HS30-00019

[George]

Ahh that does look like a donor Z after all lol...

 

Nice work getting the motor out. How much did the hoist cost to hire?

 

So it didn't have the original motor in it I'm guessing?

 

Hoist was $60 for 24 hours from Kennards. Not bad I guess but if you'll need to use it often it makes sense to buy one.

 

That's right, the matching engine was tucked away for safe storage. So I've got 3 engines to deal with. That hoist will come in handy.

[PB260Z]

Ahh that does look like a donor Z after all lol...

 

Nice work getting the motor out. How much did the hoist cost to hire?

 

 

Gav, I have a hoist, in Hornsby, happy to lend it out when I am not using it.

 

PB

[gav240z]

@George your right if you use a hoist a few times may as well buy 1. I got an engine stand for $50 off Gumtree last week. But hoists are a little more dear and take up more space.

 

By the way did you label all the bolts and organise them for easy identification later?

 

@Peter good to know. I will call if I decide to take up that offer. Another member has offered also but if it falls through I have another option.

[lightmaster240z]

Nice to see your new toy George. 

I see that your Neighbour take there security very serious up there . I look froward to seeing progress with this car

Bruce 

[gav240z]

Here you go gav...

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=tabcobodyparts# 

 

Very funny, Google for the Google-man, but why buy foreign? Price, quality, fitment, availability etc..?

 

Their website is about as useful as a chocolate teapot...

 

So for those who tried to access their website and just got the web-server folder index. This URL might be helpful.

 

www.tabcobodyparts.com/html/167.htm

 

Prices look cheap to me, but I don't see some needed parts like floors, rear hatch slam / beaver (funny word) panel.

 

I know this is George's thread, but I'm going to be needing the same panels or at least most of the same. And why oh why hasn't anyone made a 2 seater roof skin yet! Looks like George's previous owner(s) thought the sunroof was all the rage also.

[gav240z]

By the way George whilst it's on my mind, don't throw any of those old panels out from the donor car. Even the ones that look like scrap. They would make excellent welding practice panels.

[Ledge]

The local rust panel's are fine, yes they need a bit of tweeking

but so do all of them.

Roofs can be made but a lot of time involved so a donor roof

will be cheaper.

 

My advice on a job this big is dont look at the whole car,

Focus on each section.

 

cheers

[acf321]

George,

 

When I was at Nat's yesterday I mentioned this car to him. Whilst you might be planning on doing the the resto yourself, you should consider talking to Nat as he has just done a relatively epic rebuild and might be able to give some advise / lend a hand on technical aspects of repairs. He had to do A pillars, roof sections, beaver panel, doors and door sills and fire wall (yes it was pretty bad!) so just wanted to point that out.

 

It'll be worth it in the end

 

Cheers

 

Adam

[thriller]

Feel sorry for you George 

 

Anything less than factory-perfect and you're going to have a lot of complainers. Right down to the yellow brush marks on suspension bits.

 

 

Congratulations though, you've got yourself a pretty nice talking point here. I'd suggest pulling down the car completely & sticking it on a spit first up, forget you even own the parts car completely until you need something, until then it's just one more thing to fill up your headspace (same goes with the interior, the motor, all the hanging-panels, etc). I'd guess all the spot-welded panels will need to come off and pretty much rebuild the shell from the inside-out if you want to be sure it'll last.

 

Have fun, and "keep hoping machine running"

[bluerat]

Go for it George and don't worry about the above comment!! remember No.16 has flairs and a RB and No.30 is a bloody Rally car... I've often thought if I was in your position it would be cool to have the original engine, gearbox and diff rebuilt and on 'display' in the shed and a Grunter in the engine bay for driving pleasure. Good luck with the rebuild matey!

 

Hodgo

[zed74]

ummm

 

Be afraid - very afraid!

 

Sandblasting or soda may not leave you with much... :'(

 

I agree this shell will have to be completely "unpicked & reconstructed" to ensure it really survives in the long term.

 

Don't want to be totally negative - but this project is ONLY a job for a professional body/panel tradesman (Ledge or equally skilled).

 

Must also say - "what price are you prepared to pay" to save this early chassis? :-\

 

I commend your preservation aspirations - but reality of $ required on this one is going to hurt - BIG TIME.

 

Only my thoughts & I like your concept/commitment to preserving an early chassis.

 

Good luck with bringing her back to life

[dat2kman]

And i know what zed74 spent on his now very immaculate ultra-lightweight 240 shell!

[gav240z]

@Ledge

 

Totally agree, if you look at the whole thing it's easy to get depressed and put off even trying. Just focus on 1 win at a time. I just spent the afternoon attempting to repair my console. I'm sure I've done a couple of things incorrectly, but what I started with was shagged anyway. My point is, this chassis isn't going to get any worse. You can only improve it.

 

@Thriller - in some ways I feel the same with car #150, but at the end of the day if people don't agree with the way I do it. That is fine, at least it will be on the road again, not sitting around like it has since 95 and I suspect this car has been sitting even longer.

 

@Bluerat - that's the spirit, the only way to learn is jump in. Give it a go and at the end of the day the worst that can happen is you make a mess, but you learn and you learn how not to do things. But in my opinion with a restoration like this you have to try and enjoy the journey as much as the end result.

 

@Zed74 - I don't agree that it's a professional only job. Sure there might be areas that George should get help with, but I see no reason why he can't do a lot of other work on it to save much of the expense. Professionals had to start somewhere themselves. If this was a 120Y nobody would question giving it a go yourself. But since this is chassis #19 everyone is getting precious. .

