Rust Threshold or Give-up?

[gravityflyer]

Hi all,

 

I hope this is the appropriate section to pose my question... Is there is a general consensus or criteria as to what warrants a cut & weld approach, versus a full rotisserie approach, versus giving up and parting it out. I couldn't find any indication as to what point or threshold it would be necessary to undergo a rotisserie restoration of my Z or forgo the project altogether. Is there a particular percentage of rust coverage or general rule of thumb that more experienced folks follow in making such a determination?

 

I've got a '77 280 that has spent 20 years in CO and UT, subject to winter road salt. What's more, it's spent the past 10 years sitting outside in a storage lot in Oakland. As of this past week I once again have the car in my possession. As anticipated, the entire floor / rails have succumb to rust rot. In fact, the rails crumpled under the weight of the floor jack. Given the extent of the rust, I imagine that any restoration would go beyond merely cutting and welding new floor pans and rails, but instead would require a full rotisserie-based restoration. I'm wondering whether going this route would even eliminate the cancer or is the car beyond repair? I'm sure pictures would be helpful and hope to have some posted in the next week or so.

 

J.

[jer305]

It's all a matter of time, money and motivation. I have seen some amazing restorations that I though were insane. Pretty much anything can be fixed on a car. How much are you willing to put into it and is is worth it to you? Those might be the right questions....

 

Then again that's just my opinion.

Edited October 11, 2012 by jer305

[JMortensen]

The main thing is where the rust is. Unfortunately, Z's tend to rust in structural areas, frame rails, rockers, doglegs, etc. It is possible to fix a car like that, but the benefit doesn't justify the expense or time, in my judgment. It's a subjective thing and I'm making this judgment based on a couple sentences and no pictures, but I'd sooner buy a (240Z) shell from CA or AZ and pay to have it shipped for a couple grand than spend 1000s of hours trying to build a car like you're describing. If you do decide to build another one and you have some storage available, keep the drivetrain and suspension.

[Snailed]

^ That's good advice.

 

It's pretty amazing what another $1000 can buy you in terms of saved restoration time (especially on low-dollar cars like Zs). If you are paying to have it repaired this is an extremely important ratio to understand before even getting the project car. If you are doing the work yourself and don't like wasting your time this is also a big factor.

 

Another thing, that even "car guys" never really seem to embrace, but constantly smacks them later, is that the rust ALWAYS worse then what you can see when you are talking about an older car.

[ryan95i4]

The main thing is where the rust is. Unfortunately, Z's tend to rust in structural areas, frame rails, rockers, doglegs, etc. It is possible to fix a car like that, but the benefit doesn't justify the expense or time, in my judgment. It's a subjective thing and I'm making this judgment based on a couple sentences and no pictures, but I'd sooner buy a (240Z) shell from CA or AZ and pay to have it shipped for a couple grand than spend 1000s of hours trying to build a car like you're describing. If you do decide to build another one and you have some storage available, keep the drivetrain and suspension.

 

This.

 

Im in Florida and looked to Cali for a Z. Unless there is a sentimental reason for that specific chassis, theres better starts out there.