palosfv3

The corner is a simple metal repair . Dont cut out any of the area . Your car appears to have had the quarter replaced at some time in the past. Take the time to clean the inner panel where the weld burns are and properly prime and paint these areas . Your car will love you for this.

I have some ideas on a solution for this problem but was interested in what others have done . It may seem a little anal but when you put the money into getting the exterior of your car looking great , this is one of them issues that can piss you off once in a while. The 240/260/280 front fenders are very soft on the top sections adjacent to the hood. After all the time is spent getting them straight and painted it only takes a light amount of pressure to make a small dent anywhere along the upper section. On todays new cars there are similar areas where this type of condition also exists. OEM.s have heat bonded fiberglass reinforcement pads to give additional rigidity to the areas of concern. It would be a great to apply this material to the Datsun fender before installation but the material is not available through 3m, or any of their competitors. I thought of filling the void between the upper unibody and the fender with structural foam or the like but the fender will not be able to be removed without major damage plus the foam will be a mess to clean out. I also considered adhering some aluminum or stainless sheetmetal strips with double sided moulding tape to the underside of the fender area. What have other Z owners done or used to correct this condition ? Has anyone found something that worked ? I know it may be considered petty but it drives me crazy to look at a lumpy fender.

You probably could have kicked that glass out after a day or two and it probably didnt harden for at least several weeks. If you ever attend an I-CAR structural training class this is a topic of discussion from time to time. Glass installed with urethane, in temps below 50, takes a long time to fully cure. The glass guys are courting a civil suit on late model windshield installs. The reason they sometimes get away in lower temps is the edges skin over and support the glass but the inner core of the bead will remain soft. In a new auto this is a serious issue as the windshield is used as both a stressed member ( Accounts for at least 30% of the strength of the body through the windshield pillars ) and as a support for the passenger airbag on some models.We have seen this at our shop. Still havent heard of any new urethane product that solve the low temp issue.

The rusty area about 12 inches forward of the cowl could be a sign of damage , The rails would buckle in this area if hit the right way. The pics are not clear enough to tell if someone just ran a disc over the area or if its a repaired area. Thats why I asked the questions I posted and about better pics .

Need better pic of lt rail & apron at cowl. Is the rear edge of the hood parallel to the upper cowl panel ? Are the fender gaps to the hood parallel ? Are the front egdes of the hood and fender extensions even ?

There are many issues that can lead to a failure of this type . Poor initial design.( No water drainage path at the bottom of the window opening ) Adhesive technology of the day. When cars were painted at the plant most were painted by people . People on an assembly line get tired , lazy or a combination of both. I my early days in the shop the new cars came right off the car carrier into the paint shop and 90% had some refinishing done to them before delivery. It is not out of the question to assume that the inner edges of the windshield opening would be a little thin on the paint. Take this issue along with long term exposure to the elements and the accumulation of debris in the gaps between the windshield and the trim and its is understandable to find common failures of this type on a given model and area. Windshield primer doesnt screw up paint . It is a adhesion promoter used to provide a better surface for the urethane to bond to. The primer doesnt inhibit rust or moisture. When removing a windshield from any car damage to the paint is extremely difficult to avoid. All I'm saying is when a tech gets paid $50.00 to install a glass , they rarely take the time to repair the damaged paint properly before installing the glass and urethane.

Maybe this will help . If you have driven a new SRT Challenger , Corvette or something similar. The acceleration with a LS1 is comparable. Do some engine mods or an LS2-7 and you may have to handcuff yourself to the steering wheel, just to stay in the car. Braking , suspension and road feel is all about how much modification is done. The engine doesn't really change the original handling and brake characteristics. There is only a 20 or 30 lbs weight difference between the original engine and a LS engine. I'm just about to return one we built to a customer and I'm really thinking of building one for myself.

The big problem with windshield R&R is the cutting into the paint with the removal tool or knife. This then gets turned up a notch if the tech does not properly repair the damaged paint. The pinch weld primer that is commonly used as a adhesive primer is not the correct paint repair material. Also be aware that windshield urethane should set at a minimum of 24hrs at 72 degrees fahrenheit and car should not be driven until the adhesive is cured. Every 5 degress of temp lower than 65 doubles the cure time and most windshield urethane will not cure below 50 degrees.

The only way to tell what the condition of the metal is in the area of the crack is to remove the paint and filler to the bare metal. The area your pic is showing should not have any lead. There is a joint adjacent to this spot but not on the curve of the window opening. How about a better picture ? Maybe with the cowl panel removed ? The location and type of crack lead me to believe this is a failed previous repair. Is this picture of the same area ?

That crack is different from the ones the others are talking about that is lead filled. That is not a good place for a crack . You probably already have wet carpets or rotted pans. The windshield will eventually break from a crack of this nature. Be wary when purchasing any car with stress cracked metal. Its a major sign of structural problems.

Before you get too far,a quick check of the body dimensions would be in order. I know they are posted on the site as a sticky. The factory drawings show most relevant dimensions but are missing one that is somewhat important. The wheel length measurement from the lower front ball joint grease nipple to a location point just forward of the rear suspension . This dimension will confirm that both sides share the same wheel length as well as are square to the other wheel and structure. Since there is no adjustment on the stock tc rods many neglect to check this measurement. It will tell you if the TC bushings are worn , Tc rod washers are dished , Tc rod mounting is straight, Tc rod is good, lower control arm is straight , ball joint isnt bent. Many times visual inspections dont always find everything.

Shameless plug .