 

With something like this I'd rather be optimistic and naive than a realist and pessimistic is all I'm saying.

[Brabham]

Hi Gav,

 

noticed that this car has the Koito headlights, making me think they are originals from our previous discussion. Did the Fibreglass nosecones have the studs moulded into them or were they drilled and bolted to the guards? Noticed that Topstage does glass ones if George wanted to go down that path, anyone tried those?

 

Agree with you, George can do a lot of stuff himself to save money, but can farm out bits and pieces as finances allow on the body, no rush to finish it as it will be a big project. I would be hesistant to put a car with this much rust in it on a rotisserie as someone said as I would be worried about it buckling with the floor and sills gone and a rusty roof.

 

Cheers

[zzzzed]

For George or any one else learning about panel work

Spend a bit of time on this forum. There is plenty to learn

http://allmetalshaping.com/

 

[Grandad]

When I first saw this car my initial reaction was why bother, then I saw the build no with matching numbers and thought  that's a very good reason to bother.

 

This is a marathon re-build that's way beyond my capability, it won't surprise me to see it take ten years to complete and surely must be faithfully re-built to factory spec.

 

Gav240Z made a couple of comments I fully support.

 

Focus on one win at a time.

 

Enjoy the journey as much as the result

 

Please keep us informed of your progress, I look forward to following it.

[George]

All comments, pity, encouragement and advice is appreciated.

 

Whatever the future holds I'm excited and I'm looking forward to the experience.

 

At this stage I'm taking a step back after the frantic week I've had and giving myself some time to think, research and plan.

[CroS13]

Wow, i saw the photo's you posted and i felt like going to the doctor to get myself a tetanus injection!

 

i have to give you credit for attempting a project of this magnitude, good luck! And hopefully you have the motivation to persevere with it, ill be looking forward to updates, and hopefully not end up like this guy:

 

 

Rudolf.

[Zedback]

George, Congrats on an awesome find.  I am amazed to see a car in a similar state to mine.  That bubbley roof line, the floor held together with body deadener, those nawed on rear quarters and sills with speed holes! What lies under there is all scary but it's all replaceable one way or another.  It's amazing what you can make with a hammer, a vice and a pair of large multi-grips.  Whatever way you choose to fix it (DIY/professional), it'll still be better than the scrap heap that far better condition cars have ended up on.  I'm DIY all the way on mine, from hand made inner sill membranes to 250GTO fiberglass (though I'm a bit over it and on the look out for a good hatch).  Best of luck, just don't be in a hurry 

[Mr Camouflage]

Did the Fibreglass nosecones have the studs moulded into them .....?

 

Yes they did.

[peter t]

George, Congrats on an awesome find.  I am amazed to see a car in a similar state to mine.  That bubbley roof line, the floor held together with body deadener, those nawed on rear quarters and sills with speed holes! What lies under there is all scary but it's all replaceable one way or another.  It's amazing what you can make with a hammer, a vice and a pair of large multi-grips.  Whatever way you choose to fix it (DIY/professional), it'll still be better than the scrap heap that far better condition cars have ended up on.  I'm DIY all the way on mine, from hand made inner sill membranes to 250GTO fiberglass (though I'm a bit over it and on the look out for a good hatch).  Best of luck, just don't be in a hurry 

I thought yours was bad Mike until I saw this one. At least yours doesn't have paint to hold the rust together now. You are a braver man than me George. 8)

[V8Datto]

I say..... Hugo style tear down with the cam. "I know you want to"

 

Wouldn't expect much change from 35k to get the shell sorted, so do as much as you can yourself

 

I'd do it if I had the chance to buy such a low number, they all have rust some just more than others

 

Go for it George, If it turns out anything like your last z it will be nuts.... and well worth it

[George]

Yay, no rust here. I'll take every small win.

 

Console damage.

 

Cracks.

 

Made from fibreglass.

 

Air con unit by Denso. I'm guessing not original?

 

It's heavy.

 

Should polish up nicely. The other cover looks in better condition but it's the later style.

 

4 screw SU's.

 

 

 

I believe there were 3 heat-shield styles. This is the correct one for this car.

 

Koito rear light assembly.

 

Rough.

 

Only a touch better.

 

Eeeek!

 

Will clean up well.

 

License plate light assembly. Can be saved.

 

The lenses, not a great shot I know, are still clear.

 

The inside/rear part of the license plate assembly. Also usable.

 

The left one is usable but the right one has some rust and will need to be replaced.

 

My first snapped bolt and it was a fender one. I expected more to be honest.

 

Interesting air horns made in Italy.

 

[adam]

You're a brave man, best of wishes with the rebuild!

[gav240z]

I didn't think the AU market got the 2400cc valve cover. Looks like we did.

 

Unfortunately those tai lights are probably not fixable. What is in the middle of the rear licence plate light? Never seen that bolt? Looks after market.

 

I wonder if that 69 stamped on the back of the koito licence plate is a reference to year of manufacture?

 

Looks like Safari Gold it is .

 

I think your console can be fixed. Mine had cracked in same area. A bit of fibreglass on the backside of it and it should give it strength.

 

I thought the SU screw thing was in reference to the dome top screws not the manifold itself. They could be the originals. Maybe our market didn't get them?

 

That air con could have been an original option.

 

Don't worry about how those carbs and valve cover looks. Polishing alloy is not too hard and will make them like new. Cadmium plate the SU throttle parts to fix those. I'm looking into DIY kits since so many z parts were plated.