CUBAN Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 ok well since im having trouble selling my 1981 datsun 280zx. i was wondering how much you guys think the body work would cost. http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/380821 theres lots on pics on the site. the battery tray and the spare tire place is a lil rusted too. i just need an idea of how much you guys think it would cost. also does anybody know of a good place for interiors? as you could see in the pics i need to do some work. i need some ideas on how much everything will cost so i could see if my parents would let me restore it thanks alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest comeandzpa Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 Fixing the spare tire compartment isn't that much of a hassle. If its just surface rust, its not a big deal at all, just grind it away and put some sort of sealant overtop. If its clear through the metal and you have a hole, all you need is a grinding tool (dremel/drill w/ a wire brush attachment) and some sheet metal, a pop-riveter, and a fiberglass matte. Check out the pictures of my project here: http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/tuckshop25. That's what I've been up to, my dad just put on the finishing touches this weekend and I'm yet to see the results, but as soon as I get the pictures I'll try to have them up. Not sure about the battery tray, but I'm sure that a good piece of sheet metal and a welder/some fiberglass resin will do just fine. Just keep the water off of your frame rails, thats where you run into trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramercyjam Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 Comeandzpa, I don't know where to begin. Forget it. Nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMS Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 That's okay, John, I'll do it. all you need is a grinding tool (dremel/drill w/ a wire brush attachment) and some sheet metal, a pop-riveter, and a fiberglass matte. Buddy, I'm afraid you're confusing a cosmetic fix with a structural repair. What you did in your car will get it back on the road for a short period of time, but it's not a good long-term fix. It WILL rust again, the only question is, how long will it take. Your fix bought you some time, and it would be wise to spend that time learning how to WELD. Alex, from what I see, it looks like all the things that are keeping the car from selling would be easily fixed with a modest investment of time on your part, and not a lot of money. I can't see the condition of the underside of your car from the pictures, but from what I can see, I don't think it looks in that bad shape. The rust around the hatch is easily fixed. Buy a junkyard hatch (should be pretty cheap), paint it, and bolt it on. The peeling vinyl can be removed, and you can either recover it with vinyl yourself, or you can texture and repaint the parts with SEM trim paint. Same thing goes for the inside window trim where the paint has rubbed off, or the plastic has faded. For the radio surround, you might think about buying an inexpensive aftermarket head unit from Crutchfield and getting a new surround for free, or just painting the old one. Dash caps to hide the unsightly cracks are around $100. Buy a roll of red auto carpet at your local auto parts store, trim it to fit, and swap it for nasty interior carpeting. You can also buy replacement center armrest pad from Victoria British, or even upgrade it to one which has cupholders in it for a little more money. A "lil" rust can be fixed with a wire brush and some rust-neutralizing paint. As Zpa said, if it's perforating rust (it goes all the way through the metal) you're going to have to weld new patches in. Not a difficult job, but if you have someone else do it, it can be expensive. If it were ME and if the car is in decent mechanical shape, I'd keep it. For some time and very little money invested, you can have a nice daily driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank280zx Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 I'm with RPMS Pop riviting is actually creating a rust trap, there are two layers of metal overlaping, and there is bound to be moisture trapped between it.. The preparing sounds right, however i always cut out the rust to the point i know it is not infected anymore. Look at my site for that http://www.datsun280zx.tk or at least my approach Futher i would no go aftermarket on the radio, just a stock replacement, and agian a junkyard or ebay should hook you up for 20 to 50 also the headliner could be painted, interior to, and as for seats, agian junkyards, you do not neccecarly have to go with Datsun seats, alot of chairs will it or can be made fit fairly easely. check teh records for that most stuff i would get from yards verious interior pieces, maby some new carpeting, or get a piece at a carpet tore... this will look shabby if not done right though let us know btw nice rims Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest comeandzpa Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 RMPS, thanks for the corrections...I didn't mean to imply that the car would be as good as new, although I suppose I should have stated that. I'm only fixing my car till I can get rid of it, so we haven't bothered doing anything for long-term fixes. I apologize for my mis-information Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 I've seen ZXs in better shape after sitting in the wrecking yards for months I would find a non running car with good body and swap the drivetrain over......but that's just me.....I don't see putting that much work into a ZX...they are just to available and cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank280zx Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 yeah keep scrapping em my car will be worth more WHOOOOAAAAhhahahaah a good looking zx is harder to come by everyday however is teh undercarriage any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrariferg Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I've seen ZXs in better shape after sitting in the wrecking yards for months I would find a non running car with good body and swap the drivetrain over......but that's just me.....I don't see putting that much work into a ZX...they are just to available and cheap. I would love to find more of them around my area. Maybe they are abundant in your area but not all. I could use a junker for spare parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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