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Week 6... Nat was around this weekend so I trundled down there thismorning to find much had been done in the past two weeks. Aside from being a little distracted by the immaculate DB6 that Nat was doing some mechanical work to, the FX holden that appeared to be getting the same 'lightening' treatment that my 240 is well used to, and a fiat 124 sport that he was re-doing the suspension on, we did have a moment to have a look at the hornet. I summary, Nat has completed all chassis sections, floors, wheel arches, and has now progressed onto the passenger side sill section ... yes the part that we said only weeks ago was 'fine and will not need any repairs' !!!!!!! Bottom line, we're sure the drivers side is fine (no really we are!!), so now we need to complete the sill, rain gutters, and then beaver panel. Tried to get a feel for where we're at, and Nat says about 80% done ... Panels are still not back from the bead blaster with the GTS Monaro, given the rain has slowed down their progress .. (they don't like to play with bare metal in this rain). Enjoy the photos.... sorry for the quality ,,, camera battery just about dead and lighting pretty average! Rgds Adam

mmm... more refined, melted front, bad sound ... BUT faster, more powerful and better handler. I'll buy that .... and to beat the C63AMG and other cars on the track is def a positive ... Review was a bit soft ... with it was the proper Top Gear guys ... all in all its better and they seemed fair. What do you think

Well no updates this weekend of the car ... Nat had a show to go to, so could not see it. However, forever thinking of the best colour / finish combination, I got surfing and found this. Its a 1966 904 GTS, which you can see has a few similarities to that of the front of the 240Z. Perhaps this photo might have found its way into the design studio at Nissan all those years ago. Anyway, most porsche enthusiasts regard this as the most beautiful ever to leave the Stuttgart factory ... I really like the scheme, so any thoughts appreciated. Until next week. Adam

When we removed the rear hatch, and the steering column there are two pieces of rubber that need to be replaced that I have not seen for sale anywhere, or even heard mentioned. The parts I'm referring to are; 1) box type pieces that sit in the roof cutouts where the hatch hinges bolt into, and 2) the piece of rubber that sits between the steering column brace and the firewall. Naturally, all three items on my car are rooted (technical term) and need replacing. What have you all done when pulling your cars apart about these parts? Any supplies? Cheers Adam (Brown Hornet)

Could only take four today !! I had to run out and vomit like they do in the movies after seeing all the damage !!! ... just kidding, the battery went dead after only four shots. Nat is keen to get the engine started ... We might have a crack at that next weekend or abouts on the bench. He said he used to run the Lambo engines out of the cars as it was the best way to check proper running and made it easy to rectify the issues ... Sounds like a plan .. least then we'll be able to see what we have in this motor before finishing the body.

photos !

Week 4. Arrived extra early this morning as last week I was late and Nat got very busy ... needed as much time as possible to ensure we covered off on all the things Nat's done .... and NEEDS doing! Bottom line, Nat's been chewing up more grinding disks this week... on my 240 !!. When he was telling me about the Muira's and Countach's he once used to restore, between slipping in the bit about how he helped build two D-Type replicas, he did admit this was the worst car he's dealt with from a rust / fabrication perspective. There you have it ... I'm man enough to admit i've bought a complete piece of steaming poo. We decided that at least we've identified all the problems and are a large part of the way through it. Nat was surprised by the quantum of 'dodgy work' that had been done to this car, again largely as a result of this leaky battery. The front left side frame rails, box section, floor, fire wall, and plenum chamber have all in some way been affected. The only good thing to say about it all is that we're progressively replacing everything. The issue with Warrens floors was not the panels themselves, but the fact that we had to remove an area larger than the panel's dimensions ... see in the photo at the right and top ... shiny stuff is the extras. During the preview, we headed into the office to have a look at Gaijin's car ... to try to make myself feel more normal ... As I said to Nat ,, if you think my job is complex, have a look at this bloke!! even showed him the photo of the owner with all the tubes hanging out of him !! (don't think its as a result of the car tho ... and I hope you're making a fast and full recovery!). Spent a good hour looking at colours and had a look at Milennium Jade, olive, green, blue and red ... still no decisions though. Hope you're enjoying this !!! Cheers Adam

What year / month did the 240z change from the 'light' model to the 'fat' model?

