ubergumgum Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 I thought i start a build log here, mostly for me actually. Feels like i will have more of a reason to get work done if there is someone who sees what i do, not just me and all the people that say i have a way to much to do. Which i knew when i bought the car. But on to the story of my car. I haven' t really been in to any type of vehicle until i stumbled on a picture of this car a couple of years back. I was immediately in love, i knew i needed to have one. Fast forward to last autumn, i realise i have the possibility to actually buy one, so i start to scour the internet, both the European market and the american market. Europe was a bit too pricey for me as cars started at 6k euro and it was at least 1.5k to get it to Sweden. So i very soon looked towards USA where cars price start at like 500 dollars. I almost purchased a track day 240z from the west coast but backed out in the last minute, as I had to buy the car sight unseen, it was a bit price for what I got. So the search kept on going until spring 2018 when i stumbled on a 2/71' 240z, quite rusty as you will see, but it appealed to me somehow, so i won the bidding, and contacted a shipping company, and the car was on its way. The car landed in Gothenburg late May and i picked it up a few days later. Now that i had my dream car there was a lot to do. I started with a cleaning it was long overdue. when the car was cleaner then it been in decades i didn't really find any new damage. Fast forward a couple of months, i bring the car from my parents place to my own garage and i have now teared down the whole car and i am doing rust repair. So the cars current state, i'm doing rust repair on the passenger side floor area, to get it ready for the new floor and frame rail, and slowly working away at the area below the hatch. Then there is the driver side floor area, battery tray area, rear wheel arches, some rust spots in the trunk but none in the spare-wheel arch. Other then that there is some more places but nothing mayor i have found yet. Most of the interior needs replacing, I will repair the dash, but unsure what to do with the seats, as there is nothing more then the seat frame i can save. Engine wise i'm very unsure what to do, the car didn't ran when bought, but does turn over. I'm about to put it on a engine stand and pick it apart some so i can try to decide what to do. I'm thinking of doing an engine swap but i can only increase the engine kW by 20% and torque by 10% or 15kW/100kg, (this is factory power, can still tune the engine for more power) so cant put in a much bigger engine but i would like something a bit more reliable that i can start no matter when and where. Something i can repair without having to wait for parts for months. This is the car in its current state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunkhouse Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 We'd like to see more pics and info about the car and engine. Vin#, engine, and head #s, etc. It has a later 280 vented hood. I'd pull the head from the block and take a look at the rod and main bearings. Send the head out to check for warpage, change the valve seats along with a valve grind, new valve seals, timing chain, etc. You may find the bores and pistons looking good, which is usual. It would also be a good idea to pull the freeze plugs from the side of the block and clean out the coolant passages. Good luck and keep us posted of the progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironhead Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 Looks like a great project! I agree about the benefits of doing a build log. For me it gives some incentive to finish parts of the project, take the photos, and move on, rather than leaving a whole bunch of things partly done. It also reminds you how much is getting done at times when progress seems very slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 (edited) A lite update, i dont know anything about the cars history but the vin is #HLS3021599 the engine is a matchning numbers, with a p30 block and a E31 head, and SU carbs.  Some more picks of the car in its current state. Edited November 20, 2018 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted November 25, 2018 Author Share Posted November 25, 2018 (edited) Did some more work today, mostly made a mount for the engine so i can hang it on my engine stand as it didn't have one when i bought it. Also found some repairs, under a ton of body filler. But i already have new sheet metal for the rear overfender area on both sides. I was curious if the antenna hole looked like this from factory or if it's also a repair. Edited November 25, 2018 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunkhouse Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 Call it a repair or modification. Either way, it's not stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted December 2, 2018 Author Share Posted December 2, 2018 (edited) Today i did some work on the car, mostly paint removal, and removed the last of the sound deadening. They had a lot of bondo on most of the quarter panel, but it came of quiet easy. here is a before and after. I also made a new piece of leather for the key tag, didn't turn out perfect, so might remake it at a later date. Edited December 2, 2018 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 (edited) I have been in my garage a lot the the latest days, have striped most of the paint on the outside of the car and slowly started stripping bottom and inside, it's going slower as the are more complicated curves to deal with, also I fitted the passenger floor today, planning och welding it