palosfv3

You may want to check with whoever soda blasted and primed the car to make sure the blasted metal was cleaned correctly before priming. Sodablasting leaves a residue on the metal that must be chemically removed before application of primer . If the metal was not treated you should strip it and start the priming process over.

Just because an appraiser is "certified" doesn't mean he is knowledgeable about the values of all cars and models. All appraisers will source value guides such as NADA ,KBB , ect...., and many times will follow the information in these books, which could be right or wrong. Always try to use an appraiser that is intimately knowledgeable about the car and model you need appraised. An interesting point to think about on any appraisal , regardless of what type of property is being evaluated is , if you just purchased the car ( or whatever ) , did your research and bought the item for a sum above what was in keeping with the market , were you wrong in your purchase or did you just establish the new value ? This question drives appraisers insane because in some instances you just trumped them and the books , if you bought a proper car for the money. Remember the appraisal is the insurance company's way of minimizing and controlling their exposure in the event of a loss . Another point to think about is why does an appraiser carry " Errors and Omissions " coverage ? Could be that they miss once in a while ?

Body flexing is not the only cause of lead seams cracking and in the case of Zs there will be other evidence of fatigue cracking in the body structure. The most common cause of failure in a leaded seam is improper cleaning of the flux residue after the metal is tinned. This is a critical step that must be diligently done before the seam is finish filled with lead. If not removed the acid residue will eventually eat through both metal and lead . All it needs is moisture and even the morning dew is enough to make it active.

Is the lock pin in place on the lower outer control arm bolt that passes through the lower knuckle ?

Is your policy a standard collision policy that is for its current market value or an agreed value for a specified amount. Which insurance company are you working with ? Many of your daily driver type insurance companies are not well versed in special interest or collector type cars and will many times quote values that may be puzzling as to how they came up with them. Remember this quote , " Where is the car that is available locallyand just like mine for the amount your suggesting its worth ? If you cant produce this car your offer is invalid and needs to be reassessed. " Also check with your state department of insurance . There should be a pamphlet that outlines what your insurance should do in a total loss situation and the rights you have as a consumer if you can not find a replacement for the money they are offering. You can check through these links for further info. Insurance consumer advocate websites http://www.ican2000.com/ http://www.stopsteering.com/Information.html There is a lot of usefull info on these sites . It may take a while to read evrything pertinent.

Rod and Gary Emory are in Mc Minnis. They are old time Porsche guys. I'm sure they can help or direct you. Emory Motorsports Inc. 13851 S.E. Eola Village Rd. McMinnville, Oregon 97128 Contact Rod Emory Phone 971.241.7017 rod@valleycustomshop.com Fax 971.228.0385

This sytem looks very similar to the one installed in the Pontiac G6, Chevy Cobalt. If its anything like those systems be aware that GM has had issues with these and they have a very vague feel at low speeds.

Something doesnt sound right . Check the brake lamp switch at the pedal . It could be sticking on and causing things to overheat. A hot wire shorted to ground will usually blow the fuse ,not overheat it , unless its grounding on the power side of the fuse. Also check your bulbs make sure there are no 1156 s stuck into the 1157 style sockets.

I hope I'm understanding your request correctly. Wheelbase is the dimension from the center of the rear axle hub to the center of the front spindle. While this dimension is listed it is not actually used since it can change with the slightest turn of the steering wheel or an adjustment of any of the other front suspension sdjustments. Wheel length measurement is most commonly done from the centrerline of the front ball joint grease nipple to specific reference hole in the rear of the chassis or unibody structure. This hole must be symetrical ( be in the sma spot on both sides). Setting up your wheel length after installing adjustable TC rods and coil overs is not difficult but the dimension is not given in any factory chassis drawing. I always use the 1/4" hole located approximately 3 " inward of the rocker panel lower pinch weld flange and about 5" forward of the rear of the rocker panel , to the center line of the lower control arm ball joint grease nipple. This dimension is 71 1/2 " from the leading edge of the rear hole to the c/l of ball joint nipple on a stock 260z. This should be a good starting measurement. Set the passenger side about a 1/16" to an 1/8" longer than the drivers side to compensate for the crown of the road. Next set your ride height and then double check your length measurements again. There is a great sticky for alignment specs at the begining of the z suspension forum on the hybrid site. Link is below. http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/60536-alignment-settings/

I'm in the Palos Park area and have a shop near Midway Airport. Currently finishing up a cosmetic restoration of stock 260z which will probably wind up being on the market shortly . Finished up a LS1 260 last fall . Give a shout if you need anything. Click on the link for photos Larry

Proper repair to this car will require, at the minimum, removal of the front sheetmetal and cooling system. You will more than likely need a replacement core support and at least one frame rail. While early Z's are rare it comes down to the economics and your desire for the car. As suggested earlier find a knowledgeable and expierienced structural repair person and have them evaluate this damage.

I have to agree with " OldHemi" .

A blow drier comes in awful handy ,especially when going around edges and corners.

