Here we go again Derricks 260z restoration

[candy red]

well its being blasted

 

[candy red]

As the dust clears i take a look


told the blaster not to blast all the bulkhead as it being replaced just got him to blast all the sides where its fixed to the shell so the spot weld can be unpicked and replacement bulkhead can be correctly welled in place

 

[candy red]

back on my drive

 

[johnymd]

Sooooo.................

What's your general feeling about its condition. I can't really tell from the pics.

 

[candy red]

Hi John

Wouldn't say its the best I've ever seen or the worst, going to have my work cut out plenty of welding to do, but once i replace the floors with the new floor pans i have and fit the new outer cills ,fit the new chassis rails under the floor ,fit the replacement bulkhead and scuttle panel new air tubes that i am currently making and fit the new rear lower corner panels to get rid of the square corners where they've been repaired before sort out the many patches

I would then say its pretty good

But to be honest its what i would expect for a car that sat under a leaking tarpaulin for 20 years

I did want a project car to do a full restoration on so I'm ok with what i have to do so long as the end result is how i want it but i do have a lot to be getting on with

thanks for asking didn't know if anyone could see it

 

[candy red]

Heres a few more pics

 

[candy red]

will be zinc priming all the areas that need welding and epoxy priming all the other good arrears that don't need any thing doing to them this weekend garage is all insulated and very dry but want to make sure i don't get any flash rusting

 

[art b]

it looks like the glass blasting has done a good job,

now the fun begins..

 

[richiep]

Looks like it needs a new rear valance too - seems to have a bit welded on the bottom half of it! at least that is another easily available repair panel. My car had one to replace the two halves that were fitted and stepped over one another!

 

[morbias]

Easy available if you have a 240z, not so much for a 260z, especially a later one

 

[richiep]

Easy available if you have a 240z, not so much for a 260z, especially a later one

Ah... Good point. Cannot the early valance be adapted though? I would've thought a positive was the opportunity to get rid of the large (280z-style) holes. Although Derrick's car doesn't have those given the way its valance has been fiddled with!

 

[morbias]

Adapting the valance is a bit of a faff to be honest, and having adapted it to fit my 260z by moving the indented mounting points, I have since found I cannot use original rear bumper brackets as the indents on the panel are too small to accomodate them. So the car will either have to remain bumperless or I'll have to go to the added faff of fabricating new brackets too!

Regarding the rear holes; my car's an early one and from the original lower corners it appears to have had those additional holes also. I suppose it does look a lot cleaner without but a part of me would have liked to have kept it looking more original - maybe I should have cut them out when I had the chance

 

[candy red]

Any pictures of what the rear valence should look like on my 78 260z and what the replacement panel for a 240z would look like so i can see the differences

 

[morbias]

Pics borrowed from google.

240z:

260z - not so certain of the differences between early/late and different bumpers in different markets. I would assume the rear valance is similar but the mounting hardware is different though as it would be easier to build that way? Maybe someone with an original UK 260z can go and check.

Compared to a 240z the rear mounting holes are laid out diagonally instead of horizontally and the mounting points are positioned further towards the RH side of the car and down slightly. Also the mounting plates themselves behind the valance are way bigger and beefier on the late 260z compared to the early 260z and 240z.

What I ended up with after not knowing any better and modifying the 240z valance:

End result is the mounting points cannot be used with stock bumper brackets, they won't fit into the recesses.

 

[morbias]

Thinking about it, I don't think you'd be able to bodge it the same as mine anyway (which is a good thing!) because it probably wouldn't fit over the mounting plate.

early 260z:

late 260z (borrowed from Wyn):

Not sure how Wyn has done his but I'm sure it's way better than what I ended up with.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Well my old 240Z just had sheet metal

 

[candy red]

thanks for the pics and advise

 

[jonbills]

Here's what mine looks like. ('74) - the panel looks the same as the 260z one shown by Morbias.
My bumper mounts don't line up. I always assumed that it was because it's a later replacement panel, but maybe the mounts are upside down?

 

[toopy]

Apologies for the hijack, but just out of curiosity, what are the extra holes meant to achieve anyway?

 

[richiep]

The big round ones at the ends? On US cars (280Zs) they accommodated the shock mounts for the federal 5mph impact bumpers. Not fitted in other markets and blanked off with big rubber grommets I think (often missing).