The nose on the z car is very long

and im thinking alot of difficult door

closure issues are related to flexing and misalignment of the front frame structure.

So perhaps if you're having door closure issues, you might want to do a little measuring of your front end for squareness and look at how the front sheetmental fits.

In this video the frame was out

5 mil's and it affected how the door

closed significantly.

Edited January 27, 201411 yr by hr369

Thanks for bringing this subject up. Many of our members have done extensive restoration on Z bodies, including frame rails & shock towers. Does anyone have a drawing or description with measurements and reference points to find out if a Z has been twisted, stretched or shrunk?

I assume when the frame rails are replaced you're making absolutely sure they're in exactly the same location as before, but did you have any doubts about the original measurements? I think this would be extremely helpful, not only in repairing a Z but also in buying a Z.

I'm seriously considering fabricating braces to triangulate the the tip of the front frame rail to the top of the shock tower as well as a lateral brace from tower to tower. Anybody out there want to share some pics or ideas about this subject. When I finally get around to this addition, I want everything to be right before I start welding.

Thanks

Mark in Portland

When I measure for squareness i use places that are identical on each side like the hood stop adjusters and fender bolt

holes down by the headlight buckets. You can solder a hook onto your tape measure and hook into a bolt hole. On the

underside you can again use bolt holes that are identical on

both sides. The datsun factory manual has measurements

for the body but i've not used them. I check for squareness and how the sheetmetal fits. Pay close attention to how the

fender gap on the door fits. If its hard to get the fender to

have a unform gap on door from top to bottom, there may be

a problem with the height of the frame rail. Using a tape

measure for that is more difficult. You need a perfectly level

floor for that.

This is from the factory manual. The only measuement for

squareness in the front frame rails is from the strut to the back of the car. For that you would need an adjustable jig to

fit up under the strut tower.

Edited February 1, 201411 yr by hr369

Thanks, hr369, I'm going to follow your advise. It makes perfect sense. I'm still in the triage stage with this Z. "So far", I haven't found any body damage, just two rust sections. The back of the right front fender well under the battery & the rear deck sill panel, The fire wall & both frame rails look good, at least on the outside and the other three fender wells look good too. Structurally, I think it's pretty solid and hopefully I'll find that it's also square.

Mark in Portland