danman Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 I just looked at a second 240Z with bends in frame rail and floor board in line with front door. Neither owner could tell me how this happend. There are bulges in floor pan. I will have shop look at it to see if it is terminal or still worth buying. The car is otherwise in pretty good shape, rust only near rear wheels, battery tray looks great, rear hatch only has minor surface rust near hatch lock. However these bend bother me. Is this a sign of huge front end collision that has been fixed? Did they run over a curb, rock or log?? Any one else out there see car with this kind of damage? I would like to buy this car. 1971 made in 1970 in the eleven thousands on VIN, has vents in hatch, but speedo starts at 0, (dash looked good with few cracks, but overall real nice, maybe second dash), minor rear end bent bumper in a little, said his mom backed into another car. Any help, can't seem to find straight rust free perfect restore car, will this one do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZMFDM Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 hold out for a better car, sounds like it was in an accident, probably not too much torque cuz it's probably stock , the first Z i bought i was so excited i was getting it, i overlooked a few things , always expect that the seller is gunna try and f*c* you over, get under that car and look at every last inch of the chassis, there are alot of wankers out there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 If these cars are jacked up wrong, it can cause some buckling in the floor pans. Also objects in the road as you described can cause that. I have not seen to many Z's that did not have beat up floor pans. Another cause is from fork lifts pulling them from the wrecking yard. Check the car out very closely. If it has been hit hard, find another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 If you go back to look at this car, bring a small magnet to run over the whole car. If it doesnt stick, theres probly some body filler in it (in particular, the front end) If there was a front end accident that was fixed cheep/quick, there will likely be a thick coating of bondo/body filler all over the fenders, hood, and head light buckets. This was done to my car a few years before I got it, and what a mess it made! (mine was hit in the passenger side front) The body shop just filled over the dented metal, and bondo'd the front vanance/panel to the headlight bucket, and to the fender. It was enough to twist the front end just a bit, and flex the fender so over the next 5-6 years (until I got it) it rusted from the inside out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 I doubt a front end collision would buckle the floor pans unless it was very serious. I'm dealing with restoring a 260 that had been invovled in two different front end collisions and the pans were not bothered at all. All of the damage is from the strut towers forward so that is where we are sectioning the car. Just my $0.02 but I suspect they ran over something or put it into a ditch a some point. I think it should be an easy fix with little or no structural impact to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 You have just described my car. Made in December of 1970, registered as a 71, and dents on both "subframes" when I used a floor jack on the "subframes" to swap my autocross tires. The subframes on these early Z's are notoriously thin. I only jacked the car up once or twice like this, but that was all it took. On the plus side what you have described is about as close to rust free as these early cars get. My California Z has almost exactly the same rust you describe. Believe me, the battery tray being "great" says "rust free" to me. Snap that thing up then take out the dents when you put in some full length subframe connectors. There is a recent thread with tons of pictures. Also do a search on 240 vs 280's. There is quite a bit of antecedal evidence that the early 240's flex considerably more than the 280's or even 260's. Also note that the early 240 "subframes" only go about 3/4 back before they end. Full length connects should help immensely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 The dents and bends in the frame rails and the dents in the floor pan are common. They come from floor jacks that are used to raise one whole side of the car. Most often seen on racing Zs. My 1970 has lots of dents/bends in that area and I occaisionally take a big rubber hammer and pound the floor pans back flat. Its a cosmetic issue, not a structural one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramercyjam Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 I used to put big dents in the frame rails where they dog leg down at the firewall due to insufficent ground clearance with curbs, big rocks, logs, etc during off-road excursions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest V8wannabe Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Do you see any buckled metal on other parts of the car...inner fenders, firewall, hatch floor...etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramercyjam Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Not from banging those frame rails up. It just looks bad and tips some mechanics off that they are dealing with an idiot driver when you bring your car in for an alignment and then they will try to sell you the Brooklyn bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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