Guys:

I've posted a few times regarding #248 and the restoration process, but thought I'd put it all together in one big post.

Last summer, I was looking for parts for my ongoing rebuild of #1793. I happened on a post advertising an "early Z with parts" for sale in the DFW area - price was $1500. I called them up and this is what I was told: car was #248, was stripped for a rebuild and here was the parts list: brand new banks twin turbo V8 kit, brand new Scarab complete setup, brand new detail parts (emblems, interior parts, brand new Scarab suspension setup, and the list went on and on....) Here's where it got a little weird. All of the parts were purchased in 1980 and never even unpacked/unwrapped. The restoration stopped at that point and the car had been steadily becoming one with Texas since that time.

I told the little old lady that I'd take it and that my wife and I would be there in the morning. Hopped in the Titan, rented a trailer and took off on a road trip!

Got down there and couldn't believe what I saw. The entire front porch of this Texas ranch home was filled with Z parts.

I quick gave them the money before they could change their minds and started loading all of the parts up. As we were loading all of the parts (my wife and me - she's a trooper!) we realized that although there was a ton of new parts, they weren't the parts that would have been needed to restore to stock. No motor or tranny, much of the interior missing, no stock wheels and such.

From that point on, here's the progress on the "rodstoration".

Cleaning it out!

Off to the media blaster

Stripped and ready for body work

Early progress

The car is coming along and it's getting exciting as they make progress on the body work. According to the shop, they should be laying down color to the jambs, interior and engine bay in the next week or so...

I'll post more details later!

Bryan

Dat240zg

Coming along nicely.

Wow what a project! Looking great so far

I remember when that car was for sale in Dallas. I'm glad someone got it who is going to do it right. You got a great deal.

Very nice progress. Was the original engine sold with the car? Did you sell off the V8 set-up? This is a great project.

WoW, now thats a story for the kids. Keep up the great work ! !

~Z~

Not just a story for the kids....this is their dang inheritance!!! Doesn't seem to matter how much parts collecting that I did in advance, or how set I thought I was ($), this is a budget breaker. I read in a thread somewhere that it's getting more along the lines of $35K to a concours resto and I'd have to say that it's probably higher than that, based on what it's costing me.

Bottom line was though, that my wife and I were going to have to get another car, and when faced with a $30K car that will be worthless in 5 years or a really nice Z resto that will gain in value, it was an easy choice.

Z for me!

Bryan

I'll try to get pics of the parts that came with the car. The stock motor wasn't with the car, but it did come with a fairly rare bow tie block (based on the casting numbers) which I traded for parts, a brand new Banks twin turbo kit, which I sold on ebay (and Banks bought for thier museum) and all of the Scarab parts.

That was probably my once in a lifetime.

VERY VERY NICE JOB. VERY CLEAN WORK.:beard: