whyrualive Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Hi All. This is our first post on HybridZ! My son and I are doing a project together. We just bought two cars and we are trying to decide the proper order of work to rebuild the car. Here is a little more background. 1) We bought a '73 240z that has been stripped and there is NO rust other than very minor surface rust that is making its way through the primer. Here is a list of the body work we want to do: - Remove all dings and grind down steel patch on the rear of the car - Replace tail lights with Skyline R34 GTR tail lights - Re-blast body and dip all panels - Acid Bath? - Epoxy or Urethane primer? - Urethane ZG Flares molded into body and front air dam (Urethane) - Paint bottom of car and wheel wells black - Paint engine compartment to match body - Custom paint work 2) Install new Ground Control coilover conversion 3) Install Arizona Z 5 lug disc brake conversion 4) Install L28ET from 83zx 5) Install new fuel tank or fuel cell 6) Insall BW T5 with custom drive shaft to ? differential and CV axles 7) Complete interior, trim and wheels So here are our questions? In what order do we do the body work? Do we have the entire car reblasted, remove the dings and then have the car epoxy primed before installing the flares, etc.? Do we put the suspension on first so we have a rolling chassis? Do we paint the engine compartment before we install the engine? HELP! We want to do this right, but we don't want to do it right several times if we can avoid it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 If its on a rotisery(sp?) already why bother just painting it with black undercoating. Go with a truck bedliner like Line-x, its nearly indestructable-it is a bit heavier then regular paint, but you'll NEVER have to worry about rust if you prep it and apply it right. I saw a presentation of it on TRUCKS TV and it was awesome. They threw a Cinder-block off a 2nd story ledge and it shattered. Then they got another Cinder-block and sprayed it in line-x. Threw it off the same ledge and it bounced-didn't even crack. They said that even the military is using it for bomb shelters and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyrualive Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 That sounds like a good idea. Does it look good? I've heard that truck beds often rust under bedliners. Is Line-X different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2126 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Well............first of all it appears you have a rotisserie, good! I would complete the entire shell, doors, hatch, hood, and front fenders first. Second, install wiring, fuel lines, brake lines, and glass. Next, suspension and steering. Next, bumpers, lights, and fuel tank. Next, (at this point it doesn't really matter what next) engine and drive train. And of course the interior. I also recommend that you docuement the entire process.....daily log of what you've done and things you encounter as well as lots-O-pictures. Also purchase a factory service manual.....worth their weight in gold! But before you start, decide what exactly you want the finished car to be...as in, factory original, modified, or a track car. This way you won't be waisting time by going back and changing things. Do plenty of research, access the archives on this site and Classic Zcar Club, and ask lots of questions if you can't find answers in the archives. Oh...and stay focused on the end result. If you and your son get a bit overwhelmed by it all during the process, take a break and return to the rebuild when your enthusiasm has returned. This way you will avoid taking short cuts or doing a less than acceptable job. Hope this helps you a bit. I only speak from my experience when I went through my 240Z. I can now look back and am thankful I did what I suggest to you. Good luck P.S. Does your son know how lucky he is to have a dad who is willing to do such a project with his son? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyrualive Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 complete the entire shell, doors, hatch, hood, and front fenders first. Hi Tom, When you say do the body first, do you mean take the whole car to finish paint before doing the other work? Should I just take it to primer and then start do the other work? Every couple days, I walk out into the garage where the orange Z is and find my son pretending to drive the car! He keeps smiling, so I think he's happy. Thanks, Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 That sounds like a good idea. Does it look good? I've heard that truck beds often rust under bedliners. Is Line-X different? If the prep work is right, you should never get any rust under Line-X or Rhino Liner, etc spray on bedliner. The stuff can used for your floor too, but it's better on the exterior (under the car) IMO. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbk240z Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 I almost bought that Z, but had no place to put it. You got it from a guy in Arvada right? It looks like a very nice project. You are so lucky to have a son interested in a project such as this, especially since it's a Z. I always wanted a father/son project, but my Dad is not much of a car guy and is very "mechanically challenged". I love him dearly though. Maybe when my 2 sons are old enough, we can do a Z together. Anyway, good luck on your project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 That sounds like a good idea. Does it look good? I've heard that truck beds often rust under bedliners. Is Line-X different? They may be refering to drop in bedliners that will rust underneath. This is actually sprayed on like paint. It looks like a very ruff textured paint-Its not really a first choice if your looking for the best looking finish, but its for the undercarriage mostly, or under the carpet-its RARELY seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyrualive Posted October 20, 2006 Author Share Posted October 20, 2006 You got it from a guy in Arvada right? It looks like a very nice project.... ...Maybe when my 2 sons are old enough, we can do a Z together. Anyway, good luck on your project! I did pick up the car in Arvada a few weeks ago, but the body is being picked up later today or in the morning. My son is excited and he loves younger kids as well. You should bring your youngsters over and we can work on it together! It looks like a very ruff textured paint-Its not really a first choice if your looking for the best looking finish I'll check it out. I'm sure the bedliner place has examples of the finish. My main priority is that it doesn't rust on the bottom. Is that really the best method for stopping rust? Someone told me to powdercoat the bottom of the car. That sounds expensive, but which one would work better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGJIM Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Nay on the powdercoat. For suspension parts yes, floor pans no. The line-x would be an excellent choice. Search for a topic on line-x. There is a guy here that did his engine compartment in it, looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brisk1961 Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Sounds like a great project for a Father and Son. The best suggestion I can make is to budget the project from start to finish. It can get alot more expense than you expect. I would like to come over and see your project some time since I am in your neck of the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 how about POR15 paint for the underbody? has anyone used that before? I'm thinking of POR in silver, so that it's nice and bright when you work under the car. But that's just me WAIT: I'd actually go with rust bullet, then with some bedliner or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 whyrualive: I am so glad to see another father/son project! I bought my Z a few years ago the day before I turned 16 with my own money. My dad has helped me with almost every system on the car. To get some ideas you should look at some of the worklogs in the miscellanious section. There are 3 good worklogs as of now. One by the member "Mull", one by me, and one more by Zowner read through them and you can get some ideas of what you want to do. Do a search for "worklog" and you will find them. Zowner's and Mull's worklogs have lots of bodywork in themso they might be more of a help than mine. I just started doing suspension and driveline mods before purchase (it sat for 5 years): 3 months later(running good): a few months ago (2.5 years later): and now (with no motor or tranny): just to give you and your son some inspiration. I have put a bunch of money into this car but it is worth it all. The car so soo fun to drive and you always have people asking you "what is it?". Also if your original dashboard is old and cracked otr you want something different I am making aluminium dashboards. Pics in my worklog and in the link in my Signature. Good luck guys!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyrualive Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 brisk1961: It would be great to have you over to talk Z's and let me pick your brain for ideas. Send me a email and we can set something up. olderthanme: Thanks for the post. I will definetly look up the work logs, including yours. Your car is looking great. Looks like your electrical system is doing well based on how bright your lights are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 actually in that pic with the headlights on is the old wiring. They are about 30% brighter now with the new wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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