snidz260z Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I did search this topic only to find some redoing the hood hinge area on the front. I am contemplating my front end damage repair and needed some insight from you Z tech veterans. My shell is a solid 11/74 260Z. I chose to accept the front end damage area over a rusty Z. The damage is primarly forward of the radiator core support but there was a little wrinkling just inside the fender wells near the core support. Some of the research on this site hit on the fact that little goes on forward of the strut towers in regards to twising and stress? So... I have a sound & straight front clip I cut off a 240z I was going to use as my donor. How would you guys recommend I make the repair? Leave the existing frame rails in place and then make the cut just forward of the strut towers? or make the cut in front of the strut towers straight through the frame rail and then put a c channel piece or similar inside the old rail then slide on the replacement clip? I could always beef things up with a crossmember just in front of the radiator over the new seam? The reason cutting straight through the frame rails seems attractive is the way the inner fender well meets the frame rail repair seems it could be tricky. Thanks in advance for your advice, tips and opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Search in the Fabrication section. There are a couple topics covering exactly what you're asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neotech84 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 There is a LHD front swap that could give more insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snidz260z Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 Search in the Fabrication section. There are a couple topics covering exactly what you're asking. Thanks, I'll keep searching but it seems a lot of the topics are either patch n repair along with complete removal of the original core support. I started to drill out the old spot welds today on the donor front end to pull it apart. I am thinking I will leave the original rails in place, pull the core off and go from there???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snidz260z Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 I cut off the front end section forward of the strut towers. I did leave the lower radiator core in as it was square and it is obviously holds it all in place. Now the challenge is sectioning on a piece from a 71 240z to my 11/74 260z. I remember visiting Arizona Z Dave once and he said there is no Z car that is perfectly straight and that is why we need all the adjustable suspension to take out any error, I agree. Just a hair off here and there can make things challenging. What I was hoping to confirm and I know JohnC will have an answer is that the inner fender rails (that the fenders bolt to) actually start wide near the firewall and get slightly narrower toward the front. I did go measure a buddys 77Z to see what his car did and it also went from roughly 40.5 to 39.5 at the nose. I have a cowl hood from the 80s and although it fits it is tight by the headlight buckets and the gap opens to about 3/8 behing the strut towers. I guess my question is should the gap be uniform or not? I need to pull the factory hood out and see how it does. I am doing all this alignment prior to welding everything in place on the sectioned pieces. Thanks for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 There should be no changes in width between the frame rails from the firewall to the core support. The inside width is typically 25 3/16" on a 240Z. I do not know if this is true for a 280Z but I suspect it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snidz260z Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 John you are correct on your frame measurement. The width that seems to change is the upper portion of the inner fender rail. I am scratching my head here because I measured an undamaged 280z to confirm that this inner fender rail is wider at the rear and narrows at the front??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snidz260z Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 OK the fiberglass hood was throwing me off as the factory hood confirms the angle from front to cowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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