its finally happened........... 240z (Moderated)

The reason I mentioned that the stock roof tends to flex enough to stress the joints where it joins the rest of the body was to (try...) to make the point that the roof is a structural member. It is subject to forces applied to it, and those forces can - and do - tend to disturb the paint (and in the case of factory joints, lead loading) that is sitting on them.

The point being that a very large and extensive repaired area - whilst it might well be sound and secure - will be subject to these same forces, and that means the very real possibility of the repair becoming visible under (expensive) paint months or even years down the line. It's essentially a question of cosmetics...


Let's be honest here. Despite the fact that some people profess to like them (I'm not one of them...) such aftermarket sunroofs are generally accepted to devalue an S30-series Z. By extension, an S30-series Z that has had a sunroof hole welded and filled is also going to be worth less than a similar car with an uncut roof. That's why a complete - replacement - factory roof panel, either NOS or a used panel from another car, correctly fitted, is seen as a value-adder. Adding extra bracing and attempting to shore up the repair is throwing good time and money after bad, in my opinion. It's just adding question marks.

If you're into a full strip-down, bare metal respray and major structural repairs, a replacement roof is - for me - something of a no-brainer. If you've got some kind of aversion to getting one from the USA, then sub-contract somebody else to source one for you.
 
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Graham

I think there has been some solid advice given to you particularly from Alan but in the end It’s up to you what you do with your build however people are genuinely trying to help but there seems to be a sense of urgency with your build that may lead to disappointment later on. I am unsure as to what is driving this urgency, but be careful it’s not down to “I know better”, I have worked exclusively on these cars from full blown restorations to race engine builds for over 10 years and I’ve only just scratched the surface.

There is a huge data resource on this and other forums (although one has to sort the wheat from the chaff) but I suspect most is unread….if you had, you would already know the pitfalls with sunroof deletion along with the cracking of the doorpost and rear leaded joints on cars with firm suspension/roll cages and that the only way to do it properly is to replace the entire skin.

Following on from that I prototyped a CF roof skin 8 years ago, way before FRP started selling them and at best it is a cosmetic stop gap (no disrespect), last year I/we stripped it off and drilled out all 130+ spot welds and replaced the roof resulting in a proper fix… if I had done that to start with I would have saved £500 that the CF roof skin cost, but if you had researched the forum you would have known that.

As mentioned, it’s your build and no one is forcing you to listen to people who have many years of specific experience and an encyclopaedic knowledge on these cars.
 
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I typed all this before Alan and Steve posted - so what they said! And my own additional tuppence below!

Matt will know best but HSCC rules limit mods to brakes, suspension etc. Brakes I think will be standard, just with upgraded pads.

I think the basic view of those who've been around Zs a while is that the correct, permanent way to do this job is re-skin the whole roof. Patching the hole is more likely to result, at some point, in cosmetic imperfections - which will naff you off when they are under a nice paint job and will affect the car's value should you ever sell. Personally, I'd be very wary of buying a car that had been fixed that way. I'd be factoring in the cost of a possible future re-skin, even if at the time of viewing it looked perfect. I'd be thinking about the filler used, how much was used to get the shape right, and what might happen to it over time.

Just to add, I don't want to overstate the roof corner issue - its not like all Zs are pulling themselves apart in that area. Most are perfectly fine. But clearly track/rally stresses can take their toll and I've seen a handful of road cars over the years with little paint splits in that area indicating tension/flex. That is energy that will be transmitted across the roof as a whole and will test the integrity of any repairs, skim, and paint sitting on top.
 
There is no urgency as such, but ...With no spare roof, what are they supposed to do?
 
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I think you could find a roof within a few weeks if you reached out to the 'community' in a way that they noticed, or if you bit the bullet and started looking amongst USA-based sources.
 
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Graham,

......loving the photos, keep em coming.



Ali K
 
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Graham, enjoy reading your progress,I'm lucky that I've never had a bad experiance collecting Z parts from all over the world for the last 15 years, There's crooks everywhere, but a lot more good guys out there, it's pot luck I guess.
Keep the posts/pic's coming.:thumbs:
 
....... he has had a heads up by phone on a possible location of a body part in the country instead of advising to search for it his self....
 
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Went down today anyway and turns out there was more damage to the front radiator support panel than originally thought. It can still be repaired, but would prefer to replace. So if anyone can help source..... please message me
 
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grahamjc said:
Never expected it to be.... whats your point?

If its a fair price then so be it
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I would say it comes down to supply and demand. They have something you want that quite possibly you can't get anywhere else. Could your guys fabricate one themselves and if they did how much would it cost? I think it's probably reasonable but that's not to say someone else on the forum would think it extortionate. If I needed one and it was the only thing available then yes I would probably get one. BTW I am in no way endorsing Fourways.

I personally spent a considerable amount of money over a year or so amassing panels to restore my 240. Even to the point of getting panels specially made only for new old stock panels to turn up with I purchased as well. I purchased stuff that after prep left them unusable and had to start again. Think my point is these cars are rare and the stuff to restore them is rairer still.

Good luck with your restoration!

Mike
 
MaximG said:
I would say it comes down to supply and demand. They have something you want that quite possibly you can't get anywhere else. Could your guys fabricate one themselves and if they did how much would it cost? I think it's probably reasonable but that's not to say someone else on the forum would think it extortionate. If I needed one and it was the only thing available then yes I would probably get one. BTW I am in no way endorsing Fourways.

I personally spent a considerable amount of money over a year or so amassing panels to restore my 240. Even to the point of getting panels specially made only for new old stock panels to turn up with I purchased as well. I purchased stuff that after prep left them unusable and had to start again. Think my point is these cars are rare and the stuff to restore them is rairer still.

Good luck with your restoration!

Mike
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I get all that, thanks.... and yes, I know they are rare, very rare - part of the reason for getting one.

I just thought it seemed a little steep considering the other parts I am buying, floorpans, fenders, bumpers, etc.
 
grahamjc said:
I get all that, thanks.... and yes, I know they are rare, very rare - part of the reason for getting one.

I just thought it seemed a little steep considering the other parts I am buying, floorpans, fenders, bumpers, etc.
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They're just a more complex shape than floors etc. I guess thats why they cost more?

Is this what Alan has got for sale?
 
grahamjc said:
I get all that, thanks.... and yes, I know they are rare, very rare - part of the reason for getting one.

I just thought it seemed a little steep considering the other parts I am buying, floorpans, fenders, bumpers, etc.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry I'm not quite getting your hostility? You asked I answered!
 
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