andyk_79 Posted October 22, 2014 Posted October 22, 2014 I've seen a few funny ones on here so thought I might start a thread. There's 2 WTF items on my car so far: - Ghetto blaster speakers wired to the stereo and sitting loose in the boot waiting for their chance to fly around the cabin and cause injuries - At some point someone has decided the engine was not warming up enough, so to restrict coolant flow they drilled a hole through a welsh plug and jammed it in the radiator hose. Quote
thriller Posted October 22, 2014 Posted October 22, 2014 * Painted a 260z in hot pink * Bought a 'Hello Kitty' steering wheel cover * Absolutely covered it in animal activism stickers * Pink floor mats * Velour pink seat covers Andrew_L26 1 Quote
George Posted October 22, 2014 Posted October 22, 2014 I've found wood screws throughout the car holding interior bits and even on the bonnet holding a patch section. The ones on the bonnet are about 5 times as long as they need to be and protrude from the bottom about 50mm. Mad Max style. Here's some that secured the fuze box to the body. Quote
Mike260LW Posted October 23, 2014 Posted October 23, 2014 I reckon restoring an old car is a bit like an archaeological dig, you sort of work down through the layers of paint, then when you hit metal, you discover all the appalling panel repairs the owners/insurers paid huge money for. The sins of the past that bog can hide! Quote
GK510 Posted October 23, 2014 Posted October 23, 2014 I've discovered wood screws too! Holding in the lower edge of the tail light surrounds, even though the lower clips still seem to be intact. I am also in the process of "restoring" my tail lights and front indicators/park lights after a previous owner decided it would be a good idea to use some spray on tint on the lenses. One light done, three still to go! The scary part is that I have only just started pulling the first few bits and pieces off so I'm sure there is a treasure trove of this sort of stuff still to be unearthed. I will most likely be reporting in to this thread again at a late date. Quote
Administrators gav240z Posted October 23, 2014 Administrators Posted October 23, 2014 Thankfully I don't have too many things to blame on my previous owners. I've bought what I think were relatively good cars. Fingers crossed (still haven't peeled back all the layers of onion yet!). I'd like to think that after my 260z 2+2 I learnt a few lessons about what not to buy and therefore each car I've bought since then has been carefully selected. As an example I recently took the FD RX-7 to a local workshop and the owner of the shop said it was a good example, nice and clean underneath etc.. So I was happy about that, although I knew it was a good car before that too, it's always good to have it validated in some way shape or form. The 72 240z was in the same family for many years (in fact most of it's life) and still on its original registration plates when I got it (sadly I let it lapse) but I think those things often indicate a car has been taken care of. He did quite a bit of work (the PO) on the 240z although some things were not to my liking or level I'd be happy with. He did quite a few things I was also impressed with at the same time. It has been a good car and something I've enjoyed owning over the years. It's never really given me grief except for a faulty distributor module and needing basic disposable items here and there. So what can I complain about? 1. The mirrors. Why on gods green earth did he think they look good? I still don't know. 2. Interior re-trim. The carpets on the trans tunnel, the shag pile like door cards and the seats. The alloy / custom lathed gear knob is cool though and very e-type jaguar. 3. Body work - so ok I'm really bragging here... compared to what some folks have to overcome. The car had a minor front end tap at some point in it's life and the repair work was ok, but the panel gaps at the front of the car have always bothered me. I will at some point correct this, but for now I have to live with it. There is also some rust coming through in the door skins, and near the petrol filler cap, but they are the original doors and I guess it could be a lot worse! 4. De-badging the car (Except the tail gate?) - I dunno why - but all the original badges are missing except the rear hatch. I like the OEM badges. Looks far too naked without them. 5. This I only have myself to blame. Red brake drums. 6. I put a sound system in it at 1 point. Only to remove it later. 7. A good point - I always loved the exhaust system the PO fitted. 8. Dashboard was re-skinned well. 9. To skimp on costs though I think the PO sourced a bunch of rubbers that were not OEM and some don't fit so well. Or were not for that purpose. When putting the doors back together some of the fasteners are not correct so the passenger door doesn't wind up easily due to alignment issues etc.. 10. The SU carb linkages were a bit of a mismatch and as a result the throttle doesn't open 100%. I'll fix this at some point or fit triples. 11. Chasing down original bits and bobs. Overall I've spent a lot of time trying to put the car back to it's original state. Sourcing bits of plastic trim that were broken or missing, replaced the console, the vinyl interior is going back, along with OEM door cards and the seats will get re-trimmed original. Carpets were replaced. Front bumper was re-done, along with replacement bonnet (due to poor repair after front end tap). Lots of rust in common spots treated, like dog legs, rear of chassis rails, that area on the chassis rails behind the front wheels (that sandwiched metal piece). Perhaps the weirdest thing was finding the electronic distributor module had been modified/customised - I still don't know if it worked correctly but it finally died at 1 point leaving me stranded. The distributor advance was also busted. Next post will be about HS30 00150. Quote
andyk_79 Posted October 23, 2014 Author Posted October 23, 2014 * Bought a 'Hello Kitty' steering wheel cover Easily removed from car - not so easily scraped off the retinas !! I'm kinda wishing I had of seen it! Quote
chartoo Posted October 23, 2014 Posted October 23, 2014 My PO had fit these massive overfenders, no problem but had filled the gap with expanding foam which absorbed water. Major drama when I stripped it back but the rust wasnt so bad under it all. Quote
