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