Don't see many modded ones sold ... Any ideas on really nice ones with hot 'L' motors? Does it need to be a standard car with matching numbers to achieve the 25'ish price? How about the RB motors? Any thoughts on prices for cars with vastly different mods ?? I guess it just comes down to how much someone wants to pay right? Ultimately the Japanese I think will keep wanting these cars in good condition, which should keep good cars prices up there... any thoughts on this?

Hang on Pauly, where the Hell did you get these photos?? I'm calling NAT .... that's the bloody Brown Hornet !!!!!

Thanks Mick ... You're now the 3rd guy to now congratulate my perserverance !!! This is starting to be a little alarming ... I mean does this Z look THAT bad that I've got a bulk of the guys on the club telling me i'm a nutter for carrying through with it??? All I know from speaking to Nat is that we're getting there and the body will be perfect once I complete it. (I HOPE!!) What I paid for the car I think reflected the fact that it needed work ... I'm not sure what my options are now, as in I'd be mad to pull out now ... so my only real option is to soldier on !!! Spoke to Nat yest ... he got the new floors from Warren and then discovered they are 3 inches too narrow and too short for the appertures that now exist in the body. Nat was stitching a 3" rim right the way around Warren's panels and then will install them!!! As I said, it'll be a 2010 model before I'm finished. I'm still clinging onto the fact that the motor looks hot (with lots of quick bits on it) and the suspension appears to be Koni and King Springs... I think as NZeder said, be content that it will cost me some dosh, but should theoretically be one of the better bodies out there once finished. One thing I do know is I've totally lucked out finding Nat to do the work ... he is very passionate about the project and knows his stuff. (in hindsight he's probably grinning knowing he'll be leaving for a month in Aspen once finished this car ... funded by yours truly ) More photos this weekend !!!

Welcome mate ... to echo Jane .. what colour did you use? and what motor are you running? Well done .. its great to see one in the before and after shot like that !

The 240z to me is great because unlike a Camaro, Mustang or GTHO or whatever, its actually a genuine two seater 'sports car'. That is, light, nimble, well sorted suspension, excellent weight distribution, and powerful engine (even in standard 240 guise). I'm not familiar of any 'muscle' car anywhere, particularly in the above category that actually fits the description of being a 'sports car', as most are factory modified sedans / coupes made to be like a sports car. The 240Z is a total gem in many senses of the word and properly prepared will give any marque a good shake-up. I look forward to my next drive with the porsche guys... albeit that might not be for another 18 months !!

Hi Guys... having been the owner of an 85 930 turbo until very recently, it was often a challenge to find places to conduct our 'skunk runs' with other fellow porsche nutters. I remember doing one once with my car and a new GT3 RS ... and frankly the outcome was pretty ridiculous.... and extremely memorable. I would never ever write where that occurred, even less on a public internet forum. Having said that ... it was and still is considered taboo to discuss where these skunk runs were conducted, particularly in writing, and even more so ... leaving a LOG of it on an internet forum .... Like you, I love to drive sports cars fast ... but by keeping an on-line log of it might end up biting us all ... ever heard of police / speed cameras / radar traps / road closures??? This forum reads like a very good place for our friends in blue to get a good start on all of us. The other 'new fad' the coppers are doing is taking cars and crushing them ... Would be a real shame for that to occur in the instance where a copper read this forum (or was alerted to it) and then decided to camp out and wait for a few fast cars to zip by.. Your thoughts Lurch ... this is pretty important stuff. If you tell everyone where you like to speed, you will be stopped, and so will the rest of us. Why spend a bomb on a sports car if you can't drive the thing? Sorry to sound like a stick in the mud, but this link is a little risky in my view. Adam. PS. a 'Skunk Run' as defined by some guys in the porsche club was a drive on public roads, where anything goes... Normally run very early or very late, normally with CB's and I even heard of one with a friendly helicopter... For the record, on the last one I did, (refer above) I beat the GT3 RS !!

