Guest Island Son Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Hello All, Here my sit rep, i was given a 76 280z, the car itself is not in that bad a shape for all, but here's the thing, there is a section of front frame missing on the drivers side in the front, i think i can fix it if i can get the specs and maybe some pics for reference... Having said that i am looking for feedback as to weather i need my head examined or not...lol I don't plan on going original at all, i'd like to convert the motor and add a few body mods as well. Any and all comments welcome, advise is good, idea's are better...lol Thanks All Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 hi Island Son, Welcome to the site. What exactly do you mean you are missing part of the frame rail? Did it rust out. Did somebody actually remove it? There are tons of things you can do with your motor, and car. Search around in the Datsun L6 forum, and if thats not what you are looking for, check out the Chevy, Ford, etc forums. Just ask if you need any info you cant find in searches. Somebody will be sure to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zachb55 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 hmm, ok, part of the frame is missing? you mean like someone removed one of the frame rails? or the crossmember is gone? or even maybe the piece of frame that goes across in front of the radiator is missing? or somethin else? ill post a couple pics and maybe you can help point out what is gone, or if you post a pic of what you've got we can give you some help. i think a similar thing happened to my car a while back and someone replaced the whole passenger side of the engine bay pretty much, lots of non-stock welds. but all in all it was a good job so i think it is still structurally safe. theres one of my car's engine bay, lemme see if i can find another.... ok and thats another after some more work done on it. So where exactly are you missing a piece? some parts are a lot easier to replace then others. if its a frame rail you should have no trouble finding replacements. if its a part like what got replaced on mine, your best option will likely be to go to a junkyard and mutelate some other Z to get the section you need. -Zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Thx Guys for the Reply's, and the great pic's... The peice that's missing is as best i can tell is abou t a foot on either side of where the cross member under the motor would be, i haven't gottin the car up on the hoist yet to get a real good look at it yet, but i just can't stand back and watch this pretty lil car just rot away, i know it will be one hell of allot of work but i'm ok with that, as long as i can keep the car safe to drive i don't care how much work is involved... Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Well, is it rust, or was it cut out by a previous owner/job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Sorry guys forgot to mention that it's all rusted, the car sat in a field for years before i saw it, the guy who owned it said that if i was gonna try to fix it then i could have it, not sure if that was a good thing or not, but it's about all i think off lately, what i can do to it and what not, so i have to at least try, seeing as i'm getting it for nothing.... Another point i'd like to make and i hope it doesn't scare you off, i am on PEI, Atlantic Canada, so my access to parts is VERY limited, i will have to fabracate most of the stuff myself witch isn't a real big deal i'm fairly handy that way. Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Well it all comes down to how bad the rust is, and how far you are willing to go to fix it. Pics would help us help you decide if its a worthwhile job or not. If there was enough rust to eat through a framerail to the point you say its 'gone', then there just has to be other areas of the car that are badly rusted. Also, are z cars rare in your area? Are they hard to get? Do you love the z? The answers to those questions would also help you decide if its worth fixing what you are looking at. Possible to give us a few pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Well it all comes down to how bad the rust is, and how far you are willing to go to fix it. Well there is alot of rust on the rest of the car but i really think that i can deal with that, it's nothing major that i can see so far, the windshield is cracked and will have to be replaced, there is no pas side window, the small windows are still in tact and the hatch window and the hatch itself are still in good shape, the stright 6 is still in it and the trans is still there, the cross member like i said is there but only connected to the pas side, the entire car will require a great deal of work, but again that doesn't bother me any, the money could be a problem but the guy i'm getting it from has a salvage yard and has given me the keys and told me to help myself, there are alot of chevy's and the like in there even some old 40's and 50's stuff, but the only thing that really caught my eye was this 280z, right off i could see the potential it has, but will i be able to do it, it's not a question of the work at all, it's a question of do i have the ability to do it, i think so but i guess only time will tell... Pics would help us help you decide if its a worthwhile job or not. If there was enough rust to eat through a framerail to the point you say its 'gone', then there just has to be other areas of the car that are badly rusted. I'll do my best to get some pic's of it and post them for you, and you can give me your opinion from there... Also, are z cars rare in your area? The only one i have seen running is a i think 78 300zx, and the young fellow that owns it is letting it go to hell, he hasn't done a thing to the outside of it and he installed a sterio and speakers and made an awefull mess of the inside of the car just tore it all to peices... Are they hard to get? I am checking around now but so for there are NONE in the area, i may have to go to the mainland and see what i can find over there... Do you love the z? Like i said the moment i saw it i could see what a great car it could be, it just has the lines to make a great lil sportster for slipin into town with and turnin heads the whole time you were in there... The answers to those questions would also help you