Beretta.net

After two weeks of cold work I finished resealing the cowl. Looks like some of the GM sealer that was still there when I first did it was gone. That is done and over I hope.
I thought it was time to grease the rust in the rear. There really is not much there or so I thought. The rear subframe on the passenger side had alot of shale rust(but I knew about that). I found more and a hole in each side right next to the impact absorbers. One small hole was found in the passenger sub frame. The impact absorbers need to be replaced (do to rust) and the bumper support(the same). Those three things can be found, but the subframe and the metal that supports the absorbers is asking a bit much. Even if it is only a small area near the absorbers.
It's a damn shame because I thought I had stayed on top of it all. Also the car has little rust under it, that by far is a rare thing in this state. Do to the water leak I'll have to check under the carpet again. The floor pans on the underside are in very nice shape.
Well this may end my search for a new engine. I may have to save for another Beretta and put my parts on it. Sure as hell not going to find one here in this state. Unless somehow someone can cut out some patches for me and a bumper support.

It's called California cars. Arizona, and such gives you the nice rust free starting points.
(Florida cars get a lot of salt residue.)
These cars are all 20 + years old my friend.
I cherish my '91 California Quad. It is absolutely 100% rust free, and Rodney has the '94 I bought in California from Jim.
3500 turbo,5-speed and no-rust at all.
Go South my friend!!
They are out there if you want to find them.
They built almost a million Berettas and if you look hard enough, and NOT on here, you can find them.
Good Luck!!

N-bodied Grand Ams, Skylarks, and Achievas shared the same front frame-work. What about rear frame sections? I've never bothered to look, since all five of the Berettas I've owned were basically rust-free, but it seems like some other donors are likely. Again, I've never really looked, but is it totally beyond bounds to think about drilling out spot-welds and replacing some of these parts? And yes, I realize that at a minimum I am suggesting spending several days in spot-drilling and tack-welding to fix what is considered by most to be a disposable car, but since when has being a car enthusiast had anything to do with practicality?
Well, either way, sorry to hear about your problem, especially since it caught you from the blind-side like that after you thought you had it dealt with...

Crap, forgot to say this is the rear of the car. Strange how when you have something in your mind and you write about it you think everyone else knows where you are talking about. Really I think it was depression setting in.
Ah Eric you couldn't be more right on a car from the south. Now if I just had some money. It's nice to know that I can count on you to hit me between the eyes with the truth. When it comes to this kind of thing I will lie to myself until I have to give in. Case in point:what I'm writing next.

Rettax3: Thank you for the support. It just makes me sick. Drilling spot welds is something I may have to do. I have done a little of that before. Not much of a welder, but I think I can pull it off. Going to have to see if my friend will loan me his wire welder.

It's best if I take some photos of the areas. In my mind after time, things become much more easy and plans back fire quickly when the work is started.

Money pit Beretta wrote:Crap, forgot to say this is the rear of the car. Strange how when you have something in your mind and you write about it you think everyone else knows where you are talking about.

Oh no, you were clear on it being a rust problem at the rear spring perches. You aren't one of those posters that is vague or misleading about what you are saying -you communicate very well on here, and I'll say 'thank you' for that. I just don't know what other cars GM has built in the past that shares common rear-section frameworks with our 'L' body cars. I find it nearly impossible to believe that there aren't one or five different cars out there that could also become donors to help fix this problem, which would widen your search for potential rust-free donors vastly. I say fix the car if the rest is decent, and you are that attached to her -I would.

I swear the cold is numbing my brain. It's cold at work and most of the time that I work on the car. Not all that cold here, but a cold soak does take it's toll. A few days it was 27F(not sure what it was in the drafty garage).
Again I thank you. In the old days my posts were too long a people just took a look without posting. Or it was just that I was not known back then. You know how it is here LOL(no really).
Not sure on any interchange. I have found many of the same parts on other cars, but a great many things make these cars almost one of a kind. I sure like the late 90's Cavy bumper support. That thing is closed while ours is open in the front(under the car looking back. With that said I'm not sure if it would fit and the GF's is rusting out too. When it gets warm again I'll check the specs. Sure are alot more Cavys around this area.
The plan as of now is a holding action and to wait for warm weather. The most effort will be on the frame and where the impact absorbers mount. Naval Jelly and a scuff an shoot for them. Then there could be some used oil inside the frame. As for the bumper support it will have to be grease or oil. I sure don't know what the back side looks like. That can't be good though. That all may take some time and the 20 degree temps won't help. The paint is kept inside until it is needed.

