1973 Datsun 240z (L28) US import restoration

[Graeme - CZ]

Rebuilding the car! This is about 18 months through my project at this stage.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

After a move back to the UK from Prague after a relationship breakup, i'd been back in London for 6 months, but soon had a yearning to just return home to the place of my birth - Edinburgh. So, car on truck and follows me up to Edinburgh. Hope it doesn't rain ;-)

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Refining the interior with new door cards etc. I also fit the spoiler. New seats look great with the leather covers.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Mirrors fitted, plus a valance which ironically came from a Mk1 Golf GTI - with a bit of heat, it worked like a charm and looks very period. But don't these 1973 bumpers look horrendous.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

My first outing in the car. By this stage, 90% of work had been cosmetic. I had 18 months of hard mechanical labour ahead of me, to make the guts of the car as good as the exterior.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

New bumpers arrived from Vietnam - hurrah!

 

[Graeme - CZ]

How far I had come so far...thanks for the montage Fraser.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Time to attack my leaking fuel tank. New pipes and filler neck.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Replaced a bunch of bushes and joints. At this stage, I really really wish I had replaced my suspension - I end up doing that 12 months later, after spending time driving it over the summer and realising just how bad my suspension was.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

New radiator goes in and hours and hours spent polishing the valve cover. I had been painted black.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Interior before and after...

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Time for a really really professional flat and polish. I also had it ceramic coated to protect the paint.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

She's now officially a garage princess...and I move into a smaller garage for the summer, so I can hopefully start to enjoy the car rather than work on her.

 

[Mr.G]

Well done, love the colour.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

After summer driving her and covering 700 miles, I definitely know I've got a bunch of work to do over the autumn. Replace the suspension, plus fit all the remaining bushes from my bush kit and also replace a bunch of bearings front and back. Oh, and look what has arrived. I'm dreading this job, as it really will push my mechanical skills to the limit (I work in IT).

 

[Graeme - CZ]

I also decide to splash out and treat myself to a full fast-road exhaust system from Zstory.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Before summer ended, a local automotive photographer had seen the car and really really wanted to shoot her in a few locations...why not.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

The next chapter would then take me 3 months, as I totally strip down the rear end, replacing loads of parts as I go, painting as I go and finally installing the new suspension. BC coilovers are great by the way.

 

[Graeme - CZ]

Looking like new...

 

[Graeme - CZ]

A big day. The new suspension is all going in...only taken a few months of working every weekend on the car to get to this stage.