My car is older than me... again. (1973 240z)

[cracker]

A little while ago I made an impulse purchase to get back into the zed scene. I had sold my previous 240z with much hesitation and through a largely forced hand, and I'd always end up back on this forum reading up on other people's build progress and watching on with a little envy.

 

So when this sexy little number popped up I simply couldn't refuse. It was priced fairly, was neat and tidy and was very nearly completely rust free - a perfect start. I was keen to have a car that was driveable straight away but that had room for improvement and would let me put my own stamp on things as time went on. Luckily I called first and agreed to buy sight unseen, because the crowds were building and I think a couple of people missed out. A week later and after a short drive (haha!) to and from Wodonga, I was again the owner of a beautiful Datsun 240z.

 

Unfortunately that's where the fairytale start finished... about 3 leisurely drives later, the gearbox decided enough was enough and refused to continue. A few extra dollars later and with the expert guidance of Peter Hall in Lobethal, I had a reconditioned L28 5-speed installed and the car was going great (sort of). It has a few little issues that need to be sorted, one of which being suspension, which is very tired indeed - the front right is very stiff and the rear springs sag and bounce quite badly. I am currently considering either coilovers or new struts and have been scanning the forums for options and associated costs etc.

 

In the near future I will be addressing the suspension and the rubber door seals which also need replacing. The old rubber has "decomposed" onto the door frame so the removal of the old seals will be even more difficult than the installation of the new seals. With these jobs complete the car should be very comfortable and capable for weekend (or even daily) driving, though will not be by any means fast. I'll be happy enjoying it for what it is and for the same reasons people enjoyed it back in the early 70's.

 

A little bit more about the car...

 

September 1973 240z - factory silver

L24 with reconditioned L28 5-speed manual gearbox and twin 240z SU's

Red vinyl interior (previous owner re-upholstered the seats which look fantastic)

14" Hotwire mags

 

Down the track I will look at changing wheels, installing headers and exhaust, replacing suspension and rod bushes all round (probably at the same time as I get around to replacing the suspension) and repairing the cracked dash, along with some other small interior imperfections. I'm not in any rush and will enjoy learning about the car as I make repairs and improvements, as I never really tackled too much on my old car.

 

James

[George]

Looks great! All the best with it.

 

Are the plates custom?

[cracker]

Looks great! All the best with it.

 

Are the plates custom?

 

Thanks - yep. In SA we have "R & S series" plates. They must begin with "r" or "s" funnily enough, and must be 3 letters/3 numbers but otherwise customisable. Because of the combination restrictions they are quite cheap too.

[chris240]

Arrrr you bought Peters zed......

I saw it earlier this year in the flesh...yep, needs some koni yellows asap.

 

[silverz]

Looks beautiful James. Your plans sound great.

Regards

Peter

[Roberto]

Nice zed James. SA needs more zeds!!

[gav240z]

I must admit when this 1 came onto the market I was tempted to make an offer, although it would have been totally impractical of me to buy it. Just love Silver / Red combo and it was very original.

 

I'm sometimes glad when these things get snapped up as I can stop thinking about ways to purchase it and to be honest I don't need another 240z, just would like 1. Good to know it went to a good home.

[cracker]

Thanks everyone for the comments, and glad you approve of things Peter!

 

I actually managed to fit the drivers side door with a new seal today except now I can only JUST close the door! The mosquitos were biting so I'll tackle the latch adjustment tomorrow. I suppose the door definitely won't bounce around in it's housing now, haha :/

[cracker]

Slow progress as anticipated but I have recently bought some new wheels, have removed the "over bumper" indicators (installed 260z style indicator/park lights) and removed the protective stripping from the side of the car.

 

I put the new wheels on but wasn't happy with the ride height so it is already on jacks awaiting new suspension to be installed. I bought the KYB GR2 struts for all 4 corners as it was by far the cheapest option (around $400 posted from US) and I already have some firmer, lower springs to suit.

 

Overall starting to look a bit sleeker I think, looking forward to seeing it a little lower, but also a little worried the guards will scrub. If I need to lip the guards I'll tackle that when it becomes a problem - is this possible to do yourself or should an expert be sought?

 

James

[gav240z]

It looks great, have you done any paint restoration work?

[cracker]

It looks great, have you done any paint restoration work?

 

Not really - the poor photography combined with a clean car creates an optical illusion! haha. There are some small patches of clear coat that have bubbled which I will attempt to repair at some point but are not a priority (that can't be seen in the photos).

[dat240z]

What rim/tyre size mate? By looking at it, id say yes itll scrub once lowered!

[Zedman240®]

The rims look good on a silver zed!

 

Rims are 16x8 with a -4 offset; they fit on my zed but with some lipping of the wheel arches. I did get some scrubbing but only on large bumps through tight corners under speed. Other than that on the normal roads they were fine.

[Scoota G]

Looking the goods, much cleaner with those indicators 

[cracker]

Thanks Mark!

 

And yeah I'll be looking at lipping the guards just to be on the safe side - is this a DIY job or should I be seeking a professional?

[Scoota G]

I'm sure someone here has the proper roller. There is always a risk of paint damage professional or not.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Auto-Vehicle-Fender-Guard-Roller-Lip-Reforming-Rolling-Expander-Tool-/390732640115?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5af97aef73&_uhb=1

[cracker]

Hmmm... DIY roller is tempting! With 40 year old paint I'm not sure anybody will be able to prevent a little cracking... haha

[cracker]

Quick snap taken by a photographer at the Datsun day last Sunday - makes it look pretty good!

 

Still looks a bit 4wd though... ah well.

[oldmates260z]

Looks great, those wheels really set it off!

[PB260Z]

Hi James

 

Really nice looking Z you have got.

 

Cheers

 

PB

[cracker]

Thanks for the kind words all!

 

Some work over the Christmas break while nobody wants to buy or sell houses...

 

I've started to strip the interior of the crappy old tar and horse hair insulator (if you can call it that!?) - I gave up after getting to the front of the trans tunnel where the tar is REALLY stubborn - anyone know any tricks to getting this off without damaging the paint? I've now got a full set of reasonable condition secondhand black vinyl trim to install once I've finished stripping the old crap and putting in new sound deadener/heat insulator.

 

I've included photos of my bolt in seat rails (installed a few months ago) which have allowed me to retain the stock seat mounts. This solution is for FD rx-7 seats, which are a great fit and very comfy/supportive, in case anyone has interest.

 

Currently re-bushing the whole suspension setup as well, just finished the front and will be tackling the rear once Adelaide temperatures return to sub-40 degrees.. I accidentally took the outer metal sleeve out of the transmission x-member without realising the urethane bushings require it to be retained! Grrr

 

Super keen to get it done and see how much difference there is! Had some very very tired rubber bits haha :/

[cracker]

Should also add that in all my tinkering I have come across zero rust - WIN!

 

The girlfriend also bought me leather shifter and handbrake boots (and helped attach the shifter boot!) for xmas so decided to give the console a tidy up ready to go back in shortly.

[gav240z]

Apparently dry ice helps remove sound deadening material easily? Never tried it myself and don't know much about proper handling of the stuff.

 

[CroS13]

i used dry ice on mine. you can get it from any BOC gas, it isn't cheap, about $9 per kg. i just took a big esky with me and they filled it up. (BOC have dry ice pellets)

 

Don't use your bare hands, you will get a chemical burn, i just used old leather gardening gloves and i was fine, mind you they were riddled with holes, my fingers were poking out through the ends, but i didn't hurt myself.

 

you just get a scoop, lay it over the area, wait about 2-5 minutes, you will hear it cracking and freezing the sound deadening. then i used a chisel and hammer and chipped it all away.

 

The transmission tunnel was a real pain of an area as it was hard to get the ice to sit there without sliding off. i ended up taping down some clear sheeting just bellow the area i wanted to work on, and tipped the ice into it to catch it and hold it against the trans tunnel. seemed to work.

 

Pro tip, after the 5 minutes or so, scoop up the ice pellets back into your esky before you attack the panel, it isnt cheap! still a real pain to do, it took me all day.

 

Rudolf.

[cracker]

Thanks guys, hadn't even thought of dry ice! Found a couple of DIY guides that suggest using isopropyl alcohol with the dry ice (once mashed or similar) as it helps break down the ice into a paste of sorts which makes application a bit easier, so I'll give that a crack (no pun intended) once rear suspension bushes are done.