datsunlover Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I've been thinking of doing a convertable Z for a while now.. kicking it around in my head, dreaming.. I also want to V8 my present Z (75 280) which is a good car now (runs/drives, looks good, ect) BUT it's too slow.. you know.. ANYway, a friend of mine recently took me for a ride in his dads 'new' car; a 75 Jensen-Healy convert. Wow... Nothing like cruising with the top down.. That ride started the wheels in my head, well, gave them a little push anyway... I recently looked at a 76 280 that needs body (yah, it's ugly) and some frame work, and a fuel pump. But it's all there, and I can probly get it fairly cheep.. I got to thinking.. I could put a frame in it (which it would need anyway for a rag top conversion) and use my SU/s w/3psi pump to make it drive..(I'm just assuming the FI is dead) 'Aparently' it has a rebuilt motor, new brakes all around, new struts, so other than the frame/strengthening and body work, I'd leave it stock. I figure over the winter, I should be able to build the 76 into a convertable, and make it driveable. (I don't drive mine in the rain now anyway, so it wouldn't even HAVE to have a top yet..) and then in the spring, pull my 75 apart and do the V8 swap.. maybe.. I'm having a hard time thinking about riping her apart, seeing as it's a complete driving car, and well.. it's pretty.. I thought.. Well, this would give me a project for the winter, and if it's not done by spring, I can drive my 75 Z. If it IS done, I'll drive the 76 covo, and V8 my 75 over the summer.. either way, I will for SURE have a Z to roll in next year.. Soo... anyone wana second the opinion that I should be comited to some sort of institution? (the first coming from my girlfriend) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Z-rific Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 One project car is plenty for me. I do love convertibles also. I had thought of buying a Jensen-Healey off Ebay once. The are still pretty cheap and are great little cars. And it looks pretty similar to a cut up Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO-Z Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Convertibles are not that hard to do. I did mine in a few of months after work and on weekends. Mine is all metal construction, shortend and layed dowm hatch for a trunk. A V8 would require more torsional support than I added on my subframe, I can feel some twisting of the body on some road conditions. Of course nothing is complete and am in the process of redoing some of it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dot Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 One of the better cars at the Ontario Z car show last month. So much attention to detail. Do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted October 2, 2004 Author Share Posted October 2, 2004 Well either way, I MUST V8 my 75 that I have now.. I just couldnt bare to cut it up though, seeing as it took me a year of blood sweat and tears (and dont forget MONEY ) to get it to where it is now. But I LOVE the way a z looks as a convertable! I don't know about doing a V8 convertable though.. too much all at once you know? I was just thinking by the time I'd get the conversion done, I'd be pretty tired of body/metal work, and could move on to V8/brake+suspension upgrade on the other Z, and enjoy the top down cruising.. it would also enable me to do the V8/ect stuf at a slow pace, so as not to rush things.. First thing though, I have to sell something (no, not the Z!) to gather some funds.. I'm drivin a 93 Kingcab, and have an 89 Pathfinder.. both worth (IMHO) around $3000 or so a piece.. I can only drive one, so one's gona go.. I'll see what happens in the next few weeks.. Man oh man.. I just HAVE to have a project.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Both! (Not that I'm biased or anything. ) I started off planning a Z convertible, but then I found this site and John Washington's site. Since then I've done nothing but spend money... http://marcsgarage.net/gallery/VRBody/IMG_0477 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 a 75 Jensen-Healy convert. Man I must be missing something! I've had a 75 Jensen-Healey convertable in the shop for the past week or so, and I'm hating it more every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted October 2, 2004 Author Share Posted October 2, 2004 Heh heh.. Yah, seams like a PITA car to WORK on.. those weird british buggers.. I dont understand WHY they built some things like they did... but when they're drivable, its quite a thing to bomb down the road with the top down at 75 MPH! So you have one in the shop..what's it in for Drax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Tuning the stromberg (sp?) carb's... general tuneup stuff. The guy that owns it wants to sell it but it was running like a bag of crap when he brought it by. Now it's 98% good but still breaking up a little on the top end. Any car that has the distributor underneath an intake manifold deserves some harsh words I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted October 2, 2004 Author Share Posted October 2, 2004 Any car that has the distributor underneath an intake manifold deserves some harsh words I think. Yah.. I saw that and thought.. WTF?!? Who the hell thought that up.. Stromburgers eh.. heh.. my budys car has twin webers; also running like a bag of crap! Turns out the rear carb has the WAY wrong jets in it due to a previous owner trying to compensate for one of the cams beeing off a tooth on timing! The back two cylinders apparently were not firing properly, cause the valves are open at the wrong time!! I'm trying to convince him to let me build a custom manifold and put twin SU Z carbs on it. SOooooo easy to tune.. His has issues up at high rpm as well.. makes a lot of noise at wot, but not much more 'pull' you know? I tryed to get hime to jam a V8 in there but it's not gona happen.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdmz Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 I read an article some time ago (I think it was on the Georgia z club site???) that someone was doing a convertible z using a 2+2 model because they thought the proportions would be better looking than the 2 seater. I have looked for updates on the project but have never been able to find out if the car was completed. Does anyone have pictures of a 2+2 convertible to make some compairisons?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 I thought of that as well.. but wasn't the 2+2 stretched in length a bit? I think that might make it look a bit awkward as a convertable.. not that the 2+2 isn't weird looking ENOUGH already. And beeing a rare model, it might be hard to come across.. I have only ever seen ONE in real life up here.. I'd like to see pics of ANY conversion on a z though, preferably with close-up detail on the construction of the trunk area, and what gets done with the door window track/chrome piece...? I'm also considering maybe a 280zx for the conversion.. I saw one on the web a few months back, and IMO the converable makes the zx look better.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 ... I'm also considering maybe a 280zx for the conversion.. I saw one on the web a few months back, and IMO the converable makes the zx look better.. I agree. The ZX looks very nice as a convertible. John Washington has had a 280ZX convert project for sale on his website for quite a while. It looks rough, but there is a considerable start on the project. Take a look: http://www.reactionresearch.com/misc/silverzxconv/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdmz Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 From what I can remember from the article it was exactly because the 2+2 is longer that they thought it would make a better looking convertible. I guess the extra length of the car would make it look "sleek" instead of "squaty". Also, the rear seat was not used. The body work would come up right behind the front seats. I do think that convertible z's tend to look a little too short and was very interested in seeing the 2+2 convertible to see how much of a difference it makes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 Thats the one Wags. To bad I'm way up here in Kanaduh, and it's a few grand out of my price range right now! I wonder if the frame has been strengthened up in that zx already.. From what I recall, arn't the zx's a bit tricky to put frame conectors in, compared to the earlier z's? I definatly like the zx 'look' as a convertable though... Hmm.. more wheels turning in my head now.. great... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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