Safari Brown... I mean Gold - The NSW Project

[gav240z]

try searching noob 

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php?topic=5712.0  (last couple of posts)

 

;D

 

LOL touche...

 

This arrived today!

 

I'll be reconditioning the wood and I'll have to try that chrome spray stuff at some stage to fix the flaking at the bottom. At some stage a bunch of parts will need to be done (like this).

 

Spaz Stix seems to be the winner for rattle can jobs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-1cTpSZ1l8

 

Or there is this product.

 

http://www.chromesolutions.de/

 

PS: If you want a gear knob like this, there is 1 on eBay right now....(same seller as I bought it from)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DATSUN-1600-510-BLUEBIRD-SSS-JDM-SSS-GEAR-SHIFT-KNOB/161328064015

 

Looks like Chrome is in better shape also!

[gav240z]

Not the most exciting updates but updates all the same.

 

The passenger fender had cracks along the lip from rust. So welding this up was a pain, I managed to get some of the way there with it, but the metal around the area was really thin due to the rust and so it kept blowing holes. So a bit of help from 1 of the gentlemen at the tafe course and all good now...

 

There is also a dent as you can see here:

 

It's been mostly straightened out, but it will require heat shrinking as the metal has stretched and is a bit floppy now. I haven't used a heat shrinker yet so I'll be sure to describe how it works when I do. Should make it nice and toight like a toiger.

 

The edge of the panel also got pushed in because the door would open and catch on the leading edge. Here is a before photo to show you the difference.

 

It still needs further 'dressing up' as they say...

 

Since the teacher is often busy with other things and student I brought in the sugar scoops to clean up any holes that were drilled into them to fit those horrid plastic covers (OEM Chrome lip ones are great- but I'm not a fan of the plastic fantastic with rubber trips).

 

Probably the easiest bit of welding I've done so far.

 

While it was still hot I gave it a good smack with the planishing hammer and bob's your teapot the weld blob is flattended.

 

You're left with a pimple that can be sanded flat.

 

Before I did that though I practiced on the passenger side sugar scoop first.

 

Looking at that sugar scoop on the car you'd have never known it was hiding all that bog.

 

But once removed and I looked on the underside I could see something wasn't quite right, so I expected when I stripped the paint back to find something like the above. What is weird is the area the damage is, I still can't quite figure out how that happened? I think it was a really bad rust repair attempt? Anyway I should have another good condition scoop on the way soon to replace it, I'll use this for future practice or if anyone wants it let me know?

 

Here is another bit of dressing up, the lower valance panels are actually quite good. But again the edges had stress cracks from rust. Since these panels are quite expensive to source in good condition they are worth fixing.

 

The lip on this corner is actually folded flat, but I had to unfold it to patch it up and I'll clean up the area and rust proof it then fold it back down again.

 

The other side is in better shape and only has minor surface rust.

 

A photo of the 4 speed knob - which will get the 5 speed button shortly.

 

You can see the gear lever is bent backward to accommodate the earlier cars transmission tunnel (71A gearbox) hole being further back than later cars where it moved forward.

 

Some new presents arrived the day after my birthday - unfortunately they were things I bought for myself LOL...

 

I found 3 DATSUN badges on Yahoo! Auctions at a good price.

 

I can confirm that the badge holes line up between 260z / 240z guards.

 

Although I seem to have 1 additional hole that will need to be plugged.

 

and finally this arrived also.

 

Rare to find 1 that isn't cut for a head unit. From the seller description it came out of a 72 HS30-H (Meaning ZG) which makes it a little bit special to me . The chrome is a bit shot, but the rest is in really tidy condition and I am hoping that chrome paint stuff works, cause I have a whole lot of Z parts that could use it.

 

And that folks is all for now.

[George]

Always look forward to your updates - they're jam packed with stuff!

[GK510]

Good to see you making slow and steady progress on the panel work here and there. I bet you wish you were spraying on new coats of Safari Gold rather than burning it off with a welder 

 

Gotta love it when you have Datsun goodies arrive in the mail too. Who do you normally go through to buy off Yahoo Auctions? You have probably mentioned elsewhere but I couldn't really find an answer when I did a search, which is probably due to my lame searching abilities rather than the info not being somewhere.

 

I have been close to biting the bullet and buying one of those wooden 4 speed gear knobs off evilbay. It would go nicely with the wooden SSS steering wheel that is on the way to me for my 1600.

