Im going to look at a couple 280z's over the next week, and id like to know where i should look to determine if the cars are too far gone due to rust. Keep in mind, i wont have any way to jack these vehicles up into the air. Hopefully i can raise the carpet to check floor boards. I know there are some signature spots within these z's that rust out and are a pain to fix. Unfortunately im new to the z world, so i need advice. Thank you.

Scott

See if someone here on our forum is in your area, they may be willing to shop with you. I had a member go with me to look at a car, it really taught me a lot.

Most of the time the carpets won't pull up becuz they'll be glued to the floors.

- shine a flashlight underneath both sides of both seats to look at the seat supports. Rust on these parts has probably crept upward from the floors since they're welded to them.

- pull the carpets back from around the seat belt retractors if the car has them. Rust in those buckets is important.

- Look all the way along both frame rails and make sure all the metal is there. The rails may be a bit banged up, but as long as they're not torn or visibly folded they should be ok. Mine have a few dents in them but no rust.

- do a forum search for all the other places, there are dozens.

p.s. - it's not that a z car is a pain to fix if it's rusty, it's more correct to say it's a pain to the wallet to fix.

Edited May 23, 201014 yr by BTF/PTM

The simple answer is: everywhere....

Oh, and bring a magnet to check for bondo or fiberglass patches.

Around the rear hatch seal, and the hatch itself. Inside the front fender. Just below the doors. Above the rear tire.

Try feeling the inside for more serious rust that may flake off.

If the car has been re-painted, rust bubbles may appear close to the window seals. I was told this is caused by not removing the windows when re-painting.

I'm sure I read an article on this somewhere...

Im going to look at a couple 280z's over the next week, and id like to know where i should look to determine if the cars are too far gone due to rust. Keep in mind, i wont have any way to jack these vehicles up into the air. Hopefully i can raise the carpet to check floor boards. I know there are some signature spots within these z's that rust out and are a pain to fix. Unfortunately im new to the z world, so i need advice. Thank you.

Scott

Keizer Oregon!! Nope, no Z owners in Keizer!! Right next door perhaps in Salem but not Keizer..... That's too funny. What did you find out?

The simple answer is: everywhere....

Oh, and bring a magnet to check for bondo or fiberglass patches.

There The worst rust I found on my car was under the cowl.

Keizer Oregon!! Nope, no Z owners in Keizer!! Right next door perhaps in Salem but not Keizer..... That's too funny. What did you find out?

Apparently he bought a 280Z.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/album.php?albumid=330&pictureid=2315

Where to check for rust??

Everywhere between the front and rear license plates.

look at my car and you will know.

If he's the happy owner of a z car now, and he's managed to find a solid chassis, he'll soon forget about whatever minor rust is there as he's fixing failed rubber parts, cracked plastic parts, separated putty seals, broken bolts and electrical gremlins. Ah, the joy of project cars

Check this site out not only for rust areas but for a lot of other info on the S30 Z-cars:

http://www.zhome.com (under the heading 'Classic & Collectable Z's', subheading 'Preservation' and you will see '240Z Hidden Rust Areas'.

Sorry, no direct link to this page.

Good luck to you!

Did someone say rust? Basically, look everywhere and expect it to be everywhere. You might have someone selling a 'rust-free' Z but apart from total nut and bolt restorations, I doubt there is such a thing as a completely rust free early Z (Pre-ZX).

In any case here's an image that might make you feel a little less worried about potential rust bubbles on the 280's you're seeing! :nervous:

Edited June 5, 201014 yr by turbopanzer