240Z_au

Well, Alkaline is PH Neutral and its basically water. After moving the car around, they blow torch it (and I mean, massive propane blower to dry the car out, paying special attention to joints etc.) I went there today and spoke with their sales guy, the trouble is (and this is really just my problem), I would need to be there right throughout the week long process to trust it. There are way too many important (to me) steps which I would need to be 100% sure of to feel good about the entire operation. Looks like a lot f professional restorers do use them and there is a 3 month waiting list so I'm a little bummed about that.. Redi Strip is a US patented process and they operate on a license from US. I suspect the E-coating isn't used here as our weather doesn't create enough demand. The Redi Strip guy told me that till recently (like 2-3 years ago) they had much less restoration business because most budget resto's did nit want to invest 3-4K to do this + the added need (and $$) to strip absolutely everything off the car. Yeah we should..I have some beauties here to make a grown man cry..

I think that would be easy to see. Having worked on Z's for many years, some experience coupled with common-sense should prevail. Chassis rails come to mind as one of these areas, but If I hang the shell vertically for a day, all should leak out. I'm going there tomorrow to talk to the owner. Hemmings talked about two bath system which the Sydney business does not mention.. Will let you know tomorrow. "Without a doubt, the most thorough way to remove paint from a vehicle is to have the entire body dipped in a vat of dissolving chemicals; one company that's well known for this service is Redi Strip. The downside is that anything that isn't sheetmetal must be removed from the vehicle first, and if the stripped body isn't properly cleaned of the caustic chemical, it can remain in tight seams and small cavities and will harm the new paint. Dale Lodor of Auto Restoration Depot in Wauchula, Florida, has been in the restoration business for the last 36 years, and has been stripping and derusting for the past five. He dips all of his own projects in his two-tank, total-immersion stripping system and handles stripping chores for a variety of professional restorers. Half of his business, however, comes from hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers. "The good professional restoration shops and many amateurs go this route," Dale said. "You can see what you've got after the car has been dipped. It gets in every place and takes everything totally off it." The two-tank process immerses a body first in a tank that degreases and loosens all of the paint. Then, with a heated pressure water wash, all paint, grease and scale is removed. The second tank is full of an alkaline electrolytic solution through which an electric DC current is passed. The body emerges shiny, with every pit and corner rust-free. Stripping paint definitely isn't sexy, but with all of the options available there's no reason that a home restorer can't free a beautiful body from the fetters of failing paint--the first step in the making of a drop-dead gorgeous restoration."

It gets out by hanging the car vertically for a period of time, rotating it on rotisserie and where necessary, drilling small holes in strategic places for drainage which can then also be used to inject rust proofing material before they are plugged up. I also talked to my painter and bounced the idea of placing the car in a booth and baking it overnight at 40C+. The bath method does remove rust from inside, blasting does not, so I like the idea of that (especially on early Z). I guess I wont be driving the car in the rain regularly or washing it every week, so even if rust develops again, that would take years to show on the outside as it it neutralised by the bath system from within....Hmm...Still very undecided, but I'm leaning towards a bath due to total rust removal from in and out. Could we ever call early Z truly "rust fee"? LOL..

Hi. Full Restoration. The 73 was a refresh. What do you think about them?: https://www.redistrip.com.au/ I'veonly ever done soda blast before. Yeah, it looked kind of cool. Havent seen that type of a shot before, so here it is

OK, she's almost stripped underneath. Doing exterior tomorrow and interior Wednesday.

Coming empty with fully enclosed trailer from Townsville to Sydney early week after next. Cheap transport from North. Also going to Melbourne this coming Thursday so anyone in Sydney wanting transport to Melbourne please PM me.

Yes, I prepped the body and got the One Day Auto Paint to spray it in their booth. It was Indy short Porsche Red (Guards Red). Porsche was my 1st love, but 240Z was what I could afford and then fell in love with. I painted many cars afterwards for family and friends (developed painting skill, mainly with 2K)...........BTW. I'm not a trades person and I have a Marketing & Finance background, but I think I was a body repairer in my previous life :-)........... The 1st Z ended badly as did my 1st girlfriend in the background. The car was stolen from under a local night club one Saturday night and smashed against the car park wall. (cracked block, bent steering and all..Still have plenty of pictures)...I bought the car for $4,500 (it was a 17 year old car then) and got $5,500 from Insurance AND kept the car which I sold to a wrecker for $500 ;(

That's a great idea!. I was going to suggest earlier in the week a thread about your Earliest Picture of your Z, but this idea (story) AND the earliest picture, can be combined. There are so many wonderful stories, having owned a 240Z since I was 17-18 in the late 80's. My 1st Z was a Black 1971 (below), too many stories, way too many for here. My 2nd 240 (1990-91) was also very exciting and my 1st attempt at tripples (pulled dellortos from a local Alfa wrecker for $100 each done the whole thing on my own...very badly). Around that time, I was studding and there was a business called "One Day Auto Paint" in Sydneys Silverwater. They advertised heavily on TV with $499 drive in and out paint jobs (literally) and $699 for a 'premium' job. I wanted to respray my Z and having checked them out, I was not going to let the owner or his staff touch my car. I convinced the owner to let me prep my car in his shop for small amount of $ and I would just let him paint it in their booth (painter was OK, preparation was shocking!) After he saw me working for a few weekends on my car, he asked me to lead his "exclusive" paint section for high-end cars. We agreed on a rate and I had a weekend job (they ware open 7 days). My first project?..Old XJS Jag. I met the owner, he briefed me on his baby and how perfect he wanted the body to look, the owner introduced me as the "golden child" and bragged about the quality of finish on my Z parked outside and declared that I would deliver same result on his XJS....Five minutes after the XJS owner left, I was briefed by the paint shop owner..."rub it down, bog it up and spray putty all over"...I lasted 1 day and left...

