Danish low screen resto

[Chris66]

Okay, i finally got to the point where i'm going to start tearing my roadster apart, at the moment i have pulled the trunk lid, doors and after struggling with allen head screws filled with paint, i got them fenders off.
I was pretty curious to see the condition of the rockers, at first glance they looked pretty okay, after a 2nd look i found this. urethane fu....g foam, enjoy.

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Passengers side

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'

Chris

[EScanlon]

Ouch!

It always amazes me that people use this stuff on cars claiming that it must be ok because it's used as a "weather-tight seal" on homes. They fail to note that a) the car moves through the environment and is not stationary, and b) that the foam is for use against wood, brick, concrete or other exterior HOME construction materials.... not metal.

If memory serves, Nissanman posted a pretty thorough pictorial on repairing this exact part of the rocker. Hopefully he'll see this post and chime in.

Since you've started to look, you might as well continue in all the other HIDDEN spots... i.e. the ones that even long time Roadster fans can and have forgotten about.

The rest of the rocker panel is completely enclosed EXCEPT for the jack holes. The problem with this is obvious, water CAN get in via the jack holes (and their back side) but oftentimes, the drain holes for the rocker panels have been pinched shut by poor alignment of typical service lifts. The only way you'll be able to get a glimpse in there is to either cut out the rocker panel (kind of self-defeating since if it's ok, you've already cut it open), or to cut access holes to view inside there. The easiest place to do this without creating a problem down the road, is to drill 3/4" or so holes, on the INSIDE section of the rocker panel, the side just inside the passenger compartment. With those holes spaced every 6"-8" you can then inspect and determine the amount of rust (if any) and if slight, allow you to spray some form of rust-encapsulator within the rocker.

I did this exact process and then sprayed POR within the rocker.

The other known rust dynamite sticks are the two BODY frame members in the engine compartment. The box members right below the battery and, on the opposite side, the washer bottle. These run from the radiator mount all the way to the firewall. Unfortunately there ARE weep holes INTO the box frame, but no good drainage holes. Add to that that the caulking on the sheet metal in the engine compartment between the box frame and the inner fender can be sporadic (if sometimes non-existent) and that it will actually channel water into the box frame and you have even more problems. And don't forget that if the battery ever spilled acid it more than likely ended up inside the box frame. Result? Rust within the box frame that can go hidden for years until the box frame literally collapses.

Again, without access holes it's difficult to determine it's status. Drilling holes inside the engine compartment can be problematic not only in appearance but in having to seal them later. Since the box frame goes from the radiator panel all the way to the firewall, just cut open one of the ends. The radiator panel could be used, but the hole can be visible afterwards. I cut a hole through the firewall from inside the passenger compartment, and this gave me complete access to the box frame. I then used Scotch pads on long sticks to scour the inside and followed up with POR. To close off the hole I just tack-welded a small patch from inside the passenger compartment.

There is also a box frame underneath the rear parcel shelf, but the only way to access the ends of it is to cut out the sides of the rear fender right behind the door... not willing to do that just yet.

FWIW
E

[Chris66]

Oh Enrique, i just love when you talk dirty
No serious, i always enjoy reading your long posts, yes this might be one of the rare CA rustbuckets, well no way back now, i'm currently stripping off all the paint, except of the original beige grey metallic, the car have a layer of primer, then red paint, then primer again and some kind of water based paint that paint stripper can't beat, so i'm slowly heating the paint with a burner, trying to avoid to heat to much at the same place to long, (over heat the metal), i just heat it until the spartula can scrape it off, when it is stripped, i will hit it with some paint stripper and then sand it for the rest, i can tell you that there is alot of dents to attend to, when the car is stripped down, i will take it to a sandblaster and get all the "inside hard to get at places", blasted.

I will need to do some metal work on the top of the rockers and also on the box frame below the battery area.

I have seen the Nissanman work, very inspiring.

Update and pics to follow.

Chris

[Chris66]

Stripping off the paint

Chris

[Chris66]

The big fight against rust and American fiberglass repair have started, the fenders are done and ready to get blasted.

More to come, enjoy.

Chris

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[George H]

Did you make your own patch panels or did you buy them?

[Chris66]

No George, nothing avalible for a roadster here, can you even buy patch panels ?

Chris

[spl310]

No George, nothing avalible for a roadster here, can you even buy patch panels ?

Chris

And off in the distant wilds of Canada, Ross is alternating between screaming and crying...

[Chris66]

No George, nothing avalible for a roadster here, can you even buy patch panels ?

Chris

And off in the distant wilds of Canada, Ross is alternating between screaming and crying...

And for what reason should he do that

[spl310]

No George, nothing avalible for a roadster here, can you even buy patch panels ?

Chris

And off in the distant wilds of Canada, Ross is alternating between screaming and crying...

And for what reason should he do that

He is the source of said panels...

[Chris66]

Gotcha, this will probably not ruin his business after all.
They are actually pretty easy to make, some sheet metal, a plier a 2 inch pipe, hammer, dolly and that´s it.
Next will be complete floor pans, the front of the sills and God knows what will turn up while i strip it for paint, vacation is coming up, so i'm planning on lifting the body off the frame next week, i actually can't wait to make that happen.

Chris

[spl310]

He has a lot of that. If you want to save resto time, contact Ross.

[Chris66]

Have you forgot about a thing called shipping, Sid

I will try to point Ross to this topic, the problem is, high shipping price and long shipping time, i will probably have the tin made and welded in before it can get here, just had some bushings for my Z send over, 2 weeks in shipping time and 4 weeks in the Danish custom and not to forget the 78 bucks.

Chris

[spl310]

Hey, I can't help a rotten government - on any side of the ocean...

[Chris66]

I wish you could