Water leak in a 1981Malibu..

[Rotech]

Hi guys, this is my first post here and I really need some advice. I found a 1981 Malibu in a suburb in Florida, it's a execelent find, body is in perfect condition, doors open close perfectly, no dents on body what so ever needs some paint. Motor is intact as it came out of factory.... But.. At a glance I can see that It has rust firewall cancer in it. Which caused rust issues in the passenger front and back floor.

what I'm asking, is this a serious problem to fix? If so will it cost a lot to fix it? Do you need to pull out the dashboard to fix a problem like that? Is it worth the buying?

Hector

 

[Longroof79]

Hector,
Welcome to the forum. Would you be able to take some pics of the area, or areas in question? It's difficult to offer any advice, or solution without seeing it first hand.
I'd say if the rest of the car is solid and straight, it might be worth doing a proper repair on it.
How are the floors and rear frame rails?

 

[Rotech]

Hector,
Welcome to the forum. Would you be able to take some pics of the area, or areas in question? It's difficult to offer any advice, or solution without seeing it first hand.
I'd say if the rest of the car is solid and straight, it might be worth doing a proper repair on it.
How are the floors and rear frame rails?

Thanks for responding, I didn't take pictures of the firewall, but as I opened the hood and looked to the middle left side of the engine compartment I saw blisters of rust. I then opened passenger door and lifted the rear carpet and their I saw red rust underneath. I didn't see any holes. I sure that the front floor should be similar to that.

I didn't think to look at the frame rails what should I look for there? Is fixing the firewall a turn back in not buying?

 

[Rotech]

Thanks for responding, I didn't take pictures of the firewall, but as I opened the hood and looked to the middle left side of the engine compartment I saw blisters of rust. I then opened passenger door and lifted the rear carpet and their I saw red rust underneath. I didn't see any holes. I sure that the front floor should be similar to that.

I didn't think to look at the frame rails what should I look for there? Is fixing the firewall a turn back in not buying?

Thanks for responding, I didn't take pictures of the firewall, but as I opened the hood and looked to the middle left side of the engine compartment I saw blisters of rust. I then opened passenger door and lifted the rear carpet and their I saw red rust underneath. I didn't see any holes. I sure that the front floor should be similar to that.

I didn't think to look at the frame rails what should I look for there? Is fixing the firewall a turn back in not buying?

Can you explain the proper way of fixing a issue like this?

 

[81Regal]

I would drop the inner fender and pull the a/c box out to see how bad the rust really is. After 30 plus years it's likely the seal between the a/c box and firewall has dried out and is causing a leak. This does require loosening the dash up though.

 

[Rotech]

The inner fender is the plastic liner in the wheel well? I am not a mechanic type of person so I will need to have someone do this type of work, do you believe this is a expensive job?

 

[81Regal]

Yes the inner fender is plastic. Not all shops will be willing to work on a car as old as an 81, so I would say it would be fairly expensive dealing with the A/C system.
To drop the inner fender you really only need a 10mm socket and a 13mm along with the matching ratchet. It also helps to remove the tire.

 

[Pedrolif]

The inner fender is the plastic liner in the wheel well? I am not a mechanic type of person so I will need to have someone do this type of work, do you believe this is a expensive job?

Hey Hector! Welcome to the forums.
Removing the inner fender shouldn't be too tough of a job. You could do it in the drive way. In my opinion, a little bubbling of the paint on an old car is standard. Just sand/grind off the trouble areas until you hit bare metal and then treat the rust with some rust inhibitor and repaint it. Trick is getting rid of as must of the pocketed rust as possible before you spray it. If you've not bought the car yet, I would definitely make sure all the electrical stuff works and check the rear section of the frame, make sure it's solid and not rusted through.
As far as firewall rust goes, that makes me pause for a second. I'm from New England so our cars to rust out rocker panels and frames first, not firewalls. I don't know quite what to make of that. Flood damage or just salt in the air from the ocean? Hence making sure all the electricals work. Other Floridians here would know more then me about this type of cancer. But if the price is right, there's no holes, and it strikes your fancy, it could be a good investment.
Hell, my 68 Chrysler has a trunk, floor pan, and rear quarter panels that are rusted out, but it's still worth saving. It all depends on you and how much you want to get your hands dirty.

 

[clean8485]

Last year, I bought a 1981 Cutlass Cruiser station wagon. The car was advertised as 76,000kms original (about 45,000 miles), and in good condition. On my initial inspection the car looked good, and I thought it just needed some cosmetic work. After I got the car home, and started going through it, I found a rust hole in the floor in the backseat area. Then I started finding more rust further forward. To make a long story short, on the advice of a bodyman that I know, I ended up gutting out the entire interior of the car, including the dash. The car has a water leak around the windshield, and is probably leaking water around the heater case as well. I'm the third owner. The second owner garaged the car, but I don't think the original owner ever garaged the car. I believe that the seal around the windshield glass failed, and water started getting in, then when it got to the insulation behind the dash, it soaked in there, and everything started to rust. The entire firewall is rotted, the floors are rotted, and there are some rust issues further back on the car as well.
My point is, that you should take a careful look not only around the heater case, but around the windshield area as well. If water has been leaking there, you might have more problems than you think. Just trying to help.

 

[Longroof79]

Hector,
The guys have given you some good advice. With a project like this, I urge you to try and do as much hands-on work as you can, or else it will cost you a small fortune to contract someone to do the rust repair, etc. Doing the firewall may also entail removing the engine, and dash as suggested. If you're lacking skills, you might want to consider enrolling in a community college autobody program.

Let us know what you find out and your ultimate decision. Good luck!

BTW, where in Florida are you located?