This can't be good!, Car is separating around hell hole Options

[Steve]

This can't be good. The seam is separating under the battery and under the right side of the engine lid support. I also noticed a crack above the GT chassis stiffener on the same side. I searched everywhere else in the area and it looks fine. I wonder if its rusting out from the inside? Any ideas on what this means? Do I need to pull the motor to fix it? Replace the whole section or just weld it up?
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Here are the pictures.

[Mike Bellis]

I got one that looks worse. The hell hole is bad, the jack post is gone and the door jam is cracking at the lower rear corner.

[Steve]

I got one that looks worse. The hell hole is bad, the jack post is gone and the door jam is cracking at the lower rear corner.

Interesting... These two areas are the only bad spots that I can see, however I did have to replace the battery tray and its support 15 years ago. A shop also welded a metal 6" square patch to the right rear of the floor pan about the same time. I wonder if the thing is rusting on the inside or if its just race track wear and tear?

[Root_Werks]

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I bet there is some soft metal up in there.

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[burton73]

I noticed when I put my GT stiffing kit on the right side of my car first that the gap opened up a little like you are showing. This if not treated right, this will give a place for water to run down and get rust to form. I cleaned it out with and air tool with different wire wheels and then sprayed a zinc weld primer and hammered it down to match the other side and made a few welds. Finishing up with seam sealer so any water in the future will not get in there.

As far as now, the bottom side will be easer to fix with out taking out the engine. Just clean the shit out of the surface and I think you can grind a groove to widen the crack and lay a weld across it to fix it.

You could put a second bigger patch over that if you wanted to double up on the strength


Bob B

[EdwardBlume]

Is it the 3.2?

[John]

Can you beg or borrow a boroscope?

I would drill a hole and peek inside to look for rust.

It looks like the inner wheelhouse is cracking, but from the pictures inside the engine compartment, I don't see the crack.

It looks like the factory spot welds didn't hold where the seam is opening up inside the engine compartment. I would seriously take a peek inside and if all is good, re-weld.

[Steve]

Thanks for the reply's and the help!! That's interesting about the boroscope. I will have to look into that.

By chance can anyone recommend a body shop that can weld the crack and separation in the Orange County, So Cal. area?

[sean_v8_914]

this is common on GT stiffened cars. the chassis moves where it was not stiffened, then it separates the spot welds and moves even more...I have also repaired a few cars where the GT kit was only partially installed. the stres and movenet will find it's way to the weak link and come apart
this separation, mild in your case (for now) indicates movement in teh rear chassis section.

while the repair is not difficult, I recommend spending an hour under there with VERY GOOD LIGHTING just to be sure you find all the motion back there. the borescope is fun but external "tells" will speak loudly to the trainned eye.

I will plug my shop here. S and S can do it...too bad im in san diego

[sean_v8_914]

do you "track" this 914/6?

[ConeDodger]

this is common on GT stiffened cars. the chassis moves where it was not stiffened, then it separates the spot welds and moves even more...I have also repaired a few cars where the GT kit was only partially installed. the stres and movenet will find it's way to the weak link and come apart
this separation, mild in your case (for now) indicates movement in teh rear chassis section.

while the repair is not difficult, I recommend spending an hour under there with VERY GOOD LIGHTING just to be sure you find all the motion back there. the borescope is fun but external "tells" will speak loudly to the trainned eye.

I will plug my shop here. S and S can do it...too bad im in san diego

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) I have seen this on two cars that were commonly tracked or autocrossed with race rubber.

[Steve]

It was tracked at Willow Springs for two years by the previous owner with race rubber. He was also using 255 tires in the rear and they were rubbing when I bought it, so I switched to 245's.

[John]

I still recommend taking a look inside the box. Lots of rust can hide inside.

just my $0.02.

[sean_v8_914]

I'll bet a cheese burger that this car is not rusty.

[Steve]

Can someone take a look at my car at G&R's swap meet this Sunday and give me an estimate on fixing this?
I used a wire brush and cleaned up the crack (first picture). I don't see any rust. It definetly cracked due to the separation on the other side. I shined a flash light through the crack and you can see the light on the other side under the battery. It looks like I just need to remove the battery and battery tray (see battery tray bolt in first picture), strip area to bare metal, close gap with hammer, spray zinc weld primer and weld up rip and separation.

[Steve]

Second picture with light shining from other side.

[sean_v8_914]

I'll be up in mountain view at the Buffalo Springfield concert this weekend, but...
to be sure to not miss anything I would put it up on the lift and take my sweet time inspecting seams in that area. I usually find movement on both sides of the box. there may be some minor corrosion between the spot welds that caused initial separation. bottom seam spot welds often open up on GT stiffened cars. I like to drill for plug welds there also to re-join the stampings

I see that flange looks thin. I might want to add a little metal or rplace a section
battery tray is a replacement...bolted on. someone has been here before.

take peek at the inside firewall behind teh drivers seat at the base
take a peak at the base of the longitudinal under teh e brake dug out

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