So after getting the car back home I knew the car was crusty so the first thing I did was pick up a screwdriver and the knotted wire wheel and went hunting.
The places I went to hunt for rust:
Strut towers
Outer sills
Inner sills (after removing carpet)
Floors
Rear arch lips
Rear arch wells
Subframe mounting points
Boot floor
Front crossmember
Chassis rails
I had a mate who builds rally cars help with the repairs on this. Opted for 1.5mm sheet for inner sills and floor sections. I got stuck in with the hobby welder.
Rolled about in a gravel drive for months repairing all that with fresh steel. Painted then undersealed.
I don't have any photos of it but for the chassis rail repairs I took them up about 15mm under the car as I knew I'd be running this car low but I didn't know if I needed the clearance, I did it anyway.
Finally the best tip I had for these cars is that Micra K11 sills need the slightest bit of working to replace the rotten S13 sills with a very close to OEM finish.
So at this point I spent 3 months doing just rust repairs then drove it for an MOT where it failed on a few minor things like loose bolts and bulbs. Stuff I really should have caught before going to the MOT centre really.
If I were to go back to this point in time I would have replaced the hardlines for fuel and brake lines also. Both of these failed on me over the years and the job really wasn't that hard.
I also still see people with their bonnet hinges unmodified. Honestly just take an angle grinder to them to get rid of the stoppers so you can get full access to the engine bay.
Went and did my first drift day almost immediately after getting it MOT'ed
Stacked it into the bund on shiftlock reverse. This obliterated my Apexi N1 which was so fucked up it pierced my fuel tank. This brings me on to the first of many exhaust issues.
(Christ, I hate the noise of this car with a CA)