Scottz Posted October 26, 2014 Posted October 26, 2014 Pulled the dash out of a car once and found a $2 note - Yep the old paper stuff. Quote
neRok Posted October 26, 2014 Posted October 26, 2014 I am so sick of tek screws! My first 260z also had expanding foam in many strange places. I heard the car had a v8 back in the day, so I wondered if the foam was stop smoke getting into cabin Quote
andyk_79 Posted November 5, 2014 Author Posted November 5, 2014 I present to you the double wammy when trying to work out what might be wrong with my indicators. A speaker mounted on the steering column and a bunch of wires with empty in line fuse holders that as far as I can tell the wires serve no purpose whatsoever. No wonder the wiring is doing my head in! Quote
GK510 Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 The speaker looks like it's probably part of a mobile phone hands free kit. Some of the other random wiring is most likely related to it also. GongZ 1 Quote
DreamZproject Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 In my 260z, fiberglass is about 50 different rust patches, often backed by cardboard. :/ In my MR2, a fully hektic subwoofer in the boot. (Doesn't sound too bad until you realise that it is a mid engine car and there is a whole freakn engine between you and the speaker!) GongZ 1 Quote
andyk_79 Posted November 5, 2014 Author Posted November 5, 2014 The speaker looks like it's probably part of a mobile phone hands free kit. Some of the other random wiring is most likely related to it also. Ahh yep - that makes sense. There is a little mic up near the roof lining on drivers side. Still interesting that speaker fixed on to steering column though ! I'm gonna take it out as I'm not even sure where the spot is to plug phone in. Quote
GK510 Posted November 6, 2014 Posted November 6, 2014 Ahh yep - that makes sense. There is a little mic up near the roof lining on drivers side. Still interesting that speaker fixed on to steering column though ! I'm gonna take it out as I'm not even sure where the spot is to plug phone in. You would be surprised at some of things you find when working up under the dashboard. One of the better ones I came across in my years working as a mechanic was similar to what you have found. Except that this one had the speaker and about a metre of excess length wiring coiled up and cable tied to the top of the brake pedal! Quote
andyk_79 Posted November 6, 2014 Author Posted November 6, 2014 this one had the speaker and about a metre of excess length wiring coiled up and cable tied to the top of the brake pedal! At least the guy in my car had the decency to shove excess speaker wire in between the fuse panel and the trans tunnel! Around brake pedal could make things interesting...... Quote
Andrew_L26 Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 Oh where do I start? Firstly this colour... Then there is this.... Oh and a fully siq de-badge / bog / rust set up on the rear hatch The car had a CD with really weird music on it like captain planet etc. You can find it all here xD https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-7sJCmAZ6KaNDNCWjhFd2tQeDA/view?usp=sharing Also had some pretty hectic stika-flex floor pan fix. Not to mention the incredible amount of bobby-pins scattered around the car. I believe this is the previous previous owner due to a number of factors however I'm not 100% sure, I have messaged her to ask but no reply (Yes she owns a pink blown vn commodore) Perhaps she realised that when she wound back the ODO to 19,000 km that people may notice, or she remembered that she forgot to get rid of the oil sticker that says 95,000 Quote
brent012 Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 Haha, wouldn't it have a 5 digit ODO anyway? Quote
Andrew_L26 Posted October 30, 2015 Posted October 30, 2015 Haha, wouldn't it have a 5 digit ODO anyway? I think it has a 6 digit but I will double check when I get home haha Quote
Mr Camouflage Posted October 31, 2015 Posted October 31, 2015 (Yes she owns a pink blown vn commodore) That's not a VN Commodore. cracker 1 Quote
Moderators PB260Z Posted October 31, 2015 Moderators Posted October 31, 2015 When my car first arrived at Lurch's from the previous one of the things that stood out the unique stereo install. On the upside the console is uncut. Andrew_L26 1 Quote
Andrew_L26 Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 When my car first arrived at Lurch's from the previous one of the things that stood out the unique stereo install. On the upside the console is uncut. Better that it's not cut then having it terribly cut like mine was/is I ended up just making a plate that goes over it all! Quote
Moderators PB260Z Posted November 1, 2015 Moderators Posted November 1, 2015 Better that it's not cut then having it terribly cut like mine was/is I ended up just making a plate that goes over it all! Yeah, very pleased that it is not cut, means I will be able to have a neat radio install when I get to that stage Quote
Mr Camouflage Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 Bought my first 240Z from a wrecker here in Perth, when I was 17 in the 1980s. Parents gave me $2000 to buy a car, probably should have bought something sensible, and drivable, but no, I found an unlicensed 240Z in need of a lot of TLC. The car was in very poor condition cosmetically. Story of the car was that it was stolen in NSW by an escaped prisoner and he fled across the country in it to WA. Car was stopped by the cops in Albany for a broken tail light, and the game was up. Prisoner went back to jail. Car was sold to the wreckers. Insurance company didn't want to transport it back across the country. In the glovebox I found a map of NSW with towns circled in biro and the words "Fill" written next to them. Presumably the escape route out of NSW and which towns he needed to fill the tank at. Andrew_L26 and gav240z 2 Quote
Cozza Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 Not that I support any criminal activity but, that is quite a unique and interesting story. I'm guessing you checked the tool boxes straight up for any contraband. ? Mick gav240z 1 Quote
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