In a strange perdiciment

[Lephosto]

Heres the story! I have spent some money on my 1977 280z to get it running and I'd hate to give it up for lost.

I don't have any pictures of it, which is just due to bad timing. I am in the military and got deployed rather soon after I got my car. Now, I have looked over the car and the body seems to be in decent condition. Some minor rust on the outside (it was sanded down in prep to paint it but was never painted so a few spots went exposed and naturally rusted over). The biggest rust though is in the engine bay. Where the battery would sit over, it looks like battery acid was trying to eat the metal.

Also, I noticed that along the hatch on either side of the car roughly where the hinges , there are cracks in the paint and almost looks like it might have been cracked in the metal once...

In the end, the real question is should i bother painting it? If I had someone take it to a shop to be painted would they tell me if it was worth it? I'd like to get it completly stripped down and painted...anyone know who could do a good job in the Las Vegas area?

I know its very vauge. Perhaps if someone is in the Las Vegas and knows what they are looking for, can take a look for me (the car would be at my parents house) ????

[280z1975]

I would suggest that you prep the outside of the body for paint and have an epoxy coat of primer to seal the car. It's not going to make the car look good (but a flat black won't be that terrible) but it will protect it from rust and corrosion. When you get back you can lay down the body filler and work on the car in sections without the worry of flash rusting or other issues. Talk to a local body shop, a good one will take the time to help you ... if the guy seems to brush you off, tell you you need a full paint job or doesn't seem to want your business ... walk away.

As far as the engine bay, you need to get in there and get off as much rust as possible ... search for the POR-15 products Metal Ready and prep the surface as described then treat it with some sort of sealant to keep it from rusting (or spreading) till you can get back and deal with the rust.

Just remember to get a control of the rust.

Now be safe where ever in the world you are deployed.

[Lephosto]

Well, its been a long time since I have had the time to sit down and actually do anything leisurely! Here's an update! Mechanical issues are down to a minimum and by that I mean it runs, but it could be running better.

My biggest issue is that I need a new wiring harness as when my dad was younger he thought of himself as an electrician and made his own wire additions and short cuts to keep the vehicle running as it got old. Currently only the high beams work, tachometer is broken, the inside is a mess of wires, and when I look I can see a number of splices and added on ends. I have the heavy-duty head light harness and plan on putting that on soon to hopefully fix the headlight issue. I also recently changed out the starter and am going to change out the alternator and voltage regulator (as soon as I can find the thing!) Changing those out in hopes of fixing a NEW problem. When I am on the gas, the voltage gauge starts to max out in consistently but frequently.

There's a lot of work to be done but I feel I am getting closer. I did get it painted so I could at least have it look nice and get some of the attention it needed to the body. If anyone ones got any advice I'd appreciate it!

Oh and that would be my room mate sitting in the car... He recently kicked a wire to my ignition and I couldn't find the issue... Had to pay $168 to get it towed and fixed :-(. That could have been parts money ...

Edited February 27, 2009 by Lephosto