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

I took a huge truck!  I'd have no other way to get the ZX back home!

 

Well, the gold car was a bust.  I had asked over the phone whether there were any rust blisters.  Answer: "No."  Frame rails straight and rust free?  "Yes."  It turns out the frame rails were relatively rust free.  Underbody wasn't bad.  Rockers, doors, fenders, even the hatch area -- not bad.  (Actually, the inner right fender was badly rusted through.)  However, both frame rails were mashed in.  The vent cowling and the roof were both pocked with blisters.  Water damage was evident in the headliner between the T-tops.  The paint also had a number of blemishes (chipped and touched up areas), showing where there was quite a bit of filler and thick paint.  The rear bumper was a miserable mess.  The good:  The engine was in nice shape.  Wow, it was a beast!  Unfortunately the Borg Warner transmission had been swapped out (along with the clutch) for the lighter Nissan 5 speed.  Anyway, too much rust for me!  We'll see whether the next one holds more promise.

 

FAIW, I took my stethoscope to his engine, and I feel pretty confident I would be able to hear even very subtle issues in the next engine.  I now have somewhat of a baseline from which to judge the rebuild.  That, plus compression numbers, should tell the story.  I think my stethoscope might be the most useful cheap tool I've ever bought!  Anyone who doesn't have one should invest that $6 to get one!

 

I'm crossing my fingers for the red one.  One very positive point regarding the photo above is the reflection of the garage door overhead!  Maybe that car's rust issues are less serious.

Sounds like you're doing a thorough job checking them out.

Better luck on the red car.

The rear bumpers were a multi layer construction which was a bad idea. The layers rusted on each other and caught road crap. The rear inner fender is where the spare tire well is at and they rusted also. I think you were seeing typical stuff. My daughters car frame rails were also all bashed in from improper jacking and bottoming out. 

Yes, I think those rails get flattened by years of going up on shop lifts with the pads in the wrong places.

 

I think almost all the zx's I've looked at have had that issue.

So since we're talking about rust....

 

Tell me about the vent cowling area (just forward of the windshield.  On the 240/260/280Z, that piece unbolts.  That's a good thing, because the one on my 280Z has a few little blisters, and it will be easy to replace it.  (I already have a pretty good replacement that needs painting but is straight and rust free.)  But on the 280ZX, the darned thing seems to be an integral part of the unibody.  I guess you have to cut off the old one and weld on a new one.  Can you get this piece new, to be welded in place?  Or do you have to use a donor cowl from a junkyard S130?

 

Also, I've now heard from a couple different sources that the S130 bodies rust very badly.  Are they worse than the S30 bodies?  Are the 1st gen 300ZX bodies better?  Did they use different fabrication methods that were more resistant to rust?  I might consider a 1st gen 300ZX N/A if it makes that much difference in rust.  On the other hand, the 280ZX seems like a cooler car (to me).

The vented part of the cowl area should be a plastic section held in by screws.  The surrounding metal area is not removable unless you cut it out.

 

I don't think overall the S130's rusted any worse than the 1st gen cars, just in some different places. (spare tire well, front of the hood)

The T tops added another area where water can get past the seals and start rust.

 

Maybe because they are newer, there are more of them still running around on the road, not well maintained, which makes them seem like they are more prone to rust.

Thanks!

 

Well, I'm 0 for 2, and I'll be driving home tomorrow without a ZX.  The red body had little issues all over.  The cowl was fine, but the roof had the same rust blisters.  (Am I supposed to send pictures of rust blisters and ask, "Does your car have any of these?"  Geesh!).  Frame rails were pulverized.  Floor pans were mashed in and rusted.  The "restored/rebuilt" engine ran like crap.  Part of the problem might have been that the turbo didn't work, but there was much more to it than that.  The paint truly could have been compounded to look decent, were it not for the underlying rust -- roof, fenders, quarter panels, hatch.  Most of the rust was in the roof, but there were little problems everywhere!

 

Well, I think that's the last time I drive any significant distance out of town on the basis of people's answers to my VERY thorough and detailed questions.  I'll probably just wait for something to show up locally.  I guess I'll hit CL every week to see what new listings pop up.

Sorry it didn't work out well, but good that you were thorough and passed on them.

Now you have a good idea of what to look for.

 

Maybe some trusted members within a reasonable distance can check others out for you as you find them.

Maybe...

 

It's so frustrating, though.  I wouldn't have misrepresented the condition of MY car to get someone else to embark on a 1000 mi journey to see it!  My faith in mankind has reached newer lows.  I was polite, but....  geeeeesh!

It going to be tough to find a clean one. There was one here in Indiana that was on CL that was show condition for 8500$. Seems like a lot but it would be well worth the extra $ to not do bodywork.

Surely the CZCC brothers can help you find something .

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/4751332857.html

Maybe...

It's so frustrating, though. I wouldn't have misrepresented the condition of MY car to get someone else to embark on a 1000 mi journey to see it! My faith in mankind has reached newer lows. I was polite, but.... geeeeesh!

Everyone thinks their car is better than what it really is...

I'd be glad to check out anything locally to me, Since I have had experience with what to look for. There is also companies that will go check out a car for you for like 99$ . They might not be experienced with Datsuns, but they should be able to give you a non partisan evaluation.