Hi Gav Love the colour scheme of this Skyline... do you or others know the OEM colour and code? Kind of looks like a blend between grey and very light silver. Thought that colour might work on the 240Z, given i'm going with the matt black wata's. Looking fwd to hearing. Cheers

Hi All With colouring and finishing now starting to occupy much of my time for my 71 240Z resto, I have a question regarding OEM finish. Can anyone tell me how the factory finished the wheel wells on these cars? Were they body colour or black? Did they have stone guard (that rippled looking paint) painted onto them and then body colour over the top? Where they tarred? I am wanting to complete the car in the correct factory finish and I note that cars that even appear to be genuine 432's have different arch treatment. I note Tomitaku's car has the factory colour, which is my preferred option, however I want to know what the factory did. Thanks all. Adam

Thanks Gav ... appreciate the feedback and will be pasting up the new shots weekly. Nat is having the new floors delivered on Monday and they'll be featured in next weeks downloads. Suspect he'll be working on the dog legs also and will remove both side rain gutters as a precaution to ensure no rust in there. As for your old car, I sold a 504 peugeot and regretted it, and more recently sold my 930 porsche ... which is still hurting big time !! Having said that, why not tell your mate that you will pay him back what he paid you, then you complete the car and offer him the first option to buy the car back in the event you sell ... that way the car actually is completed and driven. At the mo its just a piece of scrap in someone's shed right !! All the best. Adam

Last lot for today. be sure to post some close ups of that front panel (black in my case) especially on the drivers side around the holes .... I need a good look at one that is not damaged. Cheers ;D

More photos !

Week 3 !!! The plot has really thickened ... popped by thismorning to give Nat some more money and enjoy another cup of coffee while Nat showed me what he's been up to this last week. As expected, the situation has become more complex, however as I've read on this forum too many times, its necessary at this point to keep a stiff upper lip and soldier on... whatever the cost!! I will show you some photos and ask some questions. The main question I have is can anybody post or send me a photo of the front cross panel of the car, being the one that the hood support arm is screwed to. It is also the same panel that the bottom of the front grill bolts to, and also the one that the plastic corrugated air tubes that bring cold air into the cabin screw to. Reason I ask, mine looks a little bent and we are trying to determine if this is actually the case, or is it just a dodgy looking moulding in the case of my car. Back to the repairs for this week, Nat has replaced the following; 1) metal under and around battery tray, including firewall sections, 2) front of sills on both sides (craftmanship here is frankly amazing, and all done by hand), 3) floor sections - removed on passenger side, and to go on drivers side soon, 4) drivers side foot well section, 5) box sections at front of chassis rails (these are very cool), 5) chassis rails (to be welded onto new floors), and 5) rear passenger side dog-leg (which has been ground back to reveal a big fat metal plate shoddily welded over a porous rusty mess). Nat is yet to remove this panel, however its on this week's to do list. Interestingly, the floor panels had already ben repaired several times and had new stainless plates welded and tar coated. The gauge of the steel was extremely thick, with BBQ plate being the only thing to even closely resemble the floors. I think we've possibly saved ~15kg a side at least ... I struggled to pick the thing up! Also noted that the welding of these plates was done with only a few spots .. so structural integrity was really flawed.... not any more!!! So... in thinking about what next; 1) pass dog leg is in need of replacement, with drivers side also likely, 2) beaver panel will be re-made by hand, 3) drivers side rear of rain gutter will be removed to remove small rust section in roof (see photo), with pass side also removed to check, 4) pass side chassis rail box section, 5) pass side rear wheel arch rust (minor), and 6) sills (which actually look OK in the light). Nat will be placing the car on some form of 'jig' to them measure all dimensions and ensure twist or other is not an issue. We need to have a look at this front panel I mentioned above, to see what repairs / changes need to be made also. All of the panels went off to the blaster last week with the GTS Monaro, so I expect a few minor surprises here, albeit the doors looked very good before going, and rear tail was an as new item.... Once these things are completed, she'll be headed off to the blaster to be totally stripped. This will identify anything we've missed at this stage, however as I said to Nat thismorning, the Hornet is going to be a 2010 model before he's finished as just about everything is being replaced. Again, if you're reading this and thinking 'what an old load of crap this thing is', remember, the chassis has no evidence of accident damage, and the roof and all structural areas are very sound. It is frankly all the usual place that we're repairing. The good news from this today was that Nat said a few blokes wandered in this week to 'check out the 260 in the corner'.... when Nat told then it was not a 260, but infact 240, they went beserk and started telling him how 'awsome these things are!!" ... Lucky for that ... I must say a compliment or two goes a long way when you get to this stage !!!!! Any suggestions on colour greatly appreciated at this stage ... still really struggling with this !! Enjoy !

