C.A.R.

First was to pull the front out - the skirt and rail had pushed into the firewall, so we pulled the assembly forward to get the damage out. A bit of pulling, fettling and farnarkling and we got the front pulled square enought to begin the next step. After further inspection and consultation with the owner, it was decided to remove the front end and replace it with a straight one. Repairing the original front clip was going to be costly and I was doubtful we could make it look 100% perfect again... Looking at the other damage, we turned out attention to the LH rear quarter where it had taken a hit, so we attached the Dozer and gave it a pull along the bottom edge: Further investigation revealed previous repairs - and they didn't look good...

So this Michael fella posts up on one of the FB groups last year, asking for parts and panels to repair his bent Z that he's just bought. Like an idiot I pipe up and comment he needs to have it pulled straight by a shop first, before anything can be replaced. Next thing I know, he's PM'd me asking more questions... And this is how I ended up with another job and a it's bloody Bus! Turns out he had bought it off a friend who's SON had driven it into a tree... The Dad apparently didn't want any more to do with it and so he sold it to this bloke Michael. It looked like an OK thing before the accident: But now... oof... It's your typical Z hotrod with flares, big wheels, shitty coilovers & triple carbs. It was apparently been built buy a shop for the farther & son, but as you'll soon see, you wouldn't get them to service your lawnmower... Michael had removed the engine and gearbox before bringing it down to me. In mid April this POS arrives in my shop; it goes straight up on the chassis bench where we give it a good look over and measure. Miraculously the damage hasn't twisted or bent the shell behind the firewall, so we can get away with just front chassis repairs. However in the accident, the LH rear copped a hit along with the LH dogleg - and this is where the project snowballed...

Un-tape it, clean it, inspect it, pop the plugs off, cut the terminals off and crimp on new terminals, refit plugs then re-tape it. This will guarantee it'll be fault free when you reinstall it. Same goes for the main body looms.

The springs rates are very soft - Les Collins tested a set and they come in at around 180lbs/in / 3.5kg/mm ! Typical squishy/soft ride to suit the Seppos... Also, if those are the Koni's that the ZStore had made for them, they are a full length damper and WILL NOT work with a lowered Z. If you are keeping your Z at factory ride height, you wont have a problem.

Lots of panel beating to get it back into shape and some time spent readjusting the panel gaps to make them nice, followed by a fresh coat of Epoxy. It's now back with Les Collins Racing for them to organize painting it - I'll update this thread once it has colour on it.

Rust in the RH door was repaired: Quite a challenging repair and it required a bit of straightening afterwards.

Wanted to buy: 260Z vented bonnet in useable condition - can have minor rust and dents, but I'd prefer a good one. Must be in better condition than the one in the photo... (New bonnets are currently not available). I'm in Victoria, however I'm happy to collect or arrange collection. Please PM me if you have one available.

Both under floor rails were dented and had been pushed up causing the floor to bow, so they were removed and new KFVintage items were installed:

The hatch hinge pockets had badly rusted, so we made the decision to unpick the side panel & re-fabricate the hinge pockets:

Hatch slam panel was next:

Pull it out & clean it. Re-adjust it's range - this can be done out of the tank - it should have a Ohm range of 10 to 90ohms. If it is stuffed, try genuine Nissan for a new one.

Know it? I've driven it!

Very hard to find now... $200ea maybe?

Yep: http://lescollinsracing.com/

Lead is very old fashioned & you have to be careful of your prep and clean up of it, otherwise it can bleed though the paint... It's also dangerous if you inhale it. We use UPOL metal epoxy filler in those original lead loaded areas over the top of epoxy primer.

More information please? Why do you need to dry sump your engine? Edit: You could try https://www.daileyengineering.com/ in the US first.

I have a correct 225mm flywheel, including the correct bolts. It will need de-rusting and surfacing. $350 posted.

I would have like to have bought new doors, but they have been out of stock since 2020 with no ETA able to be given. This has forced us to repair the original door shells and fit the horrible Rare Spares door skins... The original door skins were were beyond economical repair, so they were removed to expose the previous "repairs". On with the repairs. As The LH side was the worst, we removed the bottom section of the LH door, then a new repair section was fabricated and tacked into place. This photo shows the another section of the door frame that requires replacement: We removed the top reinforcement gusset to expose the rust underneath and it was around this time that I decided it would be easier if the doors were nice and clean, so I had the shells media blasted and locked up in Epoxy. This was cut out and a new piece fabricated and welded into place: The internal gusset was beyond saving, so a new one was made and welded into place. And the remaining repairs to the bottom of the shell: The door glass bumper mount was gone in the RH door so a new one was made and spot welded into place: Once the repairs were complete the doors were sanded, given another coat of Epoxy, then this was sanded again before a coat of KBS Rust Seal was applied:

It will bolt straight in. It's a wide ratio box and unless it's been reconditioned, 2nd & 3rd synchros will be worn.

Repeat on the LH side: New inners:

The top of the sill was cut out, the internals of the sill cavity were sanded, rust converted and painted in KBS Rust seal. Then a new top for the sill was fabricated and fitted into place, along with the back corner of the A-post bottom:

Francis at AutoBling in Braeside: 0422 865 038

Just time it to TDC on No1.

They belong to a mate of mine - that's where he stores them.