New Project - '71 Datsun 240z
- Thread starter Apollyon12
- Start date
theimbalance
New member
IF you do decide to swap, I would too suggest a VQ..it would just be updating!
TheNailman
Warcock
man, i guess im the odd man out.
i say clean it up, tune it up, put some good rubber on her, and run it!
such a pretty girl .
i say clean it up, tune it up, put some good rubber on her, and run it!
such a pretty girl .
Apollyon12
Active member
Doesn't the manufacturer of POR-15 recomend that you apply it directly to the bare metal? Not on the top of original paint or new primer?
Apollyon12
Active member
Well, Friday I was able to get a antique plate and take the car for a "legal" drive. Because the seat belts aren't right/working, one front blinker needs some attention and the headlights don't work, and it needs a front bumper, I had to be careful not to get pulled over. But it was defintily satisfying to get it rolling.
My wife wants to learn mecanical/car stuff so she helped me do some of the basic maintenance stuff. Change the spark plugs, wires, oil and filter, fuel filter. I broke the spark plugs loose the day before because I didn't want her to be resposible for braking a plug off in the block. This project is defintly going to teach me to be more patient. Every bolt it going to need some PB Blaster before massaging them loose. That and working with the wife.
Here are some pics of the major rust attention areas.
Passenger rocker:
Drivers Floor: (with the lovely exhaust work. It doesn't leak but man is it loud)
Passengers Floor:
At this point, it is actually not as bad as I was expecting. The underside is REALLY dirty from the oil/diesel mix that I think was sprayed everywere. Some of it looks like rust but thankfully isn't.
My wife wants to learn mecanical/car stuff so she helped me do some of the basic maintenance stuff. Change the spark plugs, wires, oil and filter, fuel filter. I broke the spark plugs loose the day before because I didn't want her to be resposible for braking a plug off in the block. This project is defintly going to teach me to be more patient. Every bolt it going to need some PB Blaster before massaging them loose. That and working with the wife.
Here are some pics of the major rust attention areas.
Passenger rocker:
Drivers Floor: (with the lovely exhaust work. It doesn't leak but man is it loud)
Passengers Floor:
At this point, it is actually not as bad as I was expecting. The underside is REALLY dirty from the oil/diesel mix that I think was sprayed everywere. Some of it looks like rust but thankfully isn't.
Apollyon12
Active member
It has these weird eccentric lug adapters that allow you to use a rim that has the same size bolt pattern but larger dia. holes.
Front:
Rear:
It wouldn't bother me that much if there was only one way to install them, but you can set them so that the rim ends up off-center to the hub. I can just see going into some tire place and have them screw it up every time. I am also missing one and need to replace it.
Glass Packs: (full 6-into-2 exhaust from aftermarket headers)
Area of concern: (drivers side frame rail, rearward of the wheel)
Doesn't look like it has rotten thru but I will need to patch it eventually.
Front:
Rear:
It wouldn't bother me that much if there was only one way to install them, but you can set them so that the rim ends up off-center to the hub. I can just see going into some tire place and have them screw it up every time. I am also missing one and need to replace it.
Glass Packs: (full 6-into-2 exhaust from aftermarket headers)
Area of concern: (drivers side frame rail, rearward of the wheel)
Doesn't look like it has rotten thru but I will need to patch it eventually.
2point5RS_Dan
HATER DAN
Awesome pictures man, I appreciate the detail.
I cant wait to see how you tackle that rusted out rocker.
I cant wait to see how you tackle that rusted out rocker.
Apollyon12
Active member
The rocker won't actually be all that big a deal. As you can see the part that is rusted is not part of the unibody's structural member. Those are the bare metal pieces you can see in the hole. So basicly the rocker is just a visual piece. The hard part is getting it to match up with the rest of the car's lines when completed. I have an english wheel for the compound curves if I decide to create the shape first instead of just beating a panel into shape as it is welded on. I actually am waiting until I can get a bead roller before begining any of that body work. I need a bead roller to add rigidity to the floor panels. As you can see in the drivers side pics, the forward frame rail (under the drivers feet) needs to be fixed as well. If I had a press brake that wouldn't be a real problem, but as it is I may have to get a piece bent into a tunnel.
Actually I am going to remove the sun roof and fix the hole first. I will probably shape a piece to match the inside curves of the roof, weld it from the top so there is a slight depression where the hole was, and then fill that with a piece of fiberglass cloth and some flexable resin. Finish it off with a little filler and it should be all set. I still have to look at the roof to see where I will be able to tape it off for paint. Traditionally, racing stripes don't go over the roof, just the hood and trunk, so I will be painting the roof plain silver. If I don't just do a weather tight primer and start that process there.
If I remember, I will get some pics showing how bad the current seats work in the car. I have the seat all the way forward, and reclined all the way up, and it is still to far back and leaning back too much. And my hair is constantly brushing the edge of the sun-roof.
