A tale of two Zed Cars....

Robert Campbell

Club Member
8F628DED-B02F-4D6A-A845-BD087131CA0D.jpeg C25CC9B7-3F8A-4FC7-A052-2B7A2E375DA3.jpeg 9600A90E-2328-47EE-94DB-4AB96D2EFD79.jpeg 8F628DED-B02F-4D6A-A845-BD087131CA0D.jpeg C25CC9B7-3F8A-4FC7-A052-2B7A2E375DA3.jpeg 9600A90E-2328-47EE-94DB-4AB96D2EFD79.jpeg 8F628DED-B02F-4D6A-A845-BD087131CA0D.jpeg C25CC9B7-3F8A-4FC7-A052-2B7A2E375DA3.jpeg 9600A90E-2328-47EE-94DB-4AB96D2EFD79.jpeg 8F628DED-B02F-4D6A-A845-BD087131CA0D.jpeg C25CC9B7-3F8A-4FC7-A052-2B7A2E375DA3.jpeg 9600A90E-2328-47EE-94DB-4AB96D2EFD79.jpeg I bought this car earlier in the year and it drives completely nuts. I love it.

So far though, I had a alternator failure which took it off the road for a while, but that’s resolved now. I did also have the prop shafts refurbished as they all had lots of play in them and now all is well.

The plan for this car is as a keeper as it is a composite and has little originality and therefore I have no moral issues with a restomod.
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
I bought this car earlier in the year and it drives completely nuts. I love it.

So far though, I had a alternator failure which took it off the road for a while, but that’s resolved now. I did also have the prop shafts refurbished as they all had lots of play in them and now all is well.

The plan for this car is as a keeper as it is a composite and has little originality and therefore I have no moral issues with a restomod.
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
A2B226CD-A223-4E19-8C66-7AF86DC5A1CD.jpeg AB56529D-E381-4AAF-BF31-3C39AF84A82D.jpeg 35FA0856-CA3E-481B-BEF1-B64ACAA37B66.jpeg 59541FEA-6AB0-4EB1-993C-0DFDF7059550.jpeg So here is my current fleet, with my 1976 Porsche 911S. I also have a 1963 Porsche 356B on its way from the US, but the priority is to do the 72 240z first, then sell it.
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
First things first, was to do a compression test and was pleasantly surprised with the result. The body may be quite shoddy but the engine is sound. Once the engine, gearbox and exhaust was off, it was off to the body shop for stripping.

B18CEA18-2212-49A6-950E-0357BDDDE83F.jpeg B24813B0-B4EB-49C0-97A6-2EE954BB18C9.jpeg 57F5AEF6-2F23-474D-8D4B-218169CFDD97.jpeg C6546D99-E7C6-4920-9EDD-7EB7D75449AD.jpeg 196018BF-3BD7-4A64-9E38-CFA0EAFE82B3.jpeg
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
So far today I have removed the rear glass, the tailgate, and most of the interior up to the dashboard and console, but the rust was worse than I originally thought. All the seal were split and rotting and all the seams are rusty in some place.

32E1C2B7-5553-4882-B976-F07C73A734A5.jpeg
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
That all looks pretty sound to me - compared to some ... maybe I can't see the rust from here. You're spurring me on to do a thread on my own car, which it strikes me I haven't got, which is poor. You've got the one thing I wish I had - S P A C E ! Keep this thread up to date with what's done - what's the plan for the brown car then, a return to originality and then sold?
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
I rather like the brown - it picks out well the brightwork and with a careful interior colour choice would be more original than the typical reds, whites, blues and oranges we're seeing on the market.

The brown is what might have been termed 'classy' and not brassy ! :)
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
That all looks pretty sound to me - compared to some ... maybe I can't see the rust from here. You're spurring me on to do a thread on my own car, which it strikes me I haven't got, which is poor. You've got the one thing I wish I had - S P A C E ! Keep this thread up to date with what's done - what's the plan for the brown car then, a return to originality and then sold?
Yes. I would have liked to have kept them all, but I need to be slightly detached from It.
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
I rather like the brown - it picks out well the brightwork and with a careful interior colour choice would be more original than the typical reds, whites, blues and oranges we're seeing on the market.

The brown is what might have been termed 'classy' and not brassy ! :)

I’m going to return it to the original brown, not the brown that’s on the car now. Inside the engine bay and behind the seals is the original colour which has a more copper finish....
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
That's a job I hope I never have to do - getting the dash out, sounds a bit of a nightmare. I'd return to the car to the correct original brown and keep the interior as is as well, they do go well together. That more coppery brown isn't the original colour though to me, it's more the later 280z colour.

Here's the original colour - and it's a car sold on BaT by our very own Saccyclone ... beautiful (even in brown)

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-36/
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
That's a job I hope I never have to do - getting the dash out, sounds a bit of a nightmare. I'd return to the car to the correct original brown and keep the interior as is as well, they do go well together. That more coppery brown isn't the original colour though to me, it's more the later 280z colour.

Here's the original colour - and it's a car sold on BaT by our very own Saccyclone ... beautiful (even in brown)

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-36/
I'm changing the interior to black. I lasts longer and the butterscotch hurts my eyes a bit.

So far I have bought some used door cards on eBay, but now looking for the interior panels.
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
If you have the time I would fix the ones you have with GRP, lightly rub down and then recolour. Unless you can find someone who wants a straight swap.

The original brown with black interior is a bit less appealing than the butterscotch and if you're selling it anyway then does it matter?

The coppery brown (280 colour) would look better with the black though, agreed.
 

Robert Campbell

Club Member
BD8633B7-A582-4D43-9855-B0A0BF09582A.jpeg FDA1C9F5-B98D-459B-85C3-12210A976A5E.jpeg 90EF59D7-1C12-4AF7-90D0-A1E4F312CCCA.jpeg 4549295C-253D-4162-BAE4-30E90D8C7FD2.jpeg 3D2771B7-88D6-4718-BFFA-FBCA72F1B38C.jpeg ED6F64E1-FC0C-4745-A144-D680E64F61D3.jpeg 7E5CD66B-9E4B-4FEF-9AFB-67729B7DB573.jpeg The front end is coming apart without any horrific surprises. A couple of snapped bolt heads and the lower panels on the wings with need the rust fixed.
 
Last edited:

Robert Campbell

Club Member
5686937F-60DE-4106-80F2-6779C7CA624F.jpeg I am confused by this rubber bag though... not sure what it’s for....?
 

Attachments

  • EF405E1E-1112-4F4D-82B0-E37090884F92.jpeg
    EF405E1E-1112-4F4D-82B0-E37090884F92.jpeg
    218.9 KB · Views: 3

uk66fastback

Club Member
Bag? No idea! That is looking in very decent, solid nick though ... any evidence of any repairs? Obv the inside of the windscreen frame has been painted so I wonder if you can see any previous localised repairs that have been done at all ...
 
Top