Zak's Z

Damn. I didnt even notice that. The car had a huge rear bumper on it when I got it. Well...now what can do to make sure my '72 bumper will fit? I assume just drilling a hole isn't gonna cut it because it needs some clearance in there?

I borrowed this pic from PANAMARED to compare. Arne can you suggest if anything needs to be done to them while Im at it? The obvious is I have to straighten it out a bit and the muffler tip area was cut out wider at one point..

After about 2 weeks of working on the Z, I finally made enough progress to show off. I made (another) blasting booth in my garage and rented a blasting pot and a trailed air comressor and went to work on the body. Then I literally spent 7 days stripping bondo and paint off with heat, stripper, sanding disks, putty knives, etc. I'm really glad I got all the paint off before I send it away to the body shop, I found a few areas that need some torch work. My new neighbor has volunteered for about 3 whole days so far, and hes willing to show me how to weld for the next steps. I figure the car has been original 918 orange, then a black top - blue bottom combo (the black paint on top was totally shiny and untouched after the paint stripper?? - heat and scraper took that off), then red, then another really thick red. After sanding all the metal down, I used metal ready, then wiped it down with paint thinner then used rattle-can primer just to get some protection on it while I moved to the next part. Turns out both my rear quarters were replaced. Heres some pics, I'll post more as I move along...Im determined to get it done!

The best advice I can give you is to DOCUMENT and BAG&TAG everything you do, every step you take. I disassembled my '72 almost 3 years ago now, I took photos of everything I did, I put every part and screw in a ziplock bag, and I STILL wont be able to put it back together without help. I cant remember what some parts are now, and I cant recall how some parts go back in. Do yourself a huge favor and take pics, put things in bags and properly label them, and even write down what you did to remove them and in what order. It will take longer, but save you lots of time at assembly time. I took apart the interior first, then just started unbolting the exterior in whatever came off first. Theres a good book by WICK/HUMBLE on how to restore your z car. You should get it as it gives a good overview on what to tackle and in what order. Zak

Heres a few spots I found interior bulbs, but I'd call to make sure theyre the right ones: http://www.blackdragonauto.com/icatalog/z/0122.asp http://www.datsunzparts.com/netscape/electricalsnew.htm I dont know what the sizes are, but the part numbers should be listed in the parts-microfiche. I dont have it handy with me at work, if you want me to check send me a pm and when I get home I'll check. You may be able to call a dealer and ask if they can get the parts, or at least tell you specs of the bulbs. Zak

PM sent. zak

OK...I talked to my co-worker again, the car is at a body-shop (not a farm like I earlier stated) of all places. So clearly this guy should have 'some' knowledge of what a car is worth. He verified again the $3500 asking price, and said the toyota supra motor comes with the car, and that there was some sort of transmission in the hatch. He said the guy clearly didnt know alot about the car because he was talking about the 'original' steering wheel (as in the photo), etc.. zak

Hahahahaa...thats my buddies car. We always bug him about it. He bought it because he drives about 150km a day and he needed something good on gas. I took it for a drive the other day and tried out the paddle-shifters. The car is like driving a tall go-cart. zak

pics:

A guy I work with was driving about an hour north of Toronto when he passed a field and saw a Datsun and some other cars. He called me and I got him to investigate further. He spoke to a guy working there, the owner wasnt around (a farm I think?), but he looked at the car and took some pics. He was told the interior is in great shape, but its stored away. The car doesnt come with a motor, although there was a Toyota Supra motor currently in the car. The guy there said the owner wanted $3,500.00 for it! I was thinking I might be able to buy the whole parts car for the dash alone, maybe get some seats and a better passenger door....but thats an outrageous price. Im sure once presented with some pricing logic the price would go down, but at a $3500 opener...I dont think I'll bother. Heres some pics:

Ron...you should go to the bmw site for a good laugh. Almost every post was about color of grills or speaker sizes with the odd mechanical type check-engine-light question. Guys would flame you for spelling and seat color. I just got to scraping more paint off the z and laughed when I realized the cleanest part of my car is the hood I got from you at the meet. I was there today talking to Mike trying to locate a drivers door or outer skin to save myself a bunch of prep time on my rough and pitted door. I cant type anymore...gotta get back into the garage! Zak

I finally sold the BMW z3 I bought down south, so I can now get back to the 240z. I made a small profit (which I intend to sink back into the 240z), but the time I wasted and aggravation made it almost not worth it. I plan on getting it media blasted within a week, then a few minor metal fixes, then off to the body shop for paint and prep. I'll keep everyone posted and put up pics as soon as something changes. Zak

Very nice pics. The 2nd one down with the light reflecting off the hood is my favorite. Thats magazine worthy imho. Zak

Hey, welcome to the club. I had a look at your pics, mine was alot worse when I got it. If its all surface rust youre in good shape. I would keep digging however, just to make sure. Keep us posted with your progress! Zak

Wow..fantastic work. If you dont mind me asking, how much did it end up costing? Im hopefully sending mine off shortly for the same prep/paint and I dont wanna be too shocked when I get the estimate. That must be a great feeling...now you can put Zeke back together and get to driving it! zak

Thx Ron. Way more fun than flying back. I actually looked for a Z in Orlando, but didnt find any worth looking at. I can't afford to keep the Z3, its too rich for my blood, but the deal was good and I should be able to make a few bucks to put back into the 240z. Zak

Yep...I say paint it. From the sound of it, you'll appreciate it more. Then you'll be a full fledged member of the yellow club. Z

Hey guys, I havn't been too active here lately, but I'm working on it. I went to Florida for work recently and bought a 2000 BMW Z3. I threw out my return ticket and drove it back to Toronto Canada. What a ride. My Florida temp plate fell off in Virginia, but I didnt get pulled over the whole way. I DID tell my wife...but I dont think she believed I would do it. When I got home I planned to keep it for a bit, then sell it and hopefully make a tiny profit to pump back into the 240Z restoration. So I went online to the BMW forums, and I gotta tell ya. The Datsun bunch here is a waaaay different crowd. Every 3rd post there is some guy correcting another guys spelling, or flaming another guy for asking a noob type question. Everyone here should be proud to be part of the Z community, cuz there seems to be no pride or friendship on other sites. Anyways, its for sale and I still prefer driving a 240z to a Z3. Heres a pic (it is a nice ride though..)

"Audentes fortuna juvat" - Virgil means "fortune favors the brave" Zak

*mission accomplished* z