Money pit Beretta wrote:I swear the cold is numbing my brain. It's cold at work and most of the time that I work on the car. Not all that cold here, but a cold soak does take it's toll. A few days it was 27F(not sure what it was in the drafty garage).
That all may take some time and the 20 degree temps won't help.

You've seen my avatar, right? That wasn't staged, BTW, and the outside air temp gauge in my GTU is FAIRLY accurate... That shot was taken on my way home one night. Speaking of the GTU, when I did the 3800 SC build on that car, I didn't have a garage, and I built it in a rock-bottomed car-port in the middle of winter...

Wow, yeah there is always someone that is worse off. LOL thought that was the speedo! I have a small screen so it's hard to make things out on a small photo. There is no way that I could make it where you live. Taking the cold seems to get harder each year. Next year six layers of clothes may have to be used. Still bet Koots has us beat, nasty up there.

Money pit Beretta wrote:Wow, yeah there is always someone that is worse off. LOL thought that was the speedo! I have a small screen so it's hard to make things out on a small photo. There is no way that I could make it where you live. Taking the cold seems to get harder each year. Next year six layers of clothes may have to be used. Still bet Koots has us beat, nasty up there.

I don't know... You did notice the - minus sign in front of the 27, right? We had winter there ~9 months out of the year, even got a little snow in June once or twice. The only really good things about that area were the remoteness (away from people) and the 9,000 feet altitude that let me get away with some pretty crazy mods. I've since moved to a lower altitude and more temperate climate though -I am also into two-wheeled vehicles, and got tired of either not using them or having to thaw my fingers with a Zippo after rocketing down the highway in sub-zero temps and getting caught in surprise snow-storms. Okay, so a little off topic here, sorry. Hopefully it distracted you from the rust problem... Any pics of that yet?

Damn, no I didn't see the minus. The record here is -24. That only happend once in my life time. The lowest we ever hit around 0 to -10 most of the time. That is all at just 1500ft.
No photos or work yet. I've been knocked down by some sort of cold. Weak, tired, small headache and somewhat dizzy. No runny nose or cough as of yet. I did almost pass out at work though and was very cold. If the cold has not set in by Sunday there will be an attempt at some work. Well with snow on the way at least the car is out of the salt.
Yes we do seem to be talking only to each other(lol).

Rettax3 wrote: I don't know... You did notice the - minus sign in front of the 27, right? We had winter there ~9 months out of the year, even got a little snow in June once or twice. The only really good things about that area were the remoteness (away from people) and the 9,000 feet altitude that let me get away with some pretty crazy mods.

Same over here in Labrador...

I've been very upset with the lack of any grade fuel other than 87 octane though recently...of which I'm pretty sure is even lower than 87...I've got some beautiful heads for my 6.0L LQ4 but that will bump compression to 10:5 and the conservative tune I'd need to run would be pointless...plus my turbo build as well may potentially be in jeopardy as well.

Avgas and/or Toluene seems to be my only answers.

Back to work today. Found more rust and made another hole. Kills me that keeping in the garage made things worse. I should have washed it before I put it away. I'm going to try to keep my spending down so I can save for another car. As for now the rust fight goes on. The problem is there are not many warm days left. I'm just going to do what I can and then give up until summer.

Let me tell you, I fixed the holes in my floor by cutting them out with a cutoff wheel, hammering some diamond plate into rough shape, sketchy spot-welding and a metric crap-ton of body seam filler.

Yeah I know, the problem is it's in a place where two panels meet. That and the renforcement plate is almost gone too(for the impact absorber). Damn GM primer, the paint just flakes off when I touch it. Well that would be in the areas that still have it. Most are down to the primer.

Horrible, sorry to hear man

My issue was mostly from the previous owner bottoming out the car on the rear floor pan. It wore away to rectangle shaped holes that rusted and peeled the metal around it.

Which reminds me, buy new rear springs.