is my frame bent

[lonnie152]

engine and most everything else is out. working on a 1973. i see the frame is buckled slightly where subframe attaches and from there, frame is skewed to the passenger side. should the frame be straight from the firewall to the nose? any help appreciated.

[datzenmike]

The Z car is a monocoque construction where the body is stiff enough to not require an actual frame. Rather cross members and sub frames are attached for extra support for the drive train. The left and right sides are likely mirror images of each other. If only the right is 'buckled' that's probably an indication of an un repaired collision. Perhaps some pictures of both sides to compare.

[lonnie152]

thank you for getting back.

 

both frame rails show some damage/buckling at the point just ahead of the subframe mounting point. let me ask the question this way - if i put a straight edge on the inner side (where the engine sits) of the frame rail , beginning at the fire wall, should the frame be straight all the way to the nose?

[datzenmike]

Don't know but I would guess so. A Z car owner would have to say.

 

If one side is bent and not the other that would not seem right.

[grannyknot]

37 minutes ago, lonnie152 said:

thank you for getting back.

 

both frame rails show some damage/buckling at the point just ahead of the subframe mounting point. let me ask the question this way - if i put a straight edge on the inner side (where the engine sits) of the frame rail , beginning at the fire wall, should the frame be straight all the way to the nose?

Yes it is straight but as the frame rail approaches the front it tucks out a bit to make more room for the radiator.  If yours isn't straight that will need to be pulled and repaired.

[lonnie152]

thank you for getting back. no real surprise that rails should be straight. pulling it straight should not be to difficult.

[yenpit]

16 hours ago, lonnie152 said:

thank you for getting back. no real surprise that rails should be straight. pulling it straight should not be to difficult.

 

We build vintage race 240Z's out of wrecked, rusty old cars................what better thing to do with one like that!  That said, if wrecked, we ALWAYS send the stripped down rolling chassis (they typically need it as a roller to put it on the frame machine) to our body shop & they take care of pulling the frame rails back into spec.  You need to find a body shop with a frame machine that is WILLING to screw around with an old Datsun.................that might be your biggest hurdle.  The next hurdle is stomaching the cost of having it done properly.  We have sold 3-4 complete front clips to guys looking to repair a wrecked Z (we do NOT have anything to sell at this time).

 

It is possible that your car was already pulled back to spec, cuz the visual buckles might not pop back into place, but it could be within spec......??  Unfortunately, it's really not likely, as so many of these cheap Datsun's (well, back in the day!) were NOT repaired properly, cuz they did not have the value.  Good luck with the project!

 

Check out kfvintagejdm.com for repop frame rail pieces/parts.  Problem is, yours is a 1973, which is when Datsun changed up the frame rails & rad core support, to keep up with Federal mandates on crash protection.  Your frame rails & rad core support are slightly different than the 1970-1972, I would be GUESSING that they are the same/similar to the 1974 260Z (??), but the later 1975-1978 280Z rails & rad core support are quite different.  As you are buying & repairing, pay attention to the details, as there WILL be many different on your 1973!

[Nikkil]

On 5/12/2021 at 1:04 AM, yenpit said:

 

We build vintage race 240Z's out of wrecked, rusty old cars................what better thing to do with one like that!  That said, if wrecked, we ALWAYS send the stripped down rolling chassis (they typically need it as a roller to put it on the frame machine) to our body shop & they take care of pulling the frame rails back into spec.  You need to find a body shop with a frame machine that is WILLING to screw around with an old Datsun.................that might be your biggest hurdle.  The next hurdle is stomaching the cost of having it done properly.  We have sold 3-4 complete front clips to guys looking to repair a wrecked Z (we do NOT have anything to sell at this time).

 

It is possible that your car was already pulled back to spec, cuz the visual buckles might not pop back into place, but it could be within spec......??  Unfortunately, it's really not likely, as so many of these cheap Datsun's (well, back in the day!) were NOT repaired properly, cuz they did not have the value.  Good luck with the project!

 

Check out kfvintagejdm.com for repop frame rail pieces/parts.  Problem is, yours is a 1973, which is when Datsun changed up the frame rails & rad core support, to keep up with Federal mandates on crash protection and if you want to build a garage you can hire house contractors.  Your frame rails & rad core support are slightly different than the 1970-1972, I would be GUESSING that they are the same/similar to the 1974 260Z (??), but the later 1975-1978 280Z rails & rad core support are quite different.  As you are buying & repairing, pay attention to the details, as there WILL be many different on your 1973!

For parts related to frame rail repairs, you can check out kfvintagejdm.com, which offers reproduction frame rail pieces and parts. However, it's important to be aware that your 1973 model has different frame rails and a radiator core support compared to the 1970-1972 models. The changes were made to comply with federal crash protection mandates. Your frame rails and radiator core support might be similar to those of the 1974 260Z model, but they will likely differ from the later 1975-1978 280Z models. Paying attention to these details is crucial when buying and repairing parts for your 1973 model.

[yenpit]

10 hours ago, Nikkil said:

For parts related to frame rail repairs, you can check out kfvintagejdm.com, which offers reproduction frame rail pieces and parts. However, it's important to be aware that your 1973 model has different frame rails and a radiator core support compared to the 1970-1972 models. The changes were made to comply with federal crash protection mandates. Your frame rails and radiator core support might be similar to those of the 1974 260Z model, but they will likely differ from the later 1975-1978 280Z models. Paying attention to these details is crucial when buying and repairing parts for your 1973 model.

 

Oh yes, I know Gerson well at kfvintagejdm!  Once we started using his panels, we will not use ANY other panels on the market, unless he hasn't made it yet!

 

You are correct regarding the 1973 model rails & rad core support being different!  I think the 1973 & early 1974 260Z are the same, but here in the States, Datsun switched to the big heavy 5mph "park bench" bumpers mid 1974 260Z & how the bumpers mounted changed drastically, so the 1973-early 1974 front panels are unique!  We found that out the hard way a few years ago, when straightening/building a 1973 240Z for vintage racing!  We got thru it just fine, but learned alot about that model year!