Aerodeck in Oslo, Norway

[86aerodeck]

My 86 Aerodeck has spent a couple of years in my garage, on account of underbody rust (didn't want to part with it for sentimental reasons).

Now I need to free up that garage, and would prefer that someone uses the car for parts - instead of taking it to the wrecker's yard.

Body is red, and except for the chassis rust everything else was looked good and was OK.

[carotman]

Oh, I'm sure some people will take it for parts.

Post pictures of the car, this will help.

What color is the interior/exterior?

[86aerodeck]

The car has red exterior, and black/grey striped upholstery, black vinyl interior. No sunroof.
I haven't taken a recent photo (would be happy to do it if anyone is interested), but aside from minor rust around the wheel wells the rest of the exterior is in very good shape and was well maintained.

[markmdz89hatch]

i'm very interested in photos as well. Please post when you get the chance. Would you have any interest in parting it or will you only sell it whole?

[86aerodeck]

If parting it would be time-consuming for me, it would be inconvenient (I need the garage space because of impending work on my house!).
But what in particular would you be interested in Mark?
Photos I can arrange in a couple of days, but take my word for it, the results will look like a red 86 Aerodeck (with a pretty nice exterior).

[charliekuney]

I want the rare stuff!

[86aerodeck]

Took this car out of its garage (four years later!) and hooked up power. Seems my 7 yr old daughter had been playing inside it, and everything was switched on and so came to life - wipers, radio, emergency lights, fog lights, heated drivers seat...

Strange to see it all working, after that long neglect! But cleaning out the motor so it runs again would take a little work, I suppose.

I need pauswe briefly here, and continue this in the another post, so my post count will let me add a couple of snapshots!

[86aerodeck]

Anyhow, the long storage has served its purpose; the sentimental reasons for wanting to keep the car are not so acute anymore.

However, after I washed off the dust, and cleaned off a thin haze of mold from the interior vinyl parts, then I started thinking it was a pretty cool car again.

Anybody have any opinions regarding the cost/viability of rebuilding the chassis for these cars?

... it's a shame to scrap it, when it was mechanically OK otherwise, and had in fact new brakes, exhaust, and tires, shortly before I parked it.

[86aerodeck]

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[Tomisimo]

what would you want for a whole thing? I might be interested and I'm in Trondheim, not that far away.

[A18A]

that looks really nice. rust sucks

[86aerodeck]

that looks really nice. rust sucks

But the looks may be a little deceptive? Today since the car was parked outside, a neighbor saw it and asked about it. He works on trucks, his first reaction was that I should get the frame/panels replaced/fixed, and he's going to make an estimate. Depending on how high that is, the aesthetic appeal of the car may vary quite a lot!

@Tomisimo, when the car is not roadworthy, the price becomes pathetic compared to what was once put into it - but just how pathetic, I haven't figured.
We're going to be needing an extra car in our household in a couple of years, and you know how inordinately expensive that is in Norway - especially if it's not going to be driven more than a few thousand km's a year. If repairing this Aerodeck is significantly less that what I'd have to pay for some other decrepit vehicle, then maybe I should throw more 'good money after bad'?
But I'll try to be sensible, if anyone should make a generous offer.

I have a point about the virtues of Aerodecks, and I wonder if anyone here agrees with it: I'm 6 ft 4in, and the car never felt small, though I think other similar low-slung cars are claustrophobic. Back in the early 90's I had some sports-related trips over the Arctic circle, and on a few occasions I had to sleep in the car - in 25C below zero. It was no problem at all, and even seemed roomy, with the seats folded the interior is surprisingly spacious.
I think there's more room in the Aerodeck than the wagons VW and Audi make, for example, and the lifting top-windowed rear door is very nice for access and light. What 3-door car is roomier?

Took a couple more photos; while building up the courage to look at the underside of the car.

[Tomisimo]

Yes I understand you'r point, its not economically vise to keep two cars in Norway, but I'm going to advise you to keep it, believe me, it will be cheaper to maintain this Aerodeck than to get newer ford or vw. Plus its spacious and good to drive, you will have less problems with it. I dont know if you can fix it your self or have to let someone else do all fixing. but if you can, than the parts in US is cheaper than bred in Norway, metaphorically speaking..

[MessyHonda]

i love it

[86aerodeck]

So far so good. I jacked the car up this morning, and nothing came crashing down!

I'm not conversant with the structural finesses of these undersides - so if anyone has a suggestion as to what I should examine and poke at, feel free to comment!

