a 'Nut and Bolt' restoration. A how to guide.

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Rob Gaskin

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So I was in the area today collecting tyres so I decided to visit 'Don' and see his car, afterall with this Thread being so 'popular' I wanted to see what all the fuss has been about - including my input.

Don is a great guy and made me very welcome with a superb cup of tea (choice of flavours) and the offer of lunch. Is he a madman? - no way, just a petrolhead with youthful exuberance and self-belief. We tend to forget that those are qualities we had and which gradually fade. Some of his comments i.e. best 260, finish by Christmas, 2+2 values etc were misguided but also 'tongue-in-cheek'.

Once again meeting someone face-to-face reveals a different character than that conjured up by an internet meeting.

The car - yes it's very rotten in a lot of areas but also quite good in others. The interior is in great condition, the air-tubes, inner-wings, engine-bay chassis legs, rear slam panel, roof (yes, no lining so I could see to the hatch) are all reasonable. Bad areas are the front and rear of sills and adjoining areas, passenger floor including chassis legs, front of inner wing behind the sugar-scoops where the bumper and bonnet hinge connects, bulkhead, some of the tailgate, rad panel, lower rear quarters.

So it will take a LOT of fixing and IMO not worth the time and expense however I think back to my first 240Z. If I had taken an expert with me I would never have bought it but I couldn't afford a good one in one hit. Over the years I got it sorted in a fashion and had a great deal of joy from it and it got me into Zs. Things should not always be seen as black and white unless you are looking for an investment. Also I gave it a new lease of life which Don could do with this 'rare' car.

I think Don has got the motivation to do this and the mental attitude to not let it get him down. His fabricator mate needs to be a BIG mate though. Will it be finished by NEXT Christmas e.g. 2016 Mmm?

Whoever 'bastardised' this car with filler and tin-snips wants shooting, they have made the job harder than it should be.

So let's give him a bit of 'slack', some of the comments have been quite aggressive - but he's got the mental attitude to shrug them off.

Just to add that on the kitchen table were not condiments but a big turbo in a cardboard box!
 

DonMuscles

Well-Known Forum User
Not thought about selling the reg, but to be honest I think it would probably only be worth a few hundred at most and so probably not worth selling...
 

DonMuscles

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Thankyou Rob!
:)

Lovely write up in better detail that I could have put, but yes it has lots and lots of rot in it!!


And just for reference, the turbo on the table is NOT for the Z!

Is is a GT3076R which I am to rebuild to slap onto my 3SGTE build which is going into my MR2...
I actually custom designed flanges and water/oil hoses to adapt the turbo to a Garret of T25 fitment as Toyota only ise their own turbo's and there is only so much power you can get out of a CT26!

But that is another story...

Reminds me to go off and buy those forged pistons I have been putting off buying!! Last piece of the engine puzzle! ><
 

AliK

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Don, please don't stop updating this thread, it made my Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime Compliance conference call so much more palatable !! ;)
 
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DonMuscles

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Got to go out for a meeting tomorrow morning/afternoon so probably not going to get to work on the Z and the misses is coming in the evening, but if I get time I will be out there stripping the rear end of parts...

Will update with piccy'stomirrow.
 

AliK

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.... the misses is coming in the evening, but if I get time I will be out there stripping the rear end of parts...

Will update with piccy'stomirrow.


Again, not those of the missus, one hopes!!!
 

DonMuscles

Well-Known Forum User
Haha...

Would not dare...

I would wake up with "my parts" missing!!!

We a'int talking about cars anymore! ><
 

DonMuscles

Well-Known Forum User
She needs a full service on her car too on Friday, so that should take up my morning!!!

Probably have to do it in the rain too! ><

We have garages here...

But they are full... Not with cars unfortunately...
 

SKiddell

Well-Known Forum User
Anybody seen this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/171930472835

Not bad I think...


Though that heavy v8 in the front end.... Can not be too good for handling, and not a fan of the extended nose...

Perhaps you don't read the rest of the forum as its quiet small compared with your thread

Its been mentioned here a while ago

http://zclub.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26103&highlight=chevy

The "extended nose" is loosly called a "G nose" a styling "copy" of the 240ZG front end

The "heavy" V8 can be an aid to handling as it can be pushed further back a la the "Scarab" a US V8 conversion (akin to Samuri in the UK but with V8's and no trumpet) of which a few still exist and unsuprisingly is quiet liked by our American cousins.....not for me though.

A V8 conversion (all be it f*rd) was sold on Ebay a few weeks ago by a well known club member, it was a fairly quick track car, quick enough to embarass a few evos and scooby doos around coombe, and at Silverstone a few years back almost overtook me and Mr gasket so perhaps don't diss the V* just yet...as I said, not my cup of tea though.
 
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MikeB

Well-Known Forum User
I think we need to discourage visits by Don's significant other............ Not even half a page today, hardly worth coming home from work for !!!!

Eager pupil, but must try harder ;)
 

DonMuscles

Well-Known Forum User
Loool.

I concur sir...

I did go for an interview today to lecture at a University...

So fingers crossed!!

Just been to the gym too..

Might crack down with the Z when I get home!

Sorry for the disappointment....
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Don,

I found the solution for your rear arch challenge. Also think how cool your bonnet holes will look with TWO turbos sticking out of them!?

b7f16e5337583daf30060c0ed5c0aeff.jpg
 
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