I personal have not seen the damage. I was told today when making the appointment that it is bad enough in the wrong spot that they will not put it on a regular hoist, since they figure the extra stress may make it worse. It sounds like it is rusting on structural pieces holding the rear suspension in place. The owner said it is repairable, but in order to do it, the fuel lines, brake lines and some wiring has to be moved out of the way.

I was just hoping to get a view under the car to give me ideas until Thursday when I get back on town and look for myself. Till then I told Renee to only drive the car if really needed.

I had the same problem with my bonneville, but from the inside out, the two front motor mounts on the subrrame had rusted from the inside out, i found this out by taking the car to a garage for an oil change, and when they put in on the hoist, it had flexed, and there was not rust visible . I tried to tough it out till I got something else, and last november, during my trip home from montreal, the whole engine compartment dropped onto the pave..was not a pleasant experience.. lucky to still be here

Update!

Oh boy what a day. Well I now have pics. The next few months are really going to suck. No money to replace the car and I don't know how much longer we can drive it before it literally breaks in 2.

Here are the pics I took today while it was on the hoist.

Passenger side read without flash


With flash ( still passenger side)


Here is the driver'* side


It'* hard to tell in the pics but it'* not good. The drivers side it worse than the passenger side. Had I been able to check it out when the engine blew, I would not have replaced the engine.

So now the problem is that we need 2 cars to get to work ( I work out of town all the time), we have 0$ to buy another car. We have enough $$$ into this one, that the only logical step is to get another one similar so we have a good parts car.

It gets worse. So now we have no choice but to drive the car till it falls apart, I am hoping that when it does let go, that the rear doors will hold it together long enough to get stopped.

Isn't Christmas great.

Before we got rid of the Cressida, believe me, it was that bad, if not worse (floorboards remained solid however). The full size spare could be felt if you stuck your hand in the rear wheelwell. The lower control arm broke once. Rot Rot Rot everywhere.




Hope things work out for ya Mike, like I said, had my car died sooner, I might've offered it up as a parts car. But alas, she still lives strongly, and my family still needs her.

That doesn't look fun at all. I PMed you, so maybe that will help. There is a 91 here in the junkyard, if I can find out how bad those sections are on it, maybe I could have the yard cut them out and you could have them welded in... probably cheaper to get a new car then though.

Thanks, but I would need a car that is pretty much road ready, since I don't have the time or the extra $$$ to build another car. As for welding the pieces in, that would end up costing more than another car, plus trying to find good metal to weld to. It'* in a really bad spot.

I'm really sorry to hear about your car. A friend of mine had a 90 red SSE that had the frame cracked in the same places. He is an engineer by trade and was going to repair it..but He had to let it go and his wife would not let him get another one! but then again- he had 8 SSE'* over the past 15 years.
I met you at a meet a few years ago in mississauga- I think you came in the Malibu if I'm not mistaken. Let me know what you end up doing with the car- If you can keep it until the summer- I might be interested in some parts.

The death of yet another of this gen...

Well I had to bring the Malibu in to get the ABS code checked ( yet again) and while there I was talking to the owner about the Bonneville ( not the same place I usually get work done, but he knows my cars also). He recommended a guy in town that repairs frames.

I was going to the bank and what do I see but a white Bonneville SSE sitting there in rough shape, so I stop by that garage and ask about it, and the person is fixing it up to put on the road, but that garage also recommended this same welding shop. It doesn't look like much from the road, it looks like a backyard mechanic, but 2 places now recommend him.

So next week I am taking the Bonneville in to see if it is a hopeless case or if he can fix it. If I can get another year out of her I will be happy.

In that case Mike...it sounds like fate.
You should see about getting the frame repaired
I hope it works out for you