor intensive..very time consuming..pros can fix it faster but it costs big bucks.
I am one of the last guys that listens to reason and I wanted to do it anyway but man, its a long road..
I have all the bad spots, both quarters, entire floor and t roof area..


It may sound like I am saying stay away, but I am not, just trying to help paint a picture..

I say save em all...
Personally I went and picked up a decent regal body just to convert after I found all the rot on the GN body, it made me sick. But I wanted to learn how to weld, and work with sheetmetal, so this was kinda up my alley..LAst minute I changed my mind and decided to "attempt" to save the GN..
How much can you get it for?

some pics here if you care to browse..

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/sh...81984-bare-t-roof-sheetmetal-pics-anyone.html




http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/sh...nters-hanging-quarters-floor-replacement.html



http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/sh...7000-what-thread-whos-car-quarter-repair.html

 

[HotAirGN]

I've already gone through the hassle of having a rust bucket 84GN, thinking I can fix it and then just giving up and found a donor car and swap everything over.

My main concern is the T-Top area as I've only had hard top so I have no idea how hard it is to fix. I think after researching today I'm going to get it for parts, unless I can convince myself otherwise. I'm going to post back pics tomorrow to see if I'm exaggerating or this body really is over my head.

 

[WE287GN]

In my case, I am searching for a donor t roof section..I have found one already, but hoping to find a better one..I think, (could be wrong here), that it should be pretty straight forward to replace .but this will still entail some sort of welding
Figured i'll just keep some sort of saw or snips with me and my harbor freight windshield glue cutting wire and when I come across one grab it..
cant wait to check out the pics