73 240 Resto Started

[brentz]

15 years in the garage and she is now ready for the total makeover. Delivered to the body/paint shop 2 weeks ago after totally stripping the interior out as well as drivetrain/engine. This was a pretty nice 73 example, white with red interior. It is going to be black with a red interior. I will post progress because I think you will like the result.

[Travel'n Man]

Brent -

Welcome to the site (member since 2003 with only 1 post)! You've had plenty of time to get your research done. What are you doing with the engine and so forth?

Looks like you are starting the quest.................

[Bonzi Lon]

I know what you are going through, mine sat in the back room of the garage for 26 years, with a newly rebuilt engine with 96 miles on it.

What would the VIN happen to be?

Bonzi Lon

[brentz]

Yes...I have been lurking for quite some time! top end of engine has already been rebuilt. Sent the bottom end to the machine shop to be cleaned up and dimensionally checked. Don't plan on doing anything major with the engine. Of course it has the non-73 SUs so it will run decent. Suspension has been totally rebuilt with new bushings (poly). Wife will be glad to see it do something besides sit in the corner! (As will I)

[brentz]

VIN is HLS30-82963...4spd manual. Had dealer-added AC...will try aftermarket when i get to that point!

[Bonzi Lon]

If it is a 73, it appears you are missing a digit in the above number. Might want to look again, dash plaque or engraved above the brake booster.

Bonzi Lon

[ollie]

I'm only about a month ahead of you with my '73's restoration. Bolted to the roti on October 17th and the restoration shop will have it sealed with epoxy by the end of this month, ready to be sprayed and back to my by Christmas. Suspension bits are being stripped and powder coated now, all hardware removed is being cleaned and plated, which reminds me I need to send the bumpers out to be re-chromed. Motor is at the engine shop as well...supposedly only has 24,000 miles so we're hopefull it only needs rings and bearings...head is going to be an e31 with 280 valves, mild street cam, Stahl header. Interior was all near perfect, somewhat validating the low mileage claim and the body guy found nothing significant in the rust department. Since misery loves company feel free to email me and I will be happy to share some of my experiences with vendors around restoration parts. One in particular has been EXTREMELY helpful with respect to plating and providing things like perfect clamps, NOS and never been used SU's, decals and so forth.

[brentz]

You are correct...it is actually HLS30-160400 and the engine number is L24-172010....MFR on 5/73. I had an original warranty booklet that had some stuff written in it, and it looked like what they wrote down for the VIN was bogus in there.

[brentz]

Ollie...I appreciate your pain for sure. My car has 131,000 original miles on it. I really look forward to putting the rust monster to bed for quite a while with this treatment. There were a few small rust holes on the driverside floorpan, minor pitting in the usual places, but nothing a little new metal and POR15 can't shape up. Plan on putting a thinned-down bed-liner material, black, in the engine bay as well as coating the whole underside with it. The restorer has done this before on other vehicles and reports a very nice result. You engine will sound very nice for sure. I am thinking about good wheels as well as perhaps a set of Ztherapy SUs...will have to see.

[ollie]

I'm spending the extra to port and polish the head as well...stock block and I know people say go L28 but I'm wanting this to stay somewhat original.

All the crappy spot welds are being fixed and sealed and we're likely not using any undercoat at all. No rust per se has popped up but I know he was going to drill out the trapezoid "reinforcement" patch on the inner to see what is going on underneath since this is a hot bed for rust. This car will be a show / occasional driver and will be stored in a heated environment. The underside of my car is simply going to be original 918 orange in a "more duarable" finsih than the 2 stage Dupont on the body.

All the emissions stuff is history with a new balance tube as well. I used Vintage Rubber for any seals which seemed iffy and have been spending a small fortune on things like bumper rubber.

Good luck with the restoration, sounds like it will be awesome in black on red...my buddy's '66' Vette he put $80K into the restoration is that same combination and it looks amazing.

[brentz]

It's a good idea to look under that patch. The patches are pretty flimsy..I saw some rust penetration on mine, so my resto man cleaned it up and welded on new patches. Great idea to ditch the emission plumbing. I followed the same path. Balance and intake is from an "older SU" car. Any ideas for wheels? Looking not to lower or offset, but want to keep the speedo fairly accurate.

[ollie]

I have a set of 16" panasports in gun metal grey with a chrome lip and they look great however if given the choice again I'd go 15" to avoid the speedo being thrown off. This I'd probably an easy fix but I don't care that much. I also have the originals in excellent shape for kicks. For me silver panasports are it for a 240z.