Lift points for scissors jack severely rusted and busted, 280Z

[Guest claymored]

Ok, here's the deal with this. I bought my 1983 280Z from a local dealership for 1,850$. It's the first "performance" car i've ever owned, and just seemed to speak to me while driving by. I was informed by my father that the underbody was severely rusted when he attempted to reattach my emergency brake (he's a mechanic, so has a great many more tools than I do) but when I attached the emergency brake cable, I saw very little rust.

 

I was looking in the wrong places, as I found to my dismay this weekend. The ridges a scissors jack fit over to lift the car are so severely rusted and damaged from impact with speed bumps, that I absolutely cannot lift the passenger side with the scissors jack I have, because the metal is so rotted it crumbles and cracks when I try. I've selected multiple points that seemed firmer than the rest to attempt, and not one of them has lifted the tire off the ground before the jack contact began sinking into the metal above those ridges.

 

I have no experience with welding, or rust restoration, so need the help of one more experienced than I on this. I will be getting Images to post for you all ASAP to further allow you to give advice. How much am I probably thinking about here?

 

 

Regards,

Claymored

[OlderThanMe]

I don't use the floor pan reinforcements since my passenger side one is pretty rusty.

I lift my car by the differential in the rear or the engine crossmember up front. (not the radiator support!)

I am going to do my flinstones conversion shortly and then weld in new floorpans and reinforcements.

[turboboost]

Is it a Z or a Zx?

[Guest claymored]

it's a z as far as i know. a pic of an IDENTICAL car - http://images.carsales.com.au/private/1398109-thumb.jpg

the links that show a car that looks exactly like mine say they're ZX's, don't actually know if the z and the zx have differences, though i do hope to find out in the future.

 

i'm not exceptionally familiar with the terms normally used to explain lifting a car with a hydraulic jack, could someone give me a description, diagram, or something alike to that for lifting each of the four wheels off the ground?

 

if it helps, my car has all disc brakes.

[turboboost]

Im actually 100% sure that the Z's were made until 1979, where the Zx's took over, until 1983. So what im trying to say is, you have a datsun 280zx

[Guest claymored]

ok, zx then.

[OlderThanMe]

just lift the rear of the car by the differential and put jackstands under the rear somewhere that looks like a strong framerail. Then lift the front by the engine cradle crossmember and put jackstands just inboard of the control arms.

That is how I put my Z on jackstands.