geezer

HaHa!!...Reading this reminded me of when I was 16 years old. My dad gave me the money to put a new exhaust system on my '52 Ford. It was too quiet for me so the next day I put an ice pick to good use. Dad wasn't impressed to say the least.

Looks to me like a call to Charlie is in order. That's for starters. I think the rust monster extends far past what we can see in these pictures. Years ago someone did a quick fix for a quick sale probably. It is not likely the PO was unaware of this. Like Gary says, sorry to confirm your worst case scenario, but there is no way to sugar coat this. You will have to consult a local metal man, if you are not equipt to do this repair work. If you read up on others like Gary, he did much of the work himself and had a pro weld it up for him, thus saving a lot of money and ending up with a top notch repair.

It's sad to hear of another being parted for the benefit of others, but I think you have thought this out well and are making the right decision. Hopefully you will recoupe enough from the sale of the parts to offset the cost of the learning experience. I can relate to your dilemna because the '70 Z I'm restoring needed even more work than yours I think. The difference is I'm equiped to do the work myself and there are not many other Z's available locally. You are right about the ease of selling Series 1 specific parts. Good luck to you Arne, I hope you do well selling the parts. I'll be looking for a few pieces myself.

HaHa!! You gave this more thought than I have.

I'm thinkin' some of you should have Model T's not Z's, then you could get some hand crankin' in at least.:tapemouth...

Enrique - I can tell you this much. Most people will stick with the same game plan if it has worked well for them in the past. That's the way I am. That is not to say there are not other methods that will net great results also. I used to have lunch with a PPG rep at least once a month before I retired, and although we mostly discussed paint systems for industry, I did get the heads up on new products I could use for my projects and this line of epoxy primer was one I was immediately sold on. Whether or not it suits your needs or BKelly's, I don't know, but it is worth a look if it does. At the risk of expressing myself any more clearly than I can think I'll leave it there. I'm sure we could discuss this for hours.

Enrique - What you say is true. This particular product I've recommended does have to be sanded to ensure adhesion after it has fully cured. But I find that to be much faster and covenient than removing a coat of Rustoleum. Because my garage is climate controled I can't say with any degree of accuracy how long someone else could wait before topcoating and I've never waited more than a year, but I'm sure I could. Only downside for me is the cost, OUCH!! Good paint prep does not come cheap.

That is a common problem we all have to deal with. The metal must be protected from corrosion during the restoration process. Most of us doing this as a hobby don't complete all the metal work in one quick session. It is done in stages and we don't want the areas already repaired rusting away while we are working on another area. What Enrique has said about the porousity of primers is very true, but there are epoxy products designed for just this purpose. I wouldn't recommend leaving metal coated with only this out in the elements (example-driving project car), but it will seal out the moisture and protect the metal better than any other option available, until you are ready to paint the topcoat. When you are ready to paint, you just clean/degrease and lightly sand. It has excellent adhesion properties. That word adhesion is the key word for your other question also. I have seen excellent results with fillers being used under or on primers. It's all in the prep work. If the metal is properly etched, chemicaly or mechanicaly and cleaned, adhesion is not a problem. Anyhow although not cheap, this is my recommendation for a longer term restoration project that is not exposed to the elements. If anyone can't find more information on the web for this, I will post the other 3 sheets of information they give you when you buy it.

Your a cruel...cruel man Tony D:cry: I'm wearing long underwear right now!! Yeah I know...you aren't wearin' any.

I don't have an account, but the link works for me.

I can't stress enough how dangerous muriatic acid can be if not used properly. Wear protective clothing & gloves. Do not inhale any of the fumes given off, your lungs can be severly damaged. When diluting it for use follow the instructions and lastly dispose of it safely. It does do the job, but like Stephen says you have to have the nerves & skills to use it.

Dave - Ha! The automatic censor won't let me link this, but go to www.rodneyd!ckman.com & scroll down to Low temp radiator fan switch. They have the 210 degree switch with the proper thread for $19.00 & $3.00 shipping.

If I remember correctly I ordered both switches from a Spal dealer online. It was a package deal. I also bought a Howe radiator from them. I'll see if I can turn up more details. I didn't know they were hard to find. The 2 minutes of runtime you have is OK anyhow.