[Brabham]

The best presents are ones you buy yourself You should have a play with the MIG at TAFE too Gav, you may find that you prefer it to oxy as it puts less heat into the panel and doesn't warp it so much so planishing is not needed so much, doesn't burn all your paint off too! It is somewhat personal preference though, the TAFE teachers tend to be old school and prefer oxy. Once I learnt how to MIG, I much preferred it to oxy. Nice badges, you may want to look at getting that fascia plastic chromed, think Adam got the centres of his tail lights done.

 

Cheers

[gav240z]

Always look forward to your updates - they're jam packed with stuff!

 

haha, hopefully there is some substance in amongst the 'stuff'. I think I'll have the longest build thread on here with every micro-update but I am kind of hoping it helps those with less knowledge on how to go about these things.

 

Good to see you making slow and steady progress on the panel work here and there. I bet you wish you were spraying on new coats of Safari Gold rather than burning it off with a welder 

 

Who do you normally go through to buy off Yahoo Auctions?

 

Yeah I originally wanted to preserve the patina of the Safari Gold and have a bit of a rat rod theme, but I've sort of given up on that idea now. Besides it's Safari Poo Brown anyway at the moment.

 

I go through Jesse Streeter, you have to factor in the cost of domestic postage in Japan to Jesse + postage to you in AU. So the badges I got for a good price originally ended up getting up there by the time all the other expenses come into it, postage + Jesse's fee's.

 

I've found Yahoo! Auctions is good for rare pieces that are otherwise not listed in eBay AU or US but the prices do tend to go higher, for example AU tail lights with the amber turn signals fetch really good money and I've seen people sell them in AU for give away prices really. So it's good for some things and less good for others.

 

I guess what I'm saying is buy local for common items, but look at Yahoo! auctions if you want fender mirrors or a Fairlady Grille or Rally Clock etc..but be prepared to put in a high bid because you can't auction snipe in Yahoo! Auctions like you can on eBay. Last minute bids cause the auction end time to be extended.

 

The best presents are ones you buy yourself You should have a play with the MIG at TAFE too Gav, you may find that you prefer it to oxy as it puts less heat into the panel and doesn't warp it so much so planishing is not needed so much, doesn't burn all your paint off too! It is somewhat personal preference though, the TAFE teachers tend to be old school and prefer oxy. Once I learnt how to MIG, I much preferred it to oxy. Nice badges, you may want to look at getting that fascia plastic chromed, think Adam got the centres of his tail lights done.

 

Cheers

 

Yeah I have a MIG welder I bought off Mossy, but haven't used it yet. I do intend to use it also, but I like mastering the Oxy also. I would also like to learn TIG for alloy welding and fabrication so I'll give them all a go at some point. I agree the Tafe teachers are old school but I like that about learning from them also.

 

Yeah you can get that vacuum plastic chrome done also, but I'll give that spray on stuff a shot I reakon see how it works. Lots of parts on the S30Z were in that kind of chrome style so it's worth experimenting with.

 

[gav240z]

I have had a few parts arrive today, but for now I'll just post this.

 

Fairlady Z Grille.

 

Although she's a little fragile and has some rust etc.., so not sure how I'll approach the repair yet, going to have to be very careful. These seem to be quite rare to find these days also.

[vorn70]

Keep the updates coming mate. We are like little boys at Christmas when we get part arriving in the post. Are you going to use the fairlady grill on this build?

[gav240z]

Yep I get all excited when Z-car parts arrive for me. It reminds me of the Christmas back in 1992 or 1993 I got a Super Nintendo! Think that was the best Christmas ever.

 

So the other stuff I received was:

 

1. Seat Trim Kit (X2 - 1 for 70 240z and 1 for 72 240z)

2. Carpet kit

3. Shift boot + Handbrake boot

4. Passenger sugar scoop (to replace my fubar 1)

5. A couple of those 5 speed buttons, I'm going to try sourcing another original 4 speed knob for my other 240z

 

I also bought a complete good condition second hand diamond vinyl kit off Yahoo! Auctions a couple of weeks ago that will be used on my 72 240z, so the 72 is going to be very original interior wise shortly. I'll probably remove the Recaro's and put the originals re-trimmed back in.

 

In terms of the Grille, yes the plan is to use it on the Safari Gold car, but at the same time I kinda like the idea of keeping it in it's AU specification. So if I can find original AU fender mirrors I'll put them on, but a grille and fender mirrors can be swapped easily, but I'll be using the AU market 'Datsun' badges as opposed to Fairlady Z ones.

