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Old 06-09-2021, 01:11 PM
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Sirrotica Sirrotica is online now
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Catawba Ohio
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSchmitz View Post
And they are still producing stuff that rusts WAY to quickly. See quite new GM trucks all the time with rusted out bed sides.
Although I agree about the GM late model trucks (Dodges are even worse in the quarter panels), these panels rusted in 2 only years on my 73 Grand Am that was also low mileage, not to mention the 73 GTO I owned, that rusted prematurely also. All three of my cars were low mileage and were driven very sparingly, if at all during the winter. They literally rusted while parked under cover.

I had customers that owned GM vehicles between 73/74, that were daily drivers that by the time they were 5 years old you could throw a hat through the holes in the body due to the severe rust issues. Although GM kept the same body architecture until 1977 for most body styles, the later cars after 74 never rusted as quickly as the 73/74 models did.

73/74 cars and trucks would develop huge blotches right in the middle of a quarter panel, or fender, the rust was under the paint, and eventually the paint would fall off. Then the assault stated from exposed metal, and before you knew it there was a gaping hole that was no where near a panel edge, or pinch weld.

I have noticed that the rust problems on the 73/74 GMs seem to not happen in dry climates, mostly where there is constant humidity is when this problem rears it's head. just my observations having owned a few Pontiac muscle cars from this era. At one time I owned the 73 T/A, 73 Grand Am, and a 73 455 GTO at the same time, all were afflicted with this type of rust problems when the cars were between 2-6 years old. The GTO and the Grand Am both had rust around the rear wheel wells that required major reconstruction of these areas to repair the rust.

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Brad Yost
1973 T/A (SOLD)
2005 GTO
1984 Grand Prix

100% Pontiacs in my driveway!!! What's in your driveway?

If you don't take some of the RACETRACK home with you, Ya got cheated