gsxtcy Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hey everyone, I have been a longtime 240z lover and FINALLY have the opportunity to purchase one and build it properly. I found a great one not too far from where I am located for around 2000 bucks. The previous owner bought stripped it down and cataloged all the parts. Also, he media blasted and primered the body of the car. The interior parts to include the dash are in great shape. The body has typical rust which was removed from the blasting in the frame rail, fenders, between the fuel cell and the owner before him must have replaced the seat pans (The most god awful welding job ever!) The sum of the parts (outside of the rust) seem like it will amount to a great build. My only concern is assembling a car that I myself did not disassemble. Should I be concerned with this? The price and the parts seem good. I would like this to be a deliberate, quality build. Thanks in advance for any advice, insight and info you can provide me, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geking Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 If you get a few books and take your time you should be OK if you have some common sense. I would reccomend the Factory Service Manual and How to Restore your Datsun Z Car http://www.amazon.com/How-Restore-Your-Datsun-Z-Car/dp/1931128022 Installing the dash is the hardest part in my optinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsxtcy Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 If you get a few books and take your time you should be OK if you have some common sense. I would reccomend the Factory Service Manual and How to Restore your Datsun Z Car http://www.amazon.com/How-Restore-Your-Datsun-Z-Car/dp/1931128022 Installing the dash is the hardest part in my optinion Thanks man, perhaps i just needed friendly reassurance. I'm going to buy this car, just nervous about the body work. I need to post in the welding section because I want the repairs to be all metal. I talked to a guy today and he said that some repairs will require fiberglass to smooth out the work. That isn't true right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsxtcy Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) Also, why is the dash such a pain? Edited January 11, 2011 by gsxtcy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I talked to a guy today and he said that some repairs will require fiberglass to smooth out the work. That isn't true right? It can be true, depends on the level of quality you're willing to accept. Myself, I would not repair a steel panel with fiberglass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsxtcy Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 It can be true, depends on the level of quality you're willing to accept. Myself, I would not repair a steel panel with fiberglass. I want quality with no compromises and am willing to pay/have the work done. He mentioned steel replacement, followed by fiberglass to ensure it is smooth, but I've heard of people doing metal-only repairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geking Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Also, why is the dash such a pain? The dash is a pain because: 9 out of 10 wires in the car go through the dash, it is a big piece that must be properly aligned, and the heater lines, pedal box steering and all that jazz is mixed in with it. I would much rather pull a engine than a dash. I would mark it up as the 2nd most annoying piece of the car to work on, with the spindle pins in the rear suspension being the worst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I would much rather pull an engine than a dash. Ditto. I almost don't want to get new guages because it was such a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharaohabq Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Taking over someone else's build... Wow, really that could be a pain since you don't have a feeling for where each part or set of bolts came from. If he did a really good job of labelling things then, yeah it's probably a good deal, if not you could be looking at a nightmare. It's a good idea to go get a few boxes on 10MM 12MM and 14MM bolts since likely you'll be replacing some anyway. Aside from that I'd say you'd be in pretty good shape if you're mechanically inclined and certain the parts are all there. The Body work.. Well it can be smoothed with lead filler, but that's pretty old school. Modern fiberglass filler is much easier to work with and can easilly be redone. This compared to the lead filler which tends to warp the panels almost as much as it fills them. I completely agree that as little filler as possible should be used to achieve the smoothest surface. But really, Why do you only want to use metal filler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) You can use MMS if you don't have labeled hardware. You'll have new, shiny fasteners labeled and ready to go! If (when) I embark on a basket-case project, I will give them consideration especially if the PO didn't label anything. Edited January 12, 2011 by Leon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 When I got my car, it was in pieces and every nut/bolt was in a giant turkey pan. It wasn't too difficult to put everything back together. Then again, I had two parts cars as references. I would be much, much more concerned with the condition of the body over it being in pieces! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snailed Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks man, perhaps i just needed friendly reassurance. I'm going to buy this car, just nervous about the body work. I need to post in the welding section because I want the repairs to be all metal. I talked to a guy today and he said that some repairs will require fiberglass to smooth out the work. That isn't true right? Hopefully he means that he uses polyester filler to smooth out minor variations. For a regular restoration using a 1/16" or less of filler in some spots is completly fine and will not affect the longevity or quality of the paint work. If he's just packing rusty holes with fiberglass mat and calling it fixed, say "thanks for your time" and walk away. There are many instances when a properly made steel patch will actually be faster to make and finsh but most body shops just lack the tools and skill to do it. Most are nothing more than insurance fueled parts changers, trained to do it fast and cheap. Shop around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsxtcy Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Taking over someone else's build... Wow, really that could be a pain since you don't have a feeling for where each part or set of bolts came from. If he did a really good job of labelling things then, yeah it's probably a good deal, if not you could be looking at a nightmare. It's a good idea to go get a few boxes on 10MM 12MM and 14MM bolts since likely you'll be replacing some anyway. Aside from that I'd say you'd be in pretty good shape if you're mechanically inclined and certain the parts are all there. The Body work.. Well it can be smoothed with lead filler, but that's pretty old school. Modern fiberglass filler is much easier to work with and can easilly be redone. This compared to the lead filler which tends to warp the panels almost as much as it fills them. I completely agree that as little filler as possible should be used to achieve the smoothest surface. But really, Why do you only want to use metal filler? Thanks guys for the info, I am not necessarily wanting an all metal repair job, but I thought that was the best way to repair the car as far as quality and longevity is concerned. I plan to pick her up on Saturday and start shopping and figuring out the steps for this build. Any suggestions from experience as far as repairing it and starting off right? Edited January 13, 2011 by gsxtcy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharaohabq Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hopefully he means that he uses polyester filler to smooth out minor variations. For a regular restoration using a 1/16" or less of filler in some spots is completly fine and will not affect the longevity or quality of the paint work. If he's just packing rusty holes with fiberglass mat and calling it fixed, say "thanks for your time" and walk away. There are many instances when a properly made steel patch will actually be faster to make and finsh but most body shops just lack the tools and skill to do it. Most are nothing more than insurance fueled parts changers, trained to do it fast and cheap. Shop around That's what I meant too. I wasn't saying that big rust holes should be fiberglassed, I was saying that the poly fiber filler is much better for smoothing repaired panels than using lead as a filler, and it's much cheaper too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.