decide if its worth fixing what you are looking at. I've done my best to answer the question you've asked David, i hope this helps a little.. Just as a side bar, about 2 years ago my 89 Toy ext Cab truck wouldn't pass inspection cause of holes in the cab due to an acc at the hands of the prev owner, i put it in my buddies shop and for about 5 months i just played around with it, i fixed the holes and tinted the windows a little and wasn't really gonna do much with it, then i took the notion i was gonna have some fun with it, i made some ground effects for it and bolted the front cowl of a 96 dodge van on the front bumper, it matchs really well with the effects i made, and to be honest i didn't really put allot of thought into it, i was just playing, i'll get some pic's of it posted as well, good for a laugh if nothing else...lol, but everyone around loves the look of it and want's me to finish it, and i will soon as i can but other things are more important right now, anyway enough rambling, Let me know what you think... Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Hello, From what i can see from the pic's above the frame rails look to be pretty much stright, is that correct? I'll have the 280 in the shop this weekend and i'll pull the motor out and the fenders off and be able to get a better look at the underside. I noticed in one of the posts and now i can't find it again, where some one had continued the rail right through to the rear, i'm thinking that would be the way to go with it, pretty much replace the entire frame would probably be easier than trying to fix what is left. Opinions? Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 BTW i'm going to pick up a cheap sandblaster today, any suggestion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Hi Sonny, How experienced are you with welding? It seems to me like you are hinting to us that you may wanna replace the entire frame rail? Have you thought about a tubular frame? Also, what are you using the sandblaster for? I have heard that sandblasting body panels can cause them to warp. Waiting for those pics, and i know the lurkers reading this thread are waiting also. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Hey Dave, I'm pretty handy with the welder, it's a mig with gas, also have access to a stick welder as well although i've never used one... I thought about tubing it but was not sure, this is my first REAL project so i'm not jumping in real fast, want to cover all my options first and get other opinions and then try to make the best call... The blaster is for cleaning the underside what little is left of it, and also all the front and rear end parts as well, everything that goes back on this thing will be painted, i have only painted with cans before never a compressor and gun but there has to be a first time... I'd like to try and rebuild this car totally by myself and for as the work goes, noone around here is into this stuff to this degree so i guess i have no choise...lol, but all the knowledge i've seen on this forum is awesome i'm sure that if i hit a snag i can get the help i'll need right here... I'm going to try and get some pic's this weekend where it sits right now kinda like the before shot... I have a friend that wants to start a web page and follow the progress of this rebuild but i don't think she understands that it's gonna take a couple years at least... First order of business is to build a rotisserie, i'm not gonna spend that much time on my back getting to old for that stuff....and it will make for a better job in the long run... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 BTW can someone give me the url for VB i'd like to take a look at what they have i've been reading alot the last couple days on here and there site seem to come up alot, also any other sites that may have either parts or instruction or ideas on how i should proceed with this, any info would be great, i'll get into more detail as i go along i already have a number of ideas that i want to do now wether i'll be able to do them is a whole other story...lol Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Dave, I found this looking around in here http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pparaska/structuralmods.htm kinda in that same shape i guess, you'll be able to tell better after i post some pic's but i warn you die hard Z lovers are gonna cry at the site of this poor lil thing, but i have desided she will rise again if it kills me, or the wife does witch ever comes first...lol Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 http://www.longmotor.com/ You have to oder their catalog I believe. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Thanks Davy, i have ordered it, hard to get lots of that stuff up here, but that worked without a hitch.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 OK i have some pic's in my album, like i said there not much, i'll get some more when i get it in the shop and show just what a big job this is gonna be... Any suggestion on where to start first, i'm going to pull the motor and trans, take of the doors and the hatch, remove the little side windows and the windshield, take out the dash and then remove everything from the engine bay, i hope to have the rotiss done in the next couple week... Any suggestion feel free to share... Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Island Son Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I got the car moved up to the shop today and took a little closer look at it, big mess, I'm going to have to replace the entire frame rail system, the cross member under the rad as well, prob even more... Not sure if I can get the info I need here or not, but I'm going to need exact measurements of how long the frame rails, and the degree of any angles and such, and both cross members the one under the motor and the one under the radiator, if anyone could supply pics with there measurements for visual reference that would be awesome... I'll start gathering this info now so I can get it all straight in my head before I actually start building the rails. Thanks everyone!!!! Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 DELETE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 DELETE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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