What do I do with my car? Do I need a new body?

[EScanlon]

...everything you show in your pix is repairable. You just need a good body man to do it properly...no mounds of bondo!

I agree, none of the damage you showed there is terminal. Now go get pictures of the floorpans, the rocker panels, the hatch finisher area, the battery tray etc. Those are the areas where rust can kill the car.

As far as bondo...everybody gives it a bad rap, but used properly it works well. AFAIK there are few metalmen here, if any, good enough to give advise on how to straighten the metal WITHOUT bondo. Those thumps on the roof will require a metal man that can shrink the stretch and heat temper the metal once it gets back into shape.

Enrique

[na_caraballo]

You think a body guy would be able to make the roof perfect? would a metalworker's method get it dead on straight, like new? more pictures?

I want to make it look brand new.

[EScanlon]

A good bump-out man will get that roof smooth enough that with only a skin coat of bondo or high-fill primer will make it so you can't tell it was bumped out. That is standard bumping out procedure.

Perfect? I don't think even from the factory they could be considered perfect.

Now the main problem is going to be to find a body shop with a true-blue metal man. Sadly these days, they do go for the parts replacers and bondo happy sanders.

But as a word of advice and caution, address the mechanicals first unless there is serious rust in the body pan and frame. If that's the case, fix the rust that would otherwise render the shell garbage, then get back to the mechanicals. Believe me, there is nothing sadder than a beautifully painted car...in the boneyard.

Enrique

[JEFF]

The other option for the roof is heating and quenching to srink the streched metal --- a good body man can do it --- i've seen my dad do it.

- jeff

[texasz]

You could even find a donor car with a good roof and replace your's if you really wanted to.

[Ed]

Like mentioned earlier. The dammage shown is minimal. A good body shop with a skilled sheetmetal guy can fix the roof no problems. Check the rest of the car for serious rust.

[David Jackson]

I don't know if you are still checking the site or not. I replied to your ad because I have a '74 260, which is "stock as a rock" about 60K miles I think; with the motor out. I doubt I will ever have the time to get it going again.

I should think you can take off heavy bumpers, etc. and use the shell with whatever you have.

Give me a call if you have any interest in my car. I sent you a PM with my phone.

Regards;

David Jackson