rust repair and riveting my 510

[inline4]

is there anything wrong with cutting out some bad metal, and por 15 and riveting some plates on top?

there's some okay metal on the floors, but its not all that great and there are some parts where there's a huge section of holes.

any input on if this is a good or bad idea in the long run? I'd like to put a cage in the car later

[peterc]

Before going the "rivet" route, check with your local ministry of transport. Some jurisdictions have outlawed the use of rivets for autobody repair as rthey don't impart the same strength as welding. And as you indicate that you may do some racing (rollbar) you'll want as strong a body as you can get.

Don't shy away from welding even if you've never done it. Mig welders are quite cheap and new auto-darkening helmets can be had for less than $200. Even if you have no-one to help teach you, you'll pick up the hang of it fairly quickly.

I'd never welded til last January when I started rebuilding my '83ZX. 100 pounds of new metal and 22 pounds of mig wire later, and the body is stronger than new.

Cheers,

Peter

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by inline4

is there anything wrong with cutting out some bad metal, and por 15 and riveting some plates on top?

I think it is a very bad idea. You won't have anywhere near the strength of welding, PLUS vibration will (over time) loosen the rivits and you will end up with even less strength there. I would also think that successfully sealing the whole mess permanently will be another problem.

Originally posted by inline4

there's some okay metal on the floors, but its not all that great and there are some parts where there's a huge section of holes.

This area of "ok metal......but not all that great" should be removed and replaced. You are talking about a structural part of the chassis. The floor pans do not "just" keep water out and your feet in the car. They connect to the rocker panels and to the firewall and to the transmission tunnel, and to the rear chassis panels to form the lower body structure. Strength here is vital to the safety and longevity of the car.

Just my opinion.

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by inline4

is there anything wrong with cutting out some bad metal, and por 15 and riveting some plates on top?

When I was about 23, and still in grad school, I was very surprized one day to go over a puddle and have the floor under my feet in my '75 280Z push up. Problem was, that there was no floor under the pedals any more :eek: . So, I cut out some sheet metal from a VW bug hood, pop riveted it over the hole, and fiberglassed the underside to seal it up. Worked fine for the next four years until I had to sell the car. Now, having said that, I wasn't racing the car, and Bambi is right that it most certainly compromised the integrity of the body. Plus, the 280Z frame rails in that area are much more robust than those on the 240Z, and they were still OK (from what I remember from 20 years ago...). Bottom line is that older and wiser now, I wouldn't even consider going that route again! It's a stopgap measure for someone with no money, and it will most assuredly cause more problems down the road.

FWIW.

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by BambiKiller240

He's doing this on a Datsun 510 (Bluebird).

Hmm. I guess I missed that...

Still probably a bad idea, for similar reasons .

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by mdbrandy

Bottom line is that older and wiser now, I wouldn't even consider going that route again! It's a stopgap measure for someone with no money, and it will most assuredly cause more problems down the road.

FWIW.

to add to Mark's comments:

Riviting in floorpan metal might actually keep your feet in the car, etc HOWEVER, if you get broadsided like our member "thefastestz" ; the car will likely fold up like a crackerbox, and then you'll wish (if you are still able to do any wishing at that time) that the structure had been more soundly repaired.

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by mdbrandy

Hmm. I guess I missed that...

Still probably a bad idea, for similar reasons .

Agreed. Yeah, he didn't bother to mention the kind of car he's working on (except inthe subject line which I didn't look at either). I just remembered what car he has from previous posts about his floorpan repair saga.

[inline4]

fine... i'll buy a mig welder and learn