in tomorrow. . Edited December 17, 2018 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 Got the floor welded in, also snapped some pictures of all the bare metal that i stripped, removed the sunroof to get to the metal underneath, looks alright, but cant fix the hole so will be putting it back when the day comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted February 11, 2019 Author Share Posted February 11, 2019 (edited) Work is slow but steady, almost finished with welding the rear of the passenger floor area. I also talked with a company about blasting the undersider, inside and engine bay to get them metal clean. they said about 300- 350 usd to do it. does it seem reasonable? Edited February 11, 2019 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 (edited) Hi guys, since my last update I have been cadet on a ship and haven't had much time to work. But I'm started getting back at it, especially considering my girlfriend is leaving for 6 months to be a cadet on ships, i will get a lot done. I made a rotisserie from wood and some steel, as it was cheaper and the chassi doesn't way that much, (lifted one end with engine crane and the other by hand with my friend.) I cut out the spare wheel tub, have decided to make a lite bigger fuel tank and a flat floor. And I have almost finished making my own frame rails as I wanted some more strength by having the rails connected to the rear part of the chassi, and partly to make the floors land in the same place. And for those of you whom are curios my rear swaybar goes behind the dif, came that way when i bought it. I also decided that i will be changing the drive line to something more modern, to be more precise i bought a bmw e46 323i, which means i got the m52b25tub engine, and the reason for getting this engine and not the 2.8l one or the s52 m3 engine is that I live in sweden and the law say i can change the power of a car by 20% form my cars specific power, and I do want the car to be fully legal, even if I will be making more power than the bmw made stock. thanks for reading, and i will try to update more the coming months as i finish things on the car! Edited January 27, 2020 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironhead Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Great work and mucho respect for taking that car on. I think I would have run screaming from it. Lots of rot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manninen Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 That amount of rust that it could be svensksåld and whole lifetime commuted in south sweden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuD 91gt Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 That’s a big project. Good for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 I know its a big project, but it's coming along god, and it feels better for me rescue a car that needs it instead of buying one that rust free. And yes you could think it would have lived all its life in southern sweden, 😂 Today i go the frame rails welded in, well atleast started welding it in, next on the list is prepping to put in the driver side floor and patching up the front of the passenger floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jboogsthethug Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Looking forward to seeing this one play out, props to you for taking it on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 (edited) Since the last update i have striped the rest of the smaller parts of the chassi making it entirely ready for blasting, just need the company im trying to work with tell me when it´s time. I also 98% finished welding the driver side floor, and going to start tackling the passenger side in the coming weeks. I also cut out the rear arches to make sure the blasting will take as much area as possible. And then i mocked up the scrap engine i have laying around just to get a feeling about how it will look. Special thanks to Ron Tyler @RTz as he designed and made an open file for the mounts. Edited March 16, 2020 by ubergumgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 Almost finished the passenger side floor, will finish the battery tray area next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grannyknot Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 I don't know how I missed this thread, just found it now and a treat to read all the way through. Big project to tackle, good on you, we have to save those rusty ones! Excellent work you are doing, I especially like the BMW engine. My first rotisserie was made of wood but no where near as nice as yours. Are you going to leave the custom antenna hole? I think that is what the old hot rodders called Frenching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubergumgum Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 9 minutes ago, grannyknot said: I don't know how I missed this thread, just found it now and a treat to read all the way through. Big project to tackle, good on you, we have to save those rusty ones! Excellent work you are doing, I especially like the BMW engine. My first rotisserie was made of wood but no where near as nice as yours. Are you going to leave the custom antenna hole? I think that is what the old hot rodders called Frenching. Thank you! and no the antena hole is going, but I want to wait to weld the outer panels for as long as possible, I'm a bit worried about warping them as i dont have the patience for welding that slow. Got to say i love your car as well, and it have been some of my inspiration! Looking forward to seeing your completed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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