a second opinion please?

[She-Ra]

Hi everyone

 

After initial disappointment of mechanic describing my z as "swiss cheese" (a shot through the heart), I joined this forum and found a great deal of inspiration in reading about other members restorations and gained the courage to seek out some help for my beloved car. Went to z factory where Rob told me they didn't need the work. Then Valley Forge in Moorabbin?? and asked for a quote to fix rust in firewall and chassis sills as they would not be prepared to fix the whole car only individual parts. Seemed reasonable. I just want it to be safe to drive and clean lines. Really don't want to say goodbye to my car. Am prepared for the long haul.

 

My question is:

Is it worth doing in sections at a time? Each panel needs work, chassis just starting to rust, main rust outer body

Can anyone recommend elsewhere to try for the work?

Is there someone that could suggest a ball park figure at all? Can post photos soon.

 

Thank you for all your welcoming and supportive words, this forum is amazing!

 

Thank you

 

Emilie and 260z 1977

[Scoota G]

I'm doing my car in sections and just completed work on one last year. You can see my work on the following page.

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,5828.30.html

 

 

[Zedman240®]

You'll find alot of peoples cars are on going projetcs; drive as you do a partial restoration. Doing the rust in sections is a good idea. Sometimes it's good (provided you have the funds) to get a daily run around car like some small 4 cylinder thing to keep you mobile while work is carried out on the zed. If Rob can do the work that would be good...but nowadays alot of these panel beaters are only good for swapping damaged parts and panels with Tiawanese copies and re-spraying.

Gone are the days of the repairer who can fix a damaged panel. I know most of it is because time is limited and panels arent worth repairing but just means older cars like ours would be written off and scrapped.

[chartoo]

Check out the trading post. Over here in Perth there is mobile rust repair guys. When i talked to one he would do an 8 hr day of rust reapir for around $650 but he said he could get a lot done. If you have the panels for him to weld he can work fast....

[Ledge]

Hi She-ra

By what i can tell most of the guys here are doing the rust repairs themselves

and learning as they go because it is the most cost affective way to resore your

car. When paying someone 70, 80 , 90 ,100 dollars per hour it can cost over 8g

really quickly for a professional job just for rust and body and then you have to

trust that the company you choose are doing the right thing by you. I have seen

many cars that have been restored by companies that i would just push into the ocean.

Even a Bathurst Monaro that had more bog in it than metal. Where i work have restored An early

240 and a late 240 and both cars were rather rusty one spent over 20g to complete his  car one

will be over 30g by the time its done. Doing it piece at a time will cost you more in the long run

but not much. If you can drop of a rolling shell with all panels inside the car and put the car back

together yourself you will save allot of money.

 

Hope this helps

Regards

Paul

[gav240z]

Only way to learn is to have a go I say, I deeply regret not having given it a go on my first 240z. You can only make it worse anyway . Honestly though by the time you finish you'll be an expert. So maybe buy a cheap old Corolla and practice on something like that first if you are worried.

 

I'm surprised Rob is saying no to people. Guess he must be popular. Surprised he doesn't employ more people then?

 

I think it's ok to repair section by section, just spray the car in primer until you are ready to do a full paint job. Nothing wrong with the dirty primer look, it's very project. See Stivva's car.