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Blog stevef1972z

A blog by stevef1972z in Member Blogs - Approved

  • Entries

    12

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    2,190

Floor Pan Rust Problems and Question got an Idea?

As I type all of this the car is sitting in the garage, up on ramps. After reading a lot of posts here and asking some questions that had been asked before (its hard for a new person to search the postings because they dont have the vocabulary for the car yet) I went down to check the passenger side floorboard and the floor support. You guessed it, rust. Big time. There really is no support rail and it is rusted right up to the Torsion Rod mounting point on the frame. Dug in and figured ou
stevef1972z

The Plan, Part Deux

OK, I bought the car to drive and enjoy and not have to do as much work as I had with my Z28 street strip car. That didnt happen. New plan for the car: Fix the floors and the frame. Redo suspension: new springs new struts new ball joints new steering boots update sway bar and mounts and redo the rear ujoints. Engine will need a rebuild. Not confident in doing the engine, I have never rebuilt an overhead cam head, so I will most likely look for a replacement long block and swap them out. The
stevef1972z

Floors and Rails an Unhappy Update

Well the Bad Dog rails arrived late this afternoon and I picked up the freshly bent floor pans from the shop on the way home Friday. I got to work with the new air nibbler. If you dont have this tool and do some light body work and metal modification get one! I powered up the compressor and went to work. I got the passenger side floor cut. The rust was worse than I expected. Went further and left the metal thinner than I thought it would. After today, I am seriously wondering if this car
stevef1972z

The Z and Me

I decided it would be nice to put something together to track the life of this car. I have had a lot of different cars over the years from MGs to Lifted 4x4s. I sold my 1979 Z28 T-top Camaro with 435hp 445lbt/ft after I got a little bored with going in a straight line. I started looking around and found my Z. Its a 72 numbers matching car that I am 3rd owner from what I can tell so far. I should have found this site before I bought the car and I would have know more of what to look for. 4th
stevef1972z

Slow Progress

Progress is slooooowwww right now. Its been cold here in the St. Louis Metro area and my garage is not heated, unless I am down there with the kerosene heater on. Tools are coming together, got my new air nibbler from Ebay in late this week. I plan to use it to help cut out the floorboards to prep for replacement. Need a set of flanging pliers, you know the ones that make the lip on the edge of sheetmetal, dont know where to find one yet. Also got the welder back in house with a new spool
stevef1972z

Progress!

Ordered the frame rails from baddog tonight, should have them by the end of the week. The weather is pretty sweet too, so I should be able to start making some progress and be back on the road again real soon. Floorboards are bent up and the nibbler is ready to take out the rust. Cant wait to get back on the road!
stevef1972z

Update on floor and frame

Not much happening. We were out for a while as we had a wedding in Ft. Lauderdale last weekend and one this weekend as well. I am working on the templates and hope to have them to the metal bender this weekend early Satuday before the wedding. The bent metal will be added to the Bad Dog rails and welded into place for the T/C support. I will try and be nice enough to take some photos. Didnt get to work on the templates tonight, Monster in Law came over and bought dinner, so I had to visit.
stevef1972z

More on Floors

Been very busy with other things, the Z has a layer of dust on it from sitting neglected. I got a 4x4 ft piece of 18ga sheet metal and bent the needed pieces today. I am not real happy with what I have come up with for replacing the section missing between the TC mount and the Bad Dog frame rail. With everything missing from the rust it is making it tough. I placed everything today and secured it with sheetmetal screws to pull it tight. I had some more trimming and hammering to fit contours
stevef1972z

Floor and Frame Fixed Now Cooling System

Finally finished the Floors and Frame Rails all the way up to the T/C Boxes that were completely gone. Lots and lots of work, but the car is much more solid now. Drove it for a week and all it did was run scary hot. Waterpump, thermostat, overflow kit, full flush, and we will see if it helps. Pulled all the AC off the car and that helps a little as well. Will see how it goes after the thermostat housing comes in the mail.
stevef1972z

Total on the Floor and Front Frame Rail and Support

One propane canister, two scrappers, two four inch grinding wheels, three 4 inch abrasive wheels for the grinder, two abrasive wheels for the drill, three drill grinding stones conical (for those hard to reach places), 10 cut off wheels for air cut off tool, one hammer for the air nibbler (great tool), 3 cans brake clean, 30 inch sheet metal press, 8 sheet metal screws to hold in place (removed and hole welded), one 4x4ft sheet of 18ga, 1 and 1/3 spool of welding wire, assorted hand tools, two b
stevef1972z

2010 Parts and Plan

I have the new Champion three core alu. Rad to go into the car, along with the hoses. I think the old rad was done in fro 170,000 miles, flsushing worked for a while but began to heat up again. I used my Christmas money to get the rad and a brand new set of Z rotors for the front. They had been for sale here, but I got them on Ebay for half the price. I have new pads coming into the store today and will pick them up this evening. Now I need some decent weather. Need to take down the Christm
stevef1972z

New Rad is IN!

Put in the new three core radiator I picked up from ebay. Nice fit, nice part, and I drove the car hard an never saw the temp gauge move past center, this is totally different for my car! New hoses and new thermostat, and had already replaced water pump last fall. It is nice not to have to watch the gauge as much as the road!
stevef1972z
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