ZEDSDED - The resurrection - Part 1 - removal from the swamp and delivery

[Zedsded]

Ok - so as suggested by some,  I am starting a build thread for the revival of this beautiful 1977 silver 260z 2+2 that was one of the luckier victims of the recent QLD floods. This is going back to the start, and I will add more soon.

 

Purchased from a very friendly and helpful New Zealander who spent a fair amount of time working on unsticking the handbrake so that the transport could move the car on and off the tray as well as being available to answer my questions on the phone.  He owned the car for 10years and kept it very original apart from a quality $2000 custom exhaust system and a now waterlogged pioneer sterero. 

 

The dead zed made its way onto the back of the truck and arrived ahead of schedule at my house in Melbourne.  The first challenge, was to get the rolling vehicle off the main road and up a steep driveway to my garage and workshop.  I tried towing it up (with two drivers) at first with my 1965 Rambler 287 V8, but it struggled with the gradiant.  Then I tried to tow it with the HX 308V8 one tonner, but not enough weight over the rear axle meant a lot of wheelspin and not much movement.  In the end the Euro Audi allroad was called in and did it with ease.

 

Thus begun the clean up job, washing off the residual gunk from the flood waters and road grime.  Photos for part one...attached, assuming they work.

[luvemfast]

Was this off eBay?

Looked like it would have been nice before the floods.

Hope you do a good job of cleaning her out. Then she last for many years to come. (with lots of fish oil)

[Sirpent]

Best of luck Buddy

 

Agree with Simon, must have been a nice ride before the floods and hopefully will be again.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Zedsded]

Was this off eBay?

Looked like it would have been nice before the floods.

Hope you do a good job of cleaning her out. Then she last for many years to come. (with lots of fish oil)

 

Yep this was an ebay purchase...risky, but was a good one in the end...better than I expected!

[luvemfast]

Just make sure you get into all the double panels as it was water that got in, but it would have left mud behind.

Good luck, when are you expecting to have it on the road?

[gilltech]

Ditto Luvenfast's advice - investigate all the cavities & lapped panels; depends where the car was when it was inundated but it was very likely contaminated mud too (eg. faecal matter, dangerous chemicals, pollutants) so take care of yourself with regard to abrasions, scratches etc. Plenty of industrial sites & several sewerage treatment sites went under.

[Zedsded]

Ditto Luvenfast's advice - investigate all the cavities & lapped panels; depends where the car was when it was inundated but it was very likely contaminated mud too (eg. faecal matter, dangerous chemicals, pollutants) so take care of yourself with regard to abrasions, scratches etc. Plenty of industrial sites & several sewerage treatment sites went under.

 

  thanks, had not thought of that!

 

On the issue of bare metal resto or just good body prep and paint work, who are the trusted craftsmen of the Victorian members?  After reading the Brown Hornet thread last night, I was wondering who are the master craftsmen down here...  My sister has a beautiful 1976 BMW E3 and we had a specialist in Richmond work on that...can't recall his name at the moment, but I was a bit disappointed with some over-run in a part of the clear coat, so I want someone even more of a perfectionist than that!

[peter t]

Be carefull and do some checking before spending lots of money. In Qld if a car is flooded by fresh water it is listed as a repairable write off but if flooded by sea water the car numbers are recorded and can never be registered again. As I saw in your pics the car had plates but that doesn't mean it had insurance. I am hoping that you have crossed all T's and dotted the I's when buying this car.

[Stivva]

I saw this one on eBay and thought a good clean up and it would make for a good wheeler dealers sale. Goo lick with it and make sure you hit it hard with the gurni gun.