69 240 project update.

[ZR8ED]

Hey guys.

 

Now that my ordeal with my 280 has pretty much wrapped up, I'm concentrating more on my new 240 that I picked up a couple of weeks ago.

 

I now have a completely rebuilt brake system in it. Everything works great, and the E brake is freed up and working nicely.

 

I have sorted through and cleaned the interior bits and pieces, and I have everything I need. I just need some carpets for it.

 

I cleaned the seats up, and I think I'll through some seat covers on them to clean it up. They have some vinyl cracking on them. Not too bad though.

 

The dash cleaned up nice. it has two minor cracks in it. The sunroof works good and has a good seal.

 

I'm still sourcing a complete wire harness for it. the electrics are pretty brutalized.

 

I got the wipers working nicely. They were seized up a bit from lack of use. I've been greasing all the suspension fitting, checking the wheel bearings etc. and the rest of the suspension is looking good. It has an aftermarket front sway bar, and has a nice stock looking rear sway bar on as well.

 

We also got the fuel pump working again, so I should be able to fire the engine soon. I sold the triple webers off the car to shoulder some of the expense of the car. I have a nice set of SU's being prepped up this week.

 

I dug around in my parts bins and found a nice set of head lights with mounting brakets and trim rings for the car. this is a bonus as the stock lights are not properly mounted. They also use the removable bulb style halogen lights.

 

The chassis while looking rough, is sound. the welds are sloppy and slightly overkill, but it is plenty solid. 16 guage sheet metal floors!

 

The cage is a 6 point chromemoly roll cage with side bars. Its a bit of squeeze to get in, but not too bad. They will definately have to come out as I get older!

 

I have not fired the engine as of yet, but everything looks good, and it turns over just fine. Compression is good.

 

The steering rack and rod ends are good.

 

It looks like it will be a strong runner once I get this electrical stuff out of the way..

 

IT has lots of 12 guage wire in it! some house wire connections as well!! I really need a wire harness to get right..

 

I'll get some pics hopefully this week.

[Guest 240hybrid]

Where'd you find a 69. Theres not too many of them over here in Canada or the States. Sounds sturdy with 16 gauge floors and a cage in her. Sounds like a fun project.

[ZR8ED]

I bought the car from a guy who helped start the Ontario Z Car association way back in 1991.

 

We did the first newsletters, membership, etc.. We have been friends ever since. He was trying to fix up this 240 he got from an uncle. He spent most of the summer working on it, and gave up just as he was finishing it. Now his job and his young family have taken precedence, and the car has sat for almost 12 years. The car came out 2 years ago for a new engine (old engine was 13:1 and needed race fuel to run) The electrical was butchered and never finished.

 

He needs the space and said he probably will never finish it. I've bugged him for almost 10 years to finish it or sell it to me. Now I have it and plan to finish it, and enjoy it. Nothing too fancy, just a nice fun cruiser. I intend to keep the investment as low as possible so I can afford to keep it.

 

Heres the next update.

 

I have the Su's are now on, and am setting up the fuel lines. The carbs are working beautifully (mechanically speaking)

 

I'm going to drain the tank and add some fresh gas and change the fuel filters. I just might get it to fire this weekend. Weather permitting.. even we here in the great lakes area are being warned to batten down the loose objects for when the hurricane stirs up the weather along the eastern seaboard. I guess they think it is going to affect even us.

[Guest 240hybrid]

The motor had a 13:1 comp. ratio!! Holy smokes, that must have been one wild motor, are you going to use that motor? If you don't mind me asking how much did ya pay for her? I hope the weather doesn't get too wild for ya up there.

[ZR8ED]

It's ALIVE

 

The car was started today! Fresh fuel in the tank (old gas drained) and fuel was run through the old filter and all the old fuel purged from the lines.

 

The car fired up and idles nicely. No smoke, no oil leaks etc.. a bit noisy with only headers though..hehehe

 

Sounds like perfection!

 

This project is wrapping up nicely.

 

I just got to get the wiring fixed up, seat reinstalled, and seat belts put in, and then its time for a test drive!