 

Speaking of Fender Mirrors I found some Fairlady Z ones (long stalks) and just waiting on them to show up now. As you can probably tell I splurged a little this month on some new items. I really should get onto my motor next though and I need to buy a drivers side door skin.

 

Sadly I also will be loosing my daily driver soon as my sister gets back from her 7 months in Chile and I was borrowing her mini 4x4. Now I'm trying to find another (More Money!), but you can't take it with you when you're dead haha.

 

 

 

[CroS13]

panels are coming along real nice Gav! Any monkey can grab a Mig welder and lay some welds (look at me!), so its nice to be learning a "old school" method to weld, or at least one that's not as common. Id love to learn it, that tafe course is just too dam far away from me to get to in an afternoon.

 

Rudolf

[Brabham]

Just use the RX-7 as a daily Gav, it's insured right? Or bring the other 240 to Sydney as a daily  Nice cars are meant to be driven  I would drive an RX-7 as a daily in Sydney, wouldn't bother me.

[d3c0y]

Yeah until you wear the engine out and it needs a rebuild haha. #rotarylife

[gav240z]

Actually it was my daily hack in Ireland but I actually don't use a car to get to work. I've been using a bike . The Jimny has been useful since we got the fur child (dog) and for carting parts around and taking panels to the TAFE course. It is also nice to have something I can park anywhere and not be worried about leaving it in the street and in summer stick a surfboard on the roof.

 

Plus the rx7 is appauling on fuel haha.

 

My girlfriend also needs a car to learn manual in and she is scared to drive the rx7. She can also use it to go shopping on weekends while I tinker in the garage. I don't think I'm the only male with a strong dislike for shopping that doesn't involve buying stuff for the car. So I figure it is a win win.

 

The other reason for wanting such a car is to do some more exploring of Australia and maybe do some light 4x4 stuff and go camping.

 

Living abroad for 6 years made me realise how much of my own country I haven't seen yet.

 

Having said all that I should really get the rx7 out more and I should probably at least drive into work once a week. Some days I just don't want to ride a bike. As for the other 240z yes I want her on the road, but 1 thing at a time.

[gav240z]

So photos of the new stuff I mentioned the other day.

 

New headlight bucket for the passenger side, this time no bog.

 

As mentioned I got 2 of everything, when it came to trim (since I'll be doing the 70 and 72 240z's)

Handbrake boots.

 

Seat bottom trim

 

Close up of texture

 

Original vs new comparison

 

Seat back trim

 

Original

 

The buttons in the seat backing are slightly different, but you would only be able to tell if you put them side by side. Likewise the grain in the trim is different but I don't think many would notice. Of course I'd probably loose points if competing for concourse, but that's no the point of my restoration at this point in time. Otherwise my console and steering wheel etc.. would also need to be perfectly original and I think I'd rather have the car on the road and enjoy it than have every part OEM and original.

 

These things can always be changed in future, should I want to go down that path.

 

The original trims by the way have a few splits - as they be expected and could potentially be patched up and fixed, so I'll keep them for future reference.

 

Q.) I don't have the seat foams, I know I can order them from the US, but is there any local options?

[dat240z]

If you have a sample, try clarke rubber or a similar store. Will save you a stack. Places like those are also great for rubber grommets, and or seals.

[gav240z]

If you have a sample, try clarke rubber or a similar store. Will save you a stack. Places like those are also great for rubber grommets, and or seals.

 

Thanks mate, good idea. Just found this on a bit of a Google search.

 

http://www.australianjavelins.com/technical/seat_repair/seat_repair.htm

 

The first step is to replace the hessian, you should be able to get this from your local fabric shop (Spotlight), for a couple of dollars per meter. Just make sure your mates don't see you going into the joint.

 

You will also need your wife's trusty electric knife to cut it into shape, just make sure she doesn't find out about it.

 

LOL!

 

I like this kind of project, because I can work indoors - out of the cold of the garage at the minute haha. You'd think all those Irish winters (and summers) would have hardened me up, but nope I hate the cold now. .

[gav240z]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeee - these just arrived.

 

 

They are heavier than I expected, I would not want to be a pedestrian on the receiving end of these.

 

Will need repainting and a clean up, but otherwise good.

 

Don't ask how much they cost...

[Brabham]

Nice, where did you find those Gav? Are there many other pairs around? Wouldn't mind a pair myself

[gav240z]

Actually they pop up quite frequently on Yahoo! Auctions but be prepared to pay more than brand new 510 mirrors (which are shorter in stalk).

