UK 240Z Restoration

[Project Z]

Hi Guys,

New to this club and to the 240Z, I've just bought my first 240Z and need to decide how I manage and go about the restoration. I'm not in a position to do the work myself so I'm looking to get professional help, my understanding is Fourways are the UK's #1 240Z specialists however that comes at a hefty price!

As she's an original UK RHD 240Z I think I'd like to keep her as close to original as possible. She is mechanically sound but as with most UK 240's she is in need of some good body work restoration, she has a current MOT but the floor pans are needing attention.

As I'm new here I am trying to find my feet and I'm looking through old threads for good information, however please could I ask for your advice on my Project Z?

Thanks

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Hi Guys,

New to this club and to the 240Z, I've just bought my first 240Z and need to decide how I manage and go about the restoration. I'm not in a position to do the work myself so I'm looking to get professional help, my understanding is Fourways are the UK's #1 240Z specialists however that comes at a hefty price!

As she's an original UK RHD 240Z I think I'd like to keep her as close to original as possible. She is mechanically sound but as with most UK 240's she is in need of some good body work restoration, she has a current MOT but the floor pans are needing attention.

As I'm new here I am trying to find my feet and I'm looking through old threads for good information, however please could I ask for your advice on my Project Z?

Thanks

I think only fourways would say they're the number one specialists.

There's plenty of places to take it, you could drop it in France for a few weeks....

 

[johnymd]

Welcome. The car looks nice from the picture so what do0es it require and to what level would you like to restore it? Costs of professional restorations are not cheap. To put right any portly done repairs and restore a 240z must be in the region of £30k plus. Maybe a lot more than that depending on the work required.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

If you want a professional restoration that will be expensive.

If you want the floors replacing/repairing that is something a local bodyshop can do (get recommendations first though).

Z specialists are few and far between because of the rarity of the cars (not enough through business).

Bodypanels are very difficult to find too.

If it has an MoT perhaps just get the floors done?

Pictures of rusty areas would us decide the amount of work required.

 

[Project Z]

Thanks for the comments so far, much appreciated.

I've taken the car to quite a few companies now and have had such a mix of advice, price's quoted for body work restoration range from 7.5k to 30+k.

I'm not after a concours finish, I'd like to get all underneath made good, full strip back and body re-spray.

I paid quite a lot for the car so not looking to put another 30k into it.

I've attached a few photos of the underneath, they're not the best but gives an idea,

Cheers!

 

[Jake RAH]

I'm no expert what so ever but that rust doesn't look so bad. Is that the worst of it? One thing I'd check out properly is that the sunroof doesn't leak in any way as that will cause lots of rust issues from the top to the bottom of the car.
I'd suggest you spend a while getting to know the car, enjoying it and figuring out what the faults are and what you want/need to do to the car. Then balance that against your budget. Chances are you will go over budget so watch the £'s as they soon mount up. Do as much of the work as you can yourself. Helps you learn about the car and saves some money. Even having no real knowledge of cars the is still quite a bit you can do yourself. Oh and the resto will take longer than you plan lol
Good luck with your Z

 

[IbanezDan51]

Very early days, ideally that all needs stripping back to asses it properly but it really doesn't look too bad.
Have you poked the screwdriver through any of it yet?

 

[Project Z]

That is pretty much the worst of it but once its stripped back will have a better idea. Thanks for your message Jake... sound like I need lots of time & money!

So far the sun roof appears to be good with no leaks - I would like to delete the sun roof but not sure this can be done??

Screwdriver interrogation - there are a few areas where the screwdriver pokes through but overall not too bad

 

[SeanDezart]

I think only fourways would say they're the number one specialists.

There are indeed, other, more discreet restorers of Zs in the UK.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

I agree with Jake, whilst it's got an MoT use it and get to know it. Get some good memories and then you can decide how attached to it you are and how much you want to spend.

I reckon your shell will be worse then you think - they usually are. Therefore be careful about your next move. The pictures do reveal issue to me e.g. I reckon the rear of the sill has filler on/in it.

Your car is a typical UK example and it should give you lots of pleasure but you need to spend some time finding a reliable and reasonably priced bodyshop for the inevitable repairs.

Floor repair panels are available but not roof panels unfortunately.

 

[richiep]

A real watershed will be what things look like when all that old, peeling underseal is removed. Things look a bit suspect in some of those photos. New floors look to be on the cards; could be squeaky bum time with the chassis rails too. Get the magnet out around the rear arches and sills.

New floors can be had for 200 quid a pair (with the underfloor chassis rail extensions included).

There are various threads in the forum about sunroof deletion. The most accepted method is to drill out the 120 spot welds and replace with a new (read S/H, probably US import) complete roof skin. There is also a view that a good bodyshop should be able to weld in a patch and make good with the modern generation of skim/fillers that don't experience shrinkage of flex issues like ones from even a few years ago.

As Rob says, explore your bodyshop options. It needn't be a Z specialist. Look for places that are popular with classic and sports owners in your area. The bodyshop I used for example when my car was repaired and painted 10 years ago looks like a dodgy little back-street hovel. However, when you go in and invariably see things like assorted Yank muscle, to Ferrari F40s, to classic Merc SLs in there next to the bread-and-butter insurance repairs, you get a different picture of the priorities and interests of the owner. It was also highly economical.

As for Secret Squirrel/Sean's comment about discreet alternatives, he means MZR Roadsports in Allerton, West Yorkshire for starters. They've done some really nice restos of imports recently.

 

[Project Z]

Thanks for your posts guys - lots to take in.

Richiep - thanks for that, I was trying to work out where he meant!