Good luck to them.. Its all about timing, supply and demand. I say if you can get it, and both parties happy with the outcome, then its all open for the young and old and the man with the deepest pockets and best appetite wins! Recent case of a Green yes, Green) Dino at Shannos for over $500K is a classic example. You want to buy another Dino today??..Good luck. OK, back to Z's

You think it will re-start with same first two words?...

More sins of the flesh...Good news, no rust in Rails or the battery area. I particularly enjoyed the wire contraption for rear exhaust

WOW!..Yes, I missed it..It was advertised for like $35K?, for about 2 hours, then 40's (where I made the move), now the owner flipping again?.I'll would consider for earlier series, but not 71. Looking closely around the badges, the paint looks very average. It would pain me knowing I would need it perfect. . Thanks for sharing!..I'm sitting on a gold mine?

OK, so engine, and box out. Most of the front end parts gone too..Moving on to stripping entire external and then internal parts. Aiming for end of next week. Then the big decision, deep or blast??..Help!! Also..Dodgy "repair" register...Spot the "dodgy"

Yeah, that's it!, Saw the VIN on Google before the purchase. Nice quick flip for the ACT owner (David) who spent few $ on some basics, but really the car was just not good enough for me from the 1st sight so its going to be the way it needs to be, but you cannot just buy. I don't feel "patina" LOL, I need everything Fresh, especially the paint Sorry David, I liked the car, but I want to like it more Got the books, all good!

Yes. Offered asking price and NOTHING Anyway, just another car I guess...

Mine's is bigger than yours! ....LOL...But seriously, nice to see its all there locked up in a vault. Maybe we should find No3 and have a reunion?..Or sell it as a bragging rights trifecta to a Z investor?..

That's so interesting. I found my lost "brother"..

This Clarion Tape player came with the car, there is a bracket under the dash and I had it checked out today and it works! (as do my 1980 tapes! LOL) So, anyone know whether it came as a standard equipment option in the early 70's?..I'm not that old, thought tapes have only started late 70's? so nothing for 240Z's??..Curious.

Thanks very much... Re 1991, yes, this car was a winner. The owner was till very recently in possession. Kept a very detailed diary of all of the work, I have to dig the name out, but the trophy is sitting on my toolbox I'll dig his name out soon.

That's encouraging. Thanks!..Will take up to 8 weeks I've been told, they are at capacity.

Hello Again. May as well share this next project with those who would at least listen and appreciate. So my Red 240 is almost done. Well, its a constant WIP as we all know, always something to improve. The red car is satisfying my inner child for that car I always wanted, but never could afford to build back when I was 18. Its not perfect, but its great for me and I love what it does when pushed. Now in my 40's, I also got to appreciate the finer details of this original cars. The wooden wheel, the supple ride, the smooth hum of the L24 and so on. So, having looked for the new project and wanting a complete car with a solid chassis and as close to the original as I can afford, I purchased this yellow one pretty much sight unseen. I wanted to buy another Green car as well (one that recently got away, but for reasons still unknown (I offered what was being asked and was ready to pick the car up with no questions asked) it wasn't meant to be. After driving the yellow car as a daily for the last month or so, I decided to do what I planned and get this thing restored to a much better shape. The car has a nice history and was kept surprisingly original. Matching numbers, clock, AM radio, all working too even got a trophy from the 90's as the car won Sydney Z Club concourse! (must have been in a much better shape back then So, here she is as of last week. Yesterday and today I had a lot of "stuff" pulled out. The engine is going to James at MIA (thanks for the tip Gav.) and Gearbox to Lurch just to support Victorian economy a bit from here (well, as soon as he tells me where to send it) I'll have the rack and diff etc done too and the car will be stripped this week and planning to deep in in a week or two. Then off to panel shop and the time consuming part of finer DETAIL and placing it all together. Well, wish me luck. I'll be hitting you all up for some advice shortly

Cheers guys. Well, lets not chat, lets exchange details and go from there. PM me.. Thank You!

OK, engine on its way. Sounds like a nice guy, hope he does what he says for the $$ https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Jt0zM9_ibupvMOxo5nms-djkhrrQGeID4JP4SBMrrcI=w1511-h849-no

Thanks!. Call him tomorrow. They do gearboxes also?.

Guys Just pulling out my L24 and want to send it somewhere for a refresh. (head, block, etc). Don't want to send it to mechanical shops, but to an engine builder who knows his stuff and has done few of them for members here. I'm after more or less factory specs, not chasing power on this one. Prefer Sydney based. Engine coming out tomorrow morning so want to send it and get moving on the body while engine and gearbox is out. Thanks in advance for your feedback.