Apollyon12
Active member
Well this morning instead of sitting on my butt, I decided to get some work done on the Z. I haven't been able to move it around since bringing to to my house because the starter seems to have bitten the dust. It would not pop out and engage the fly wheel, just sit there and spin. I think it was just old and dirty, not broken. So I decieded to simply replace it instead of trying to fix it and have it crap out on me in some important place. This way it is one less thing I have to worry about.
$34.99 and two bolts later it came out.
Got to love how the replacement is so much smaller for the same job. The only
thing is that it makes a signifigantly different noise when starting. But it does work. And I guess I could rebuild the old one and have a back-up. Though it's not like I am going to drive around with it in my trunk.
I was also able to get the crappy seats that were in there swapped out for a correct set that the previous owner had picked up and never installed. Much nicer, more comfortable and a hell of a lot lower. It doesn't have much ability to recline, only 3 or 4 different positions, but I like an upright driving position.
They aren't the right color and aren't in the best of shape but they will work until I can either get some replacements, aftermarkets, or have them recovered and modified to accept a harness.
Unfortunately, I may end up selling it before I do any major work. I have someone who is interested and may come take a look. If I can get my money out of it, I won't be to bent out of shape. I have found that you usually end up getting screwed on the first of something you buy. Once you have owned something, you can do the research and have it mean something. You have a frame of reference for when you are either searching for parts or the solution to a problem. Most of the time you will buy the wrong version of something, the previous owner wanted to get rid of it and get the right one himself. So while this car is a good start to build exactly what I want, it can be replaced. I can find another one. That and I am not happy with the current storage situation. Sitting out all winter won't kill it but I would really rather have a garage to put it in.
$34.99 and two bolts later it came out.
Got to love how the replacement is so much smaller for the same job. The only
I was also able to get the crappy seats that were in there swapped out for a correct set that the previous owner had picked up and never installed. Much nicer, more comfortable and a hell of a lot lower. It doesn't have much ability to recline, only 3 or 4 different positions, but I like an upright driving position.
They aren't the right color and aren't in the best of shape but they will work until I can either get some replacements, aftermarkets, or have them recovered and modified to accept a harness.
Unfortunately, I may end up selling it before I do any major work. I have someone who is interested and may come take a look. If I can get my money out of it, I won't be to bent out of shape. I have found that you usually end up getting screwed on the first of something you buy. Once you have owned something, you can do the research and have it mean something. You have a frame of reference for when you are either searching for parts or the solution to a problem. Most of the time you will buy the wrong version of something, the previous owner wanted to get rid of it and get the right one himself. So while this car is a good start to build exactly what I want, it can be replaced. I can find another one. That and I am not happy with the current storage situation. Sitting out all winter won't kill it but I would really rather have a garage to put it in.
Apollyon12
Active member
ya, indoor car storage isn't cheap.
TheNailman
Warcock
such a cool project.
patsti
NitrousFed
DO NOT PUT A V8 in that car! Put a VG30et a vh45 if you want a v8... or a rb25det... check out http://www.jdmenginedepot.comjust wandered in here. very cool. don't sell, just because it will kill a cool thread.
First: Don't put a v-8 in it. Sounds like such a Mainer solution.
Second: What's all this talk about whale tails?
Apollyon12
Active member
After a winter of having the Datsun just sit in my driveway as a hazard to navigation, I have recently been able to get some work done. Because I want to always have this on the road and not a garage monster, the fisrt and high priority items are the things you need to be on the road safely. When I got the car the rubber heater core hoses had been cut and the water jacket bypassed.
View attachment 2908(Red hose closest to bottom of the pic)
Along with that the OEM temp tensor had been removed and a cheap aftermarket one put in, as well as the radiator looked pretty beat up in front and it was observed that it looked rotten and should probably be replaced. So even though it had never overheated or really ever gotten warm, I was always concered it would fail and strand me.
So while trying to get the thermostat housing apart, I broke both of the bolts that hold the cover on, and one of the bolts that holds the housing to the block. I have never had very good luck with bolt extractors, but I was able to get the stud out of the block and one bolt out of the housing. And, of course, broke the bolt extractor on the last housing bolt. Replacement housing, bolts and new manual temp guage (just in case the one that came with the car was reading wrong), and a good bit of run around finding the right adapters, the system was back together.
View attachment 2909
View attachment 2908(Red hose closest to bottom of the pic)
Along with that the OEM temp tensor had been removed and a cheap aftermarket one put in, as well as the radiator looked pretty beat up in front and it was observed that it looked rotten and should probably be replaced. So even though it had never overheated or really ever gotten warm, I was always concered it would fail and strand me.
So while trying to get the thermostat housing apart, I broke both of the bolts that hold the cover on, and one of the bolts that holds the housing to the block. I have never had very good luck with bolt extractors, but I was able to get the stud out of the block and one bolt out of the housing. And, of course, broke the bolt extractor on the last housing bolt. Replacement housing, bolts and new manual temp guage (just in case the one that came with the car was reading wrong), and a good bit of run around finding the right adapters, the system was back together.
View attachment 2909
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