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The Brown Hornet - as NEW 1971 240Z - SOLD


acf321

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Hi Lurch,

 

The complete sill pressings came from Warren at AllZspares, about $180 a side I think. Looking at the rare spares parts on their web site, they only make simple ones without the ends. These parts I bought are very detailed and have all the correct pressings on them.

 

As for the rust, NZeder and others have suggested the rust on my car is very similar as to the rust they had on their cars. Interestingly, on my car, aside from the beaver panel, the left side of the car is infinitely worse than the drivers, which is attributable no doubt to the battery leak, and potentially more water (ie gutters) on the passenger side. The good news with me using Nat is he is a fanatic and everything is being primed and rust proofed on the inside as he puts it back together, including chassis rails and box sections. The Hornet is sure to be rust free for a very very long time to come !!!

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

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Been off work a few days, so yest I popped by unannounced to have a sticky beak at the hornet...

 

Nat's been busy this week, finalising; pass side sill (now installed and looking awesome), pass side rain gutter (now partially removed and replaced at rear), beaver panel is all completed and welded in, and has been working on the front cross member (repairing small bends and welding in new webbing on the bottom corners). In a word, she's coming on very well and I can truly see where my money is going ....

 

Car should have been going to the blasters either yesterday or today, depending on the truck. Will be fully stripped top, bottom, inside and out, and given the 11 coats of paint (circa 1.5-2mm thick all over) the car will be significantly lighter, and smaller ;). We'll be following the same process of painting on the stone guard beneath, with seam sealer and primer coat. I expect this process to take about a month, so will be unlikely to see many more posts from me for a while (might give me some time to start saving !!).

 

Anyway, without the camera yesterday I've attached about eight shots of some cars that really float my boat and are finalists on my painting inspiration. I guess the best way to describe my intentions with this build are to keep the 'old school' look, albeit to add some muscle in terms of motor (L),wheels, suspension, and interior.

 

Cheers

 

Adam

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Popped by again yesterday as Nat had received my panels back from the blaster.

 

Bottom line, they were OK, but there were some traces of rust on some that by the time I was there were being repaired. The drivers side front wing has the hole in it for the indicator that is being filled in, and the pass side wing is a bit of a mess, with rust holes, mirror holes and frankly evidence of more hits than Elvis ... think we'll be buying one!

 

The front valance panel (under the front bumper that BRE style spoiler attaches to) is also pretty crappy, so if anyone has one that is in VGC let me know, else we'll be buying a new one of these as well.

 

Car is at the blasters, and Nat suggested might be back by as early as next weekend ... given we are now having a run on better weather. In the meantime, last night and today I have been cleaning and polishing the tail light lens (and they look AWESOME), and repairing the louvres for my bonnet (its a 260 bonnet).

 

For my lights, instead of going down the oven route, I bathed the whole units in very hot soapy and hit them on the outside with a good dish brush (hidden from my wife!!) and then in the inside I used a brush that has 360 degrees bristles and wire stem. This was extremely useful as with the stem being able to be bent, I could reach all areas. After this, I wet sanded both lens with 1200 wet and dry, before polishing with meguirs swirl remover... I had to use lots of elbow grease, but the end result is a light that frankly looks as new. I'll polish with a coat of car wax to add a bit of protection from the elements.

 

Only thing frustrating me now is the chrome strips on the lights... both are pretty pitted and I'd love to replace ... anybody have any ideas here??? Also, aside from breaking off the tiny clip in the middle, is there an easier way to remove this strip????

 

Here are few panels back from the shop ... Hopefully in a week, we're going to start to trial panel fit, sans paint!!! Thinking that if everything is OK with the drivers side sill (all my fingers and toes now double crossed) then we'll exchange that sill for the pass side guard.

 

Ciao

 

Adam

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 8 ...

 

Progress on the Hornet is now less obvious as the body is still being blasted, and the panels are now largely completed and sitting in primer. Went by this morning to see that Nat had repaired the bonnet, front apron and drivers side front quarter panel by pulling all the dents out, filing and priming. They've even unpicked the fuel filler face panel off the hinge mechanism, cleaned, primed and re-welded the whole thing together to ensure there was no rust.

 

In a nutshell, we've ordered a new pass side front panel, and new pass side door skin. The door frame on the left door is pretty 'holy' as well, so this will be cut and repaired in the coming week. Next step is to get the body back and trial fit all the panels, and 'file finish' the  body, before disassembly spraying, and then final assembly.

 

I've added a few shots of the painted panels (yet to be hi-filled and filed). In summary, there really was not one panel that has not required some form of repair. Even the 'as New' rear hatch panel was full of bog on the top as it was dented... Again this has all been repaired and is straightened filed metal (did not get a shot of this, but again the work was amazing).

 

Here's what I took today.. and a few silver / grey cars that really do it for me. One with silver wheels, the other with black.

Still deciding on colour, but given i'm sticking with narrow body and small BRE front spoiler, I want to aim for that factory (albeit sleeper) look.

 

Rgds,

 

Adam

 

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Week 9...

 

A mild sense of depression washed over me today as I raced down to see the Hornet as it arrived fresh from the bead blaster, following receipt of the panels the weeks before last. You know the feeling you got when you finally worked out Santa was in fact a fraud, and everything you had believed in was effectively ruined? Well, in a very small way, today I felt like this... I'll let the photos do the talking!

