My (FREE) 1973 240z

[sweetleaf]

You should really remove everything before trying to strip it.

[Pharaohabq]

... pic of what...got done.

 

 

Headlight bucket:

 

 

Yeah he's right you realy should remove everything like the actual bucket, trim, headlights and markers before stripping, you'll save a lot of work, and you'll need to remove them anyway, as much as you can remove the better. It would be a good idea to take off those fenders and see what you've got underneath. not to mention you'll need them all off when you do your painting. Look in the paint and bodywork sections on here and read through the stickies. you'll get a lot of good advice and hopefully save a lot of time and $.

...

 

I stuck the paint scraper in the crack on the fender and this is what i found:

 

Then at 10 i did a little bit more:

 

 

ooh looks like there's a bit of rust under that bondo. it's not suprising to see bondo's spots on these cars. afterall there's 35 years+ of use and love given to these machines. You'll need to get a sander and sand back approx 3-5" around that area to see how far the rust has travelled under the paint. If you're stripping the whole car then this won't be a big deal, though the bondo'd area will have to fully be redone.

 

What kind of stripper are you using? Some strippers require a lot of cleanup before you get to the primering.

 

(some strippers you prime with a 10$ bill hehehe)

 

Phar

[240z8]

Ok, heres a small update. 4 screws at the top of the fenders on both sides are stripped, so the fenders can't come off now, it sucks.

 

Here is the stripper we are using for now, it was 25-30 bucks at Tru Value:

 

Since i couldn't get the fenders, off, i resumed chipping off bondo:

 

 

There are alot of holes that are the same size, some had rivets in them, but i broke them off. Others were stuffed with bondo that oozed through the holes and was just hanging inide:

 

 

An outside shot of the same spot:

 

 

My guess is that the z was hit and it was popped out and it left some holes and one of the previous owners just put a half inch of bondo over the entire quarter panel.

 

That is all i did today, besides video games... =]

[ModernS30]

Dont be stupid justin, he pulled that back out, just a really poor way i guess, rivets? normally they use a stud welder and pull the studs, but your car has most def. been crashed, haha, i still laugh at you, but w/e if you put about 2 hours into that with a ballpin hammer and good old fashion elbo grease, you could get it better then bondo it again to make it better

[ModernS30]

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, haha, i was over helping him today, took off alot of bondo, haha, i dont even see need for it in some spots, even if it was just finishing then aparently finishing involves 1/2in+ of bondo, i dont understand how the guy thought he was pulling the fenders

[Calico]

NOTSUREWHATTOPUT-yo sounds like you guys are workin hard at this thin-bet its hot outside, how much "Hater-aid" errr i mean gater-aid were you drinking.

to the op- keep up the work man like you said you have plenty of spare sheet metal from the other car right?

[240z8]

After all of this time of doing nothing, we finally did something.

 

We got the driver side front cleaned up and put a coat of primer on in.

 

 

We got the battery box cut out, its not very pretty there.........

 

 

Earlier today after I got out of school, I took the wire brush tool, and I got the dirt and gritty stuff off of most of the passenger side:

 

 

And last Friday, we did a little bit of work on the rear driver side quarter panel:

 

 

Kinser (NOTSUREWHATTOPUT) made my rust "disappear" with black spray paint that I was using to paint the other Z for some reason...

 

 

Well, that is all we've done so far, there is definitely more to come so stay tuned!!

[Pharaohabq]

Justin,

 

Well painting over the rust doesn't really help, I'm sure you know what, but once you get it all cleaned off with a wire brush (I use one on a angle grinder) you can remove most of it, then hit you can hit that area with some good primer and see what the metal looks like for reformation.

 

one trick you can do since you have the other Z is to make a form off the outside of the "straight" Z, by taking a little block of 2x4 and a pen and some cardboard, use the 2x4 to space the pen from the side of the Z, and sliding along, trace the shape onto some cardboard. then cut that cardboard out and test how well it fits the good Z. once you get that, you can transfer that shape to a 2 ft piece of 2x4 and then cut the 2x4 out with a jigsaw so you have a wooden form. you can then put the convex side of the form inside the Z against the panel, and see what needs to be pulled out, and you can use your mallet to tamp the outside into the right shape. though you'll need to brace the inside board to keep it from moving. You can also check your outside with your cardboard or the concave part of the 2x4 if it's even. you may have to make multiple forms, but this should get you close enough for the bondo to even things out a bit.

