The amount of rust in and around the battery tray is the worst on the whole car. It shows the original condition, no corrosion down the side of the fender, because the old battery was in the plastic tray with drain. All of the metal is solid by the hammer or screwdriver test. I will neutralize the acid then a naval jelly (NAPA, pink) product, then see what is left, then protect.

Looking through the headlight bucket shows a band of missing undercoating from road gravel rash the width of the tire or less. The metal showing has surface rust only. The driver side is about the same.

The passenger and driver floor pans and frame rails are the same. Both have the famous jack dents, (prolly me and PO), and yes that is original paint and primer on the side of the frame rails. These pics were taken after a complete wire brushing of the underside. Again, any rust is only on the surface.

Both sides of the interior are the same also, there is no visible rust in here.

The rear fender area shows a smaller amount of missing undercoating, can't explain. Again, just surface rust. It looks rusty because it has a large amount of primer overspray. Lesson learned here? 1 OUNCE OF OVERSPRAY = 10 POUNDS OF OVERTIME!!!:mad:

The spare tire area also shows the lack of any rust, although the spare did rub through the blue at the bottom of photo. This car also came with a trailer hitch, brace installed, tounge is 1/2 inch below the fuel tank and is supported by the bumper.

The condition of the exterior (see avitar) has been like this for the last 27 years. When taken down to metal there was no rust in the problem areas, if my memory serves me right, rockers, dog legs, door bottoms, etc. The only welding on the car was to fill 2 pencil eraser sized holes on the hatch lip and to add another hatch strut brace to the passenger side. A dual hatch strut 240Z? It is now!

After sitting inside all this time the exterior has no problems that I have found, like any rust through or bubble-up, cracks in primer, chips, sand throughs, cracks in bondo, which was VERY minimal because this car has never been wrecked. I have gone over the whole thing with 400 wet and now looking for someone that can run a gun, I have the shop, paint & air, Kellogg-American 2 cyl, 5 hp, 120 gal, 200+psi.

I want to have it painted and back together by March of 08, that is when it becomes an antique vehicle according to this state and will be able to run my old 1973 Kansas plate, saved from another car. Its just going to be "a surviving, rust free, antique, Japanese, sports car." There are several oxy-morons in that statement!

The story behind the new (rebuilt in 1980) engine will be another day.

I hope you all enjoyed as much as I.

Bonzi Lon

Couldn't find edit, however if you are going to be in the area and would like to show and tell, email and we will make arangements.

Bonzi Lon

For being stored in the barn for 26 years your car has faired well. Just a matter of stopping the rust and protecting it, before it becomes necessary to replace metal. Those are nice pics. I wish people selling their Z's would include pics of this type of these areas. Good luck finding someone to shoot the color. Should be a real nice car once again.

Take the remaining car apart and dip-clean it !!

Lonny, that ain't bad at all. The outside pic doesn't do justice to the underside pics. Mike is right, a dunk is good, I might suggest a soda blast. Not much work and you're back on track

I'll chrip in here and state that pulling down the car and dipping it then putting the jigsaw back together is a pile of work. More than you can imagine. Really.

Sorry guys, I'm not taking it apart any further. Its been apart too long, and I'm ready to get it on the road. It will always be garaged and cared for, not just a driver. Later on I may do a complete resto, but for now I just want it done! I just hope I remember how it all goes back together.

Another reason, (excuse) for not going further is it has a crack free dash and the clock still works. I don't want to take any chances with either one, now.

Bonzi Lon