Zombie 510 Experiment

[okayfine]

What does "bare necessities" mean? Aside from the interior coverings and two of three seats, a road-legal 510 is going to need most of everything else. Lights, glass, body, wheels, brakes, jacket, set of ear plugs, etc.

Some people differ on the need for a heater and/or wipers. You're going to need the ductwork for the defroster. But you're far from worrying about heater, wipers, or a defroster.

Still would be educational for us to see the pictures that Byron (among others) requested.

[djfootball]

10/4.


From here on out, all I want to do (once and if I can get my unibody up to par) is have it road legal with no heat, one seat, a set of ear plugs etc. I have front and rear tail lights and mounts but no gaskets. Neither of the front or rear windows leak.. yet so I'll probably just leave those in tact. I plan on starting with a filler primer paint job after prepping and repairing the shell.

I'm working on re-writing my conception plan after everything you guys have filled my head with and I hope to come up with a more realistic goal. Don't give up on me! Photos are coming.

[James]

I would say that the amount of response should indicate that no one is giving up on you. Photos will be great. You are listening to what is offered up and responding with reasonable responses (IMO). What more can a forum ask for? Not everyone will agree with your decisions, but I would listen to advice given and be sure to use it your decision making. If you fly in the face of convention, and do something that may not make sense either financially or otherwise, thats OK.

[HudsonMC]

10/4.


From here on out, all I want to do (once and if I can get my unibody up to par) is have it road legal with no heat, one seat, a set of ear plugs etc. I have front and rear tail lights and mounts but no gaskets. Neither of the front or rear windows leak.. yet so I'll probably just leave those in tact. I plan on starting with a filler primer paint job after prepping and repairing the shell.

I'm working on re-writing my conception plan after everything you guys have filled my head with and I hope to come up with a more realistic goal. Don't give up on me! Photos are coming.

Yeah, get us some pictures, and you may put all our concerns to bed with nice, solid floor plans and rockers

It might be worth taking the front and rear glass out, as the flanges can rust away and you can't see them until the gasket is removed. New gaskets are a little pricy, but can be found.

[okayfine]

I plan on starting with a filler primer paint job after prepping and repairing the shell.

IMO, as long as the car is structurally solid, I'd skip all the cosmetic portions of that. Given the rust in the pictures, you're never going to get that to the point it will take a smooth coat of paint. I'd concentrate on the mechanicals. Engine, suspension, brakes/hydraulics, electrics. If your goal is to drive what you've got, fix what you need to get the car driveable. After that happens you be more jazzed to take on the bodywork (instead of the opposite with years of sucky bodywork and still only a rolling shell to show for it). And, should the car's bodywork issues be more than you want to deal with, all the work you've already done can be transferred to another car.

FWIW, most primers don't protect the body from further rust. People do primer their cars and think it's paint, but it's not, and if the primer sits too long it won't do its job as primer relative to paint application so you'd have to do it all over again.

I'm working on re-writing my conception plan after everything you guys have filled my head with and I hope to come up with a more realistic goal. Don't give up on me! Photos are coming.

Roger that. Everyone here wants another 510 on the road. I personally don't want to see you drop $10,000 on a rusty rust when you could be motoring in style next week for half that. If you are actually looking at it as a trasher/one-seat-no-interior type of deal, that's completely different.

[S15DET]

Did you see this listing?

http://www.the510realm.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=24516

Or here's one on the East coast.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3250326135.html

[rdog348]

I came extremely close to buying that thing a month back.

[djfootball]

Did you see this listing?

http://www.the510realm.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=24516

Or here's one on the East coast.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3250326135.html

Hmm.. Dont' have the cash right now but I'd trade my streetbike in a second for something like that.

OK GUYS.. here's the photos:

http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/dj ... surrection

[okayfine]

You have some structural issues, though not at many as I was a-feared. Still, unless you know what you're doing in the rocker and rear suspension areas when you repair it, it may all end in tears.

Also, have you poked around the rest of the body with something sharp to look for other areas of rust? I'm surprised the rockers are as solid(ish) as they are, but it's not like there's any paint to hide it.

Given the state of the body, IMO you'll never get that smooth again. You can bead/sandblast it all you want (though I'd strongly suggest research on media so you use the right stuff - the wrong stuff will just blow holes in what's left of the "metal"), but you're going to be left with the equivalent of the surface of a basketball.

IMO, if you don't have money for the car linked above, you don't have money to pour into the car you have.

Now, where'd that picture of the wagon come from?

[HudsonMC]

These are the areas I'm most worried about looking at your pics. Reposted here for everyone else's convenience. Maybe someone can chime in.

[510wizard]

After looking at your pictures, I would look for a better car to start with. You will be money ahead in the long run. Lots of rust in the structural areas isn't for the faint of heart and very expensive on the pocket book.

[okayfine]

Yeah. That open rocker means the whole inside, all down the side, is rusty. That's why I suggested poking around with something sharp.

Floorpans are NBD, and not strictly structural. But the pictures Hudson pointed out are some of the low points.

[okayfine]

OP, this is what you're facing, just with the rocker:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=24424#p204199

[HudsonMC]

I haven't been involved in the 510 scene as long as some of these guys, but I can't think of one project where they've repaired rusty rear crossmember mounting points. I suppose I've seen people weld entire rear halves of 510s onto the front half of another 510, but beyond that...is there any "prior art" for what OP is dealing with in the rear (snicker)?

[okayfine]

Well, there's Indy (again) who had rusty rear crossmember mounting areas, then started cutting with the intent to repair it. And then saw what was involved and how it was constructed...he cut it all out to reframe it