• From: Ottawa
  • Registered: 2009-11-29
  • Posts: 41

Topic: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Our teams been head down, balls to the walls, gun-ho when it comes to purchasing and working the our lemon project.  We're always planning the next step of the project and never looking back.  This week when working on patching the missing floor in the car when I had an epiphany.  This is when I look up to the other member of the team and said "You realize that we're restoring a 1990 Geo Metro".  It was one of those moments when you realize how stupid your idea is when you say it out loud. We had a laugh about it and kept working but it's made me wounder if there is such a thing as a Lemon car that's too rusty to even consider using for Lemons. 

What are your thoughts?

Check out our smoke breathing two stroke monster build...I mean imminent failure at http://metroneige.blogspot.com.

Eric Giberson's Website

2 Reply by Jeff G 78 (edited by Jeff G 78 2010-05-21 09:45 AM)

  • From: Detroit, MI
  • Registered: 2009-05-16
  • Posts: 1,594

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Yes, there is such a thing.  We tried to use an old 280Z that I bought nearly 20 years ago for $500, but it was too far gone.  It had been in a damp barn for 17 years and there was literally nothing left to weld a cage to.  Check it out on the website link in my sig.

EDIT: Hmmm, looks like my teammate took the website down.  I'll post a few pics of what I mean.

BRE Datsun (Broke Racing Effluence) formerly Dawn of the Zed Racing
'74 260Z
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php … 2559430584

Jeff G 78's Website

  • Serj
  • Serj
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 1,601

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

shush, don't listen to Jeff G, listen to Speedycop Jeff (look around Jalopnik, and here on the forums for the 1961 Police Brutality Thunderbird, EPIC!)

If that's not enough to convince you that more rust = more epic lemon, then i invite you to check out the build going on right now for a certain car for a Texas race:

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=4537

Use your personal judgement though. Nothing kills the fun like getting in it so far over your head that you're never going to finish the project in time for a race.

  • From: SF Bay Area
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 146

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

I visited Eric & the team a couple of weeks ago in Ottawa.  Good guys and a cool project.  But yeah, it's pretty funny that all this work to restore a Geo Metro will result in...a Geo Metro!  :-)

I'm no expert in cage installation, but I didn't see a whole lot of good metal to weld to!  Things are a lot easier here in California!

http://TeamStimulusPackage.blogspot.com

OverStimulated's Website

5 Reply by Eric Giberson (edited by Eric Giberson 2010-05-21 10:01 AM)

  • From: Ottawa
  • Registered: 2009-11-29
  • Posts: 41

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Serj wrote:

If that's not enough to convince you that more rust = more epic lemon, then i invite you to check out the build going on right now for a certain car for a Texas race:

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=4537

Use your personal judgement though. Nothing kills the fun like getting in it so far over your head that you're never going to finish the project in time for a race.

Wow epic build.  But it brings up the point that there must be a car awesomeness to rust ratio that not event a Lemon car can get away with.

The rust repair sucks but being form Canada car restoration and rust repair go hand in hand.  Luckily for us we're not building a concours contender so we're really not to worried about the repair job.  It does't have to be pretty just solid.  Don't forget that a rusty car does have it's advantages.  Almost everything on it can be removed with a hammer and a pry bar, which is something that is so enjoyable that it's a little scary.

Check out our smoke breathing two stroke monster build...I mean imminent failure at http://metroneige.blogspot.com.

Eric Giberson's Website

  • From: Detroit, MI
  • Registered: 2009-05-16
  • Posts: 1,594

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Serj wrote:

shush, don't listen to Jeff G, listen to Speedycop Jeff (look around Jalopnik, and here on the forums for the 1961 Police Brutality Thunderbird, EPIC!)

If that's not enough to convince you that more rust = more epic lemon, then i invite you to check out the build going on right now for a certain car for a Texas race:

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=4537

Use your personal judgement though. Nothing kills the fun like getting in it so far over your head that you're never going to finish the project in time for a race.

