Hi all, So I'm new to the forum. I look forward to everyones input.

I have a 1970 240z that I purchased from my uncle before he passed away from lung cancer. The build date is 1969 but I don't remember the month. VIN is HLS30-00379. This Z has had a pretty tough life... barely survived a Texas hailstorm, 30 years of Florida heat and hurricanes, and an amateur restoration by me when I was 14.

She is in good running shape except the typical rusted wheel wells, door bottoms, fender bottoms, floor pans, rails.... and poor craftsmanship by me when I was young and ignorant.

I live in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Grew up at the Mid-Ohio race track. Love anything with a motor and tires. Awaiting restoration is a 1959 Triumph TR3A and my Dad's 1965 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8. I have a one car garage and NO time due to an always "ON" 2 and a half year old. I will probably take the Z with a wheelbarrow full o' cash to someone who restores them. Does anyone know anybody that does quality Z work within a 150 mile radius of Cincy?

Are there any Z's in Cincy? no Cincinnati Z club? I see lots of em at the Vintage race at Mid-Ohio! I saw one BRE replica a few years ago...

Sorry for the long introduction....

Greg

Well, I'm late to the club meeting as always, but welcome to the site, Greg! I can't help with any local shops, since I don't live around you, but I did buy my 280Z in Cincinnati from a private party that I met on e-bay! Picked up my 240Z on a side-street right here in good old Champaign, IL. I hope you have good luck finding someone to do the body work - no one around here would touch mine, since all they want to do is collision repair. But if you have wheelbarrows full of money, you can take 26th Z's advice and cart it off to Maryland or something! Good luck getting her back in shape - I find that the research on what the early cars looked like and had on them is half the fun .

Mark

Welcome to the club. If I wasn't trying to move I'd take that wheelbarrow full of money and do the restoration for you. That is if you want your Z to look like mine

My wife would probably kill me too but that's ok because it would be worth it.

.. one of our Zero Rust dealers in Lebanon OH asking if he knows anyone with the skills to do the metal work. He is pretty well connected in the restoration hobby in the area and I would trust his input. I'll post here or privately if he comes back with something positive.

Cheers.

I'm working with my second welder and I talked to fifteen body shops before I found the guy I'm working with. I didn't like the welding work from the first guy and had to have some redone. There are some interesting VHS tapes available from Eastwood Automotive about welding and sheet metal fabrication for restoring old cars. Steve Covell? Is that right? They can give you an idea of what to expect. There are plenty of sheet metal forms around. http://www.rustrepair.com/ and for the trickey stuff, you have to find a donor body shell. But be encouraged! There are plenty of guys doing it and coupled with the rest of the car restoration market, you shold be able to find someone to help you out.

Hi Greg:

Did you find the Date of Manufacture on your Z? It 's on the drivers door jam. Also the original engine serial number - which is on the data tag under the hood..

thanks,

Carl B.