Weaverhead
Well-Known Forum User
Having been a member of the site since April I thought it was about time I stopped lurking and said hello.
Having been a big Z car fan (and a fan of most things Jap) for many years, imagine my delight when my wife's uncle tells me he has a 260z (2+2) that has been sat in his garage for 18 years and he wants it gone.
After inspecting the car in a garage that was falling down around it was clear the car was on the verge of collapsing into a nice neat heap of rust. With a recent voluntary redundancy sum sitting in the bank and having just secured a new job it seemed like the perfect time to embark on a possible restoration project. I dragged the car out, took it to my friendly restoration specialist and uncovered a whole world of crackpot repairs, structural rot and enough filler to smooth over the grand canyon. So unfortunately the car was sent to the scrap heap after being relieved of any reusable parts.
Now, not being the sort of person that accepts defeat I immediately set about finding another Z project. This meant I could get a proper 2 seater which I was happier with. After surprisingly little effort on my part I found a tired 1974 260z in desperate need of restoration from Geoff at Auto-Active in Bristol.
Do not be alarmed by the external appearance (not easy!!) but the metalwork is all original, there is no welding to be found anywhere. The engine bay was in remarkably good condition; there is plenty of rust and rot in the usual places, floor, arches, tailgate but nothing beyond saving. For the tidy sum of £1500 Geoff was kind enough to throw in a decent replacement bonnet and tailgate, complete interior trim and plenty of repair panels ready to weld into place.
I have already used this forum to source info and parts with a great deal of success so far but I will be needing a lot more help so expect the questions to be flying in thick and fast. I'll also get cracking on a restoration thread too I guess if people are interested?
Having been a big Z car fan (and a fan of most things Jap) for many years, imagine my delight when my wife's uncle tells me he has a 260z (2+2) that has been sat in his garage for 18 years and he wants it gone.
After inspecting the car in a garage that was falling down around it was clear the car was on the verge of collapsing into a nice neat heap of rust. With a recent voluntary redundancy sum sitting in the bank and having just secured a new job it seemed like the perfect time to embark on a possible restoration project. I dragged the car out, took it to my friendly restoration specialist and uncovered a whole world of crackpot repairs, structural rot and enough filler to smooth over the grand canyon. So unfortunately the car was sent to the scrap heap after being relieved of any reusable parts.
Now, not being the sort of person that accepts defeat I immediately set about finding another Z project. This meant I could get a proper 2 seater which I was happier with. After surprisingly little effort on my part I found a tired 1974 260z in desperate need of restoration from Geoff at Auto-Active in Bristol.
Do not be alarmed by the external appearance (not easy!!) but the metalwork is all original, there is no welding to be found anywhere. The engine bay was in remarkably good condition; there is plenty of rust and rot in the usual places, floor, arches, tailgate but nothing beyond saving. For the tidy sum of £1500 Geoff was kind enough to throw in a decent replacement bonnet and tailgate, complete interior trim and plenty of repair panels ready to weld into place.
I have already used this forum to source info and parts with a great deal of success so far but I will be needing a lot more help so expect the questions to be flying in thick and fast. I'll also get cracking on a restoration thread too I guess if people are interested?
