Finally got around to editing/posting this one:

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Comments/corrections welcome. Let me know what you think! Is it a goner or salvageable?

I just finished writing a series (a long series) of cheques for an extensive vacation on a rotisserie and mine started out very clean. It is amazing where the rust can pop on these cars and it spreads like wild fire once it breaches the unibody. The dog leg rust on mine came from the front of the rocker and so forth. So is it worth it to restore? That is a question only you can answer.. I'm glad I did mine but it has cost at least 3x what I figured. Good luck!

What you can see is just the tip of the iceberg. A big undertaking.

Thanks for the replies, guys. Yeah, I should post another video after I get the car stripped down to the metal. Chances are it'll be even more bleak.

I agree with olzed.......your money would be better spent on paying up for a more rust free car. You're looking at hours and hours of expensive work and materials......"Jack up the radiator cap and put a new car under it"! IMO Guy

Reproduction panels are not the best, so you not only will have to replace, but will have to fabricate too. Like said above, there's more to be found, but I have seen much worse. Depends on your skill level and time and initial investment and sentimental attachment to the car.

I spent 40 hours just doing floors and rails.

If the price is right you would have a good parts car. IMO you will never catch up with the rust.

That's where it gets tricky. My dad was the car's original owner, so we're kind of stuck with this one. It's either restore this particular Z or don't restore anything at all.

I'm going to take it apart at least and have a "Z-knowledgeable" body guy look at it. At that point I think we'll be able to make a more informed decision.

I'd fix it. It doesn't seem that bad to me. Zedd Findings sells nice floors/frames and the other areas are easy to make by hand. How are the rear wheel arches, battery area and front shock towers?

Chuck

No visible rust around the front shock tower area. The inner fender under the battery tray has a nice rust hole in it (the tray itself is fine, weirdly enough). Wheel arches seem okay except where they meet the rocker panels behind the doors. Some bubbles under the paint, but they're not ragged and crumbling.

So far everything sounds easy to fix. Yeah, the floors/frames take some time but they aren't hard to do. You might want to drill out the battery tray to get better access to the rust and hole under it. It'll be easier to weld in a patch from up top too.

Chuck

I'd estimate - around $14K for metal work, replacement parts, body work and Paint & Supplies. Then perhaps another $15K redoing everything else. On top of that about 650 hours of your weekend labor. When finished, you would have a high quality restoration - ready for the next 50 years. As long as you get inside all body panels and stop all rust.. $30K isn't too much to have a finished car - especially one that has been in the family since new.

Looks like it was originally White with Red interior..

Can you do it for less ? Yes - but no sense doing it if you don't go 100%..

HOWEVER - the only real reason to do it - is because you enjoy the process. You enjoy the time spent in the garage, you enjoy the personal satisfaction of getting each part, component, assembly finished and looking like new again. Getting done can not be the goal - enjoying the process is the objective. Otherwise don't start...

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited June 18, 201212 yr by Carl Beck