REGAL So, uh... wtf?

[MrSony]

Even if it is a totaled body mount that would not let the bolt pass any further into the anchor bolt. I say there are some serious rust issues with the channels under the truck floor where the body mount anchor nuts are located.

Doubt its rust. There isn't a spec of rust on this car, and I don't think there'd be one random localized patch right there. As far as I know, it wasn't like that before I had the two wheels/tires in my trunk for a few weeks driving around with them. Paint is also rubbed off, I think it was the wheels bouncing around in there that had something to do with it. And, the bolt itself looks almost new, no rust on the part that poked through the floor. The car hasn't been in a wreck either. I carry stuff around in my trunk all the time, it's my main vehicle. I mean, I had half a 350 olds in there at one point. I do know the body bushings are garbage, as they always are. I did drive my car for a long time (5500 miles) with super clapped out v6 suspension when I was a bit younger, maybe all the bottoming out did that, and I never noticed it until now?

 

[ck80]

Two steel rims and tires.... off what, a front end loader???

If 60 or 80 pounds was able to do that much damage, there's some kind of major problems going on.

Perhaps the damage occurred earlier and wasn't noticed until now?

If you don't want to be cutting open the trunk floor thats fine. You should be able to get a beginning view of what's going on by dropping the fuel tank and looking from the side/behind while underneath the car.

Any fix involves cutting and welding, so you'd need the tank out anyways.

 

[ck80]

I carry stuff around in my trunk all the time, it's my main vehicle. I mean, I had half a 350 olds in there at one point. I do know the body bushings are garbage, as they always are. I did drive my car for a long time (5500 miles) with super clapped out v6 suspension when I was a bit younger, maybe all the bottoming out did that, and I never noticed it until now?

Both of these.

A 350 block bangong up and down will hammer the heck out of that metal.

Then again, "all that bottoming out" is usually a sign to lay off on your driving style until you get it fixed. A v6 gbody Regal was a luxury coupe, not a sports car. Probably more than any other car in the lineup, with a close second to oldsmobile. It was about cushioned ride with suspension travel... not autocrossing.

 

[pontiacgp]

Doubt its rust. There isn't a spec of rust on this car, and I don't think there'd be one random localized patch right there. As far as I know, it wasn't like that before I had the two wheels/tires in my trunk for a few weeks driving around with them. Paint is also rubbed off, I think it was the wheels bouncing around in there that had something to do with it. And, the bolt itself looks almost new, no rust on the part that poked through the floor. The car hasn't been in a wreck either. I carry stuff around in my trunk all the time, it's my main vehicle. I mean, I had half a 350 olds in there at one point. I do know the body bushings are garbage, as they always are. I did drive my car for a long time (5500 miles) with super clapped out v6 suspension when I was a bit younger, maybe all the bottoming out did that, and I never noticed it until now?

it is not clear in the picture that the floor is deformed and that it was the floor that used the body mount bolt to punch a hole in the floor. It seems you had the answer even before you started the thread. Since you have no rust on the car but the body bushings are "garbage" then why are you not changing them. It's not a bad job to change them when there is no rust issues to deal with

 

[ck80]

it is not clear in the picture that the floor is deformed and that it was the floor that used the body mount bolt to punch a hole in the floor. It seems you had the answer even before you started the thread.

Looking a little closer at the picture... assuming the trunk floor is flat except those dimples, it "looks" like the top of that body bolt may be equal or higher in level than the undisturbed trunk floor. (Notice that one the inwards pointing side of the body bolt is worn shiny, like the edge of the dimpled metal - like both the bolt tip and metal were later worn/scrubbed by items in the trunk)

If that bolt head IS raised up like that, I'd seriously suspect a bent frame rail.

I know you dont run body fillers, so I'd look 2 places/ways to help determine.

1) look at the c channel portion of the frame under the driver door to see if there's any edges that aren't smooth and flat. A ripple here means a bent frame. And, fyi, frame can be bent and drive straight, had a theft recovered cutlass that hit a curb hard enough to crush a rim almost to the lug nuts and had a massive bent frame but drove perfectly straight after a ball joint replacement.

2) park on a perfectly flat surface and measure distance from ground to the end of the rear frame rail tip - should be just about the same on both sides.

 

[fleming442]

 

[Wraith]

Really the only way that could happen is the steel was hammered way down from above or the bolt was tightened with bad body bushings or a tool long bolt was used. Those are pretty far down in the hole. I vote too long bolt.

 

[MrSony]

Ok. I'm gonna sound like an *ss, I know. I looked under there more with a flashlight, all ready to prove that my car was indeed still as rust free as I thought it was, but nope:

On the bright side, this is the ONLY spot of rust I have seen on this car. And I mean, rust. Not that surface or scaly crap those of you out of the rust belt call "rust". 😛

 

[pontiacgp]

These cars were never has any rust proof treatment from factory so they all have rust unless you live in a desert area. My GP was originally from Florida and I removed one body bolt which was in great shape. When I took the body off I had to rebuild 9 body mounts on the body and I change the frame for a nice clean one.

 

[timo22]

I thought I had looked at my bonneville pretty good before I bought it. Looked at the frame, floor pans , trunk and so on. Pulled the body. 4 frame mounts and 2 body mounts. Out of all of it , only one frame mount was on the driver side which I would say is pretty typical..
timo22