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Swiss two-become-one 240Z Ground up restauration / JDM mods


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  • 4 months later...

Yeah it has been way too long since a last project update. The garage is still far from done, but it's slowly getting there (more on that in an other post). Last week i got the EK9 in it's new home. Finally:
70725324_2418164101552087_52456679534661

So i think it's time to carefully crank up the "Fairlady Z" project again...
What better way to re-start a project than buying new tools? exactly :) Got myself some air tools like a rattle gun and tire filler tool with Manometer.
DSC_3797-Kopie.jpg
 

And a little extension  hose drum too :)
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In order to make some space in the new garage, i decided to put the ole L24 on the motorstand instead of having it on that old wheel on the little dolly which is quite unpractical.
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To do so i had to take of the clutch. thanks to the new rattle gun, this was a piece of cake:
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So i had her lifted on the engine stand:
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Tadaa... looks much more professional and is way more practical too :)
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And while at it anyway i decided to remove the old fan clutch and fan blades too:
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Here we go...
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Hoping for more news again soon. still a lot of other work in the house / workshop / garage, but i see some light at the end of the tunnel :)

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  • 1 month later...

Finally, a lifsign from the bodyshop. Nothing big. but the little update came along a promise that he will contune work on the car again soon. which makes me quite a bit happy. Today he got the brackets for the rear bumper sandblasted, so i assume the plan is to get the rear valance welded back on the car soon:
 

WhatsApp-Image-2019-11-22-at-09.15.34-Ko
 

WhatsApp-Image-2019-11-22-at-09.15.33-Ko
 

WhatsApp-Image-2019-11-22-at-09.15.35-Ko

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good news. My bodyshop guy is back at work with my car. First he welded back the sandblasted rea bumper mounting brackets:
WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-05-at-16.57.16-Ko


Then the inside of the trunk floor got sanded and painted with rust protection:
WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-05-at-16.57.161-K
 

Before the rear lower valance got fitted and welded back in blacke. Finally i got a rear end again. Wow ❤️ Next week the spare tire wheel well should go back in, before work on the left rear quarter starts :) This should go faster compared to the left side, since i have a complete NOS quarter panel and it doesn't have a fuel filler neck ;)
WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-06-at-19.09.46-Ko

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After a long time i got some parts for my Z-project again.
The first item is a book about Yutaka "Mr. K Katayama". Some people think that his role with the Z is a bit overrated by the average media. But since the book is written originally by Japanese Takashi Ashikawa  in japanese and has been translated since. i guess there might be more truth behind it than the average glorifying of Mr. K.
I haven't read a single word so i have to dive into it first befor i can say anything more..
DSC_0122-Kopie-rotated-e1575913258423.jp

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It might sound repetitive but the coolest things i tend to find when i don't look for them. I have seen the "competition" steering wheel for sale in the usual Z-specialist shops but i never planned to buy one. Unti recently one popped up new for a good price in a local secondhand website.DSC_0123-Kopie.jpg

It even came with the Japanese "fairlady Z" Horn button. A bit of research before purchase revealed that this is most probably one of the pretty good JDM-car-parts replica items based on an original Mold (o a mold from an original competition steering wheel). Anyhow the quality is outstanding and it's nice to have!

And here some siza comparison shots take next to the original "fake wood" steering wheel
of my 1972 Z's:
DSC_0124-Kopie.jpg DSC_0125-Kopie.jpg

DSC_0126-Kopie.jpg

Those "competition" steering wheels were introduced (to my knowledge) years after the original S30 was released (back then a different steering wheel was optionally available) but has sine been a popular mod on the 240Z and or Fairlady Z with prices for original ones skyrocketing. As far as i know t his has also been sold for the "Hakosuka" skyline but with different horn buttons. I'm not 100% sure but i believe to remember that there was even a second version of this steering wheel which was deeper. but i might be wrong.
Here's a shot from the 1979 Nissan sports option catalogue:
Competition-steering-wheel-Kopie.jpg

After all it's a really nice piece to have so i'm happy with my purchase :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just another update from my Metal-wizard. The driver side lower frame has been cutout
WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-17-at-17.00.33-Ko
 

A new piece has been fabricated
WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-17-at-17.00.42-Ko
 

And now it's back in. I guess the next big part will be the LH rear quarter and inner wheel well.. I'll go to have a closeup look soon :)
WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-18-at-16.55.55-Ko

Edited by jdmjunkies.ch
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  • 4 weeks later...

