Jumping in with 2

[240dkw]

if they do still have the hooks, they are plenty strong enough to drag the cars onto the trailer. In emergency they are strong enough to even tow with. But since they probably don't have any brakes towing with chain or strap isn't an option. Since you do have a couple of trailers make use of the hooks.

Arnie: I agree with Darrel as long as the cars will roll freely, here is a photo of a tie-down hook I removed from a parts car. Someone tried to pull the car when it did not want to be moved. So be careful how much strain you put on the hook if it has one and you use it.

Dan

[ArnieTX]

I got them home and in my barn. I'll clean them out over the weekend. The one that I thought was in the best shape has a few more rust spots than I first observed.

I have to be realistic about my capabilities. I've never done any real body work nor have I ever taken a car all the way down to the shell. I'm thinking I might just clean these up, figure out what's good and what's not, take tons of pics and see if anyone out there can use these as parts cars. Somebody with more skills than me can certainly make a good one out of both. Or maybe it's better to part them out a piece at a time? What do you guys think? I would rather see someone take a whole vehicle to restore than piece one out.

I think I'm better off to continue to save my money and find a z that's in better condition and can be driven and enjoyed. Down the road I can tear into it if I get a woody for a restore. By then I would probably have a better idea on what I would want out of a z. What do you guys think? Am I being a wuss?

Thanks

Arnie

[IdahoKidd]

Arnie,

I absolutely agree with you. Study these for a bit, get a feel for what is wrong with them, and then find one that doesn't have as much to do. You can find one that is ready to drive away for $2000. (obviously more for top of line cars, but they are out there) That amount of money won't make a good start on either of these. As far as value for parts, there isn't a lot there that is better than what somebody already has. You'll recover your money, but not likely to hit the jackpot.

In the mean time, read and follow the posts here. Just reading these has given me a sense of what to expect from them along the way.

[Darrel]

wuss had too few characters to post for the forum software, so I will have to say wussy!!

But seriously, cleaned them out see how extensive the rust is, forget about the mechanical parts of the car. After all it's the shell of the core that is most important of cars these age.

Is the rust swiss cheese throughout the whole car, or just in a few places? From the newer pics I can see both have had new paint, over spray on the windshield washer bottle and passenger door striker on the one that had the odd 1/4 panel, and the other had some more work on the driver side with mismatched paint.

But they might not be as bad when you clean them up. They may both be candidates for restoration or refreshing, not by you then by someone who will take on a challenge.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Darrel

[=Enigma=]

I don't think you're being a wuss. Those cars need A LOT of work, and since you're being honest about your level of experience, these might not be the best place to start. The answer really depends on what you want to accomplish, the timeframe for completion, and how much time and money you have to devote to the project. If your goal is to get a car on the road in a short period of time for pure enjoyment, you might be better off picking up a driver with a good body to start with. On the other hand, if you're the type who enjoys "the process", and you're not short of time and money, making one out of the two is certainly feasible.

[ArnieTX]

I'm heading out to to start cleaning the one with the least amount of rust out. Will post pics later tonight.

I know a couple of guys who restore old military jeeps. They are always working on the bodies. I'm sure I can get some help from them. Another retired fellow in town ( I live in a small town of 500) restores old cars for a living. I don't mind paying to get stuff done.

I'll post pics tonight of all the trashy areas I can find. Pics worth a 1000 words. You guys can tell me how bad or not so bad it looks. Appreciate everyone's input.

Thanks

Arnie

[ArnieTX]

I just got done cleaning out the one I thought was in the best physical condition. It was full of field mice crap and all sorts of misc junk. I guess my initial impression was wrong. There were only 3 or four spots that had rust and the most significant was under the battery. There were 2 soft areas on the floors that I tapped around and was able to punch througg with a wrench. I busted up the rust until I hit solid metal.

The area from front to back below the door area on the side of the vehicle (rocker panel???) was perfect on the passenger side and had a few little pin holes starting on the drivers side. The bottom of the floor boards look good except for the two small rust spots I reamed out.

The frame rails running from the firewall and the firewall itself look rust free. I need to look better in the daylight tomorrow but I scoured this car with my light and everything up front looks straight and rust free. Most Z's I've seen have rusty rockers and frame rails where the floors meet them. The back hatch lid was rus free underneath and the hatch portion attached to the frame of the car had 1 little hole. The spare tire area had an inch of water in it so I sucked it out with my shop vac. That area is solid with just a little surface rust and dirt.

The dash area has two big cracks in it. That's normal in this part of the world. I squated around the drivers and passenger areas and the floors feel pretty solid. No flex. I've owned worse and ridden in worse before. My Denver Z was a pretty rusty ride but at age 20 I didn't know any better back then.

Overall I think I have a great base to work with. I think the car is in good enough condition to try to get running and drive safely. There is a lot of dry rot on everything rubber and plastic, but that's to be expected for a car that's 39 years old. BTW - I'm a month older than the car...

Here are some pictures in no particular order. Some spots still have a little moisture from the rains we have had in the last 2 months:

[ArnieTX]

Battery area worst:

[ArnieTX]

[ArnieTX]

Some of you guys can tell a lot from these pictures, how original it is, etc. I'd appreciate any insight you guys have.

What do you suggest I do from here? Can I get away with trying to get it running and maybe patch up the rusty areas for a while? Can anybody suggest a plan of attack? Should I run away as fast as I can >>>>

The second Z has a really nice interior I can hijack ,,,

Thanks for all your help.

Arnie

[ArnieTX]

I cleaned out the second car today. It has a lot more rust than the first one but it's mostly on the floor pans. Some of the rails underneath have some spots. The rear area below the hatch looks like it's been hit or someone tried to tow it by the back bumper.

I've decided to make one good car out of the two. The body, except for the roof, is in better shape on car #1. The roof has a few dents in it but probably easily fixed. Generaly, what car #1 lacks, car number #2 has to replace.

My plan for the next week is to research how to clean up and somehow seal the rusty spots until I get the car up and running and enjoy it a little. I'm going to follow Carl's write up on another thread regarding an engine that hasn't been started in a while. I also need to buy some rust removal tools and get organized. I have an air compressor and need to investigate what kind of air tools would come in handy when working on a Z. I have a Lincoln Mig welder I use to build ladder stands and tripods for deer hunting, but I've never welded on anything as thin as the floors in this car. I have no formal training in welding but learned how to adjust the settings based on how big a hole I was burning in my victim. . Maybe I can clean the floors up and tack a temporary patch in place.

Hitting the search function. Advice appreciated.

Thanks

Arnie

[Darrel]

For patch metal, check your yellow pages for commercial door shops. They will have cutouts from flush panel doors that you can use for patches. 24 x 30 cutouts etc. Most will be 18 gauge metal. More than likely they will give it to you free.