rags Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Well as some of you know, I purchased another 260z on 4/6/14 to take the place of the original RYSRKT I had for 29 years and just sold to EvilC. This one is 54k, automatic, one owner example that I planned on making a driver and keeping original. That lasted less than a week. So the plan so far is to strip the car down and have it media blasted for the eventual color change. This car is green and it really doesn't do anything for me. I have stripped all of the hardware from the doors and sent them, along with the hood, fenders, cowl, inspection lids, fender extensions, and lower front valence to the body shop. The engine has also been removed and the engine compartment has been stripped of all of it's supporting bits. I have also removed the front suspension and associated hardware and built a temporary structure that the front of the car can sit on that is supported by casters. Makes moving the car around the garage a snap! This week I'll concentrate on stripping the interior. Still on the fence about pulling the rear suspension but probably will. I'm also still up in the air about what the powerplant will be although I am leaning towards a LSx with an automatic this time. If I can find an LS3 with an auto with wiring harness and ECU for under 7K that is the way I'll go. The bodyshop called me this morning to ask if I will be needing the emblem holes on the fenders and hood as he was about to weld them up. Glad he called! Also I'm super excited that he is already working on my shit! This one is going to go fast boys. Stay tuned Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 You will get a bunch of opinions and you have done more of the Z-thing than I have, so I post this respectfully. I would avoid media blasting to avoid loss of what little factory rust protection these cars had. If you go V8 and plan to go fast on a regular basis, back-half the car with a solid rear axle. After a grace period of several years, I'm starting to go thu the broken axle phase. I concur with the plan for automatic, especially since this is already an automatic car. It looks like an amazing starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Keith, Original rust protection, ha! This will be the fourth car I have done that gets all of it's original paint removed. The first one was done back in 85 and still looks fantastic. Granted, none of the cars ever see inclement weather. As for back halving the car, not gonna happen. I don't punish the drive line enough to warrant it. And with the automatic direction I'm heading in, confirms the decision not to change the rear drivetrain even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rturbo 930 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Hrm. Automatic? Interesting choice. You gonna put in some paddle shifters? That'd be a blast to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 How do you find all these solid cars??! They do get a little tinning at the factory don't they? I just know that every door ding I get turns instantly brown. I have this fantasy about original cars doing better. Any truth to my fantasy? I guess if the cars are treated really well it doesn't matter, but I hope to follow Burton Brown to the salt with my next car. You have stripped cars and I have only stripped mine with chemical stripper (and it had been roughly sanded to the steel once before)-any thoughts/advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 Keith, I have chemical stripped all of the cars with the exception of the last one which was media blasted. I've had very good luck with the chemical stripped cars. The only advice I can give is clean, clean, clean! Oh, and all of the cars had flash rusted after being stripped. Obviously all of the flash rust was removed via sanding before being hit with any plastic or priming. I'm no way a professional body man and have only done body work on my cars as a hobby. I guess I'll find out how lucky I am with the media blasted copper car in a few years lol As for original cars doing better, we shall see. This is the first original Z car I have ever owned! All of the others had had their share of modifications and back yard mechanic repairs done to them. I'm also not to good at finding solid cars as I have only found 2 in the last 30+ years Small update on the 260, I did find that the car has had some body work done to the rear valence. Looks like it took a light hit in the back under the bumper. The body work was done terribly and I'm thinking I might want to replace the panel from about 2-3 inches below the rear tail lights, down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 Six days later and we are ready for the media blaster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 I guess I'm not so good at keeping this thread updated. It's been a busy three months! I'll let the pictures do the talking The first picture should be the last but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Nice job rags! Reminds me of when I did the same strip down, for the color change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nite_Grind Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Great Job! Love the color choice. Red is one of my favorites but I'm bent on owning all black cars hahaha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texis30O Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 So what did you decide on the motor on this one? Stock? Say it can't be..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 Stock? What is that? The motor you see in the picture is a 3 litre Rebello that is occupying the engine bay until I can find a deal on a LS2 or LS3. I am also toying with the idea of dropping in a Coyote motor but I think it's just a tad too wide. As you can see it will be anything but stock Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texis30O Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I knew I liked you...... I leave nothing stock.....nothing.... even my daughter's electric car got a make over out of the box prior to her stepping into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 Look at my signature. None of those are stock either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texis30O Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 It would be a long drive to hang out and have a beer or 2 together...... but I am sure it would be fun! Good luck with your new--er project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Well it's been quite some time since I posted an update so here goes. Since it's been so long there must be a story, right? Well there is. Here goes. After getting the car back form the bodyshop, I started doing the assembly and all was going according to plan until I got to the passenger side door. I hung the door and everything seemed fine until I looked at the one inch gap between the bottom of the door and the rocker panel. Seems the bodyshop didn't reinstall the rocker in the correct location. If you want something done correctly you have to do it yourself, so I ripped the rocker off and did the reinstall in the garage. Took many pictures and had the shop come pick up the car to redo the paint work. I now have the car back in my possession and I'm back at the reassembly. Most of the major bits are back in the car. Doors assembled and installed, along with all of the other bolt on body pieces. Engine and trans are back in. Suspension and steering is back in. All of the wiring has been put back as well. Today was the gas tank and rear hatch glass. Tomorrow will be the windshield and maybe the dash. Not really too much left. Off the top of my head I can only think of is sill plates, trans lines, steering column and exhaust besides the dash and windshield. Maybe try to start it this weekend? I'll try to update as I go. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 (edited) Joe, Great project. Do you still have the L6 in there? I was given this 260Z. It's an early 74' with 24k miles on it. Still has the inspection sticker from 1985! It's had some animals living in it, but I'm planning on just getting it running and driving as a survivor for now. It's all there, and all original. It came out of CT, and I think it was purchased from the Bob Sharp dealership because it has the dealer option front and rear spoilers (took front one off for transport) Edited September 23, 2014 by z-ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Hi Pete, What a great find! That car looks amazingly clean! I have a Rebello 3 litre in there at the moment. I am borrowing it from Clive who swapped my old 327 and T10 for it when he removed that engine from the car I sold him. The original engine was ruined by critters making their way up the exhaust and nesting in the cylinders that had open exhaust valves. Also, I had the automatic trans rebuilt and will be using that as well. Eventually the car will have a V8 of some sort. Not sure which one but I do know it will be a V8. Yesterday I felt guilty because of the lack of progress I had been making so I went out to the garage and put the dash back in it. Hopefully this weekend I get motivated and get the fuel system sorted out. Which reminds me, I need a mechanical fuel pump 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I think the engine in my 260Z is good. I pulled the plugs and cranked it over, and nothing furry came out . It is super clean under the cam cover, and so is the oil. I'll start a project thread when I start doing significant work on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 tuff z Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 NIce find Pete! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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