ClockWork

Thanks for the input. Looks like I'll park the ol' girl, and hopefully find another car to work with. Finding even a parts car in my area is near impossible, so I'll be in for a roadtrip soon. Heheh. Not gonna give up on this one though, a buddy of mine is going to teach me to weld/fabricate, and $1,100 gets the car sandblasted and coated for future restoration.

I've talked with friends about this, and can't come up with a definitive answer. I have this '81 280ZX Coupe, my first car. The rust is significant, as you can see in the pictures. I love this car, and I really wish I could restore it, but money doesn't grow on trees. So, I'm asking you guys (the experts), if this car is too far gone, or if there's still hope for her. It sat in a field for six years in SE New Mexico after I blew the engine by being careless. This is what I found when I finally got it into a garage. These pictures are the major portions, and don't include various smaller spots all over the frame/chassis. The entire underbody is various shades of rust, though there are few holes. I've got three estimates, by these pictures alone, ranging from $2,000 to "can't be done", and none included paint or underbody coating. So, any ideas? Driver side front frame. Passenger side front frame. Driver side floor pan. (Both sides pretty much done for) Driver side dogleg. Passenger side dogleg.