[JacobRutherford]

I took some pictures of the rust that seems to have taken over my 280z that I planned on restoring. It looks pretty rough and I am wondering if this is worth the trouble of fixing it. The first two pictures are of the inside of the front wheel wells. Pictures 3,4, and 7 are at the bottom of the doors. Any help or advice would be very appreciated as I would really like to fix this car but if it's not worth it would like to hear from some people who are knowledgeable of what to do.

 

[pilgrim]

Just one guy's opinion, but I think you would put more time and money than it's worth into that one. And even more critical than the body is the condition of the frame. You need to look under the front and see what's left of the front end. If it's gone, there's no question that it's not worth pursuing.

Personally, I'd look for one in better condition to start with.

 

[6shutr]

+1 to Pilgrim - not worth it.

 

[JacobRutherford]

Thank you all for the replies! Looks like I'll be looking for a 240z!

 

[pilgrim]

I think the current car would best be used as a parts vehicle to see if you can find buyers for interior, seats, trim, driveline parts, etc.

 

[chaseincats]

Thank you all for the replies! Looks like I'll be looking for a 240z!

240s will be at least twice the price and potentially more rusty due to age

 

[Greg Reid]

Funny this should come up. I have been doing the same thing to my '80 over a period of several months in my 'spare time'.
I would say, it depends on your skill level, how much you want to save the car and what equipment you possess yourself. Paying someone to do this kind of work is cost prohibitive, to say the least. It is very time consuming and physically challenging.
The primer spots on the driver side are finished patches..the passenger side is in progress. I've also had ALL the glass out and dealt with whatever rust I found there. In some of the more minor spots, no cutting and welding was needed. I dissolved the rust over a period of days with Naval Jelly and used a combo of fiberglass cloth and epoxy, then finished with filler.

 

[jkeese01]

I know a guy that restored a 240Z with rust like that. He did not care what it cost. Had the car stripped down to the frame. Looked like the frame you see in the factory assembly line. Then went to work.

Spent around $25,000. But it looks like a new 240Z right off the showroom floor.