Jeff's 240z build

[CBR Jeff]

Thanks Jeff

Engine bay does look good.

I have to work fast as I want to get to a dry build stage over Christmas, I have quite a bit of work on at the moment and I'm off to Rally Australia for 10 days in November so there is a need to use the time I have productively...

Jeff

[AndBir]

Thanks Lockie. They are small pipes for 300+ HP :-).

Look forward to the call as always.

Big weekend on the car. Pedal box is back together after a clean up strip and paint, looks like new. Engine bay is painted in POR and looks great although I do have a couple of spots that ended up with some bubbles due to being a bit over enthusiastic with the coverage. They will be fairly easy to address later before primer. Onto the underside this week then inside.

Time for a beer and the moto GP.

Jeff

 

Yes, the POR-15 seems temperamental of put on too thickly or too soon on top of the first coat (I waited the 3+ hours and did the fingernail test as outlined in the instructions) - hard to stop it accumulating in low points.

 

I see I have some rust on the pedal box - I assume it is due to hydraulic fluid removing the paint?

Edited November 6, 2016 by AndBir

[CBR Jeff]

Yep. Andy it was the first coat being a bit thick not the second coat as it had plenty of time to cure.

Rust on the pedal box is just Datsun rust. It's not related to fluid just not being clean before painting and the paint peeling off, no undercoat etc etc. Not like your car :-).

Jeff

[CBR Jeff]

It was a big weekend at our house.

Girls went to Wagga for the weekend so Rocky and I were batching, happy days. The list of things to do was massive and we almost got them all done.

Saturday

A quick 2 hour Mountain bike ride at Stromlo.

Visit to the local coffee shop.

Finish off the wire brush/wheel and paint removal of the bottom of the car from the engine bay to the rear suspension drop pins and the inside floor section.

Clean both sections with marine clean and the metal ready.

A couple of small jobs on the list left by the boss.

Sunday

Get a coffee on the way to helping sort out the tyres for the Rally of Australia, several calls to Japan to confirm plans.

Firsts coat of POR-15 or area prepped on Saturday.

Wash the windows (outside) of the house.

Get ingrediants for dinner and throw into the slow cooker.

Check the POR-15 but not ready so started to pull the steering column apart and clean up.

Apply second coat of POR-15.

Drink beer and update build thread before girls get home then dinner.

 

Very tired Jeff.

Edited November 6, 2016 by CBR Jeff

[KatoKid]

Sounds like the perfect weekend!

[jeff43]

Sounds like an awesome weekend. You just need the girls to go away more often. Well done, looking good.

[CBR Jeff]

Thanks again boys.

Last night I started on the steering wheel. Had a bit of time in the shed and this job fitted.

I do like the original steerers.

[ScottyD]

Hey Jeff, Nice prep work on the wheel, I'm just about to start on mine, did you sand to remove the old paint and varnish and are you going to add wood stain if so what colour.

Thanks Scott.

[CBR Jeff]

Thanks Scott.

I media blasted (carefully) the central section and have started to sand (paper) the wheel.

I'm not up to colour yet. But it will probably be original ish. But might get carried away and polish the metal section yet? Time will tel.

I like these old wheels. I'm probably going to get a horn cap machined up out of aluminium to clip onto the original push switch. See how we go.

Jeff

Edited November 8, 2016 by CBR Jeff

[chris240]

Gee I reckon that wheel would look a million dollars highly polished out..

[CBR Jeff]

I think it would to Chris. Looks like it's not going to be to much work either.

Had a bit of a crack at polishing it this afternoon. It's a start.

Jeff

[CBR Jeff]

It's polishing up ok. It's not going to be perfect but it's 40 years old and I think it looks good.

 

Jeff

[chris240]

Looks terrific, it looks circa 73.

[gav240z]

Yeah I do kind of like it 'naked' like that, but it tends to have a bit too much bling for me when installed against the sea of black vinyl . Although it's hard to tell if I'm just so used to the original look anything else looks strange now or out of place.

 

Next wheel I do I want to apply clear coat to really give it that gloss finish. (which for some might be too much).

 

From a Facebook post recently.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/datsun.europe/permalink/1611252812511555/?sale_post_id=1611252812511555

[gav240z]

By the way Jeff how are you polishing it? For a job like that I'd be tempted to invest in a dremmel with various attachments. 

[CBR Jeff]

Gav a dremmel would be ideal if you had one. I have used items I already had in the shed.

Started with the renovator/multi tool with the sanding attachment. Worked from 180 to 400 grit paper. Then using a buffing attachment on a battery drill, finally elbow power with cut and polish compound.

I'm going the satin finish on the wood.

It has not taken much effort or time to this point.

 

Jeff

[CBR Jeff]

It's been over a month since I have had time to post in my build thread. Work has been typically pre Christmas where everyone wants to go on holidays and want all job they have been sitting on most of the year finished!!

I have been getting in as much time on my Z as time possible and chose to spend time doing rather that on the forum (sorry :-)).

Steering wheel and column have been finished for what seems like ages. I also have finished off the last body repair job on the rear hatch strut mounting point on the shell. It was suffering from a previous repair after it had basically failed. I ended up manufacturing a small strut to attach to the bottom extending to the rear suspension tower. I made it from a section of 10mm rod that I heated and shaped old school blacksmith style. It will help support the rear hatch gutter where the strut mounts.

The extractors arrived all shiny and new. So I fitted them to the engine along with the inlet manifold etc.

 

 

Today was spent starting the dry build, what a day. Car is now sitting on jack stands in the shed with all the suspension, diff gear box and engine fitted. It started today on the rotisserie on the side of the shed. Later this week I'll fit the exhaust, the EFI equipment including the ECU relay plate and radiator. Then I'll pull it all apart again and put it back on the rotisserie to finish off the underside early in the new year.

 

Edited December 17, 2016 by CBR Jeff

[jeff43]

Progressing nicely Jeff, it must be nice to see that beautiful engine in the bay. Don't feel bad, I have not posted in months but that doesn't mean I'm not progressing. It just means the task I'm doing at the moment ( body prep for paint) isn't very post worthy, well not until it's pretty much done anyway. I hope to post soon.

 

Keep at it and it will be done before you know it.

[KatoKid]

Good stuff.

 

Was wondering where the Jeff's got to!

[CBR Jeff]

I look back at the year that was in our house. Its no wonder I didn't get as much done on the Z as I originally planed.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

 

Jeff

 

[CBR Jeff]

Dry build continues. Bit of time this afternoon. Exhaust fits (almost) just a couple of small modifications and it will be spot on.

Radiator is spot on. It's not bolted in yet but won't take much work to fit, I just need to mark the radiator support holes on the radiator mounting plate, drill them and mount the radiator.

Jeff

Edited December 21, 2016 by CBR Jeff

[C.A.R.]

Exhaust fits (almost) just a couple of small modifications and it will be spot on.

 

I was really hoping that it would fit perfectly without needing modification

[CBR Jeff]

I was really hoping that it would fit perfectly without needing modification

Locky it's no big deal. The exhaust is spot on it's just the extractors are a smudge to long :-).

The back is perrrfect.

Jeff.

[jeff43]

Locky it's no big deal. The exhaust is spot on it's just the extractors are a smudge to long :-).

The back is perrrfect.

Jeff.

 

Is a "smudge" longer than a "smidge"????

[CBR Jeff]

It's shorter ;-)

Jeff