240z Body Trouble

[ALUCARD]

Greetings all you fellow Z drivers.

I'm having a problem with my 1972 Datsun 240z.

I've just located some major body damage done to my Z. i have discovered is two rusted trhough holes that is under the doors, ii'm sanding off the remaining rust but the holes are still there any suggestionS? I have also just put on a new hood and i found out that my car was hit in the front and bent the right fender down slightly so it does not line up with the hood like the left fender does. and head light it is slightly pointing down, i

I'm not sure what to do to fix it, I'm planning on driving her back to PA where i live how ever i dont want her to look this bad. Any thing i should check on before i take her on the road?

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/333671

Take a look at my car to see the damage i found. please offer some suggestions thanks Alucard

[2ManyZs]

Looks like it's gonna need rocker panels, dog legs(behind the rocker where it turns up behind the door), possibly rear inner fender panels, and perhaps even bottom door panel replacement.

Luckily, these panels are all available from Motorsport Auto.

The damage in the front looks like it's been fixed to a certain extent. You might get a body shop to pull it out and make sure it's straight and work some of the wrinkles out with a dolly. There is an air vent that is missing that will cover up some of the wrinkles they can't get.

With the amount of rust showing, you really need to do a good job exploring the rest of the car for any more rust that might cause problems later.

These areas are, the floor pans, the frame rails, inside the front fender behind the wheel along the flange where the inner fender meets the frame rail, inside the hatch above the taillights, and even the bottoms of the front fenders just in front of the door. Also, take a good look under the batter tray, where the fender and firewall meet, you can see this from inside the fender if you take the wheel off.

Seeing that much rust on the outside, usually indicates more rust may be hiding somewhere else and just hasn't show its ugly head. Don't be surprised if you find more small spots in some of the before mentioned areas. You definately won't be the first to find it.

[240znz]

My advise would to take a terminal screwdriver or something with a fine pointed tip and start poking around the places that 2manyz's has stated above.

It is amazing how much rust can be hiding behind a postage stamp size bubble of rust.

After you have identified all the rust locations, make a list and price the parts, add labour and then reach for the phone to book your heart bypass.

No one wants to see a Zed on the junkyard but sometimes the cost of removing all the rust is more than the cost of a rust free one to start with. I don't want to kill any ideas that you may have of rebuilding your Zed but maybe do the sums before you start. If you did decide that the car was too far gone to restore, then you will have a parts car for that rust free Zed you'll be getting next.

I have a 71 series 1 Zed and it minimal rust in all the hard to find/get places. I am commited to removing ALL of it and ready for the cost. I am also trying to keep it on the road as much as possible while I restore it...this is the hard bit.

[26th-Z]

My car has had problems in all of those areas. Check the frame rails where they terminate under the seat mounts. Check the frame rails up front at the cross members. The fenders at the front of the rocker panels will blow out too.

Any body shop that will repair rust like this for you should be able to pull the kink out of the front and adjust the hood alignment. New metal for all these areas is also available from Victoria British and Tabco. Dont forget Charlie's superb floors!

I did a $4,500 shot on my car that fixed all of those areas in 1992. I'm about to do it again. Best of luck.

[Gav240z]

if your passionate enough it will just come down to the $$$ at the end of the day most of those areas shown are repairable if not all.

My car was in a slight knock at the front also and it doesn't quite line up the way I'd like but I'll be fixing that when it come time to strip it back to bear metal and fully restore her.

It just depends on if you wanna fix her up or not?

[ALUCARD]

hey thanks all of you for your adviceand solutions. i am planning on Fixing her up more i dont want to see this car in a junk yard. eventhough most people on my boat say she belongs there, i feel that this car belongs on the road instead of getting ripped apart.

Alucard

the dark Z driver

[bump240z]

ahhh seeing that rust makes me feel better about my newly-acquired Z.

my rust is right there in the same spot, just at the bottom of the driver door/ rocker. im going to drive it and try to fix it all at the same time.

[grnskyline]

ay guys

I have the spots too, right under the doors, on both sides! It is true, a little bit can go along way. I was pokin around the other day with a pile of rusty metal just pilling up on the floor. Not sure really how to fix it as I dont have welding tools or the know how. Not looking foreward to the quote at the body shop, but only one way out as they say. I put a pic in my gallery of the rust if you want to take a look (The worst of it)

cam

finnaly found z one

[abas]

My 1972 z (that I was going to scrap - but not any more!!!) had similar covered up accident damage on the front left corner. What the previous owner had done was drilled a new set of holes in the inner wing to locate the headlamp pod so that it lined up with the bonnet. This repair did for some 10 years before I took the front wings off and discovered the damage.

Incidentally those wheels are the same as what came on my 1970 car. I wasn't going to use them but they actually look pretty good.:classic:

Hope you manage to keep the car away from the scrapyard. There are too many heading that way:cry:

Andrew

[Gav240z]

Originally posted by grnskyline

ay guys

I have the spots too, right under the doors, on both sides! It is true, a little bit can go along way. I was pokin around the other day with a pile of rusty metal just pilling up on the floor. Not sure really how to fix it as I dont have welding tools or the know how. Not looking foreward to the quote at the body shop, but only one way out as they say. I put a pic in my gallery of the rust if you want to take a look (The worst of it)

cam

finnaly found z one

Hey dude went through your gallery once again. I saw your reply to the white interior i mentioned a while back. Yes I am in Melbourne and I still have the Z .

I've met a few Z nuts down here and thinking of starting a club or a group for the local younger Z guys. Don't wanna detract from the NDSOC as such more get a group of young guys together who can help each other out.

All those spots are repairable however I wouldn't worry too much about it for now it really depends on how you wanna go about your car.

If you wanna get it fully restored and do a group up rebuild don't bother fixing those places yet clean them up a bit perhaps but save that money strip the car down and pay for a decent rust repair and respray.

As i say depends on what you'd like to do with the car if you wanna get those places repaired I'd recommend Rob at Zworx 95875500 in Mordialloc he's done some repairs on my Z when i got it and he's certainly had the experience.

[seerex]

seen alot worse , actually owned worseROFL but if you love the car by all means fix if not sell to someone who will , rather see it fixed than parted , enjoy it

[St.stephen]

could be worse, you could have this to deal with