Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

More PO (Previous Owner) imagineering :

Frame motor mount - right



Frame motor mount - left



Frame motor mount - right



Frame motor mount - left



Can this be repaired, or should I get another frame? If repairable, ideas on how and how much?

FWIW, this wear/damage/condition is typical of the entire vehicle.

Thanks.

Pete; it all looks repairable. It should not take more than a few hours to fab and weld up new pieces. I have some old frames that we can rob some pieces off of also.

Ross
sports imports

Anything is repairable, the question is how much to repair versus to find a new good frame?
As long as your frame is not severely rusted, or rusted through, repair is reasonable. But more than a few spots, or a total rust out and you may be better off finding a donor frame.

I don't see rust, I see previous owners hacking frame to make some other engine fit. Washington frames are generally not rusty like east coast or salty Canadian cars. Paperwork for the frame might be an issue and its easier to fix what you have as opposed to modifying a frame to fit your needs. Pete needs to expand on condition of rest of frame to determine best route.

Ross
sports imports

I have a salvage title even though the VIN matches the frame number. I suspect the car became an insurance write-off or something in California (where I bought the car from), thus the salvage title.

Mitch has a '66 frame in his garage he said I could have for free. Well, for the cost & time of another road trip across the border. Pretty sure he has a valid title for it. That said, Washington DMV forced one owner to register his car as per the VIN plate vs the frame number, which, I believe, screwed him out of a numbers matching vehicle.

Entire frame looks as crusty/rusty as the first pic except where it "benefited" from multiple oil leaks. One of the front sway bar mounts is bent back a bit like it hit something. The entire bottom of the engine cross-member is beat up like someone repeated bashed it w/ a sledge hammer or went four-wheelin' over boulders.

I took a closer look at the left mount, it looks like you have a long vertical crack running from above the motor mount to and through the bolt that is at the bottom of the picture!
I agree with Ross, condition of the frame as a whole is important.

notoptoy wrote:I took a closer look at the left mount, it looks like you have a long vertical crack running from above the motor mount to and through the bolt that is at the bottom of the picture!
I agree with Ross, condition of the frame as a whole is important.

Yes, it does look like a crack, however, I just went out and double-checked. It's actually the weld for the gusset that the lower A-arm bolts into.

Rest of frame is just tired and rusty.

A California frame will have way less rust than a BC one for sure. Check with Mitch first to make sure he has paperwork to go with that yellow frame on his wall. I would take a close look at what you have which has suspension and is I presume a rolling chassis to swapping something which will need steering box, idler box, front and rear suspension, etc. I think you are underselling your CA frame and it might be the easiest fix compared to starting over with a bare frame.

Ross

As Ross said, I think it's time to evaluate the big picture, what's good, what's bad and what your time is worth. If the car is a complete set of parts and the frame is bad in multiple places, then finding another with a better frame may be a good bet, If I remember from previous posts, the body is no picnic either. If that's the case, then I would figure out what it's going to take to get it done to your satisfaction vs just buying a better project or a finished car. Buying the 66 from Bob was the smartest thing I've done in a while, no fiddling, just get in and enjoy. Got a trophy today, just by washing it!

Came across an old email referencing this thread, so thought I'd update it a bit.....

In January 2014, I gave up on this car. Should have never bought it in the first place, one of those "If I knew then what I know now..." things. Unfortunately, I didn't quite learn my lesson, and bought a '67 1600 that March, which became a frame-off project that has stalled. But that's a separate story.

Meanwhile, this car has become a reference point and parts car, and will be disposed of eventually.