Restoration of BringaTrailer 240z - HLS30-35883

[inline6]

I got the carburetors, manifold etc. back from Paltech.  Sent these away about a month ago, along with some extra parts to get plated.  They look really awesome.  I am very excited to see they came out this nice.  I am hoping that the quality of the machine work to put in new bushings and shafts, plates, etc. is very high quality.  Everything feels really tight and looks great.  The domes are more polished than they should be for original appearance, but I didn't specify not to polish them, nor am I trying to build a top tier show car.  So, can't fault him for making them "too nice".   Soooooooo, here are the pics!

 

 

In the last pic above, I have a question.  I only have three of the four original style hose clamps for the fuel supply hoses (from fuel rail to each carb) and those are pictured.  However, I think the original color of these shouldn't be gold "cad".  Is the original color on these supposed to be silver?  It's my screw up if so, but I may need to get them re-plated.  Also, I need to track down a fourth!

Edited February 28, 2020 by inline6

[Patcon]

I think the carbs look great! The polished domes don't bother me one bit

[Zup]

What is the diameter of the early clamp you need? I have a few of them and could sort through and maybe find what you need.

You've done some very impressive work.

Paltech does do very nice plating--as you said, probably too nice.

He was the only one I could find anywhere to restore the plating and finish on my flattop carbs for the 73. ZTherapy wouldn't do it.

When I got them back the floats, jets and needles were not adjusted properly, but eventually I got that done.

Just saying, be sure to check them before your install.

Sure you are eager to fire them up!

Continue updating us with the build. Do you think it will be complete for Zcon2020??

Hope to meet you there.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Zup

[inline6]

On 2/28/2020 at 8:21 AM, Zup said:

What is the diameter of the early clamp you need? I have a few of them and could sort through and maybe find what you need.

You've done some very impressive work.

Paltech does do very nice plating--as you said, probably too nice.

He was the only one I could find anywhere to restore the plating and finish on my flattop carbs for the 73. ZTherapy wouldn't do it.

When I got them back the floats, jets and needles were not adjusted properly, but eventually I got that done.

Just saying, be sure to check them before your install.

Sure you are eager to fire them up!

Continue updating us with the build. Do you think it will be complete for Zcon2020??

Hope to meet you there.

The hose clamp diameter is 1/2" inch.  Take a look at that last pic before you look through what you've got - these clamps are a bit different design than most on the car.  The wire part circles around the plate the screw threads through.  

I chose Paltech because Ztherapy wouldn't rebuild my specific carbs - they only do exchange.  I felt mine were in near excellent condition, so I didn't want to swap them for some that may not be as nice.  Lots of stuff can be bad that one doesn't think about.  For example, I have seen some with broken locator tangs on the carb casting.  Without those, the float assemblies can rotate off of vertical.  And I have seen stripped air cleaner mounting threads which were welded and repaired, etc.

Copy that on going through them for checking settings.  I'll be sure to do that.

I am shooting for completion of the car by the end of July.  I'm nearly sure that is optimistic, but hopefully can at least make ZCON2020 a month or so later.  

Let me know on the hose clamp.

 

 

[inline6]

Nothing like spending another 12 hours this weekend out in the garage, mostly doing body work.  The outer replacement panel came out super nice, in my opinion.  Extra effort (and time) making the old and new panels line up perfectly so neither is higher or lower along the edge to be welded really helps make the finished area after grinding look much nicer, and take less filler.  Also, on the driver side I made the cut to the old panel just below the little radius curve and sharp bend that make up the lower body line.  Making the cut here and welding here is better because the bend gives this area of the panel some strength as opposed to where I cut it on the passenger side.  There I cut about and inch or so below that bend, and when I was welding the old panel back, this flat area wanted to shrink and pull inwards.  I had to keep tapping it from the inside to push it back out as I tack welded. 

Welded and ground, door gap altered... around dog leg curve on quarter panel to match door edge radius

Distortion was minimal with this, my second try, and weld seams are hard to see after finishing with 80 grit on a DA sander:

    

All that work to save a couple of factory spot welds!  Middle pic - where new piece rosette welds (4 of them) to rocker, and last pic showing finish along radius.  Final door gap will be corrected with very small amounts of filler and primer.

    

 

Getting close to spraying epoxy primer over all the exterior, but it is supposed to rain here all week!  

Edited March 3, 2020 by inline6

[inline6]

I got the body filler work to a point on the car where another coat of epoxy primer was warranted.  I'm still not 100% on how it should be done, but I like putting down a coat on bare metal, then doing body filler, then another coat to seal everything.  The plan is to shoot high build primer next, and then to block sand to perfection.  We'll see how that goes.  ? 

A lot of time was spent getting the panels "close" with filler.  More than I hoped.  You can spray silicone and tar remover on and let is sit while you look down the sides of the panel to see where you are with progress.  Then wipe off and let stand a few minutes to dry before priming.

A really important learning using body filler is to apply it to very large areas at a time.  You don't want to apply thin amounts just in the low spots and then sand that down...  Inevitably, when you do that, you will end up with more wavy-ness that you hoped for.  Lows and highs of only maybe 5 thousands of an inch can be seen in a finished panel.  So, instead, apply skim coats to the full panel (unless it is perfect, which can be checked via the silicone and tar remover method above).  You'll save a bunch of time and get a better results by doing this.  Another option, which I have not used yet, is to apply spray on polyester filler.  That looks like a pretty awesome way to go, and I may try that next time around.

How things look just before applying 801-703 Glasurit epoxy primer (which was also used on the bare metal):

    

    

Left rear quarter panel was crazy straight. There is some filler in the area between the door and wheel well opening that has already been covered over with some epoxy primer though.

    

 

 

[inline6]

Epoxy primer applied.  ? Has to be above 60 degrees for it to dry, so I'm using a kerosene heater to elevate the temperature in the garage.

    

    

  

Edited March 10, 2020 by inline6

[Captain Obvious]

10 hours ago, inline6 said:

  You can spray silicone and tar remover on and let is sit while you look down the sides of the panel to see where you are with progress.  Then wipe off and let stand a few minutes to dry before priming.

Body work is about my least familiar areas of expertise, but I was under the impression that anything "silicone" anywhere NEAR bodywork was a really really really bad idea. Big fish-eye risk?

Am I overblowing the risk because I don't know what I'm talking about?

[Patcon]

He's not using a silicone product but a wax and grease remover.

Yes silicone does all kinds of bad things to pretty fresh paint

Edit: Unless, I read it wrong...

Edited March 9, 2020 by Patcon

[inline6]

1 hour ago, Captain Obvious said:

Body work is about my least familiar areas of expertise, but I was under the impression that anything "silicone" anywhere NEAR bodywork was a really really really bad idea. Big fish-eye risk?

Am I overblowing the risk because I don't know what I'm talking about?

Patcon is right. I am using a sillicone remover, not a silicone based product. And actually, it is silicone and wax remover, not tar.  

[Captain Obvious]

Ha! That's it! Hold it right there!

Pronoun trouble...

I get it now. It's like helping your Uncle Jack off a horse.

[inline6]

I've been sanding and sanding, trying to get the body prepped for high build primer coats (ended up doing two plus a third on certain areas).  It will be interesting to see how much more filler is required.  I'm telling you, getting the filler laid on over big areas is the trick!  Very little of this crap touch up with body filler is necessary if you do that.  A few videos for you:

One coat of Glasurit epoxy primer (basically), and body filler on top:

 A second coat of Glasurit epoxy primer:

Lightly sanded, and some fine body filler applied in a few areas.  It is now ready for high build primer coats:

 

Edited March 17, 2020 by inline6