[Guest bastaad525]

Dude I dont know how much this applies to your specific case.... but you may want to consider this

 

 

The 240 I'm driving now was also some guys project car that had been sitting in a garage for about 13 years before I picked it up. First thing I did when I got that car was take the entire drivetrain out and swap in a freshly rebuilt 2.9L N/A motor, five speed and 3.9 rear. I thought that just draining the fuel tank and adding fresh fuel and a new filter would be enough to not worry about any problems with the fuel. Well, not two weeks after getting the car running (and going thru two more fuel filters as they were looking more like coffee filters after very short times), the motor developed a strange habit of throwing lash pads off the top of the valve stems. Turns out old fuel gunk residue left in the tank, even after draining the old fuel, was gumming up on my valves (fuel turns to varnish when it ages), and causing them to stick open. By the time I realized exactly what was going on it was too late, a valve had been bent and I had to get the freshly rebuilt head rebuilt again. The SU's had also been pretty badly gummed up with varnish and had to be rebuilt also.

 

So dude... I strongly suggest you pull the fuel tank out and thoroughly clean it or have it cleaned.....

[ZR8ED]

Hehehe you guys will get a laugh from this... I know I was..hehe

 

I was getting concerned about the clutch, I have been unable as of yet to get it to move. Fluid looked good, fittings looked good etc.. it had a new clutch installed 2 years ago, and it was driven onto the flatbed two years ago when the car when from the shop back to storage.

 

Well we tried to bleed the system today to try and determine if the slave or the m/c needed to be replaced. we tried and tried.. no pedal feel, and only a couple of drops from the slave bleeder valve.

 

Just as I was about to give up and start saving $ for a slave and m/c, I peek under the dash... well.. sure enough i see this bolt just barely hanging on to the clutch pedal.... the nut had come off, and the bolt that was holding the clutch pedal to the rod was no longer connected!!

When i touched it, it fell in my hands!!

 

Clutch is now working just fine with a new bolt. it must have been a real temp fix or something, because the bolt that was holding it, was 4" long and a grade 8 hex head!.. talk about overkill!

 

Another lucky break!

[Guest bastaad525]

clean that gas tank dude

[ZR8ED]

Well the weather has not been cooperating lately, but steady progress is being made.

 

I have the drivers seat mounted (stock mounts are long gone) and I have a the 5 point harness properly installed.

 

The windshield washer system was non-existant. So I dug up a spare washer bottle (non working motor), and picked up an aftermarket washer pump and some new hoses, and hooked up the windshield washers.

 

All I need is the exhaust hooked up, and get at that wiring. Its the wiring that is holding me up at the moment.

 

Sorry I still have not taken pics yet. It is sitting on jackstands and kinda looks crappy with the wheels off it etc...

 

It is very close to being driveable now.

 

While I'm waiting on the delivery of the harness, I'm going to start some general clean up stuff. You know the syndrome.. "while I am at it" Clean up some of the hoses and sort out more of the interior bits and get them ready to be installed.

 

I have left the passenger seat out, so I can have some easy access under the dash so i can lay out the harness. I'll just lay on some cushions so I can lay on my back under the dash for a few days hehehe.

 

We drained the tank of fuel, and splashed some alcohol down there, and everything seems ok. I'm not going to drop the tank unless It gives me problems. I will install a fuel filter for the FI 280's as it is larger, and appears to have a finer filter media in it. I looked at the hoses under the tank, and there is no way I'm taking those off, unless I have replacements. I'll leave that for next year maybe... Luckily the car was stored with next to no gas in it all these years, so it should be ok. There was less than 1 gallon in the tank...hopefully it didin't rust everything else... I hope not, cause I have lots of spare parts, but no 240 tank or hardware...I'll have to start looking I suppose.. who knows how long those fuel hoses will last..they look original to me.

 

I'll keep this thread up to date for anyone who's interested.

[A. G. Olphart]

Nice that you have it going... That said, on gas tank cleaning- My guess would be that it only had a gallon or so of fuel in it after all these years because the rest of the bad gas turned to varnish after the volatiles left.

 

Also on the subect of old tanks: I've had rust plug fuel lines with what looks like brown felt... the particles settle out in slower flowing areas (in my case in the 'banjo' fittings at the tank and an external fuel filter I'd scrounged off a diesel pickup). Once you get the varnish dissolved, rust may follow.

 

Enjoy the ride-