grnskyline Posted December 16, 2002 Share #1 Posted December 16, 2002 hi guys,big fan of the zeds!!! After serching and veiwing a number of zeds I have found a good 2 seater 260z. Here is the delema with this one and every other zed (about 7 now) that I have looked at. the floorpan/underbody of these cars seem to corrode no matter how good contition of the cars themselves. This 2 seater has two holes in each of the rails underneth the car, along with other signs of infecton. Seeing as how the floorpan is fairly importatn to structural integrity, these holes in the rails are a big deal. so far welding, epoxy and patching are all I know of but usure of method and best application for the symptoms I am dealing with.how do you go about fixing the underbodys of these cars,especially the rails,etc.?? note that I dont have welding eqip at my disposal. any imput would be appreciated as I want to fully restore one of these cars and keep it for a while. thanks cam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.stephen Posted December 16, 2002 Share #2 Posted December 16, 2002 well welcome to the world of the Z gremlin....RUST! There are several techniques to correct the rot but really only one right one in my book. That is cutting out the rotted metal and replacing it with new solid steel. With you saying that there are holes in the "rail" underneath the car are you referring to the seat reinforcements, the frame rail cradle that meets the firewall or the actual frame rail inside the engine compartment?In any event by you saying that there are holes states that cancer has began to get a foothold and will only get worse. My advice on any Z car that has underbody rust is to completely strip the car down and start from there, however not everyone has that ability and room. From the sound of your post you have already purchased the car. Time to get your hands dirty. I would first remove the seats from the car so you can pull up the carpet and give a complete and thorough inspection. This is very important as you need to determine where the rust has spread to. CHeck where the firewall meets the toeboards, the floor meets the inside rocker, where the floor meets the transtunnel, and then in the back where the floor meets the deck. These are all hot spots for water and moisture to get trapped. Teh jute under the carpet gets wet and never dries, the water just sits there and bingo. rust. YOu need to really get underneath the car and do a thorough inspection of the floors, toe-boards and firewall area. Small holes and the like can be patched using POR-15 and their powermesh and I have heard good results using that technique but personally I wouldn't use that for anything larger than maybe a half dollar. For rust spots on the floor support rails, they can be cut out and new welded in using channel steel or one of the repair kits available from a few places. I wish I had better news for you other than welding in new metal, but that is really the only way to do it right. Post some pictures so I can get a better look at what is in trouble. I have seen and I think I own the worst case scenario as far as Z rot is concerned and that car is being saved so I may be a good source of info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambikiller240 Posted December 17, 2002 Share #3 Posted December 17, 2002 St.stephen's advice is solid! Welding in new metal to replace the missing (rusted) steel is the ONLY way to solve this problem. Once that has been done, do yourself a favor and treat ALL of the underside with POR15 to PREVENT rust from recurring.Unforunately, the repair (replacing the steel) and preventative treatment (POR15) is not a cheap job. Even with good welding skills, you'll be spending a lot of time, and a good bit of cash. So be aware of that before you purchase the car.This is why there are so few early Z's left in the world after 25-30 years. :disappoin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inline4 Posted December 23, 2002 Share #4 Posted December 23, 2002 my 72 510 and some rust in the trunk I'm local to pleasanton, wanna do some work for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.stephen Posted December 23, 2002 Share #5 Posted December 23, 2002 I wish the Z's here in Jersey looked atleast that good under the carpet!That is a piece of cake!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambikiller240 Posted December 23, 2002 Share #6 Posted December 23, 2002 SO, how local are you? Sorry, I don't weld (never learned, & regret that) I've done some work with POR15 recently so I can advise in that area. Also do my own suspension, brakes, & most other mechanical work. I've been hoping that a group of locals could be loosely formed that would be willing to lend each other a hand when a project bogs down or an "extra pair of hands" is needed for a job that requires more than one pair. i.e. engine install, or clutch R&R, etc. If this sounds like something you (or others local to Pleasanton) might be interested in establishing, please post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inline4 Posted December 23, 2002 Share #7 Posted December 23, 2002 Originally posted by St.stephen I wish the Z's here in Jersey looked atleast that good under the carpet! That is a piece of cake!! ahahh I've lived in california all my life I've I've never dealt with rust before and when I saw it I kinda freaked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inline4 Posted December 23, 2002 Share #8 Posted December 23, 2002 Originally posted by BambiKiller240 SO, how local are you? Sorry, I don't weld (never learned, & regret that) I've done some work with POR15 recently so I can advise in that area. Also do my own suspension, brakes, & most other mechanical work. I've been hoping that a group of locals could be loosely formed that would be willing to lend each other a hand when a project bogs down or an "extra pair of hands" is needed for a job that requires more than one pair. i.e. engine install, or clutch R&R, etc. If this sounds like something you (or others local to Pleasanton) might be interested in establishing, please post. I'd be the guy who sat and watched I've never done anything with cars other than changing the oil and tranny fluid. I wouldnt mind help or helping, just to see what kinds of things I can run into, but I dont know when I'm going to start on the car (I'm trying to move out of my parents and closer to school which means that takes a backburner ) I'm in Union City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasz Posted January 17, 2003 Share #9 Posted January 17, 2003 St.stephen,Can you provide the information on the places that sell repair kits for rust spots on Zs? I saw someone the other day who sells floorpans while surfing the web but that's all I have found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxtellZ Posted January 17, 2003 Share #10 Posted January 17, 2003 Well, MSA has them, but the best deal is generally from Charlie Orborne at ZedFindings www.datsunzparts.com I guess the difference would be if you are east or west coast- MSA in CA, Zedfind in Kingston, Ontario HTH, Jeremiah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Berk
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