How to Spot Bad Body Work

A quick peak under the rocker panel revealed bondo that wrapped under the car. This was under the carpet and rocker trim hiding the fact that this car that had been hit in the rocker or B-pillar. This was also evident in the differing door gaps between the passenger and driver door.

Also while under the car, we noticed that the floorpan had been hacked away and a new floor had been dropped in and welded. If anything, this indicates the quality of the body shop that worked on the car. We've also seen this move with a complete floorpan. The problem here is longevity. Any other repair connected to this one will crack, and soon.

The doorjamb is useful for spotting carnage. This is the junction where all major bodywork collides, and the seller can't hide it from you. Note the overspray on the striker plate was ignored, the welds are different, and there's a deep scratch in the "paint" at the top of the jamb. For illustration purposes, we dug down to find that the area was mostly Bondo. No way this door will ever shut straight until this area is repaired.

Shame on you if you can't see this one. There's a big rivet right in the middle holding the upper portion of the quarter to the body. Not stock. Also, run your hand along the inside of the wheelwell; body filler will ooze through the holes made during the repair, making them obvious.

We really didn't think about this one until we bought a project that had been hit in the passenger-side wheel opening. When we tried to rebuild the front end, we found it had been replaced on that side with parts from a different year. It cost us more bucks and a lot of scrounge time to find the original suspension pieces to get both sides right. Look for "new" suspension in the impact zone.

You are never going to find original paint, but there are signs that indicate quality, which equals longevity. Here, the trim screws and hood bumpers were painted with the rest of the car, meaning it was likely painted at a "quickie" paint shop for a low price or as part of an insurance deal. Beware of fogged overspray as well.

We were lucky that the engine bay on the Coronet was in good condition. Look at the frame where it connects to the suspension on the left and right and where it connects to the core support in front. Usually these areas are beaten straight rather than replaced and a new support is welded on. You don't want to try to align a car that has been hit hard up front.

Another way to check for repairs or even original paint is behind the door panels or under the dash. The Coronet had one green door that had been painted blue and covered with a new panel. Also you can roll the lip of the carpet back to see the back of the firewall, a quick way to call BS on original-paint cars.

Scared yet? Steve Strope at Pure Vision Design estimated that to get this car back to mint condition would cost around $25,000. And expect to give the car up for a year.