Any Idea What Might Have Caused This?

[FastWoman]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm going to be looking it an '83 ZX on Saturday.  The owner and I have talked, and he says there is this one suspicious spot between the T-tops.  Obviously there are signs of repaint work, and the paint appears very thick.  Is this probably just cracked paint/filler, with surface rust underneath?  Or is there a chance it's worse than that?

 

Thanks!

Sarah

[Zed Head]

Take a magnet to the body.  That looks like a thick body filler layer, that came loose for some reason.  Might be signs of damage on or under the headliner, inside, also.  If they put body filler there, it could be anywhere.  Also, if it's as thick as it looks, that gives a sign about the quality of the work overall.  Thick is not good.

[FastWoman]

Thanks! I almost forgot to pack a refrigerator magnet!

 

Is this a typical area for penetrating rust (e.g. from condensation underneath the roof panel, or would it most likely just be bad body work?  (The paint looks pretty sloppy too.)

 

Related question:  How hard is it to strip a car in preparation for body work/painting?

[madkaw]

Like I said Sarah, these years were prone to rust everywhere including the windshield . My daughters car had actual holes under the SS trim.

Lower rear quarters and pull the spare wheel out, the floor rusts there and everywhere. Stripping a car is big work especially with the amount of trim on these cars.

Maybe you want a DIY car as far as paint, but I would raise my budget for the ZX models to get a rust free version. IMHO

[FastWoman]

Well, supposedly (and we can trust everything people tell us, right?) this car is pretty rust free.  I just didn't know it had lousy body/paint work until I saw the photo.  The owner has always stated the car needs a paint job.  However, I would think it would need to be stripped down to the metal at this point.  The other car I'm considering looks pretty nice in the photos, and the owner claims it's rust free -- painted 6 years ago by Maaco.  (Yes, I already know about Maaco's work, but I suppose it's possible to have a relatively rust free car made shiny by Maaco, no fault of the poor car.)  II suppose we'll find out!

[EuroDat]

Sarah, I have a crack in the paint that looks similar, but not as big. The car has been resprayed (thick coat) over the original paint. I left a screwdriver on the frame in front or the AFM and closed the bonnet:(

It could be caused by something like that from inside. Sure doesnt look nice. Looks like some sort of repair work underneath.

Sucess searching this weekend.

Chas

[psdenno]

Looks like body filler letting loose and lifting due to rust under it. The seal near the spot looks ragged, like it's not doing too much sealing. The magnet test will tell the tale.

Dennis

[FastWoman]

Thanks, guys!  Dennis, I think that's my impression too.  The owner says he suspects rust underneath also.  I think the temporary fix might be to sand it out, down to the metal, re-fill, prime and spray as close to that shade of red as I can find, and re-seal the T-tops.  It might not look perfect, but at least I can stop the rust.  Then down the road, we might get an "OK" paint job -- a notch higher than the typical Maaco mask-and-spray job.  The thing is, I think all the old paint and bondo would have to come off, and I don't know how difficult or expensive that might be.  EDIT:  Just talked with a body shop I trust, and they suggest it would probably be from penetrating rust -- probably needs patched with some new material.  They also said the old paint doesn't necessarily need to come off, even if it's a repaint job.

 

BTW, Chas, I feel your pain!  I have a tool ding on the opposite side of my hood from yours -- an overlooked 14mm socket, as I recall.  Fortunately it's just a ding, and not a crack.

 

Oh, and Madkaw, I would ordinarily want the best, most rust-free car I can find if my intent were to restore it to its former glory.  However, I'm really just trying to find a car that's clean, functional, and fun to drive -- not a big project (too busy right now to take on another project).  The car will be a fair-weather driver and will live under roof, so I don't see any rust progressing much beyond where it is when I buy the car.  If I can eventually sell it for what I have in it, then I'll be happy.  One car I'm considering is a recent Maaco repaint with the original engine -- a weekend driver.  The other is one of those project cars where the owner runs out of time/energy -- engine rebuilt by the owner before him, driveable, needs paint, good interior.  And depending on what I see, I might walk away from both.

[madkaw]

Who cares if it's a Maaco paint job. Paint is all about prep or what is under the paint. I'd rather have a cheap paint job on a good body and repaint it, then trying to patch in a better paint job on a crappy body.  I'd also rather have an unmolested car then someone elses project, unless the money they invested was done right and brought value instead of headaches

[FastWoman]

Hmmmmm....  Wondering whether I can have the roof fixed and just compound out what's there...  I'll know more tomorrow.

[FastWoman]

Madkaw, I just have to put eyes, refrigerator magnets, compression gauges, etc. on both cars. 

 

The thing about Maaco is that their work depends on the shop.  Some of their work is fine, and some is abysmal, mostly owing to differences in prep.  I once hired Maaco to paint a car of mine -- never again!

[FastWoman]

OK everyone, I'm headed out the door for my big ZX adventure.  I'll check back in this afternoon/evening.  I appreciate everyone's help more than you know!

 

Theme song for the trip:  "I Wish They All Could Be California Cars," modified from the Beach Boys' song.