I posted this in the Monte Carlo forum but didn't get any responses. I'm looking at an 85 SS this evening. The car is very solid excpet for the A pillars. The passenger side is rotted out pretty bad. Is this a common problem? Is there anything else that I should look for?
Shopping for a Monte
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I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't very specific. The A pillars are there the drivers side isn't to bad but on the passenger side a pillar, about the bottom 4-5" is rotted out bad. I am working a deal to trade an S10 that I have for this car the S10 is worth approx $2000. The monte is a running and driving car with a 350 in it, and like I said it is very solid except for the A pillars, does this sound like a good trade?
Got any pics?
I'd be very cautious of rotted pillars... Unless you're a bodyman, fixing it could get expensive fast. Not fixing it could be dangerous.
I'd be very cautious of rotted pillars... Unless you're a bodyman, fixing it could get expensive fast. Not fixing it could be dangerous.
Take some pics while you're there...
It may not be beyond fixing, and if the rest of the car is still solid...
I'd rather fix an a-pillar on a southern car than have to do frame rails, doors and 1/4 patches on a northern car.
It may not be beyond fixing, and if the rest of the car is still solid...
I'd rather fix an a-pillar on a southern car than have to do frame rails, doors and 1/4 patches on a northern car.
Most years of that gen Monte have something special about them that makes them imo worth possessing if you really want one. The one and only thing that is special about the '85s is the interiors. It is the only year that they produced super plush crush velvet seats, and many of them also have a thin lined pattern in them, also. The only downside to that is that replacing them is not easy if you want to keep it original because only so many were made and interiors tend to get really worn.
A-pillars rotting is not common. What most likely happened is that someone replaced the windshield some time ago and didn't do it very well...so water got back there behind the glass and started rotting the steel...which escalated to what you've seen. You can find replacement A-pillars to weld on if the rest of the car is in good shape, but to do that, you would have to remove the windshield and remove the dash.
Big rust issue spots to look for are hidden under the carpet. To really determine, you would have to pull out the front seats, remove the carpet strips under the doors, the b-pillar trim behind the doors, the kick panels, and then peel up the carpet to look under the foot space on the driver side and the passenger side. You could also look carefully at those spots on the underside of the car if you can't do that.
The doors are pinch welded along the bottom, and when the window sweeps fail, debris and water build and rust out the doors along the bottom. The pinch weld at the bottom of the trunk lid along the back does this too, but usually not as badly as the doors. The areas inside and outside around the rear wheels is also a good spot for major rust. If the seams around the rear wheel wells inside the trunk don't have rust holes, you can be reasonably certain the car isn't a rust bucket if all the other areas are okay too.
A-pillars rotting is not common. What most likely happened is that someone replaced the windshield some time ago and didn't do it very well...so water got back there behind the glass and started rotting the steel...which escalated to what you've seen. You can find replacement A-pillars to weld on if the rest of the car is in good shape, but to do that, you would have to remove the windshield and remove the dash.
Big rust issue spots to look for are hidden under the carpet. To really determine, you would have to pull out the front seats, remove the carpet strips under the doors, the b-pillar trim behind the doors, the kick panels, and then peel up the carpet to look under the foot space on the driver side and the passenger side. You could also look carefully at those spots on the underside of the car if you can't do that.
The doors are pinch welded along the bottom, and when the window sweeps fail, debris and water build and rust out the doors along the bottom. The pinch weld at the bottom of the trunk lid along the back does this too, but usually not as badly as the doors. The areas inside and outside around the rear wheels is also a good spot for major rust. If the seams around the rear wheel wells inside the trunk don't have rust holes, you can be reasonably certain the car isn't a rust bucket if all the other areas are okay too.
Don't do it just sell the s10 and look around for another g body in better shape with all the orginal stuff. Come out and look at the Malibu and see what you can get it you look hard enough.
Thanks for all of the input. After looking at the car a second time I found a small crack on the roof edge. I picked at it bit and found a lot of Body filler in the roof edge and down the b pillars. For the price I don't think the car is worth it, at least not something I want to get into. Obviously the car has been repainted and had some body work, so like someone already said, there is no telling what I will find once I start sanding. As far as unique desirable features I don't really car about that, I something that i don't have to worry about ruining a nice all original car. I would even consider doing an SS or GN clone if the right deal came along. I've been looking around and there alot of Monte SS's in alot better shape for only little more. Thanks again for the advice, now I have an idea of what to look for in the next one I find.
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