RPMS Posted August 27, 2001 Share Posted August 27, 2001 Well, I've got some time between my bacon cheeseburger and my Texas Double (God, I love this powerlifter's diet...) so I'll tell you my best theories on rust elimination. First off, let's be frank about this. If you've got perforating rust, there isn't any amount of POR-15 that will make it structural again, especially with the inclusion of V8 power. You'll need to do some welding in of new structural metal. If you can't do that yourself, and if your timeframe really IS ten years, you're probably much better off to drive the car for two or three years while you fix up the cosmetics, then sell and buy a solid, rust free chassis. This is the BEST way to go. If you're looking for the best way to save a car to which you're sentimentally bonded (or if you're like me, and your common sense has taken a back seat to your impatience) then you'll need to remove all the paint and undercoating from the affected panels using the method of your choice (a wire wheel, diesel fuel, dry ice, heat lamps (not in conjuction with the diesel fuel, please) a putty scraper, 4" grinders, and aircraft stripper have all been mentioned as means of paint/undercoating removal. Just use the 'search' utility and dig into past posts on this digest to determine which method is best for you and your situation). Then use some form of media blasting (sand, walnut shells, baking soda, whatever) to eradicate all of the rust. This is about the only way to REALLY tell how badly the rust has compromised the metal. When that's done, you can weld patch panels in place, then paint over them with POR-15 so that you don't have to worry about them rusting in the future. Just in case you didn't get the idea, solution #2 is a LOT of work, and is usually more expensive than just selling your car and buying another chassis, especially if you are indeed wanting show-quality results. Nothing beats the factory body in factory condition for a show car. Myron's right - putting a tube frame into a car isn't cheap, but it does allow for easy attachment of all sorts of nifty suspension stuff. If all you were doing with the Z was using it as a body shell (like a funnycar) you could do almost anything you wanted with the engine, driveline, and suspension. As long as everything fit inside the dimensions of the body shell, it would work. As far as putting a body kit and lots of lights on it, you're on your own. I wouldn't THINK about telling someone what they should do to their car, especially in this forum! What my suggestion boils down to is this: Fix this car's structural damage and enjoy it for what it is. If it's heavily rusted, you'd be smart to find another example to make into a show car. Have fun, my friend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 28, 2001 Share Posted August 28, 2001 OK where to start i have a late 79 zx (for free) and am thinking in the next 5-10 yrs of doing it all up V-8 and show-worthy inside and out.. how do you go about getting all the rust all done up...right? would it be better to go with a tube under-frame?(price?!) eventually would like to do a molded body kit and extra lights ect ect ect... but first need to deal with the rust i am sure is all underneith .... any ideas PLEASE!? (i'm kida stupid about all this BUT LEARNING) if its too long to post or too unusual you can email me and i will reply kurtzjf@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYRON Posted August 28, 2001 Share Posted August 28, 2001 If you have surface rust it is an easy fix, but if it is "deep" then you should replace the rusted out parts with new floorpans and framerails. A tube chassis would cost you alot of money. It is hard to make an assesment of the repairs without actually seeing the car. Myron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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