Your going to run into a repair cost exceeding the value of the car with SF. Proper repairs will get above the $8500.00 , in a heartbeat, at qualified repair shop. The CSR will look the low ball ADP or CCC value report and tell you its a total . Stand your ground . They will pay for proper repairs and the related costs. You may have to get a supervisor and some one over at SF that understands old cars and restoration repair involved before things seem to straighten out. Remember this line . " Where is the car just like mine . that can be bought for your suggested amount of money ? " They will not be able to produce one. You have an extremely nice original car. Repairing it correctly means finding the right repair shop. One that understands whats needed , where to find the NOS parts and does the repair correctly. SF must clear its insureds liability to you. They must make you whole. That means you suffer no loss or gain in the incident, in the strictest sense of the word. If you need an explination of this give me a call . Number is in the link .Theres just too much to write down about how all this should work.

Just sand the entire rear clip with 1000 grit nothing coarser. Do not sand through the clear !!!! You will need to reclear the entire rear clip since there is no sharp edge to stop at. Apply basecoat over the affected areas tapering out into the panel and reclear. Be careful with the application of your clear. Getting the first coat too wet or not letting the basecoat flash off correctly can result in mottling of the base. Is this a silver color ?

There are several different types of structural foam. You really need to make sure of the one your using. Ford has one they use in the replacement of the side aperture of the Expeditions and in some rails. Had a friend fill the rails and rockers on an old Hemi Cuda drag car. It really stiffened up things but the down side is , if you ever have to remove or repair it you will wind up throwing the car away. It has the density of a 6 to 8 bag mix of concrete when hardened.The good stuff is also expensive. Last time I looked at it a caulking tube size cartridge was around $75.00. The Cuda used more than 20 tubes. This is probably not a good option for where your at with your car. Just clean the floor areas to bare metal , Use weld thru primer on the weld areas, install the rails and then spray an epoxy inside the new rails to seal and you should do well. Once this work is done the foam is a 5 minute install if you still want to go that way.

My niece took these of my Facel Vega last fall.

You could be on to something here. Hopefully this is the wake up call needed. We all have been there and its only as you get older that you realize the seriousness of the actions. A couple of suggestions . If you need to get the speed Jones out . Enroll in a hi speed driving class like Bondurants. Once you learn what real speed is on a race course , with a race car and learn how easily you can get into trouble . You will change your street driving habits. I believe you have a RSX. The black box in most new cars will record some interesting performance data . It could possibly tell you how fast you might have been going. Also most cars have a speed limiter in the ECM. Check with Acura to see if they will disclose what it is set at.

You'll need to go with the Camaro/Firebird alternator . The GTO style wont work unless you make a major modification to the engine mount bracket . Wiring routing will also create another small challenge.

How about some pics so we have a better idea of what the concern is .

The only way to get all the rust out from the inside of places like the inside of frame rails is to chemically dip the body . Redi Strip is one name that comes to mind . Not a cheap or inexpensive process . Then comes the trick of drying out the car . There are special wands and spray equipment , that is used in the repair of late model cars when replacing unibodyrails, that then can be used to spray an epoxy zinc primer /sealer into the boxed areas. This then can be follwed up with rustproofing material like 3M #8892 . Dont spray this until everything has been final painted.

The comment to reduce with acetone concerns me. Almost all of todays quality systems do not use straight acetone to reduce. If this is a product like "Feather Fill " , take it back and get a refund. The general rule is if it takes more than 3 coats of primer to fill the scratch, blemish or pit , it doesnt belong on the car. This may sound extreme especially to someone doing a first paint job but you will quickly see the benefit of the extra effort inthe quality of the repair. Did you take the car down to bare metal ? Any old original finish should be. It will make a huge difference in how everything works and lasts. The manufacturer of the paint you purchased should have a web site with all the necessary tech and data sheets . Make sure you take the time to look them up and follow them . Dont rely on what others have done or think should be done . Rely on the correct info put together by the chemists and engineers that designed the product. Could you provide a little better info on the product you purchased ? I've been auto body business for 40 years and never heard of PCL brand.

If you need new suspension parts, for any car in the past and I mean most anything ever produced ,go on line or call Rare Parts in California. If they dont have it in stock they have the ability to manufacture new . They may not be the cheapest but they will get you the part. They even had tie rods and suspension for my Facel Vega in stock http://www.rareparts.com/

Check through the t/c rod threads . I dont remember exactly which thread but there is a problem using urethane bushings in place of the originals at the rear of the t/c rod. The fix was to use a rubber bushing on the front of the bracket. Urethane does not have enough compression to absorb the road forces into the rod and bracket.

I have read posts similar in thought to this one on other auto forums. A response was made by someone on the HAMB forum that says it all. I dont remember the exact link , so I will try to convey the thought and logic. The response was along the lines of " Get rid of it all !!! What your lacking is passion for the project or car. Think about it . It the most important factor in completing the car because if you have the passion all the other issues are resolved. " The poster hit the nail right on the head for many people. After some soul searching on my behalf I found this applied to my projects as well. Why did I complete an expensive frame off restoration on my Facel and yet abandon an old sedan delivery project that was about 60% completed. The money spent to just purchase the Facel would have easily paid a professional to complete the sedan. I had to admit that the missing component in my situation was passion. I didnt have it for the sedan and so it was doomed from the start. Lack of passion has compromised many car projects. When you think of it many blame the inability to finance a build as the main reason for delaying or not completing a car. If passion existed the money issue would be the first problem solved. Whether you agree or disagree with this is not important . That you understand what role passion plays in the process is.

Been a while since I put things together. The sensor is available at any GM dealer . Part #3055285 @ $ 8.27 . Its not really a sensor as much it is a ground probe .