 

On a brighter note, we now have a new OEM front left side fender, door skin, and the drivers door, tail gate, bonnet, and front valance are all but repaired and primed. Nat actually got a visit from Warren himself yesterday, I'm sure wanting to 'see' this project that was consuming lots of his time.... and parts!

 

The other positive is the weight reduction .. Nat suggested that each coat uses about 6 litres of paint, of which lets say 70% actually finds its way onto the car. As we had earlier discovered, (and the blaster confirmed) there were ~11 coats of paint on the shell. Accordingly, at ~1kg per litre, I roughly estimate the Hornet has lost the better part of 50kg.

 

Nat suggested I might very well have the best zed out there after this project ... I suppose in an effort to make me feel better!!

 

I'm getting closer on a colour too, something I have seen on a few SUV's, that is best described as 'tungston', that is not silver and not gunmetal grey... something in between. I think this colour works well; 1) with the shape of the body, without attempting to modernise it, 2) works well with either a silver, black or other wheel colour, and 3) allows the stainless window and chrome trims to still be a feature. The other colour is called 'metallic olive' which I have seen used on a porsche Cayenne, which also does all of the above.

 

Having said that, it'll be a while before we're at the paint stage. We've also agreed to do what NZedder did with the interior, that is use stone guard paint throughout, with only a small use of heat / sound deadening on the firewall and transmission tunnel.

 

 

Enjoy,

 

Adam.

 

 

 

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those picture bring back memories .....well about 8 year old memories that is (but sorry to say mine did not find that much panel damage or rust - that a side, you now have seen the car warts and all it can only get better now ;) )

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Wow, bog can hide a multitude of sins.

At least you haven't found a house door hinge like mull/hugo did.

 

Keep up the spirits, you're going to have a 2009 model 240z soon.

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XA1973....  the thought had crossed my mind ... more than once, but i'm so deep into this one that there is only one way for to go!

 

Was actually thinking that if I added flares to the car, that immediately remedies the guard rust, although this is only on the rear, as the fronts are as new. Re the roof, Nat actually said that was pretty straight forward. As per the firewall, we just unstitch the panel that is clear (where the booster bolts to) and then repair underneath and re-stitch the panel back on.

 

The hard (read $$$) work is going to be in repairing those rear arches, the inside rear arch and the beaver / tail light sections.

 

Keep the comments coming .. its good to know there is actually some interest in this project!

 

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Mate - To show some morale support I've just gone down to the shed in the freezing cold to take a couple of snaps of my car.

 

I'm wondering whether 'lead wiping' might not be the answer to much of your worm (see Mull/Hugo). I'm just about to start a 9 x 3hrs/week, 6-9pm, 'Vehicle Restoration Course' in Sydney where you get to work on your own project. I'm hoping to pick up skills like that. If nothing else the instructor will be able to advise me on the best technique for each problem then I can decide whether to have a go myself or pay to have it done.

 

Whatever you do don't use bog as the rust will be back in 24 months

 

Have you looked at it from underneath? I hate to say it, but it could get worse.

 

Hang in there.

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Keep the comments coming .. its good to know there is actually some interest in this project!

 

For sure, this is the reason I haven't stripped my car back. I'm scared of what I'd find! :(. I think I'll wait till my pockets are a bit deeper before diving this far into body work. Last thing I want is a car sitting around that I can't drive / enjoy.

 

I admire what your doing all the same. Its good to see you are pushing through the project and at least once all these areas are taken care of you will have a brand new 30+ year old car.

 

FWIW all that added weight from the extra layers of paint may have been cancelled out by all the metal you were missing lol.

 

I'm just about to start a 9 x 3hrs/week, 6-9pm, 'Vehicle Restoration Course' in Sydney where you get to work on your own project. I'm hoping to pick up skills like that. If nothing else the instructor will be able to advise me on the best technique for each problem then I can decide whether to have a go myself or pay to have it done.

 

That's an awesome course, I'd love to do one of those. I wonder if they have any in Melbourne? When I was at Swinburne Uni in Hawthorn I did a part time course welding, but we spent more time with the ARC and Oxy / Acetaline (Spelling?) than with the MIG.

 

Have you got a link to the details of such a course?

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Re the roof, Nat actually said that was pretty straight forward. As per the firewall, we just unstitch the panel that is clear (where the booster bolts to) and then repair underneath and re-stitch the panel back on.

 

I recently removed my roof skin too find a huge amount of rust hidding underneath, There's no way to tell unless it comes off.

 

Glad I took it off now tho, could have been a huge problem 5 years down the track when the cars finished and rust comes throu the paint!!

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Had the day off today and a bit of sun, so thought i'd take a few shots of some of the things i've been restoring.

 

First is the rear tail lights... that I have comprehensively wet sanded and hand polished the lens and houses. To be honest, they're looking really good and a re devoid of any discoloration or dullness. I also re-painted the spokes of my Datsun-Compe Steering wheel, so added a shot of that.

 

As for my Jap style fender mirrors, forgot to take a photo today, however the paint is the same as that used on the steering wheel, and in the centres of the rear light chrome. Note before and after shot of the rear chrome with and without new black paint.

 

Cheers

 

Adam

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Looking good - I need to get a new centre for my compe wheel as it does not click in and just falls off as the plastic has cracked - might see if I can fit that somehow - save me some $$ like $55 USD for a new centre going by evil bay.

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