Just wondering if anyone can tell me if the strengthening of the rear towers to the parcel shelf with prevent the crack at the C pillar?

I have attached some pictures (I think)

Just had the body painted and a crack has reappeared at the LH C pillar

Talk to your painter, it looks like a filler shrinkage crack to me.

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Regards, Graeme
Just trying to help...
http://nissanman.shutterfly.com/
graemes@internode.on.net

I think the rear strengthening is used when you upgrade the engine like a sr20det or similar or maybe a rally car etc. I am going sr20det so I will be installing a brace like pictured. Your car looks like it's not put together,driving etc so like nissanman suggested I would agree it Is most likely skrinkage

cheers,

Richard

If the lead filler is not removed from those seams you will not stop the cracking in that area. Bob.

Thanks for the info guys

I'll have a chat with the panel shop.

Thanks again....very helpful!

filler bog nasty job your panel beater sounds like a con but nice colour!

Lead filler is factory at the a, b and c pillars.
Shouldnt be a problem left there if the correct prep is used when painting.
Admittedly the last 510 i painted cracked in this area aswell. I never worried about it too much...

the car has no flex there when painting, its not as if you are driving it around while it dries, the painter doesnt want to do it cause it a big area to cover which means alot alot alot of work. Lead filling would have been the correct method as per factory not the cheap bog job that he has done. Stand by your rights cause you have them in this kind of situation.

I reckon you will find they left the lead in there and the filler is lifting off the lead

I have seen this crack on nearly every 1600. I believe it is caused by flexing in this area. I have removed the lead on several 1600's and never found any cracks in the body. It appears the lead breaks on the edge. As a Panel Beater the best way is to remove the lead and re-do it. Not many people around who do lead body work any more. It will not cure the problem. If the crack was not visible before, it could be the solvents used in repairing and painting the car caused it to open up. If the lead is removed, and the area cleaned correctly and body filler put in its place, it would last for quite a while before reappearing.

well said chimp. also being a panel beater with any resto we remove all lead from the car as we find it moves to much and you always get cracks on the edge of the lead filler. D im not to sure why you say it is dodgey because it has plastic filler not lead filler. As a beater I would prefer plastic over lead. both have there positives and negatives.

Just an FYI.
I had cracks appearing in this area while the car was being driven with the SR20DET in it. I would get axle tramp on hard acceleration. (a combination of resonance with the chassis and the shock/spring combination)
As soon as I put in the sheet metal diagonals and the shock tower bracing (as detailed in this thread: http://www.ozdat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11103) the cracks have not re-appeared. I have also noticed there is less axle tramp with the same bump/rebound on the rear shocks.

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1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
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Thanks Shameless. I agree with the pros and cons of lead and filler.

Only problem i came across was that the lead was quite thick in spots and to replicate say the smooth curve from the c-pillar to the boot/top rear qtr, if the lead was removed entirely then the plastic filler would have to be over 1/2" thick in parts which wasnt recommended by the filler manufacturer i used either. Max they recommended when i last painted my car was 1/4"...

Lead is actually a fairly malleable and ductile material which means in some instances it provides better performance than body filler.
Getting back to the OP, it looks like a filler shrinkage crack to me.

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1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
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#SR20Datsun @SR20Datsun