Just got my 68 Camaro and found that the front subframe is damage. It’s clear that it hit something in the area where the right lower control arm connects to the subframe. It’s pushed back about 1/4”. The width of the control arm matches the other side, so it seems both mounts on the right side have been pushed back as well as slightly upward. It’s visible looking at the location of the wheel in the opening.

I haven’t had anyone look at it yet but I’m wondering about options. Can it be repaired? That going to require a trip to the body shop. Or will I need to replace the subframe? That I can do myself. They can is aligned and drive good with out pulling either direction but the tire does rub on the wheel well.

 

It can probably be fixed but at what cost is the question.
You can buy a new one for about $1K.

 

Yeah, that's what I am thinking also. And if I replace it I have perfect metal to work from. On the flip side, that's a big job for a guy doing it after work on his own. If I can get it pull back in close for half I might just leave it for now. Planning to pull the engine to rebuild it next winter so it would be good to do it all at one.

 

There are a number of choices .You can take it to a frame shop and have them take a look at it .Get one from a donor car .And or get an aftermarket one .It all depend on what you are going to do with the car .And your pocketbook.Whatever you do good luck to you.

 

Personally I would buy a used non-hit subframe and have the uni-body pulled back into shape. Some frame shops will pull the unibody and subframe as a unit. This can cause you to end up with an assembly that is correct today but if you even need to change the sub frame you will have issues.

You should forget about doing the work yourself. The subframe is stronger then the unibody so if the subframe is damaged there could be hidden damage anywhere along the structure of the car. I am not a body man myself but I did work as a master tech at a dealership and my best friend was the frame guy. I can remember getting a 2nd gen camaro in for alignment right after a hit/repair. This was a car another body shop had already detailed and was ready for delivery. When I checked it on my alignment system said the wheels where crooked from front to back by 2 inchs. I checked for sheared bolts front and rear. The rear appeared good. We told the body shop it can not be aligned. They did not believe us. Out of curiosity we stuck it on the frame machine, Turns out the car was shaped like a banana. The body shop just kept saying, it was not a hard hit. With unibodies its all about the angles of the forces.