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Potters 260z


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Hi everyone

first with the history

Bought my first z a 2+2 when i was about 13 for a couple of hundred dollars.  My dad went and picked it up in the dark so when we started to actually look at it was not rebuilable full of rust.  So then we stipped that down made sure the engine worked first and scrapped everything that was no good. :(

So then i started looking for another body for the engine.  Found a early 260 2 seater with fresh silver paint and everything but a engine.  Me being young it then sat there for a couple of years and my license was getting closer and i needed a car so we then found a near completed 260z automatic 2 seater in Melbourne on ebay bought it up here and sold the silver one.  Changed the gearbox and pedals to a 5spd and decided the engine wasnt the best so it sat there again.  Seen a 300zx 1985 forsale and bought it drove it around for a couple of years, the 260z lay forgotten.

2 and a half years ago found a worked L28 and a close ratio gearbox from a family friend in townsville who pulled it out of his sons car to put an RB in.  Found a set of tripple webbers (bought them off my dad) and a manifold put the new engine in but didnt finish it again!!!!   

One year ago i sold it to my dad so i could get myself in a house.

 

But now i have it back (i have to swap my 1961 morris mini with a 1400, disk brakes and fully adjustable suspension a fair swap i say).  2 weeks ago started stripping it back, pretty much finished now just little bits and pieces left to go then it will be ready for a new colour (end of this month).

 

Here it half way though stripping down (forgot the before shots was to keen to get into it) and a photo of my dads cars and my old mini

 

 

 

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Doesn't look too straight, might have hit a speed bump by the look of it. The rails look a bit flattened by speed bumps or tyre jockeys. Not that big of a job to fix, just check for bog by scraping with a sharp object to find out. Rails are easy to fix just check out my build thread.

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Chassis crushed like that should not be an issue, providing that the rails are intact ie not full of rust/bog etc. The radiator support panel however needs to be straightened, even if just for appearance. I wish my 2 seater had only those issues!!!!!!!

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Cheers guys yeah no bog in either rails or radiator support the rails are just very flat in some places.  How would you guys straighten the front attach something to it and pull it forward??

 

 

Welding up my bond roll bar today so I don't have to stuff around with it after its painted (and hopefully get it painted the same time as the car).  I with be bolting it to the floor and strut towers so it is removable.

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Found some plates the previous owner popped in at the end of the chassis rails under all the body dedener.  No end to the rail, all missing about a 100mm of it.

 

Finished half cage for now till its all registered then i will bolt in the front cage.

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Where i work at a metal fabrication shop (about 1.5 hrs south of brisbane) they have a turret punch, a laser cutter (does full sheets up to 10mm thick), guillotines, press brakes folders and nearly all the gear (except tube benders, have been trying to convince the boss but no luck yet ::)) to make stuff out of any metal (stainless, aluminium, steel).  If anyone needs a hand or something made up?  As i have the key and the bosses permission for the workshop and full use of the equipment in my own time.  Built the roll cage above at work on a Saturday.

 

just putting it out there

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Needs to be on the floor or has to be?  I had it to the floor but the seats would have hit and hoop would have been on an angle or is there no way round that?  I also looked at half cages on the net and that's where they have gone to. :-[

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Here's a pic of my cage compared to yours but drawn in thin yellow lines to show the difference. Ignore the line with the zig-zag! Just for a reference if you want to alter as mine is CAMS approved. (yours may be too but just in case)

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CAMS approval is a must for roll cages if you want to race or another form of motor sport. Do it right the first time to avoid disapointment in the long run. Good on you for offering your services to fellow Z car people.

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Thanks Dimitri yeah i had the initial thought to build it similar to what yours shows but then i was worried i wouldn't be able to get it in and out of the car so i changed it to one i found on the net.  I ordered a weld in CAMS approved full cage from Bond Rolls Bars and changed it slightly so i could bolt it in so i might have to order another one later to change it.

 

Peter T whens your car going to come cruising down to the tweed valley so i can get a good look at it  ;D

 

Thanks everyone

 

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Hi mate, the cheese and kisses got the CTP insurance to day so hope to get reg next week in time for easter. The only problem I have is it is not running to good as when it comes to tuning engines I am hopeless. I will most certainly come for a run down to your part of the world as soon as I can. There are some great drives in that part of the country. 8)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey everyone cars at the sand blasters.  The bonnet has a few rust holes in the front and a ding that had a fair bit of bog hiding it.  The car should be heading to to painters next week while Im leaving to go on holidays for 3 weeks tomorrow night.  There is always something happening when i go away and all i can think of is the project sitting at home and not the holiday!  Found a couple of photos my mate had of when we were taking the engine out.

 

Hope you all had a good Easter

 

I will have to see how the paint looks when i get home and put some pics up

 

See you all in 3 weeks i hope

 

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  • 10 months later...

Well its been nearly a year of my car sitting at one panel beaters. So i decided to pick it up and go somewhere else and he wasn't to pleased but he had it for a year and kept putting every one else in front of it. Dropped it off yesterday arvo at the new guy and when i went around at lunch time today he had already started.  :)

 

So finally i can get the ball rolling again on the z.

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yeah to start with i was there every week asking him when he was starting but towards the end i wasn't worrying about it.  But then i decided i really want it done.

 

Anyway heres some pics of the car from today

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  • 4 weeks later...

The panel beaters moving along. Its great to finally see some progress. He has put it up on a rotisserie and removed the chassis rails as they were pretty rusty an knocked up and split on some edges. The underside of the car looks like its had a hard life like its been in a few rallies. So he asked me to make some new rails for it as it would be quicker and more cost effective for me. The one in the pic was the better rail but this was after he had knocked it all back into shape.

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  • 1 month later...

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