This is what you get if you leave your Zed in the rain for years. Water dribbles enters via a perished door rubber, then travels along the underneath of the door sill plate, happily sitting in its own juice eating away at your thin sheet metal.

Anyone for swiss cheese :tapemouth :surprised :hurt:

I now feel kinda lucky to have driven it so hard without it falling apart whilst in it.

By the way, I've killed the rust in the photo and taken off the paint to see the worst of it. Amazingly, the rest of the car isn't as bad as this....other side is not a bad but will require the same treatment. New rocker steel to go in.

Anyone else have a Zed like this?????

Ouch, looks bad. When I started to take mine apart last year I found a little bit of rust in the same area. Nothing through the metal though.

*Bangs head and thinks about work to come*

Mine were good, but after the new point goes on, I wonder how to install the step plate in a way to reduce the chances of water accumulating there.

Perhaps sandwich a rubber sheet between the plate and the sill?

By all means put the plates back on but smear lots of fish oil all underneath to prevent what I have on mine.

Examine your car, and keep your weatherseals in good shape, replace them when they get rotten, or damaged. This would not be a issue on a well maintained vehicle.

FWIW, I had to deal with rusty floor pans due to the P.O. of my car allowing the same problem to ocurr on my car. Won't be happening again on my watch!

You might want to consider painting on a couple coats of POR15 under the step plate.

Your on the right track MAX with coating it with something. However, I wouldn't use POR-15 as it is near impossible to get off. Remember that my car spent a long time in a wet and humid environment, classic combo for the ugly rust monster.

Just be aware of what can happen and take whatever measures you deem fit to protect it.

My car (when finished) will live in a nice cosy garage at night. It won't be a daily driver but will get thrashed on some weeknights and weekends. That should minimise the issue.

But isn't that what you want? A tough coating that will be impervious to air and moisture. I'm thinking to coat is just under the step plate where it won't be seen anyway, right.

My 73, 240 Z had a lot of rust under there also but it had not eaten through the rocker. I had to replace the step plate and I think I will coat the underside of the step plate as well.

And, I'm with you. My car has seen the last of the rainy and snowy days. And living in MN the salt on the roads were murder on it. However, I only drove it for a few years here in Minnesota before putting it into storage in 1981 and just started the refurb in 2001.

good luck

Sorry Max, I haven't used POR-15 so I am not really in a position to comment about its suitability. I've only heard second hand that it is a pain in the backside to remove once on.

I'm close to getting my zed up in the air and start work on the belly. I wonder if I will need the powers off POR-15......it think I might.

Lucky that here in NZ they only grit, not salt the roads....lucky classic car owners.

If you haven't yet, you may want to check out their web site. www.por15.com.

The rumors about it being hard to get off are not rumors. After that stuff cures, it is very hard but yet quite pliable. And no solvent will take it off either. I have had some on my hands all week and it eventually wears off. It was a small job over the weekend and I was too lazy to put on the gloves.

Good luck