Hi Mossy ... I think if you're going mat black wats (as am I), with satin mirrors, then you do the car an injustice to have a gloss black airdam. I would keep satin black overall. Are you going for 15" or 16" wheels? I think the 15's look great with the flared arches, as the arches effectively reduce the dia of the wheel arch, whereas with no aches, i'm going to go 16", to fill out the hole a little more. I'm going through the exact same issue with my car now .... what colour to paint ?? although I'm heading down the off white / putty style colour route ... Nat will test spray a few panels to be sure we like the colour before committing to anything. I will upgrade my pics from Nats shop thisafternoon ... under 'the brown hornet' member project page.

Am looking for a new 240Z drivers side window as the one I have is all scratched up. I want one without any damage / scratches. Also, my 1/4 window frames have two of the metal tabs that hold them to the frame missing ... Anybody have either some of these tabs, or a spare frame lying about I can use to salvage the tabs from. Cheers Adam

Thanks Mike ... appreciate the feedback. Yes Nat did make a mention about seam sealer and the lack of it in the Datsun. He said he'd be re-doing all this throughout the process, with some pretty detailed rust proofing once complete, which I think will include fish oil and then some wax type products. Not all that confident on the dog legs ... the magnet only really sticks to one side. Only other part I will likely need is the rear lower panel (being the one that the tail pipe protrudes from). Anybody know if this is avail in Australia? Added a few more photos, showing car and rusted parts we've so far removed / replaced so far.

Hi All, Popped by Nat's shop thismorning as planned to have a look what 'week 2' had brought. He'd been working on the 'hornet' all week and addressed engine bay rust (under battery tray), fire wall, scuttle panel (where the wiper motors sit), and at the front of the passenger side outside of where the battery tray once sat. Car's looking like a true 'light weight special' and at the rate they're cutting and grinding the thing might be a 09 model before too long. Suffice to say Nat is truly a genius craftsman and has made up everything by hand. If you look at the photo inside the scuttle panel (attached), note hand made wiper motor bracket (perfect copy). He also cut and re-made the fire wall at the top that joins into this scuttle area (also shiny in photo) and was able to replicate the exact profile of the piece he removed (inc raised lump showing from engine bay - see photo of old vs new). He has made new box sections that join the scuttle to the heater box, but these are not shown. The other news was that he removed all the suspension and has high pressure cleaned the lot (along with motor). We're going to re-do the suspension components in black, and at the same time re-do all the bushings. From those of you who have done this, i'm going to use the 'superpro' bushes, being a good compromise between OEM and the rock hard Polyurethane. Car will be media-blasted in the coming weeks, but before the chase for the dreaded tin worm will continue in ernest. I'm sure my next story will be on the dog leg sections !!! We're going to have to replace the floor sections and frame rails, which I'll chase up from Warren, however this job might be best to complete after blasting. I'm in DEEP now and there is no alternative other than to keep moving forward. The good thing about Nat is that he said he can cool it and work at my pace in terms of budget... Suffice to say if my Wife see's what i've spent to date, it'll stop FOR GOOD ... so expect more updates soon !! Hope you like it, as I do ... still labouring over colour, but I saw a new Cayenne today at the Porka dealer that was done in cream with matt black wheels ... looked awsome! We're going to test stray a few panels in the olive/tan colour I've shown earlier in this thread and once this occurs I'll be shopping for opinions! Until next update! Adam