So I bought a z car

[drive185mph]

Hello everyone,

I have good news. after years of reserching sports cars and sifting through forums I finally bought a z car Here's a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170535001456&_trksid=p2759.l1259#v4-37

 

According to the owner it has been sitting for 15 years but it ran fine 15 years ago. I know I need to flush the fuel system and replace it with new gas, I plan on pulling the oils and flushing the coolant. what else might this thing need? I realize the rubber of all types has probably had it and that the carbs might be rebuilt but those might not be imediate needs.

 

I hope to move to an LSX t56 swap later on. so, I don't intend to put too much money into the current drive drain but I would like to be able to drive this thing around until i can make the swap.

 

I'd apprecite any input

Greg

[stravi757]

what are you going to do about the rust?

[emoximuu]

LOL if thats a lot of rust I'd hate to see whats said about mine. It was sitting in an open air barn in Hawaii for 8 years. Lot of surface rust!

[rturbo 930]

LOL if thats a lot of rust I'd hate to see whats said about mine. It was sitting in an open air barn in Hawaii for 8 years. Lot of surface rust!

And suddenly I'm not feeling so bad about the rust my car has... I'd say mine is more solid than both of those.

 

drive185mph - You should first take car of the rust. That car looks like it has a lot of it, and probably isn't safe to drive. Hope you've got deep pockets if it's as bad as I think it is.

[drive185mph]

well my thought was that for 500 buck I could probably much sell the engine and trans and make my money back if the rust is too bad to repair.

 

My plan with the rust is to replace as many pannels as I can with reproductions and take chunks out of main panels as I go. I have a few experinced body men who are willing to show me the ropes and so I'm hoping to learn a thing or two on this car. However, for the imediate future I was planning on wire brushing the rust I can find and painting it with rust inhibitor. I imagine i'll need to pull out the floor pans right away but I am hoping that the rest of it can be dealt with over time. It will be ugly for a while but It's a path that will get me where I'm trying to go.

 

What areas would jeporadize the structure of the car? Is it something I can resolve with a mig welder and some hard work?

 

Also is there any way to improve the structure (make it lighter or stiffer) as I resolve rust. this car is destined for daily spirited driving so any such improvements are a worth while investment.

 

By the way I understand how green I sound and I apprecite all of you being tollerent of that. this is my first Z although I have been researching them for quite some time and planning funds in a way that can land me one.

 

thanks again for you help

Edited September 4, 2010 by drive185mph

[emeraldlion]

My suggestion would be to head to the brakes suspension chassis subforum and read up as much as you can on rust repair. Search phrase rust repair in quotations. Also read as much as you can on unibody and chassis stiffness. There are lots of good threads that explain the important structural areas of the datsun unibody, as well as how to reinforce those areas. Looks like you will be doing quite a bit of body repairing. You may want to consider reinforcement during repairs. I hate to tell you but if you have the rust that is visible on the car, you most likely have some very involved rust in other creases and crevices that are going to compromise the safety/integrity of the unibody structure. Not guaranteed mind you, just likely. Welcome to the forum. It is a wealth of information that is invaluable to datsun owners. Keep us updated on any progress you're making by creating a build thread with plenty of photos, we enjoy being part of the build. (That reminds me I need to get some more recent photos up.)

[GLSHLE]

It's a long and winding path with many on it, welcome to it.

[SportBikeMike]

I believe that car's a '73, not a '74. If it was a '74, it would be a 260Z.

[drive185mph]

So I got a chance to talk to the owner on the phone and he said that he thought the rust was such that the car is driveble if that's true then that changes the focus of the work I'll be going it for a few months. I pick it up tomarrow so there will be pics and positive info I am way to excited about this.

If the body is driveable i had so m thoughts

1) hydraulics will be seized so if i'm buying calibers and brake parts anyway, are rear disk convertions and front 4x4 brakes a worht while endeavor?

2) best way to stop rust without a roticery or making the car undrivable for an extended period of time (don't warry the rust will be resolved i just want about 2 months of drive time until I have time)

3) is it worht changin rear diff and trans oil? especially if I'm planing on an LS1/t56/Q45 conversion

 

any thoughts? compulsions to slap me for not resolving rist right of the bat? advice based on past builds?

 

thanks again

[sticky280zx]

rust just grows....so sooner is always better than later, also you need to think about structural integrity. There are a few people that have had major issues driving a rusty car...there was one on this board that added some nice shiny new tension rods and ripped his rusty box ends to hell and he was lucky that it only happened while driving slowly and not on the highway where it couldve been alot worse.

[drive185mph]

Alright I got the z home and got a chance to crawl under it. As expected the floors and frame rails were gone, but what is most damning is the fact that the front clip is so rusted that the passenger side motor mount and sway bar mount seperated from the frame. the motor is resting on the top of the steering rack. the car is somewhat tilted not that I have it on level ground. I don't know where this car spent most of it's life but just from the riust i'd haveto say new england or perhaps THE OCEAN!

 

All that to say that the body is too rusted for me to realisitcally look at fixing it.

 

On the up side:

 

- the motor looks to be in good order nothing missing ect (i didn't have time to really get into it but it looks fine)

- the car has a perfect, unpainted spoiler up front. it looks like an MSA to me but i could be wrong

- a nice pair of jack stands were inthe car

- a new looking york compressor (used to give an off road rig onboard air)

- the car turned out to be a 72 240z but it had aftermarket 260 aluminum wheels with locking lugs

- the rear moved freely and with no noise

- the trans shifts smoothly and has no play

- the steering rack has no play and feels great

 

All in all it could be worse, I was disappointed that the body couldn't be saved but I'm content with my purchase. Either i'll be selling the good peices to recoup what it cost to get it or finding a shell to install them in but either way it's a start.

 

sorry for the lack of pic but my camera is rebelling against me

 

thanks again for you imput