 

I'm not saying this is the best way, just that this is A way..

 

Phar

[Daeron]

Some advice..

 

I've been working on a 91 CRX and I have lots of metal pieces that need to be cleaned up and made black again. I was in Wal-Mart and got a can of ColorPlace Satin Black rustoleum knockoff paint. It worked GREAT, covered well, sprayed evenly and cleanly, and lasted a surprising long time. (I tend to think a can of spray paint that lasts a while means that a high percentage of the paint goes on surface rather than overspray)

 

I was painting the front frame crossmember yesterday and ran out; went by WalMart today to get another can, and they didn;t have it in Satin!! I got Rustoleum brand paint and it SUCKS. WalMart Cheap Brand FTMFW!!!

 

 

Of course, for something like an exterior panel rustoleum/rattlecan is a temporary solution; I was using it for frame members, battery hold downs, tow hooks, bolt heads, etc. Engine bay hardware.

[ModernS30]

Some advice..

 

I've been working on a 91 CRX and I have lots of metal pieces that need to be cleaned up and made black again. I was in Wal-Mart and got a can of ColorPlace Satin Black rustoleum knockoff paint. It worked GREAT, covered well, sprayed evenly and cleanly, and lasted a surprising long time. (I tend to think a can of spray paint that lasts a while means that a high percentage of the paint goes on surface rather than overspray)

 

I was painting the front frame crossmember yesterday and ran out; went by WalMart today to get another can, and they didn;t have it in Satin!! I got Rustoleum brand paint and it SUCKS. WalMart Cheap Brand FTMFW!!!

 

 

Of course, for something like an exterior panel rustoleum/rattlecan is a temporary solution; I was using it for frame members, battery hold downs, tow hooks, bolt heads, etc. Engine bay hardware.

 

the best part about that paint, it cost 94 cents, thats what i was using to paint my modded xbox controllers justin

 

Phar, He has a full QP on that other car that can be cut out alot the edges, laid over the other one, mark, cut the other one off, tac weld it in then make sure its even and weld it in, justin and i both can weld, idk if his dad can but probably

[Daeron]

the best part about that paint, it cost 94 cents, thats what i was using to paint my modded xbox controllers justin

 

Phar, He has a full QP on that other car that can be cut out alot the edges, laid over the other one, mark, cut the other one off, tac weld it in then make sure its even and weld it in, justin and i both can weld, idk if his dad can but probably

 

No, not the SUPER cheap blue can ColorPlace stuff; that I wouldn't trust for anything but temporary marking. That paint is made for surveyors and construction workers etc (and graffiti artists) not for metal protection.

 

I am talking about ColorPlace Metal Enamel, it comes in a white can and says "warranteed to stop rust for two years" and it costs $3 a can.

[240z8]

Well, I was very stupid. I was cleaning up some 20MM bullets from an F-16 Gatling gun pretty again by using a grinder and wasn't wearing any eye protection.

I didn't even think about it when i got some metal in my eyes. I washed my eyes out and then went to sleep. The next morning (FEB 25) i woke up and my eyes hurt. I had to work at the Agriculture Expo with the Boy Scouts for the day making food for people. My eyes hurt really bad during that. Then at 12:20 i called my dad to come get me because i was getting dizzy and was about to puke. He came and got me and when i got home i went to sleep. My dad made an appointment at Eye Associates in Clovis for 1:40. When we got there, i had metal in both of my eyes, they took it out and have an appointment at 6 today to get rust out or something.

 

 

I slept for like 18 hours and my eyes felt better because i got a prescription for a Vaseline type stuff with meds in it to make my eyes feel better. It is still hard to keep my eyes open though.

 

 

I definitely learned a lesson!!! EVERYBODY WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHEN USING A GRINDER!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Justin

[rturbo 930]

I definitely learned a lesson!!! EVERYBODY WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHEN USING A GRINDER!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Justin

Glad you learned your lesson the relatively easy way. My dad has ALWAYS stressed use of safety glasses when using many things besides just grinders, and this is why. Even while working under a rusty car it's a good idea to use glasses. I've had rust and dirt fall into my eyes MANY times (I can't imagine why, lol)

[Pharaohabq]

yeah, ditto on the safety glasses. It doesn't just hurt, YOU CAN LOSE A FRICKEN EYEBALL! yeah so safety glasses is a big +...

