In the second shot it appears to be more than just the floor pans themselves but the inner rocker panel or whatever that's called on the inside of the door opening. It seems like cutting that out along with the floors would require a lot of stabilization to keep the whole shell from flexing as replacements are being welded in.

Yes, the inner rocker on the drivers side is completely ruined by the PO running welding beads trying to close up a half inch gap...

One thing not mentioned. The car was in a major hailstorm in Texas 3 days after the PO purchased her. The roof probably has a quarter inch or more of body filler as the PO had no idea how to fix it other than gallons of body filler...

There are people who would repair that rust. It is probably worth seeking out a buyer who is interested in a low VIN car and is willing to take it on. I am no concour weenie but original would probably be a real reach. The value in repair would be strictly in the low VIN.

On a dare a group of guys took a Porsche 356 that had sat in a field neglected for years and repaired it to very much original condition. I believe it cost something like $90K to do??? Luckily, the 356 market will bear that.

I do in a box somewhere in my shed of parts. The engine number is on that plate?

Yes.

Same with transmission number? or it doesn't matter on the trans?

No, there is no vehicle specific ID number on the transmission, but it should be the correct transmission for the model year. In this case it would be the "type A" four speed.

-Mike

Seems like an awful lot of work to me, and in the end you'll probably never get back what you put into it, especially if you pay somebody else to do the work for you. The rust combined with the body/frame damage is going to complicate matters, but anything is possible with enough $$$$$. If it were me I'd find a better shell and start from there. It looks like you may already have one.

I'm not sure the VIN is low enough to warrant the investment that will be required, but I'll leave the final say on that one to those more in tune with the actual costs associated with this type of restoration and the valuation of car with VINs in this range.

It seems a damn shame but I'm in agreeance with some of the previous posts.

If you are like me and you spent all that time/money replacing the sections you mentioned you might still not be happy with the end result unless every single little bit of rust has been fixed and all the panels have been finnished to a point where there is not too much filler and the body has not twisted and the panel gaps are good.

The extent of the repairs even if done well may negate any extra value the low vin gives the shell.

I wouldn't let it put you off doing an S30 but it doesn't seem like the cars are that expensive in the US so I'd keep hunting.

I bought a car that was supposedly "ready to paint" and although its not as bad as your I wish I'd started with a better shell.

It looks like a lost cause to me, but ANYTHING can be repaired if you have the time and money. If it were virgin rust, it would be easier, but once someone does a hack repair job, the restoration becomes much harder. I think it's time to pull the plug on this poor Z and let it live on part by part.

BTW, can someone edit the first post so the thread is easier to read? It's annoying to scroll back and forth that far.

It looks like a lost cause to me, but ANYTHING can be repaired if you have the time and money. If it were virgin rust, it would be easier, but once someone does a hack repair job, the restoration becomes much harder. I think it's time to pull the plug on this poor Z and let it live on part by part.

Agreed. It would have to hold a great deal of sentimental value to justify spending the time & money it would take to "recondition". I hesitate to say "restore" because it would be so difficult to do. Sheet metal components from Nissan are next to impossible to find and pieces from Tabco wouldn't do the old girl justice. They could be used but would add a substantial amount of labor time to the bodyman's bill. All the other early parts needed would take years & years to hunt down and in the end (if there is an end) much more money would be spent than a finished comparible example or a solid, relatively rust free, low vin car could be bought for without doing any of the work. That being said, I would suggest making a comprehensive list of the parts that could be sold from this car, research the value of these parts, attach a value to your time for parting out, shipping cost etc. and total it up. Then, you will be better equipt to determine this cars present monetary value to you. You could then offer the car up for sale based on this info. The market will then decide if it is worth anyone's while to bring back to life or if you should proceed to part out.

PS - Ditto on the difficulty reading this thread!

Edited May 12, 200915 yr by geezer

I would say it depends on what the estimate is to get it restored.

If you spend $10K to $20K to get it back to original condition, then you could probably get that back if that was your goal, perhaps even more than that once the economy gets turned around.

If you want to have a low-VIN Z, then you don't have a lot of choices, and if the $$$$ are not a problem, go for it! Although I have not followed low VIN prices that closely, based on the ones I am familar with, I beleive you would likely end up in the $20K to $40K range if you wanted to buy a "finished" low-VIN Z - but others may know more

it would definitely be awesome to own such a low vin z...

but i all comes down to how deep your pocket is...

If Steve were to do it. It would be $8k or more in labor alone. add $2k for parts, materials and another $4-5k for paint. She needs an entire new interior and the original engine and trans needs to be rebuilt.

I like the idea of owning a low VIN Z but I'd rather have a Z that wouldn't break the bank. In the end all I really want is a drivable Z.

Anyone up to the challenge? taking offers...

Sorry about the thread being difficult to read. Is there a way I can fix it?

Edited May 13, 200915 yr by gregs240z

You should be able to stack the pictures rather than put them side by side. Simply hit ENTER after each picture and it should correct the problem.

I can't edit my first post. Would a moderator please fix the pictures in the first post so they don't appear side by side. When I view this thread all the pictures are in a vertical format so I assumed it would be the same for everyone... Sorry!