Think I can make it?

[Ttiger]

I was planning on taking my new-to-me 1973 240Z to the Motorsport Nationals in So-Cal next week.

I have an engine and 5-speed ready to put in the car but car is still in the paint shop. They said one week and we're going on two. I was going to pick it up today and start putting the body back together (I took everything off). I got a call this morning telling me that when the painter was painting the cowl panel (they took it off the car), the top blew off his paint gun and spilled paint all over the freshly painted body!!

They want to sand the whole car and shoot it again tomorrow. I should be able to pick it up Saturday but I have to work all weekend Fri-Mon. That leaves me 3 days (Tue-Wed-Thur) of next week to get it ready.

I'm thinking I'll just put the body back together and drive it with the tired original engine (135,000 miles) and auto trans to the show. Or, maybe, pull a couple of all-nighters and swap out the drivetrain. The car had been sitting for 2 years when I got it a month ago. It started and ran fine although the radiator has a leak. It made it the 50 miles to the paint shop and promptly spilled its guts. I have a new radiator waiting.

Decisions, decisions...

[Zs-ondabrain]

Pull the "All nighters" and "Get-er-done" tell the boss you need monday off so you have an extra day. You'll need that day for the fine tuning. Check all your fluids, electrical, nuts, bolts, carbs, fuel, etc, etc. It'll make every minute of the drive to and from the event, worth every penny. Not to mention all the help you'll get "At the show" by any and all who are willing to help fine tune your Z for the ride home. Hope to see ya there.

Good luck on your decision,

Dave.

[EScanlon]

I would say that it depends on how much experience you have with Z's, and how easy the 5-speed conversion will be, and how well you are able to work without touching the new paint. That, of course, depends on how much experience you have with the Z's. Your profile doesn't say much other than you own three, so it is possible.

Pulling an all-nighter works only if you are familiar with what you are doing AND you aren't trying to do the job at arm's length, otherwise it's a sure bet to getting frustrated, tired and worse... taking short cuts that can bite you down the road. There's a reason for the expression "Haste makes Waste".

New paint that has only had a couple of days to cure....well it's going to be very touchy....and you're planning on leaning over the fenders to install an engine? Make sure you don't wear a belt, or jeans with metal buttons or rivets, or have anything in your pockets and absolutely do NOT put grease or oil on the fresh paint. Also be careful of leaning on top of a fender cover, you might imprint the fender cover's cloth backing onto the paint, or find that it got stuck, or that you ......

When you say you removed everything, does that include glass? As in windshield and hatch? Yikes that's a couple of hours even when you ARE experienced. Same thing with door glass, and weatherstripping and emblems and....

You'll want to remove the hood so you can swap in the new engine...have you given thought as to where you will be parking it so that it is NOT resting on an edge or surface of new paint?

Do you have a friend that's going to stay up to help you? Or are you planning on doing this by yourself?

I can understand your eagerness, but I would caution you to reacess your hurry.

Then again, if you can pull it off .... great! You'll have a lot of fun, that weekend and more.

But if you end up marring a beatiful paint job simply because you rushed the whole job..... you'll cry for years.

Take your time, do it RIGHT, and you'll enjoy it for years. You might miss this years convention, but you would be set for the next one and all the other shows and fun runs.

2¢

E

[hls30.com]

I had a similar situation last year a few days before the ZCCA National Convention. I chose to wait because of exactly what E has said. I want the car right and I know me well enough to know I would do something careless because of rushing to meet the impending deadline I imposed. Hurrying such a large project is fine for a professional mechanic, who does this all day every day, but for me, rushing in somewhat familiar territory has made too many "nice" projects out of what would have been outstanding projects.

If the car is to be a driver, OK. If the car is to be more-wait.

Will

[Oiluj]

I'd take my time. Rushing and working tired increases the chance of mistakes and possibly scratching that new paint. You can always take it to the nationals next year after you've had time to deal with all the details...

I have a target time frame to have mine done by October for a drive down to San Diego. But if it means "rushing" the re-assembly, I'll just fly down instead...

Just my 2 cents...

[five&dime]

Patience is key when it comes to cars. You always make mistakes when you rush thing like that.

[AndysPlit]

Would you consider taking another one of your Z's down here?

[sblake01]

I think the others belong to his boys. I don't think I'd risk a trip from Nor Cal to So Cal with only three days to prepare. When I do that kind of mechanical work on a car, new engine, trans, radiator, etc., I like to take it for a 'shakedown' run. About a 30-40 mile loop that doesn't get me too far from home. That way if there's a problem, I can call AAA and get it towed home to sort it out. I hate to have a problem somewhere along the way on a, what, 300+mile trip?

[Fun_in_my_z]

Like everyone has said, if you rush it you will mess it up. also if you rush then the car may not be finished in time for the show anyway. Then what? Will an unfinished or rushed car win any prizes? Doubtfull at best.

[Ttiger]

I'm taking at least two down to the show. My boy's 240Z and 300ZX are going. I've put together many many Zs in the past so that's not a big deal. The glass is out and all the emblems, bumpers, weatherstrip is off the car.

It may be more prudent to leave the drivetrain in place and drive it down with the body in nice shape and do the drivetrain when I get back. I gues I'll play it by ear and see how things go when I start to assemble everything.