SE-R Oxidation 2: Go Rust Yourself

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
06/27/2016 at 23:56 • Filed to: sentra, se-r

Got the Nissan up on a lift and took a poke around to see what I could poke through and how much chop-chop I would have to do to get rid of the Red Cancer in my ‘93 SE-R.

Oh. Well then. This is right next to the dead pedal on the driver’s side.

The frame rails are toast. Better than my Miata, but ever so slightly.

They had been used as jack points because this was the state of the pinch welds. I’m assuming the rust all started here and spread to the lower fenders and rocker panels (and driver floor pan)

I have no idea what this was. Passenger rear wheel well behind the tire. Bracket for a well liner, I believe.

The lower fenders. The fenders will be replaced with either rust-free salvage pieces or (if I can’t, brand new from *whatever retailer*).

Here’s the driver fender. At the top is where the fender met up with the rocker, and in the lower part is where the floor pan rusted through.

The floor pan piece will be cut out and sheet metal welded in. The pinch welds will be wire-wheeled down then hammered somewhat straight with straight strips of 1/4 inch steel welded to the existing pinch as well as to the floor pan to give usable jack points again. The frame rails can wait ‘till later. Fenders will be replaced, the rusted-away mounting points angle-ground and wire-wheeled back to bare metal, and then some form of hideous bracket made to hold the new fenders in place. Nobody will see it, so who cares? As for the rocker panels... not sure. Will have to see how deteriorated they are and then either patch the completely rotted bits or cut off the entire rocker panel and figure out how to make a replacement out of sheet metal, some sort of non-rusting material (plastic is nice. Saturn had the right idea), or cut the intact rocker panel from another car and tack weld it in place.

lol bodywork.

DISCUSSION (11)

Connqr > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:00

Dat rust doe

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:04

Not bad!

- former Tercel owner

Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:05

All these rust posts make me so glad I live in a rust free zone. I always thoroughly check my purchases for rust and I have yet to find more than the occasional surface rust.

lone_liberal > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:08

Aren’t the rockers available from anybody?

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > lone_liberal
06/28/2016 at 00:24

They’re a part of the bodywork as far as I can tell. Not a distinct piece.

lone_liberal > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:29

They might be able to be cut and new pieces welded in. I don’t know the specifics of your car but this place looks like they might have them. http://www.carid.com/nissan-sentra-…

Jack Does Cars > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:39

By spending the last few days in Iowa, I have learned to never buy a 10+ year old car from the Midwest, unless it has like 12 miles on it.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 00:44

lol bodywork structural rigidity

Dru > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 08:45

That’s nothing! - current 1st gen 4Runner owner.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/28/2016 at 10:33

You know why the frame rails are crushed? Because off-road driving is the best.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
06/28/2016 at 11:10

Sure. I was at the muffler shop just now getting my exhaust fixed and the guy jacked it up by the frame rails, visibly deforming them more in the process. Whatever. Gonna fix them anyways so #ain’tcare