Anyone ever change a cowl on 1980 280z

[clownguy]

My cowl is rotten away i need to fix it ,any idea on how to?

[ZCurves]

My cowl is rotten away i need to fix it ,any idea on how to?

1980 280z? Could you post some pictures?? No worries, you'll get plenty of help here!:classic:

[clownguy]

this is a pic of the rust any help is great,thanks.

[sblake01]

Your car is a 280ZX so this may or may not exatcly apply in every detail but on a 280Z you open the hood, remove the wiper arms and blades, remove the four screws that hold the cowl, lift it up slightly and pull forward.

[geezer]

I just looked at the microfiche to see how the 1980 280ZX is configured. It is a lot different than the S30 cowl assembly. You have an upper cowl top as Stephen points but I have no experience removing one. It needs replacing.

If the rust damage in the pic is any indication, you will find much more damage after removing the cowl top. Is water getting on the floor? If so, what is called the "dash upper assembly" also has rust damage and will have to be metal repaired and sealed. Is there evidence under the hood of rust forming or breaking through the cowl/firewall?

If you had a S30 I could show you some before & after pics showing the inner cowl/chimney damage and repair but it may look quite foreign, compared to yours.

After the cowl top is removed, post more pics.

[zbane]

It'll need to be cut off and fabricated, as I've yet to see any for sale as a patch panel.

[geezer]

It'll need to be cut off and fabricated, as I've yet to see any for sale as a patch panel.

Yes, I just studied the illustration and see there are no fasteners shown and it appears to form the lower pinchweld of the windshield opening as well. That means the windshield and gasket has to be removed before the spotwelds can be drilled out to remove the panel. But if the panels are unavailable the only options would be a donor panel from another car or patching your existing panel. It may not be worth the effort and cost.

What is the cars overall condition?

[clownguy]

The car only has 39000 mile i got all the paper work from owner. i did a carfax and belive it or not that the correct mile.run great.the floor on the driver side has rotten out.some rust on the roof around the ttop,and back quarter panel.I have never done body work and i got a good deal on the car.

Edited January 17, 2011 by clownguy

[sblake01]

How would you have been able to run a Carfax on a 1980? Carfax requires a 17 digit VIN which didn't start until the 1981 model year.

Edited January 17, 2011 by sblake01

[ZCurves]

If a PO or more likely a Dealer had registered the vehicle with Carfax, then there would be a record of a VIN with < 17 characters or one that has been padded with Zeros.

[sblake01]

I've never heard of that. How often is (was) that actually done?

[clownguy]

went to dmv and get the register history and took it to the nissan dealer were the was bought with all the paper work,the guy from the dealer did it and said that they had all the record on the car,