Isthatastartermotor?

I kind of noticed that. :-\ I was thinking about it: I assume this is a forum for mechanics rather than enthusiasts. Anyway, I'll stick up some photos next week and then I might switch to lurking rather than interaction.

@gilltech - thanks for the thoughts. I do appreciate the frank talk. Fortunately for me, I've always loved these cars. I can afford to slowly tip money into it. Part of this exercise is picking up some skills as I go. I'm not especially bothered by re-sale value as I'm not planning on fixing it to sell it. So, I'll keep chugging away. Anyway, starter motor is now fixed by a friend who is a mechanic and is happy to help, brakes and bearings are getting done in a week. Vehicle inspection the week after. The same friend found an engine in Melbourne, but someone else grabbed it before I could buy it.

Compression test results: Cylinder Dry (PSI) Wet (PSI) 1. 105 180 2. 105 170 3. 100 190 4. 100 190 5. 95 180 6. 95 180 Piston rings are gone. Bugger.

@Gav - yep that is a nice car, although the style is a little too new school for me though. @Giltech - Sorry, 1979 ZX Fairlady. Just tried to post a picture but will need to muck about and resize it. Inhouse critic doesn't place much stock in cars: she drives a beat-up Honda Jazz. Anyway she now recognises I'm entitled to a long slow hobby (think my mother-in-law might have helped out), so that's all fine.

Thanks. All rain welcome. Its a five year project where I can trickle money at it from time to time. A guy I used to work with years ago who is a mechanic and into classic cars things the entire thing would cost around $50000, especially if I go big on the paint job (he says budget $15000-$25000 on paint, if I want to go extravagant). Over 3-5 years that is do-able. I should add that I paid $1500 for the car. Rough task list on the roll out: a. get the car roadworthy to solve the storage and access issue (year 1). b. Fix engine flaws (which I'm guessing aren't significant but lets find out) (year 1) c. Sort out electrics. Some funny things happening with the back lights but I think that won't be too pricey. (year 1) d. Sort out brakes, suspension, rusted wheel bearings. (year 1) e. wide body kit and paint (the big job). Air dam, sideskirts, and rear spoiler. I go to the US for work once a year so I can probably pick up a wide body kit there and bring it home. (year 2) f. sort out interior, after the kit/paint task. Dynamats! (year 2-3) g. new shock absorbers wheels and tyres (BBS wheels, which I had before on a Honda years ago, and BF Goodrich tyres, so there will be some significant expense on that).(year 3-4) The in-house critic has calmed down in the past week so as long as it isn't in her face we should be ok.

As I said on the intro forum, I don't have much of an idea about this rebuild. Truth be told, I can change an oil filter and in theory could grease the bearings on a car but would be bothered by torque ratings which I don't have much of an idea about. As I said in the other thread, the guy I bought it off has ripped out the stereo and left a gaping hole in the dash, which is so dark and cavernous you half expect bats to come flying out of it. The previous owner as it turns out was great with motorbikes, not so good with cars. He installed a brand new and what seems to me to be very expensive aluminium radiator, which gives the engine a zombified look to it - half alive, half dead. The engine itself is fundamentally good I think - no blue smoke or grease in the exhaust, although a compression test should sort out how bad the cylinders are. Starter motor seizes badly. A crack with a spanner made it start the last time, but as at yesterday, no go. Bearings are rusted so when it drives it feels like it is scraping against something. I made the classic mistake of not doing what I used to do when I was in my twenties and buying old cars: saying to the vendor, "OK, you have my money in your hand, now tell me actually what is wrong with it." I also have my own inhouse critic, who is very sceptical about what is happening with the car. Here are some examples: The problem with an unlicensed vehicle in WA is that it can't sit on the road or a verge, and we don't have the room in our front yard. So, I need to get it over the inspection pits as soon as possible. That is going to take some effort... Some other texts and emails have been similarly encouraging. I have ambitions about putting a wide body kit on it so I was going to leave the spot rust (not quite as much as that quote above would have you think) and just get the kit onto it. But it seems that I'll need to make it rust free ASAP in order to get it licensed. The good thing about WA is that we don't have annual inspections for licensing, so once it is done, it is done. Will post some photos once I work out how to do it for this forum.

Thanks everyone for the welcome. Thanks also for the tip on getting the earlier model... I had known this but 260Zs seem to be as rare as hen's teeth. Linton - no not a blue one on Tenth. There is a beautiful blue one in Cottlesloe which the owner shows off by parking it on his lawn. The one I bought is burgundy and has minor rust problems and the interior is a disaster - it looks like it has been used as a bird cage and the previous owner tore out have the dash to install an intangible, invisible speaker system - but the engine seems to be in really good nick. Already this forum has been very useful. Dynamats! Never heard of this before! Car gets a compression test this weekend, brakes next Thursday. I'll set up a thread about the very slow build on the correct board...

Just bought a 1979 280ZX. No idea what I am doing. I'm looking forward to entertaining anyone who might read my ramblings because it should be immediately clear I have no idea whatsoever. Cheers Dave