Just did a post but it appears to have gone to techno heaven.Basically,get a Panel Beater to measure the car using a TREMELL.It should only take about an hour.The car DOE"S NOT need to go on a chassis aligner.The rails appear to be fine from the photos.The Tie Rail (the section under the Radiator),can be replaced or repaired,depending on cost/availability,or one can be made.Anybody who can fabricate can make one easily.I know because I have done it several times.Everything else is basically just bolt on.
If it helps,I have been a Panel Beater in the smash repair industry for 29yrs, I also do restoration work.
PM me if you want to get more info.
Yes people i also do work from home,if you require it.

What's the rest of the car like?
Is the vinyl roof hiding any stray iron oxide?
If you do fix the damage, could you be arsed fixing the rest of the car if it needs it?
"win at life" haha

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Rod

Here's a couple more pics I took after taking out the radiator that show the damage a bit better.

The left hand rail seems to be the most obviously bent as per the second pic.





Anth - If only I got a bit earlier I could of taken it to the summernats and just bathed in my own win juice

Lance - whadda you reckon, cut and shut the tie rail to force the left hand back into position then new susp bolt ons etc??

Rod - Funny you should say that, last night I had a bit of a look and the roof is prob about 75% ok, the rest is just holey sheet... metal,

So yeah its lookin pretty grim atm for the ol 180 but its still worth persevering until the engine is out and I can do some proper measurements. I got Donald Wait's Panel Beating and Car Restoration 9th ed a while ago at trash n treasure, its a pretty damm good book for this sort of thing and it tells you how to measure it all up so we'll see.

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Back in dat... DATSUN

Rails need to be pulled straight on a jig and re strengthened. Not too hard a job or expensive if you know the right people. I'd be having a good look under the carpet around the tunnel looking for any crumples. Have fun

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1928 Model A CC Pickup

fix the sh*t out of that car man!

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Its not that i have no money, i just have a huge investment in my datsuns!

No jigs or fancy arsed machines or strengthening required.If everything up to and including the cross member mounting holes is square,then remove the Tie Rail and bent suspension components (leave cross member in).Get the rails spread back to their original position using a Porta-Power (hydraulic ram).DO NOT use any heat on the rails to straighten them.It will be easier if you remove the motor and gearbox.If you have to,remove the motor and gear box ,and take it to a Panel Beater,it wont cost a fortune to square back up.As I said in my PM,if I lived closer I would put my tools in the car and come and check it out.The book you bought is a good investment,we used the same book when I was an apprentice and going to TAFE.

Spent a couple of hours this morning labeling all the electronics and removing them from the engine, its pretty much ready to pull now but there's rain forecast so I might hold off till next weekend unless tomorrow turns out nice as all my tarps are over other engines.

I always label stuff when I remove engines but this is the first efi engine I've pulled so its been really fun just learning how it all goes together.

It also highlights how much I didn't know about this sort of conversion and gives me some idea of whats needed to change the 200B from carby to SR. This is both good and bad in that now I see what needs to be done but I also see how much work is involved.

It only costs about $90 from Fuller Bros Smash to get a guy out to inspect it which I might arrange next week or after the engine is out cos I really don't know what I'm lookin at.

While that book is an absolutely awesome resource I just want to be sure I haven't overlooked anything. The flip side to this is that I really appreciate what Lance is saying.

Of course there is a right way of doing it by the book so to speak but there's also a lot of overkill when it comes to these things.

MYDATO is right, in an ideal world you would chuck it on a jig and strengthen everything up but Lance makes a good point too. If everything is still square then once the rails have been porta powered back into place a new tie rail will give it just as much strength as it ever had to begin with.

Anyway not wanting to start an argument about anything just thinking out loud really and I genuinely appreciate any and all opinions on this.

As an aside the steering column bracket hasn't moved (something the book tells you to look for) so it looks like the steering box is still in the same place which is a big bonus as it is mounted to the most damaged rail.

Anyhoo its beer o clock after all that work. check you later

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Back in dat... DATSUN

Just to clarify a few things so everyone understands something about chassis repairs:-
The only "JIGS" that are ever used are on the assembly line in production.
The equipment used by most repairers is basically a precision made bed/frame that allows excellent clamping,measuring and pulling capabilities.
Each brand of chassis aligner has it"s own data sheet (measurements) for each individual vehicle.A car built before 1991 approx. would be lucky to have a data sheet available.
The reason each brand has different measurements is because,they all use different ways of attaching to the machine,which in turn affects where you measure to.
You never strengthen a repaired section of a vehicle,as it will adversely affect its function in a future accident.
If it is so bad as to need strengthening,it should be removed and replaced.
If it has to be heated to repair it,there is a good possibility it should be replaced.

I am not having a go at anybody,just giving everyone the info you need,so you understand fact from myth.

I am only to happy to answer any questions any of you may have.

Sorry should say I have 29yrs experience as a Panel beater to fall back on.

I hope you do get it fixed, the RB30e's are a strong motor and go well in an R31, so having one in a 180b is a very attractive conversion. I would daily that thing for sure.

Only reason I said consider wrecking it was, you can still find good 180b stockers for $500 if you look hard enough. So as soon as repairs start costing more than around the $500 - 600 mark then it's work considering a reshell.

But another datsun saved is always a good thing, if you fix it I might be interested if you are selling Let us know how the repairs go.

$500 reshell would be the go if it wasnt already engineered, but it will cost a lot more than the $500 to be road legal again in a new shell.

took the words right out of my mouth???

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My garage:
180b sedan daily (needs some TLC)
180B sss (under restoration)
180b Wagon daily
http://ozdat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... 9&start=30

Just saw he was in the ACT, in nsw I believe it still costs around the $600 mark for an engineers cert for basic mods (engine, seats, brakes, fuel system).

Whats the rough cost in ACT/Melbourne for the same?

Melbs is about the same.

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1928 Model A CC Pickup

I just finished cutting out and replacing the "tie" piece under the radiator in my 180B (due to rust). Not a hard job at all.

From memory, the chassis rail looks a little "kinked" from the factory pressing process anyway.

My shell is still bare, sitting on a rotisserie, so if you want I could take a few measurements for you to compare to yours (diagonals, etc).

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1970 ex Group A Rally P510
1971 P510
1972 180B SSS
1965 SP310 Fairlady
1966 SP311 Fairlady

Forumjockey - I think he said he paid around $800 for the engineering on this car

I also have been led to believe (haven't checked for sure) that this conversion is no longer engineerable in the ACT (at least with the current mods) so that makes this shell really worth saving.

Dave that would be awesome if you could provide some measurements so I can do a comparison.

Also I'm interested in where you cut the tie rail off / how you reattached it?

Is it any more complicated than cutting it off at the rails with a grinder and re-welding a new one in??

Cheers, Jon

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Back in dat... DATSUN