Inner Fender & Battery Tray Corrosion

[griggs57]

I'm in the process (spending lots of money) of restoring a 72 240, and I need some advice on reparing the inner fender below the battery tray. Can I purchase a new inner fender? If so where?

Do I need to try and find a doner car to get one. It sounds like it is a common problem, so I'm not sure if a donor car would be very easy to find.

I guess the last option is to fabricate my own patch panels. I've already purchased new rails, battery tray, and I plan on replacing the floor pans.

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by griggs57

I've already purchased new rails, battery tray, and I plan on replacing the floor pans.

You purchased a battery tray new? Or was it off a doner car... If new, where did you get it?

I think you'll find that the inner fender below the battery tray is unavailable. Everything I've read indicates that you have to fab the parts yourself. Even the frame rail behind the T/C rod pocket (and just below the firewall there at the battery tray) is unavailable and has to be custom fabricated.

Mark

[beandip]

I just repaired mine but it wasn't to the point of replacement. Check with ZED FINDINGS If any one has the parts y ou need he will. I bought a set of floor pans form him and they are first rate. He advertises in SPORTS Z mag. datsunzparts.com 613 389 1397

[griggs57]

Thanks,

The battery tray I purchased is just the plastic one that the battery sits on, and the hold down. I was kind of expecting to have to fab the pieces I need, I just hoped there might be a cleaner way. I've already talked to Zedd findings about new floor pans. It would appear the these will required the removal of the seat supports ( the metal pieces that the seats actually bolt to), which means welding them back on. Is that correct? I am currently bidding on frame rails on e-bay, just have in case I decide they are needed.

Thanks,

Again

I'll keep you posted. I am going through a Z car learning curve.

[mbentsen]

Yes, you do have to drill out the spotwelds in the seat supports to replace the floor pans.

It's no big deal though, if you have a good quality spotweld drill bit.

My seat supports were quite rusty at the bottom, so I ended up sandblasting them before, the new floors were put in and POR15 painted.

You might find your chassis rails underneath the floors are rusty or rotten as well.

The good news is that they are easy to make up.

I ended up replacing one and sand blasting the other.

Then I applied POR15 paint to the bottom and side of them, before spotwelding the floor pan to the frame rail.

I had to make up some joining pieces of steel plate, since the replacement pans weren't quite big enough.

All the best of luck.

PS The job will take you several full days, if you want a good looking result.

Michael

[beandip]

I bought floors from zed findings and they came wirh the center support. He has a great product. Removing the seat supports is no big deal, just mark there location so you can easley replace them . I just used a spotweld cutter on the tranc tunnel side and on the rail side and ground the ermaining off after cutting around with a sawsall. I used the sawsall to cut away the floor , and used self-tapping sheet metal screws to secure the new floor in place, about 3 to 4 " apart. I removed the batt. tray also and plan to replace it with bolts insted of welding to eliminate the rust problem using POR between the pieces. I can send you pictures if you want them . :classic:

[griggs57]

Sure, I'd like see any pic's you got of your car. I was thinking of using an air shear to cut out the old floorpans, I do kind of like the idea of a saws all. It might be easier to control. I was also planning to seal weld in the new pans. I guess they really don't show, so attaching them with screws would be okay. Do the ever leak water?.

[26th-Z]

Too bad no one makes up the battery tray. I'll bet they could sell a bunch of them. I was confused about your mention of screw attachment and comment that screw and rivet repair of the sheet metal is not a good idea. It's a chassis rigidity thing. The floor pans are integral to the "frame" of the car. This is unibody engineering stuff. For the pieces not available from Zedd or VB or MSA, a donor car is the way to go.

[beandip]

I only used the screws to fit the pan in place and hold it there. The welder tig welded the pan in place and as he went along removed the screws and filled the holes. I suppose you could use POR and matting to seal the pan in and just screw it in place , but I dont think it would be safe. Welding in the seat supports is no big deal , they go in easy.

[beandip]

The batt. tray in my Z was rusted mostly surface and so was the inner fender , so I removed it with the spotweld cutter and in doing so cut through the sheetmetal so I had to have them filled the same time the welder was doing the floor. I dont want to weld batt support back in because it will just trap moisture and rust again , I am going to use Bolts and POR and secure it this way . I know POR on the bolts wont allow them to loosen and all will be sealed . POR is also going on all bare metal on the floor repair both inside and under the car. I think that ZEDD FINDINGS is the way to go for the floor pans as they are better than stock. As far as using a donnor car for the rest of your problems that may be the best way to go if it turns out to be a extensive repair. You can be geting into a costly venture here and really evaluate the rest of what is in need on your Z . You might be $ ahead finding a clean rust free car , and using your present car for a parts car. That is if that is the best way to go. If you can do the welding yourself then that is a different story , but having it done by a certified welder will be costly. I replaced one floor pan and repaired the other side and the battrery area and I am into it $250. for the welder , a vary good price , and $293.00 for the floor pans . I am most likely going to sell the driver side pan so subtract 146. So I am into the repair about $400.00 and I installed the pan and readyed everything for welding, removed the rusted floor and cleaned off all the paint and undercoating . Just taking the car in to a welder would have cost me , well I had one bid of 1300.00 for what I had done .

[griggs57]

I must admit I have had second thoughts about if the car I bought on e-bay is really a good candidate for restoration. It was described as "Minor surface rust on passenger floor". When I went to pick up the car there was grass growing through the floor.

The car was a basket case, but is very original and complete, down to the old cloth wrapped hoses. It is orange with white interior (which I being a longhorn liked), so I decided to trailer it home. I then got a bit carried away, and started buying parts to restore it with.

Anyway I attended the Houston Autorama, a large car show we have here where I talked to a guy who runs a Datsun restoration shop here in town. He quoted me $1200.00 to repair just the floor pans.

I plan on doing the welding myself. This is kind of a father/sons (I have one 18 & one 15) project, so there is more here than just restoring the car.

It looks like I'll spend about 10k on the car to get it back in good condition, and thats planning on doing the paint & body work myself. I don't really care if the finished product is worth that or not. It will still be a really neat little car, and the boys are learning a lot from the project. As far as that goes so am I.

I have restored cars for about twenty years. Always Chevy's. Vettes, Camaros, and El Camino's ( and a couple of 57's). This is the first "Foreign Car" I have done, so it's kind of neat seeing how other people do things.

[christ0ph]

Beandip, did the floor pans come in a set of two? I'm asking because I also have to replace my floor pans. Thanks in advanced.