240z - fabbing new front rails

[ConVerTT]

So I decided to fab up some new front rails for the Z..  What is the worst that can happen, right? (Answer: waste some time, buy a proper set from a vendor).  So why not?

Step 1 ?

 

Step 2 - Pretty much committed now ....

 

Step 3 - make a pattern and a cheap test piece from some leftover 20 ga

Step 4 -  game time ...18 ga

Step 5 - bend them up....  

This was way harder than it looks.  My cheapo metal brake was at capacity, and several teeth had to be removed, inserted and realigned in order to make all the bends.  But it seemed to work.  

z

 

Step 6 - test fit

 

 

 

Still a lot to do, (weld in the bend, all the internal bracing, new crossmember brackets, all the nuts, TC rod supports) but so far so good!

 

 And the jig is working perfectly.  I should have done this years ago....

[grannyknot]

I guess you are an expert spot weld driller by now,  big project.

[ConVerTT]

6 minutes ago, grannyknot said:

I guess you are an expert spot weld driller by now,  big project.

Sawzall actually.  The inner panel was pretty rusty too so I am going to re-skin about 2 inches.

[ConVerTT]

Oh - and a must buy tool ... easier and more accurate than a tape measure, less crawling around.  $30 on Amazon....

 

.  

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by ConVerTT
Typo

[ConVerTT]

Got a chance to weld up some crossmember brackets.  They are 14 ga.

 

 

y

 

 

‘

 

Also “made” the sway bar braces.  Basically 3/4 of a 2.5 x 2.5 x 1/8 square tube....easy peasy ? 

And test fitting everything ....

Should have a completed rail in a few more days!

[Namerow]

On 1/27/2019 at 7:36 PM, ConVerTT said:

And the jig is working perfectly.  I should have done this years ago....

Does this mean that you've done the same kind of work on other Z's in the past?

And tell us a bit more about that 'jig'.  Is it a jig (i.e. being used for alignment) or just a support frame?  Are you actually supporting the front of the car through the shock towers?

[wheee!]

This all looks vaguely familiar...!

[ConVerTT]

2 hours ago, Namerow said:

Does this mean that you've done the same kind of work on other Z's in the past?

And tell us a bit more about that 'jig'.  Is it a jig (i.e. being used for alignment) or just a support frame?  Are you actually supporting the front of the car through the shock towers?

 - no.  I did the floors years ago, and then the car just sat for a couple of years....

The jig was built to factory dimensions, not to this car.  I posted about the build in my other thread “240z gets jiggy”. (Can you link to another thread here?  Not sure how to do it).  Anyways, the jig supports the car at all the factory drivetrain and suspension points and under the floor rails.  If the car is out of alignment you can pull it pack in for sure.  The front is partially supported by the strut tower.  It would be almost entirely if I had cut out both rails at the same time.  The next support point is the transmission mount.

its very rigid.  Car did not budge when I cut the rail.

[ConVerTT]

1 hour ago, wheee! said:

This all looks vaguely familiar...!

Haha for sure ?.   I gotta post some pics - my wife is getting sick of the daily updates. Am I about 18 months behind you, give or take?  Maybe more.  Old red has been sitting for quite a while....

[Namerow]

5 hours ago, ConVerTT said:

its very rigid.  Car did not budge when I cut the rail.

That's not the first time I've heard this.  Same goes for replacing the floors, it would seem. The caveat seems to be that you only do one side at a time.

What I find interesting is that I've also heard comments that the Z's front structure is surprisingly 'soft' (have a look at how Elliott000 tweaked the front end of his Z back into alignment).  It would appear that the softness is only in torsion/twist.  In beam strength, it seems that the Z is pretty stout.  A lot of that is probably down to the front upper structure created by the 'horns' that extend from the shock towers back to the firewall and door pillars.

BTW, I like your 'jig' concept.  I had completely missed your earlier thread.  Lots of good details there. 

More questions for you:

1. You say, "If the car is out of alignment you can pull it back in for sure."  How would this be accomplished?
    
2. How did you get the car up onto the jig?
    
3. What's the covering material used on your shop floor?

[ConVerTT]

12 hours ago, Namerow said:

 

More questions for you:

1. You say, "If the car is out of alignment you can pull it back in for sure."  How would this be accomplished?
    
2. How did you get the car up onto the jig?
    
3. What's the covering material used on your shop floor?

Sure.  So with the front rail and the rad support out, I could push/pull the horn side to side a few mm by hand easily (except for the strut support holding it it place). If it was out of alignment, I could easily be re-aligned.

The legs of the jig are bolted to the car, and to the long longitudinal rails.  So the jig gets assembled / dissambled under the car while the car is on jacks.

The floor is epoxy installed by the previous owner.  It is slowly being destroyed by all the metal work ....

[ConVerTT]

Hey guys!  Got the inner fender skin patch fabbed and fitted.  Almost there!

 

 

 

 

 

Starting to to look like a rail ???

Edited January 30, 2019 by ConVerTT
Typo