Different ignition

[Stick figure]

Where I've only been interested in simple carbureted engines, I've never felt the need to learn anything else, points ignition, one wire alternator and a starter was all I needed or wanted. It took me forever to even use a hei distributor. It's only ever been 50s 60s and early 70s cars and trucks, but I absolutely love this rotted out datsun. I've owned some awesome prostreet cars, hot rods, rat rods, but I've seriously connected with this car. I feel like a new student in an advanced calculus class that had a D- in basic math.

[Captain Obvious]

Stick, Yes... We have clearly veered into a purely academic avenue on your thread, but we're good clean fun.    We'll help with the math.

[Stick figure]

Well, the weather is half way decent today so I decided to start cutting out some rust out of the passenger side floor and so called frame, I have nothing left. I have the seat brace left. I know there is a rust section somewhere on this site, I don't want to be posting where I shouldn't. I watched b is for build 240z project where he built a full frame. I'm considering cutting the whole front off and doing a subframe. Anyone ever do this here?

[Stick figure]

[Zed Head]

With the unibodies sometimes the pieces you think are important aren't so much.  Don't think that you need big solid frame rails for the car to be solid.  The car is a steel box, with a few reinforcing pieces attached strategically.

Many members here have cut away large sections of their cars to repair the rust.

[dutchzcarguy]

On 11/17/2019 at 8:16 PM, Stick figure said:

the weather is half way decent today so I decided to start cutting out some rust out of the passenger side floor and so called frame, I have nothing left.

Sorry, but i had to laugh at that sentense..    I also once had a (ex)car like that… it was a Dutch Original car.. these are mostly all rotted away..  I had 2 giant holes sawn in the floor.. If you do that look if you have to brace it.. there is nothing so bad as finding out the door won't fit after you welded a new floor in a car.  (never had that myself luckely)

Pic. 2 looks not scary.. the 3th.. does a bit... If i were you i would look for a clean chassis.. they must be around for not to much "Dinero" ? as we overhere say: Pegels!  hahaha..

Edited November 19, 2019 by dutchzcarguy

[grannyknot]

I'm sure you know but a lot of us have found it's best not to cut out all the rust at once, it makes the body flexy and sag if you're not careful.  Better to repair the P/S floor first then onto the D/S floor pan then the dog legs and so on.

That is certainly true for the 240z's and maybe not so much for the ZX's because they are a little stronger but just thought I would mention it, as dutchcarguy says, you don't want to weld in permanent errors.

[Stick figure]

I thought of that beforehand and blocked it up but surprisingly it didn't move at all. I guess they are pretty strong little cars. I can piece in 1/8 inch plate where everything is cut out. The only thing that worries me are the metal lines running down by the transmission tunnel. I hate welding that close to them. I hope after I unbolt them, they will pull out of the way some. I still have a few spots to cut out. I want this car 99 percent rust free. The rear of the car underneath isn't that bad. Getting the undercoating off is the hard part. If all fails on the patch work, I'll do the car like kamikaze garage did voodoo.

[dutchzcarguy]

9 hours ago, Stick figure said:

I hate welding that close to them

Haha.. remember an old friend.. he was welding with acetylene under a Mercedes S class..  welded through the fuel lines ones.. (on one spot they had a sort of plastic part in the line he did'nt know about.)  The fuel came out at very small amounts and every time the line catched fire he blew it out !  Haha.. yes with his mouth! ?