Oh the rust - rails worth fixing?

[Bill.Oakes]

Hi gang,

I'm cleaning up the '73 (runs better than it looks) hoping to make it look as good as it runs. But after taking the engine out and cleaning up around the passenger side rail and inner fender I found a chunk of bondo holding a large piece above the rail. I'm attaching some pix.

So, I know anything CAN be fixed, as it's hard to tell by just pix, but how critical is this area of rust? Would be better to use by rust-free '72 that has no interior or engine, and use the goodies from the '73? Maybe save the '73 for a pure race car with new frame rails????

I'm going to have a welding friend of mine look at it for some advice, but I trust the opinion of this crowd more.

thanks in advance.

-Bill

pix available at:

http://tinyurl.com/5ct4j

[Bambikiller240]

Hi Bill:

I'm no expert, but since that area is so close to where the T/C Rod connect to the chassis, I would think that the area gets a lot of forces applied to it. IMO, I'd want my car to be as strong as possible in that area.

JMO,

[240znz]

That is a standard place for rust to be in a S30.

Mine had a tiny bubble there and after poking with a screwdriver I finally ended by grinding the entire area out as it was gone. Basically, Mr. Yamamoto at the Datsun factory was not very good at sealing that particular bit. He must have worked on the same line as plenty of examples are about with the same symtoms. Turns out that the area directly behind the TC rod is double skinned with the flange spot welded on top of the frame rail for added strength. I'll have to fabricate a replacement piece of steel and get it welded in there, so will you. I will be welding in second piece similar to what the V8 hybrid guys do for extra strength as well. It isn't probably a good idea to weld too much in as it would change the flex characteristics of the unibody though. Just enough to give it added strenght from standard.

I figure that modern tyre compounds combined with lower profiles, lowering springs, the lastest in shocks will need some extra meat to hang off.

[Murph]

Bill, while you're in that area have a very close look at the chassis rails. Just pretty much right where my RH rail rusted through then snapped. :eek:

[gramercyjam]

That seam on the firewall along those few inches of frame rail are what keeps the front end attached to the rest of the car. Fix it and you should notice a pretty significant differerence in the performance. I did.

[Ed]

If this were the only rust on the body I'd say fix it. But chances are the more you poke around the more rust you will find. Repairing the area in the picture would take you less than a week. Transfering body parts from one car to another is quite a job and will take you some time to accomplish. Make sure your 73 is a lost cause before you start swapping.