If it were mine I would keep the AC. It can get pretty warm even in Virginia. also I am pulling for you to succeed also. One less Z crushed is always good. I like your enthusiasm. I would get it blasted and leave it bare for now unless it is going to be outside. If it's gonna be inside I would treat it with Eastwoods "After Blast". It will prevent flash rust and makes it easy to weld because the metal is clean and ready to go. Prime it after the patching is done.

I would still walk away from this one I think, but like Patcon, I am rooting for you to prove me wrong and save this frame!

Thank you guys! I am trying to not get attached and just enjoy what I'm doing right now. I will sandblast and cut out the rot and see what's left.

You will be left with a big bill for sandblasting a useless chassis.. Get real.. it's a lost case if you ask me.. i have seen a few of these. Walk away from it while you CAN!!

 

Just my 2 cents..

 

Mart

Let him play. If this is the only way he blows his money on misspent youth, then I say it's time and money well spent! A good learning experience that will feed his passion for cars in the future.

I'm not saying the end result is going to be that he has a safe, well restored vehicle. The end result may well be the development of his welding and car repair skills that will serve him well on the next more viable project.

Looking back, I blew a lot of money on crazier things as a kid....

Stealth240Z, I am pulling for you.  My 240Z was a rust bucket too, although my only real structural issue was the passenger side rocker panel.  I also had to replace the framerails, floor panels, both rear quarters and both fenders, the sill at the rear hatch, and the spare tire well.  That is some seriously scary rust in your rockers and doglegs though.  I was veery lucky to live near Roger Schmidt, who had and may still have a bunch of old Z's to part out and cut panels out for me.  Message me and I'll give you his email, maybe he can still find you some parts, and at the very least give you some advice.  Folks here all know about him and Zbarn.  And don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. Good luck!

Thank you guys. I am trying to be realistic. I come from the thinking that all things CAN be fixed with the proper drive, time, skills and funds. I know this doesn't make it always wise to do so, but still. Like you guys said, it will be a great learning experience, which is what I want!! I love this stuff, and i am just now figuring out that I want to work on, with and around cars for a living!

Also, just got through at the DMV trying to get a title. I have to send some paperwork to Richmond to find some info on the car along with $85, as there was no record of the car's VIN.

VA gave me a hard time about registering my car too. [emoji849]

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  On 11/5/2015 at 3:12 PM, Stealth240Z said:

...on the car along with $85, as there was no record of the car's VIN.

 

So now you're into it for another $85.  

 

I admire your enthusiasm.  I still think you're making a HUGE mistake.  Why are you so in love with that particular car?  I know in your mind you are thinking; "Hey! I got it for $500.  I'm gonna work real hard and have a z-car for cheap."  You won't.  

 

The most likely scenario is that you will start and never finish because that car is too far gone.  Life will get in the way, and next thing you know you're 35 and watching them load it on the wrecker headed for the salvage yard because your wife is sick of looking at a rusty old car in the yard.  All your time and money will be wasted and you still wont have a z-car.

 

The second scenario is that you employ your considerable drive and finish the car.  No matter how dedicated you are, though, it's going to take money for repair panels, sheet metal, or whatever.  You'll spend at least $2K.  So you'll be into the car for $2,585 plus your time, but you have to paint it.  If you do it yourself maybe $700 for paint and consumables.  Now you're at $3,285.  You see how this goes?  $2,500 will get you a decent chassis.  This will save you a lot of grief, give you a much better chance at succeeding in your dream to have a z-car, and also provide you a better end product.  

 

I have a long history of doing things the hard way so I speak from experience.  

Yeah... It sucks. Oh well.

So, how in the world do you get off that thick layer that covers the tunnel and rear inside the body?

Heat gun and a paint scraper or liquid nitrogen and a hammer if you are feeling brave.

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i've also followed the same dream a few times in my younger, more energetic days... the truth is you will undoubtedly spend far more trying to save a rotted out chassis than it's going to be worth - and it won't look or perform as well as one that started in better shape.  no matter what you think of the chassis now, you will certainly find more and more rot the more you dig into it. the edges of the cancer will have crept far under the paint/undercoat, and the interior cavities of the rails and rockers will be very difficult to clean and seal well. nothing worse than doing all that work only to have your newly restored/repainted body start to bubble up in 2 years with rust that came back from the inside. it happens more often than you think...

 

not trying to be a naysayer - quite the opposite. i'm rooting for you to build an awesome z-car, and looking forward to the build thread. there are just smarter ways to do it that will get you there much quicker and yield a better car in the end.

 

if you buy a solid chassis for $2,500 you'll be miles ahead and will still have plenty of "project" left to do and learn from (trust me, you can start with a $6,500 car and still have PLENTY of project left...)

 

that said, my 2 cents would be that you have a great opportunity to learn how to weld and do some bodywork without worrying about the results - use the rust bucket as an experimentation/learning cadaver. cut, weld, grind, salvage any bits you can, to help you learn and restore another car, then let go of it. these cars are out there, and you will find one that you can spend your time/$$ more productively - which means getting your project on the road sooner and enjoying the process with less heartache.