1973 240Z need advice

[msmiller]

Welcome to the board.

Wow! that's actually kind of scary. Nice color How close is your VIN to mine?

Lot's of metal replacement needed on this one. You can get complete floor and quarter panels for these things, but you're probably going to have to canabalize another Z for the battery box area, or make your own. Also, the replacement floor panels don't include the firewall portions you will need so more canabalism or fabrication will be necessary here as well. I would imaging you will probably find that you will also need to replace the entire rocker assy after you dig a bit deeper.

There's a thread on here titled "Rust Support Group" or something like that which might provide some aditonal info.

And here's my Gallery pages if you need any visual references while working. http://www.jaderunner.com/Gallery/240Z

Wow! I took a look at your photos... man that Z is nice. Did you have to do any restoring? Very Nice!

1/73 Hls30-145668

[a7dz]

Mark

I spent all winter under mine. I know you can bring them back from the dead but, as far as a restore I have to say the best mine can be is a real clean driver. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I too love the way these little cars handle. Listen to Beandip he has watched me on mine all winter. I have cut the firewall out in two places fabricated new parts where the cowl panel rusted through and where the battery box fender well junction meets. Repaired the right front inner fender well and frame rail box. Repaired the right hand floor panel replaced the floor pan stiffener. Repaired both inner rocker panels, replaced both outer rocker panels. Replaced the left dog leg. Repaired the left front frame box. Fabricated the right rear inner fender well. Cut out and replaced the panels behind both seats. Replaced the lower half of the right rear fender, replaced the fuel door and pan and straightened the drivers door, hatch and rear valance panel. Replaced both front fenders and hood. Fabricated new brackets to hold front fenders and nut plates in place. Once you get started the list just keeps growing. I have put my welder away twice thinking I was done and it is out again. Have to weld gussets in the doors so the window frames will stop cracking out the door skins. I can not even imagine the cost of labor to get all of this welding done. Not to add the time it takes to build and bend the parts to fit.

So, all that to say are you sure you want this car? And go for it if it is the one. But, be warned up front it is a long dusty road. I know Beandip was in his car three years. There are a couple of others on the site that are close to and over ten years.

[msmiller]

Mark

I spent all winter under mine. I know you can bring them back from the dead but, as far as a restore I have to say the best mine can be is a real clean driver. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I too love the way these little cars handle. Listen to Beandip he has watched me on mine all winter. I have cut the firewall out in two places fabricated new parts where the cowl panel rusted through and where the battery box fender well junction meets. Repaired the right front inner fender well and frame rail box. Repaired the right hand floor panel replaced the floor pan stiffener. Repaired both inner rocker panels, replaced both outer rocker panels. Replaced the left dog leg. Repaired the left front frame box. Fabricated the right rear inner fender well. Cut out and replaced the panels behind both seats. Replaced the lower half of the right rear fender, replaced the fuel door and pan and straightened the drivers door, hatch and rear valance panel. Replaced both front fenders and hood. Fabricated new brackets to hold front fenders and nut plates in place. Once you get started the list just keeps growing. I have put my welder away twice thinking I was done and it is out again. Have to weld gussets in the doors so the window frames will stop cracking out the door skins. I can not even imagine the cost of labor to get all of this welding done. Not to add the time it takes to build and bend the parts to fit.

So, all that to say are you sure you want this car? And go for it if it is the one. But, be warned up front it is a long dusty road. I know Beandip was in his car three years. There are a couple of others on the site that are close to and over ten years.

You guys are scaring me! I don’t mean to sound naïve but I have been under over and all around this car. I don’t see any more rust except for the passenger side firewall, floor and battery box. The driver’s side floor pan needs the area at your feet replaced. I am going to have both whole floor pans replaced.

Am I not going to see all the rust until all the paint is stripped? This car is for me, for Sundays. I am not trying to restore it for show, just make it safe and fun to drive (plus look nice). I have budgeted 5k to bring it back (that includes what I paid for it). I don’t need it for every day so as long as it takes me is O.K.

Looking online I have seen a lot of cars that looked worse then mine. I looked at all the videos from DatsunZguy, that looked really extensive! I know the person that has owned this car for the past 26 years. I have all the receipts, and even have the original Datsun warranty card (looks like a credit card) with the original owners name on it, which by the way is a Dentist in Colorado who is the person Diane purchased it from. I purchased it from her.

Bottom line can I make this a safe fun car? MM

[=Enigma=]

Wow! I took a look at your photos... man that Z is nice. Did you have to do any restoring? Very Nice

Thanks. I'm sure you can get yours to the point of being safe, but the real question is, can you do it for $5k. Based on what I've read on here to date, that may be a bit of a challenge.

If it were me, I'd take my $5k and find a better starting point. That's exactly what I did. $5500 to be exact. I've invested probably $1000 in parts, paint, and supplies since November 05'. My budget was $6-7K so I'm still on budget even with some extras.

The only restoration work I've done, actually more of a refresh, was stripping off the suspension components and refinishing them. I'm in the final stages of this process now. This car has only minimal surface rust. So little in fact that it's barely worth mentioning. 98% of it was on the suspension and that's all gone now. Still has the original paint. Still shiny.

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[Ed]

Bottom line can I make this a safe fun car? MM

Bottom line? Yes, but as everyone has told you $$$ talks. You can do just about anything with $$$. Judging from your pictures you don't have a garage, your car has severe rust damage to the firewall/floor/frame. And you didn't take the hood off before pulling the engine.

My $.02; Strip the car. Catalog everything, take lot's of pictures, and use zip lock baggies to identify all your nuts & bolts (makes assembly much easier). Once stripped you might consider a rotisserie. It will make working on the car sooooo much easier. The more stripping you do the more rust you WILL find. Once the car is stripped take a serious look at it. Will it cost more to fix it than it is worth. Like previously mentioned you can find a good donor shell on the west coast for half of what your going to pay in body/sheetmetal work. And if you do get a donor shell you will have all your parts from the 73 to use.

Either way good luck and start looking for a donor shell.

[Arne]

Bottom line can I make this a safe fun car? MM

Yes, the car can be saved. But it will be expensive and time-consuming.

[a7dz]

Bottom line can I make this a safe fun car? MM

Two things

Yes you can make your car more than just safe and drivable.:classic: :classic: As has been said two or three different times it just costs money. My car is proof of that. I will post pictures of it when I get it done. Will write about the process and how I over came some different problems. Right now my focus is on getting this car more then just streetable.

I bought my car from my mother. So far:tapemouth it has not made it any less rusty or taken any of the problems away. It is just history.