Restoration... Should I go all the way?

[73 240Z Man]

I recently got my first car back.... 73 240z. I am excited to have it back and am looking at getting it running and looking good. Its pretty rough right now.

My question, how hard is it to do a full restoration (ie frame off type, bead blasing etc)?

[Zak's Z]

Before you decide what to do.. why don't you post some pics of your car? First thing I would determine is the condition of the body/frame. What issues do you have with rust, etc? Post pics of the battery tray area, doglegs, inner fenders, frame rails, rear deck lid and the underside.

From there I think people could actually make useful comments on what needs to be done.

Assuming it's pretty good...and you want to go ahead with a 'refresh' of the car, seriously consider the cost involved. It does cost alot of money, even if you do most of the work yourself. I am in the process of a 'refresh' on my '72 and I'm doing alot of work myself and it still costs more than I anticipated.

Assuming after that you're still going to go at it... then I guess you start by tearing it down. I think the most important thing you can do is photograph and document the process like a crime-scene! I have all these baggies lying around with a few bolts in it with a smudgy label that says "left side" on it, for example. Now that I'm ready to start putting things back together after 3 years I cant remember where alot of it goes.

Anyways...lets start with looking at your car!

[260zCaliCar]

Compared to what? Have you ever done something like this before? What are your mechanical skills?

If your asking the question...

Then it's probably very easy. You hand someone about 25,000 dollars and go back to your regular job. Then, in about a year, you go back, shake the guys hand, say thanks, and it's all done.

Seriously, "how hard" is a relative question based on your skill and experience. There are people on this board that wouldn't consider it "hard" at all. Time consuming, maybe, but probably not hard.

It also depends on the condition of the car to begin with, and the tools/resources you have available to assist you.

[TomoHawk]

I didn't know a 240Z had a frame... How would you do a frame-off restoration on a unibody car?

IMO, the best you could do is take the engine out, remove all the undercarriage stuff, gas tank, interior, etc., put it on a rotisserie, and then go at it from there.

BTW- don't forget to get & print a copy of the "240Z restoration manual."

[Zak's Z]

I didn't know a 240Z had a frame... How would you do a frame-off restoration on a unibody car?

I guess you wouldn't. I did say body/frame not knowing how familiar he is with the car. You are correct. There is no frame. Thanks for pointing that out for me.

[TomoHawk]

The suggestion of a "full restoration (ie frame off type, bead blasing etc)" was in the initial post.

no worries

[Garagegoon]

He just wanted helpful information... and all ya'll are doin is puffin your chests and seein who's got a bigger set...

The only helpful info so far was from Zak's Z...

I agree... Throw some pictures on here and you will get a ton of help im sure. Good luck and congrats on getin your first car back...

[ajmcforester]

If you are going to shell out the buck to restore a large portion of the car you might as will do it all. If not you run risks of rust out in spots under the paint. I have a car I'm restoring that you could not find the rust spots until I striped sections, I may have a low rust car but I found two spots that might have not been done on the underside of the car (under paint and undercoating) if I did a partial restoration.

Now I do have areas I'm not repainting where the original paint has the hand brush strokes and has no wear, but that is because that is part of the history of the car. I believe you can over restore a car they are classics from history and removing all the history making them new makes them less classic. Don't get me wrong I enjoy like new restorations, but I love to look at great originals or mild restored cars more.

I wish I could have found a nice unrestored car that met my needs, before getting the one I have, but it wasn't in the cards, besides you learn a lot about your car when restoring it if you can do it your self.

Edited January 19, 2009 by ajmcforester

[240kconvertible]

My question, how hard is it to do a full restoration (ie frame off type, bead blasing etc)?

It's not that hard to do a full resto but it is very, very time consuming. I undertook a full resto on my convertible back in the start of 05 and i'm only nearly finished now, albeit with a few more modifications than I envisaged at the beginning of the rebuild.

I bought a welder and compressor (with no knowledge or experience of how to use them) and went from there. Now that i've nearly finished I'm very happy with the skills I have learn't. Be prepared to spend a whole lot more $$$ than you plan as tools, materials and consumables will add up to a lot. Do not add up how much time you've put into it as this will only make you unhappy.

My advice is unless you have good friends who know about cars and are willing to help out it might be better to just lightly sand it back and fix any rust spots and drive it around. A back to bare steel resto takes a lot of time, it takes longer to blow/suck the blasting medium out of the car than it does to blast it back to steel in the first place.

Make sure your committed to the task before starting or you'll end up as another "unfinished project" on ebay selling for half what it has cost you.

Cheers Andrew

[Travel'n Man]

I would have to agree with Zak as well. Get yourself one of the catalogs, Black Dragon or MSA and generate a "wish list". Add up all the things you want to do by section. If you have a friend or a buddy that can help thats great. If you don't you need to go and get some estimates for engine removal and body work or learn as you go (that is what a lot of us have done with the help from this community. You can focus on the underbody and engine first or focus on the body and then the engine. It's your car so take the projects you want to first. Nobody says you have to bite the entire project at once. From first hand experience you can work your way up the $20K mark in a hurry. Figure out a time line and a budget and work it from there. My project took 2 years and I've still go more to do. The old saying "plan your work and work your plan" is the way to do it.

Best of luck and share some pictures with all of us. My first Z was a '73 back in '78 (white with red interior). What a great memory!!

[ajmcforester]

I find as much as possible about part suppliers and get to know your salvage yards by first name basis, especially in CA. So many cars in yards with good cheep parts. If you don't look at time in the project as a waist, but entertainment keeping track of time is not bad and tells you how much better you get at tasks on the car and actually can be rewarding. Get as much research material as possible catalogs, factory manuals, microphish parts listing, old pictures, and take a lot of pictures sometimes the cluse to how something should be is on the car.

[Mr Camouflage]

My question, how hard is it to do a full restoration (ie frame off type, bead blasing etc)?

Very, if you have no idea about such things. If you have alot of free time and know how to swing a spanner, have a crack at it, if not paying someone else to do it will be easier and possibly faster, if you can find a shop that will work on it, instead of leaving it in the corner because they are too busy with smash repair jobs. Definitely not cheap though, either way.