Info on Frame Rail Repair
 

Another winter is upon us and those of you driving up in the salt belt are probably considering ways of either reenforcing or entirely replacing your Z31's corroding lower body frame rails. I live in Florida and recently acquired a car that's still in pretty decent shape. The only thing is this car sat for 10yrs with a battery that sulfated on the inside so bad that it split the outer battery shell and the acid dripped through past the battery tray down the inner fender down along the first quarter of the frame rail. Ive heard that since our cars are unibody that the car as a whole, the body panels as an assembly are enough to hold the car together well enough for everyday standard driving, even with rotted frame rails. Still I'd like to replace that rotted lower support and I did a little research that I'd like to share.

I just wish I knew the cost so if there is anyone thats had this work done, Please chime in and share. Also, did you notice a difference in the driving the car afterwords?

Here is my car.

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My car isn't as bad as the cars you find in the salt belt so Im guessing mine wold be a little less expensive to fix. I found it was other z31 with the battery corrosion was bad as mine and they had just the frame rail replaced in that section with square tubing shaped and welded in place.

I like this next solution better. This person took the time to stencil out the pieces and welded them together. Click the link just below. I wish I knew this guy...
1artworkz Frame Rebuild & Rust Correction.

lastly I found online (see pics below) where someone replaced the entire bottom half of a 240Z. I guess this would be the solution to someone that has extensive damage that lives in the salt belt.

So Yes, It can be done. I guess it's just a matter on how much one could afford.

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Looks good, great little save!

Nice work!

You wont find anybody to do this repair cheap as it is very time consuming. If you know somebody with a welder, give them some cash and beers to weld in some new chunks of sheet metal while you prep it and do the rest of the work.

Finding someone to do all of that work will cost you more money then just finding another z31 in better shape.

Its really not hard to do rust work, and its a great learning experience. All you need is access to someone with a welder.

Strip the paint with a grinder flap disc, then cut out the bad rust areas or holes with a cutting disc. Get some sheet metal from home depot and some tin snips, use a hammer to bend it roughly to shape, then find someone on craigslist in the "jobs" section to come over and weld them in for $100.
Then prime and undercoat it and you are good to go.

ALSO: go to your local junkyards and see if they will let you cut out the section that you need from one of the cars there. This is the easiest and the most structurally sound way of doing it.