How to Restore to a new frame

[240ZR]

I Had an amazing Z a few years ago, before I got 6 back to back deployments and got a wife and a kid, and of course she helped me get rid of it while I was on deployments, it became hard to lug it around after the 3rd PCS move, and she left my anyways.

 

I am still in the Military, I have access to free or nearly free garage use and tools, recently for the sum for $250 I bought someone’s old Hybridz, an early ‘70 with an blown L28 shoehorned in in and some crazy 240sx Modded 6speed in it (not 100% how he got it to fit but there was a thread on one of the z boards about it evidently)

 

But the car is CLEARLY showing its age... I looks more like a Rat Rod than a Datsun at this point; the frame rails are rotten, most of the underside of the car is rust, (but then again its a 42 year old car; can I just use a Kit like http://www.jegs.com/i/Jegster/550/942705K1/10002/-1 and rehang the car back on this? Or is it better to Put the cage in then take it to a body shop and have the body redone? I am losing the weight of all the fatigued steal and fixing the major rust issues, I am not afraid to put a decent interior in the car it, it’s not a trailer queen or a track car, it’s a daily driver, and well I want to be able to pick up my girlfriend in the car and not have her refuse to get in a race car, or because its dirty, oily smelly or unsafe looking, or any of the complaints anyone’s wife has had over the years..

 

So I have a few schools of thought here but, I am sure someone here can tell me are the steps? Cage first then Body? Body off and Cage? Build the tube frame take apart the Mechanicals, move them to the Frame then do body?

 

 

I've never done a Frame off restoration but I want to I think I have steps and a process before I get too far. I asume tho Body is Last.

Edited August 17, 2012 by 240ZR

[wickiewicked240z]

Well I done a full restoration with my 240z shell.I did body first then suspension, motor n interior cause I'm still not done after couple yrs with the car. But for u I would say do cage first.

[johnc]

The 240Z does not have a frame. There's not such thing as a frame off restoration on this car. Your idea of using a separate tubular chassis and putting the 240Z body on it can be done, but its hundreds of hours of work to do it correctly and will require a lot of fabrication skills, a surface plate, jigs, etc.

 

My suggestion would be to strip the car down to the bare shell removing everything including the glass and the wiring harness. Mount the shell on a rotisserie and have it media blasted. From that point you can start fixing the rust issues and reinforcing the chassis with seam welding, welded in subframe connectors, tower braces, roll bar, etc. That will give you a strong chassis for anything you want to do in the future.