The most obvious damage seen underneath, is where the body joins the frame just ahead of the left rear tire (rust appears worse there than on the other side) there's a hole there and the join running forward is not much better:



Much of the underbody looks better than what I was expecting lol, there are some smaller indications of rust around the perimeter underneath. But the wheel well areas are where it's flourished the most. Here's behind the right front tire, which is slightly uglier than the other side:



Too bad this isn't a boat, I'm good with bondo!

Another photo, the center section with exhaust and tank looks better:

[86aerodeck]

After the previous post I browsed for a while through the initial pages of the Great Dane's Restoration thread, and then I went outside to take a closer look underneath my old specimen.

The 'sill' (is that the right word?) is rusted through ahead of the left rear wheel (the hole in the photo) and forward of that I can press and feel rust giving way to about 6 inches under the drivers door. The right sill is better, no softness. The old anti-rust coating on everything else is probably hiding rust, but these sills and the attached panels (behind front wheels, but lesser rust around perimeter rear wheel wells) appear to be the main thing - I can't spot anything else (in the capacity as total novice) that looks too bad, yet!

From remarks on the GDR thread, these sections of the car seem to be notorious for rust. His project, a total renovation, looks a lot more extensive than what this car might require?

The Dane's thread is here, if anyone needs a link:
https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthrea...t=60009&page=8

[markmdz89hatch]

what the hell... ...and I thought cars rusted out quickly out here.

Overall though, it could be much much worse.

Oh man, what I'd do to try and get that shipped out here and make it mine. I just have no room here at the house and no place to put another car. Aside from the fact that I need another car like a need a fork in my eyeball.

Please consider repairing that, as you already know it'll provide you years of faithful service with just a little love to get it back to reliable.

[86aerodeck]

Yes I understand you'r point, its not economically vise to keep two cars in Norway, but I'm going to advise you to keep it, believe me, it will be cheaper to maintain this Aerodeck than to get newer ford or vw. Plus its spacious and good to drive, you will have less problems with it. I dont know if you can fix it your self or have to let someone else do all fixing. but if you can, than the parts in US is cheaper than bred in Norway, metaphorically speaking..

Tomismo, it isn't so much the maintainance that stymies me, but more the question of what it would cost to get that rust fixed!

That Great Dane thread, with all its wonderful detail, is also daunting for someone like me who'd have to contract someone else to do similar work.
What do you think would be a sensible way of getting the work done?

[86aerodeck]

What 3-door car is roomier?

I happened to be reminded of another car, and this question, today.

The Matra-Renault partnership (which produced the fiberglass-bodied 'Espace' up until 2002) came to a sudden end just after the 'Avantime' was introduced. Matra's auto production ended soon afterwards and the Espace line shifted to Renault's own factories in 2003.

Like the Aerodeck, the Avantime was a 3-door car, and Renault's hope, which was not fulfilled, was that the spaciousness and minivan characteristics of this car would create a new niche.

I haven't found the specs for the interior volume of the Avantime, but judging from the photos I'd say the interior looks slightly smaller, as might be expected due to additional safety equipment?

Anyway, it's a shame Matra stopped making cars...

http://www.auto-types.com/renault-av...tic-33569.html

[Tomisimo]

I think that if you are'nt capable of welding rust your self, than you'll need a money pile for sure. You see, we are all about love for these cars here really, in gray reality no car is worth fixing, at least not that rusty (like mine). If you care about it and see it as more than just a car than it worth fixing.
I'd say, just replace rockers first and rear fenders, behind the rear bumper, thats the most likely places our cars rust, and take it slow.
You'll learn so much, think about it, its an old type of a car, that is still rely on electronics. the chassis is the weakest link here.

[86aerodeck]

I think that if you are'nt capable of welding rust your self, than you'll need a money pile for sure. You see, we are all about love for these cars here really, in gray reality no car is worth fixing, at least not that rusty (like mine). If you care about it and see it as more than just a car than it worth fixing.
I'd say, just replace rockers first and rear fenders, behind the rear bumper, thats the most likely places our cars rust, and take it slow.
You'll learn so much, think about it, its an old type of a car, that is still rely on electronics. the chassis is the weakest link here.

Rust-welding isn't something I've any experience with (more like epoxy and glass). I found a thread where you put new rockers on a silver-colored Accord. They looked to be similar to mine, before you started. Roughly how much time did that require, just doing them?

[Tomisimo]

it took me about a week, but I had limited time. So I worked for 4-5 hours a day. It was long ago, but than again, I had all tools for this job as well. and minimal experience my self, only knew how to weld. its not that hard really. You learn as you go, and handy to have a person that can help and advise you.

[Civic Accord Honda]

fix her up man, i saw one of those over here in the states last month on a military base.. i almost went in shock and died!! they are such sexy cars