Great news! It's too bad you had to go through all this. Hopefully they haven't caused much damage and caused you too much financial hardship.

Lookin' great Bo! The wheels really make a difference too. Nice work. I've got to get my butt back in the garage or I'll be repeating your mantra forever...Not original and still not done.

Bo, that must be a little inconvenient, having to turn the key back on to run the fan. Fan relays cycle on and off constantly and are probably the hardest working relays in a modern vehicle. I can understand upgrading them. I’ve cooked a few of them. My Mopar has a CSI (now CSR) pump and two electric fans. One fan is controlled by a 185 degree thermostat switch and the other by a 210 degree thermostat switch. Only the 210 degree controlled fan will run after shutdown. There are two schools of thought when it comes to running an electric water pump after the ignition switch is turned off. A crank belt driven water pump doesn’t circulate the coolant after the engine is shut down, so why should an electric? Is there any benefit to having it run on? The engine cannot get any hotter after being shut down. Circulating the coolant will only cause the fans to run longer after shutdown. This isn’t an argument I’m making, just one I’ve heard. My thought is it can’t hurt, although I don't run mine after shutdown.

This is not what you are looking for, but is something that was available from Nissan for a different look. Ok back to the regular sheduled "bull".

Nissanman has laid it out as well as possible I think. His diagram shows a totaly independant add on circuit, that is not reliant on any of the existing wiring. He shows a new cable coming off the battery to a new fuse block. It is protected by an inline maxi fuse. Depending on what your needs are, you can run as many individual circuits off this as your maxi fuse is rated for. His diagram shows 3 circuits, but if you need more simply add another new cable from the battery with another maxi fuse. These will feed the new fuse block which protects the individual circuits. When updating an older vehicle with these add ons it's important not to tie into existing circuits. Your electric water pump and fan(s) should ideally be controlled in this manner. The relays should be triggered by a ground signal from thermostat switches. This way they will cycle on & off automaticaly at the right times. Dave has the additional feature of the water pump shutting down when the ignition is turned off. To accomplish this all you need to do is feed a 12V ignition run wire to pin 86 of the water pump relay. In this manner the relay is still triggered by the thermostat switch but the ignition/key must be in the run position, in order for the water pump to run. If you are still unclear how to do this let me know and I can draw up a diagram for you.

I can understand the "panicing". Many of us, no matter how versed we are with mechanicals in general, enter a grey area when it comes to transmissions or differentials. The reason being, there are a lot of specialty tools needed to do the required work. Precise measurements also are key, just as a machinist or engine builder, a transmission specialist relies on his math skills, knowledge base and special tooling. Sure, some of us can take them apart and put them back together, but not with the degree of expertise as a pro. Over the years many things have changed/improved, such as design, materials, fluids, etc. With these changes modern transmissions have much tighter tolerances and as a result less play which directly results in a longer service life. I think the comment made by your transmission shop owner reflects this. He would notice this play much more than we would. Having fluid in it or not would not change his opinion. Why did you bring it to him? What problems did you have?

Woops...forgot the pic. Good Luck

OK James, I measured from the body mounting points to the floor and came up with 89mm. It is the same on both sides. Those measurements were taken from the sheet metal of the floor, not from the floor supports. My floor supports are a little larger than stock so I had to measure from the original sheet metal of the floor.

One side is not higher than the other. It is perfectly concentric.

Here's a couple of pics. If you need it, I'll take another pic with the trans. mount removed. What measurements do you want?

For the short amount of time alloted you gave an excellent portrayal of your car and the story behind it! I think it leaves the viewer wanting more. Congrats on a job well done!

I haven't ruled out using stainless if it's not polished. The intermediate section I already have could be used, but it is 34 years old. I sandblasted it and covered it in cheap heat paint, with the intention of replicating it. Now that I have the dimensions/description of the rear section and some good advise on looking through the muffler shops catalogs I'll give that a go. It might save a lot of work. If I find suitable pieces, the pipes entail only a few well placed bends and some welding. Thanks for looking and everyones help.