Well yeah, i have yet another two new books to add to my ever evolving list of Z-related books i have to read and translate when i find some time.
1) Fairlady Z Story and history, Vol. 1 - The 50th Anniversary Chronicles.
A book about the history of the Z including the development
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It contains some backgroundinformation. for example about road testing in America:
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And some of the racing cars. I've just been flicking through it yet, but it seems it seems to focus on the car globally with pictures showing old woking station, american race cars but also the japanese. so this might be an interessteing one :)
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2) Japanese masterpiece series [Vol.12] - Nissan Fairlady
This book is actually a bit older (released in August 1973).
1.jpg
 

The cool thing is, it contains some backgronud information but also a lot of nice drawings and technical information about the different version. as shown below.
3.jpg
 

Still have to read it as well, but they seem to be (aside from the factory books) some of the more promising and serious books i bought. But i still have to prove my initial feelings about them :)
2.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Two weeks ago i found a footrest for the 240Z for sale on a local ads-website. I remember i've seen them before but never really investigated about them. Both my cars came without them. This particular item was from a 260Z 2+2 and got a fair price-tag, so naturally it gathered my interrest.
fiche-footrest-Kopie.jpg

Turns out that the parts fiches say that it's the same unit as used in the 240Z (both LHD and RHD) and was an optional item. I love optional stuff. and since it was cheap and seemed to be in easy restoreable shape, i had to get it :)
P1260662-Kopie.jpg

And yesterday i finally got the package with it. It's a bit rough around the edges but when in bring my next bunch uf parts for sandblasting and powerdercoating this will go in the same delivery:
P1260663-Kopie.jpg

I'm not really sure how "rare" this item is, but i think i've never seen it on a swiss car. And as a serious parts-hoarder i love to collect these things anyway :)
P1260665-Kopie.jpg

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1 hour ago, jpndave said:

The footrest in my 73 looks much different than that. I actually used the footrest quite a bit when I was driving the car.

 

This is a passenger footrest. If your legs aren't long enough to reach the sloped firewall, this makes it a lot more comfortable to ride along. It was standard in Japan and an option in other markets. 

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33 minutes ago, calZ said:

 

This is a passenger footrest. If your legs aren't long enough to reach the sloped firewall, this makes it a lot more comfortable to ride along. It was standard in Japan and an option in other markets. 

That makes more sense. Kind of cool option I hadn't seen.

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On 2/3/2020 at 8:54 PM, calZ said:

 

This is a passenger footrest. If your legs aren't long enough to reach the sloped firewall, this makes it a lot more comfortable to ride along. It was standard in Japan and an option in other markets. 

Exactly. Allthough i'm not sure about the "standard in Japan" thing. If so, i guess then only in some of the trim-levels. Would need to check the Parts list, but i have other work right now :(

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2 hours ago, jdmjunkies.ch said:

Exactly. Allthough i'm not sure about the "standard in Japan" thing. If so, i guess then only in some of the trim-levels. Would need to check the Parts list, but i have other work right now :(

 

MSA says they came on the 432 and ZG models, and were options for all others. So I guess not truly "standard". 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well the last week have been pretty busy at work, and i'm still working on some details of the house. but everything is finally calming down now and i have plans to kickstart the Z-project again soon and get some long overdue work done over the next months.
So i got in touch with my Bodyshop guy to discuss a few details and then i just got an update from him from today. The old seat brackets got removed and sandblasted:
WhatsApp-Image-2020-03-10-at-17.42.47-Ko
 

Primered:
WhatsApp-Image-2020-03-10-at-17.42.48-Ko
 

And test fitted on the old cutout floorpan:
WhatsApp-Image-2020-03-10-at-17.42.48-1-
 

And theis is how they look on the new floorpan, ready to weld it all back together:
WhatsApp-Image-2020-03-10-at-17.54.43-Ko

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