This pic is posted on Philbar73 photo album. I'm assuming this is the area he is speaking about. It appears that the problem is a common Z car issue. You will need to make weld in a metal patch and a new reinforicing plate to the area.

Just a thought before you get further along. Your VIN and other title numbers are all matched up ??????

Check with a local dealer to find out who installs the 3M tape locally. I would guess that it would cost around $250.00 to do a 240/260/280. This would be the front fenders rear of the w/o from the lower body line down, the quarters rear of the w/o to the rear body panel from the bottom edge of the bumper down and dont forget a piece for the upper leading edge of the quarter w/o. I have pics of the material installed on a Z but the pics just dont show the tape edges very well.

3M clear stone guard film is a good bet . We use the stuff regularly at the shop. Works very well . Its pricey and a little tricky to install especially over large countoured areas. Removing large areas of the product is a pain in the ***, if you screw up or have to remove to paint. When done correctly you almost cant tell its on the car. The other option is a product like 3M #8949 chip coating which must be applied before painting. This product is good for the lower front valances and end caps . The clear SEM is very thin and takes many coats to build up a layer of protection.

Mr. Camoflage is correct.This car has been involved in a severe rear end collision and has had a rear clip from another car mated to the original front. More than likely the floor pan has been cut throught the factory spot weld seam just rear of the seats. Be careful with this car . More than likely the inner rocker reinforcement has been cut and possibly not welded back together . This cannot be seen until the outer rocker is removed and back then they didnt spray any rust inhibiting primers or paint into the rocker areas. This will only lead to more hidden rust. If your going through this much effort to make yourself a nice V8 Z, you will find it less costly to just get another unaltered , rust free shell and will have a much more enjoyable end result.

For those who have spent serious money in rebuilding their Z -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heres the short question; For those that have spent alot of money on their z restoration / customizations, are you happy with the end result, and was the money worth it? if given a chance would you take a check for all you've invested and move elsewhere? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Only you can decide if its worth it and if you are happy with the end result. So much of what you will expierience is based on how well you plan things out and how committed you are to the completion of the project. We built the Z in my avatar for a client . It took just about two years from start to finish and ate up a lot of money.( broke the $100K barrier) I know it would take a very talented , expierienced or wealthy person to put together something like this in the same time frame or less. Was the car worth it ? Yes It was a blast to build and drive . ( I actually didnt want to turn it over to the customer it was so much fun to drive. ) How does the customer feel . I'm unsure but will ask him. We are up north so driving is somewhat limited to warm weather conditions and the car was colpleted late last fall. I can tell you this much I just bought a nice rust free Z and am contemplating what direction to go with it . I would have probably not have bought a Z if I had not built the LS conversion. New hard parts for a LS1/T56 conversion with racing brakes and suspension conversions will be difficult to keep under $30k. You may be able to scrounge and deal to find components at a lesser cost but you may only save 25% or so. The thought of buying someone elses incompleted project is relevant but it really depends on what they bought and how well they have done things, as well as if its built to your standards and likeing. I have looked for this very same opportunity and have not found one to my likeing, hence the reason for my recent purchase. Get a pad of paper and divide it into + and - columns and list the positives and negatives of the project. Determine a monetary limit your willing to spend and dont forget to use a completion deadline. It will come down to how bad you really want this car and whether you have more time or money.

Were afraid to add the receipts but are pretty sure they went over 6 figures. Build pics in Picasa link.

Dont forget to install and line up the rear hatch before starting any welding. The skin can shift slightly so the upper gap isn't square.

We finished up this one last summer. Link to build photo album. http://picasaweb.google.com/wgmauto/WgmautoGregScar#

Careful trying to remove runs. The location of the run , color and type of paint will have a significant influence on the method used to correct the problem. Understanding when the run occured is critical to selecting the correct repair process. Is the run in the sealer , Base color or clearcoat ? If your dealing with a run that is in the clearcoat or the topcoat of a solid single stage color , you stand a good chance of removing it without too much trouble. If the run is in the sealer, base color or a hi-metallic single stage color ( silver as an example ) you will probably be better off blending in or respraying the problem area. We use run removal method that takes a little practice and is not for the faint of heart. Taking a new single edged razor blade lightly pull the blade perpendicular and lengthwise across the run ( pay attention to the edge of the razor blade it can easily dig into the concave areas of the panel adjacent to the run). This will level the run better than the sanding block. Once completed lightly block the area with 1500 and buff. Removing runs takes some practice to get right . Some runs no matter how much you would like to try to save the panel must be repainted. The best rule of thumb is if you cant repair the run in 15/ 20 minutes refinsh the area .

The labor time disclaimer in the front of most p-page manuals state estimated times are for replacement of new oem parts on a base model new and undamaged auto. Sometimes you get lucky and the may be a shortcut , but not all times are accurate or have had actual time studies done before posting times.

When doing custom body modifications such as being discussed, its best to draw out or photoshop your ideas to see if they work together well.