I know that ANYTHING can be saved, but why save a rotten Geo Metro when they are abundant with very manageable rust?  We tried REALLY hard to save the Z, but it wouldn't have been safe.  The floors, firewall, frame rails, and strut towers were gone.  We would have had to build an entire tube chassis.  Instead, we cut it up and gave it to a metal scrounger that was driving around on trash night.  We then searched CraigsList and found a fairly rust-free Z for $350.  It was mechanically terrible, but at least we didn't have rust to deal with.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i256/jeffg78/Lemons/IMG_4175.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i256/jeffg78/Lemons/IMG_4179.jpg

BRE Datsun (Broke Racing Effluence) formerly Dawn of the Zed Racing
'74 260Z
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php … 2559430584

Jeff G 78's Website

  • Serj
  • Serj
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
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  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 1,601

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

i love the rubber floormat/pan big_smile

yeah, but there's always someone crazier out there with a blowtorch and a friend at a steelyard willing to do it. not that I would be, hehe

  • From: Detroit, MI
  • Registered: 2009-05-16
  • Posts: 1,594

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Serj wrote:

i love the rubber floormat/pan big_smile

yeah, but there's always someone crazier out there with a blowtorch and a friend at a steelyard willing to do it. not that I would be, hehe

We seriously didn't even know the floor was gone until I crawled under and saw the rubber mat.  The interior was so moldy, we hadn't even opened the doors yet to lift the mats.  big_smile

BRE Datsun (Broke Racing Effluence) formerly Dawn of the Zed Racing
'74 260Z
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php … 2559430584

Jeff G 78's Website

  • From: Ottawa
  • Registered: 2009-11-29
  • Posts: 41

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

That Z looks in ok shape, it still has rocker panels tongue

Check out our smoke breathing two stroke monster build...I mean imminent failure at http://metroneige.blogspot.com.

Eric Giberson's Website

  • Troy
  • Troy
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,634

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Our Z was/is absurdly RUSTY!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/24hoursof … 8/pic/list

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z
  • From: Jax, FL
  • Registered: 2010-06-19
  • Posts: 33

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Did somebody say rust?

We gave semi-serious thought to using this 51 DeSoto we bought the other day (t had a load of valuable chrome and stainless inside).

Not sure we could find enough good metal to make it safe enough, though.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a269/McGuireV10/51DeSoto1.jpg

The Spanish Armada
'51 DeSoto, car #1539: Featuring authentic 16th century engineering
  • Registered: 2009-12-09
  • Posts: 53

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Jeff G 78 wrote:
Serj wrote:

shush, don't listen to Jeff G, listen to Speedycop Jeff (look around Jalopnik, and here on the forums for the 1961 Police Brutality Thunderbird, EPIC!)

If that's not enough to convince you that more rust = more epic lemon, then i invite you to check out the build going on right now for a certain car for a Texas race:

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=4537

Use your personal judgement though. Nothing kills the fun like getting in it so far over your head that you're never going to finish the project in time for a race.

I know that ANYTHING can be saved, but why save a rotten Geo Metro when they are abundant with very manageable rust?  We tried REALLY hard to save the Z, but it wouldn't have been safe.  The floors, firewall, frame rails, and strut towers were gone.  We would have had to build an entire tube chassis.  Instead, we cut it up and gave it to a metal scrounger that was driving around on trash night.  We then searched CraigsList and found a fairly rust-free Z for $350.  It was mechanically terrible, but at least we didn't have rust to deal with.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i256/ … G_4175.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i256/ … G_4179.jpg

Jeff when did you guys get our Z car? That sure looks famaliar......

250 GTO
  • From: Detroit, MI
  • Registered: 2009-05-16
  • Posts: 1,594

Re: When is a rusty car to rusty.

Z cars in that condition are unfortunately plentiful.  Most other cars would be soup cans long before they got that bad, but nobody likes to send S30s to their death.  I'd rather part them out and let them live on through other, less rusty bodies than to keep them around and fool myself into thinking they are valuable.

BRE Datsun (Broke Racing Effluence) formerly Dawn of the Zed Racing
'74 260Z
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php … 2559430584

Jeff G 78's Website