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Weaverhead's RB 260z Restoration
- Thread starter Weaverhead
- Start date
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- Tags
- 260z rb25 restoration
Weaverhead
Well-Known Forum User
Apologies for the lack of updates. Turns out selling your house and moving abroad is time consuming! This little lot will bring us up to date 
Chopped out the boot floor because it wasn't in the greatest of condition and isn't the right shape for the custom fuel tank
New boot floor sections welded in
Raised mounting panels for the 240Z rear lights - made from scratch as always.
Slam panel reinforcement going in before the slam panel is fitted on top.
Hand made slam panel gives a cleaner line (no seams) and is stronger than the original
Here you can see the raised lamp mounting panel to fit the 240Z rear lights, and also the reinforce section we have made to strengthen the boot striker area. The plate sits between the slam panel and rear panel, and all three spot welded together. Two sections were then slit, bent down (with return edges added) and spot welded to the rear panel to add further bracing, similar to the original.
Custom rear light panel and slam panel complete
Chopped out the boot floor because it wasn't in the greatest of condition and isn't the right shape for the custom fuel tank
New boot floor sections welded in
Raised mounting panels for the 240Z rear lights - made from scratch as always.
Slam panel reinforcement going in before the slam panel is fitted on top.
Hand made slam panel gives a cleaner line (no seams) and is stronger than the original
Here you can see the raised lamp mounting panel to fit the 240Z rear lights, and also the reinforce section we have made to strengthen the boot striker area. The plate sits between the slam panel and rear panel, and all three spot welded together. Two sections were then slit, bent down (with return edges added) and spot welded to the rear panel to add further bracing, similar to the original.
Custom rear light panel and slam panel complete
Weaverhead
Well-Known Forum User
Now it's time to get rid of that webasto roof!
Lead melted out of the factory joins
Old roof removed
Replacement roof separated from frame
Inside of the replacement skin cleaned up and protected with weld-thru primer
New roof skin welded in to place
Joins on pillars to be lead-filled as per the original
Pillar joins following lead filling
Also time to lead fill the old fuel filler area
Lead work complete
No more fuel filler
Lead melted out of the factory joins
Old roof removed
Replacement roof separated from frame
Inside of the replacement skin cleaned up and protected with weld-thru primer
New roof skin welded in to place
Joins on pillars to be lead-filled as per the original
Pillar joins following lead filling
Also time to lead fill the old fuel filler area
Lead work complete
No more fuel filler
Weaverhead
Well-Known Forum User
Tailgate repair...
Cut-line marked out on rotten (but already a replacement for the much worse original!) tailgate
Repair section made up for edge of the outer tailgate skin
Old and rusty inner tailgate bottom edge removed
New Section made up and welded in
Outer tailgate skin repair complete
Inner tailgate repairs complete
Cut-line marked out on rotten (but already a replacement for the much worse original!) tailgate
Repair section made up for edge of the outer tailgate skin
Old and rusty inner tailgate bottom edge removed
New Section made up and welded in
Outer tailgate skin repair complete
Inner tailgate repairs complete
That tailgate fit is better than most I've seen too.
Very satisfying work but 'boy oh boy' you are a masochist.
Great Thread.
Alphabettispaghetti
Club Member
They do know what they're doing.
Would it not have been cheaper to buy a LHD shell and convert?
Would it not have been cheaper to buy a LHD shell and convert?
If these guys are that clever they might consider reproduction panels?
You sell them and pay the bills - sorted.
Start with front valances and build up to rear quarters.
You sell them and pay the bills - sorted.
Start with front valances and build up to rear quarters.
Weaverhead
Well-Known Forum User
Wow, awesome skills. Credit to the fabricator for a job well done.
One question...where do you intend to mount the rear number plate ? factory location with some type of hinge mechanism to allow access to the filler
That's right yes, the rear number plate will be mounted on a hinged flip down plate that hides the fuel filler.
Weaverhead
Well-Known Forum User
It probably would have been if I was keeping it standard or lightly modifying which would have been fine. Having to repair large parts of the car makes it easier to replace bits with custom panels. For example, if I had a rust free shell and the fuel filler section was not rotten, it would not have been cut out and moved to the rear, or if I had decided to cut it out anyway the extra paid for a decent shell was wasted in this area. Obviously only one small example but there are many more areas where this logic applies.
Also if I had sourced a LHD shell then this one would probably have rotted away completely and never been put back on the road.
This work is by no means cheap but I do feel it is excellent value for money. Retropower do the work in chunks to suit me so the budget is managed easily and there isn't one huge bill at the end.
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