[gav240z]

If you haven't been to the site lately, you might not have noticed I've been working on the steering wheel restoration and gear knob refurb.

Full thread for future reference is here: http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,14508.0.html

 

So finished the steering wheel off this evening.

 

Now to put it on eBay with the title "series 1 240z steering wheel, *uber rare*" and a price tag of umpteen million dollars.

 

I would like a "Datsun Compe" wheel but I also like the "Bus" wheel as a friend once described it.

[gav240z]

So I thought it was time to update this thread, although no progress on the car. It's more of a behind the scenes look .

 

Since my rear hatch has been damaged and bogged up, I thought I'd look at sourcing another. I got this 1 from Mark (Mossy) the other day..

 

But as you can see someone has spent some time on it already.

 

And I seem to be thinking this a lot when I see previous repair work.

 

Since I was in Melbourne I picked up some Z-parts I had at my parents place. I got a pair of good condition door cards (Thanks Gareth), a pair of replacement rare spares floors + rails (Thanks Tai) and a roof skin patch panel (Thanks Tai again).

 

The challenge was packing it all, but onto the roof rack the hatch, roof turret went and floors went into the boot along with the door trims. It was a little nerve racking driving 9.5 hours to Sydney with it all up on there at 110 km/h + high winds but got in last night without issue and nothing moved about. So thankfully I didn't end up on PB260z's thread.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,14919.0.html

 

This is why I got a Suzuki Jimny as a practical car.

 

[Retro Z]

You're welcome Gav. Glad you and the parts got home in one peice, hope you are happy with them

[PB260Z]

Glad to hear you made the trip safely.

Just gotta love the Ocky Straps.

 

[gav240z]

In the interest of keeping this thread humming along and letting you know stuff is still happening.

 

1. If you've been watching the door skin tutorial thread.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,4189.30.html

 

You'll know I've now got the door skin onto the door frame and am in the process of fiddling with the alignment. Sadly someone changed the OEM door fastener bolts for some odd ones and I have a mismatched set on the drivers door. I'll post a wanted ad in a minute as threading them in was encountering some resistance and I don't want to strip the door nut threads.

 

 

2. In other news I found an 'arrow head' antenna.

 

See (HS30 00084 - Just love the originality of this car!) http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/check-out-my-ride/46713-my-1970-240z-hs30-00084-a.html

 

So at some point I'll dissemble the antenna polish it up and re-assemble. As a related note my father had a bunch of books on automotive how-to's that I saved from the bin years ago when his old garage was cleared out. In there is a how-to on rebuilding an electrical antenna. That's what I love about these old cars you can rebuild almost every component, not throw it out.

 

If anyone else is chasing an antenna like this let me know I may have found another, but it will be pricey!

 

3. Ok so I splurged a little.

 

By little I really mean A LOT.

 

I bought 2 of the Rally Style clocks found in the Fairlady Z-L, Fairlady 432 and the Fairlady 240ZG  models. I believe they were also available via the Sports Option catalog back in the day.

 

They are both the twin knob clock with oscillator box.

http://zclocks.com/rally-clock-identification.html

 

I just love this piece, very period and very cool and will suit the early car very well in my opinion.

 

I'm going to be sending them both to Ron at Zclocks.com for full restoration. As much as I'd like to keep both and put 1 in each of my 240z's. I'll likely have to sell 1 of them. If you're interested make sure you're sitting down when I tell you the price! They won't be cheap.

 

4. Ok, so I got a couple of spoilers for the car also a couple of weeks back.

 

Very much a period piece, it was used on the Works racers back in the day.

 

Not sure which 240z I'll fit it to, kinda tempted to fit it to the red 240z in Melbourne. To make it look similar to this car since it already has the dual exhaust

 

But then again I'm also a massive fan of the rally cars... perhaps time for another Z? Just kidding haha.

 

432-R rear wing.

 

Early ones have these vertical ribs in them, they later deleted this from the design as it would hold rain water and when the boot was opened would fall into the car. But I like the design and I don't think I'll be in a rush in the rain to open the boot.

 

In Datsun Grey (offered up to the car).

 

and that's about it, I was disappointed I missed out on an early Hitachi Radio the other day to compliment the antenna. But there's always another 1 and these clocks are going to send me broke el pronto senor!

[gav240z]

Oh and another thing I forgot to mention I managed to source another early hatch. So I've now got 3 of the bloody things. But 2 are bent with unknown quantities of bog in them, the other I hope is much better. No photos, sorry to the voyeurs.