 

Yeah I wasn't sure he wanted to cut the other Z up. yeah it's got problems too, I know, but you don't want to put rusted pieces on your car, and there's some body difference between a 240 and a 260/280z .. but hey if you got a panel. oh there was a guy in espanola that had some 240z parts, I will write him n see what he's got left. he had a hatch I was going to get but never could find the time to drive up there.

 

phar

[240z8]

OK, here is what i look like now:

 

 

When i got there, they did tests on my vision, and it wasn't as good as normal due to rust in my eye. They said the rust in my left eye was so little that it would go away on its own, but the rust in the right eye would cause redness and irritation for weeks, so they numbed my eye and used something almost like a mini Dremel with a burr thing on it and got the rust out that way.

 

Then they put some more numbing stuff in, then put in some 3 day dilating/numbing stuff in, put the huge bandaid on an gave me another appointment in the morning tomorrow.

 

There are some good things about this happening to me, I got some Long John Silvers, and 3 days out of school.

 

 

Justin

[jknc90]

That sucks, at least it sounds like everything is going to heal up well.

[Trevor]

Well, I was very stupid. I was cleaning up some 20MM bullets from an F-16 Gatling gun

 

Not live cartridges, i hope.

[240z8]

Not live cartridges, i hope

 

-jknc90

 

Nope, they were off the ground at the Melrose Bombing Range.

 

Ok, Kinser and I did a bunch of work on the car. I tried grinding what was left of the battery tray out, but that took forever, so Kinser got the idea to break the spot welds from the other side, and most of the battery try is out now.

 

I ground the battery area down to a near bare steel besides the spots where there were little bumps and I primered it so it wouldn't rust anymore:

 

 

Then I went over the driver side quarter panel that we've been working on for a while with the angle grinder and at least 95% of the bondo is off now. I covered it with primer so it wouldn't rust and so i can se where the rest of the bondo is:

 

 

There are even creases in the metal behind the quarter window. It looks like it was hit pretty hard.

 

We even took the angle grinder and got most of the rust off of the front of the car. Then we primered that too:

 

 

I got a little bit of bondo off of the passenger side quarter panel:

 

 

Kinser and I even got the hood primered:

 

 

 

For the pictures of the driver quarter panel, they look alot better in the light with some shadows. You can see how bad they are messed up.

 

 

And some more good news! My eyes are healed up and i feel fine!!!

 

 

I'll try to keep the news coming

 

 

Justin

[Zsaurus-rex]

my advice; and I STILL have my first Z car that I bought back in 1983 when I was 17, is before you buy a kit- first- get the wheels or at least source and price them (they are not free like your car) as this will determine what kit you want, can have one without the other...wheel width determines what flare width to purchase (and there are many types and styles of flares) if the wheels aren't wide enough for the fenders, the look won't be quite correct...even silly funny lookin', the kit that you like is a full blown IMSA kit using 12 inch wide rear wheels and secondly MOST kits destroy the value of a car unfortunately, but in fact it is your car, you and Pop wanted a numbers matching car... why may I ask? If I were to do it all over again, I would use ZG flares with 9.5" wide Watanabe wheels, the flares can be found all over (MSA for starters) and the wheels are still available brand new in Japan (I got a set recently). Good luck, young man...remember it is YOUR car so throw caution to the wind and do what YOU want to do, but others may not like it when or if it becomes time to sell it, for what it's worth. W

[240Z8_Dad]

secondly MOST kits destroy the value of a car unfortunately, but in fact it is your car, you and Pop wanted a numbers matching car... why may I ask?

 

Not sure where you got the "numbers matching car" thing. We don't care about that at all. This car is strictly a project for us. So Justin can learn about cars and how to fix them. This car was free, hence the damage and lots of work ahead of us. Eventually there will be MANY updates/Mods other than stock. A car is ment to drive and have fun with.

 

BTW, thats one SWEET Z you have there. Like the yellow!