DC871F

So whats the deal with not running fresh air vent with the VA system?

Great minds think alike and I agree, I kind of have to after making up a new chimney already. I figured I would make up a panel with to fit underneath the dash with some rivnuts and use a gasket to seal it off.

It wasnt easy. Drill the spot welds off of the rain gutter over the vent (the easy part), but then you have to get in there with whatever you can find to cut out the duct. If yours is rusty like mine, then actually thats an advantage as it already weak so you just start hacking at it. If your dash is out you can come up from underneath, if not, it may take a few beers and profanity.

Ok, so I'm restoring my 73 240, and ran across a few threads about the Gen system A/C unit which I plan to install in the future. I read where the fresh air duct up in the cowl wont be needed. So I just finished making a new duct and patch repair to weld in. The question is, a, I spitting in the wind to do all this? Should I just weld in a blank and be done with it?

They are mostly intact as far as I can tell from the outside, but looking in where I cut off the pan rail forward its very crunchy in there when I shine the light. If I just cut and paste sections but miss rust, I'm concerned that the restoration on this magnitude will be in vain if I have to go back in later on. I'll evaluate when I can get a bigger picture inside the rails.

I have a question for you guys who have done frame rail work before. I am replacing my floor pans, and pan rails, I also need to replace the bottom part of the rails that mounts in just aft of the tension rod mount. I'm also replacing the front frame rails as well. I will be doing this obviously one side at a time. Here is the question. Is there a specific method to this? Meaning, should I put the pans in, then replace the rear part of the frame rails aft of the tension rod mount first, then do the front rails? Is there anytime where you risk bending the front geometry of the car if you just remove all of this at once and start replacing? No where have I seen on any build threads where any added bracing was welded in to prevent warping the front. of the car. Thanks.

Progress today. Passenger floor removed, still a little left. Also received Klassicfab seat mounts. Rear floor where it attaches to the frame before it makes the upturn is really clean. My plan is to use this to plug weld my ZF floors to. Where pans meet against sills are alsovery clean, so far I'm lucking out. Drill the spot welds and attach new ones. Never done this before, hopefully they go it clean. Frame rail just forward of the toe board is swiss chees. I have forward rails I got from Charlie, but do not have the parts that weld up to tension rod mount. A little scratch building perhaps. Inboard side on the tunnel is clean except one piece thatr goes up about 2 inches from the upturn. Going to patch that in when the floors are installed.

I'm replacing both floor pans, so I'm going to cut them out with the floors. I like that spot weld chisel, never seen that before. If I can learn something everyday, I deem that a success. I'm going to pick up a band file probably today. I have a lot to learn. I've been looking at my 240 for almost 2 years sitting on the rotisserie after disassembly not sure wear to start. My wife told me to order rails and pans for my birthday and I went head first. It was a steep climb up the hill on the tools I was lacking.

Why not straight like the S30? I have to say that I hate most news cars today, but this makes me want to go and drive one to see what its about.

Just a couple small items. Got rid of most the tar board from the tunnel, assessed the seat rail mounts and decided to go with new rail mounts from KlassicFab. I'm going to cut the floors soon, install ZF floor pans and rails.

I just learned a bunch from that video, thank you! I just returned a HF angle grinder, it lasted 3 days, got a DeWalt and its pretty nice. With that said, I'm now suspect of some HF tools, which I know is no surprise for a lot of HF stuff. Are you getting a lot of use from that band file? THeres a pnuematic one here at the local tool supply for $120, not sure I'm going for that. Thanks.

Are these welds happy? I'm getting penetration, but sometimes it doesnt want to fill in the seem, meaning the spot weld builds up right up to the edge of the seem and it takes 2 or 3 times to get it to jump the gap. How about a grinder that fits into the convex curve of the door jamb? Anything has to be better than my angle grinder trying to get in there.

Awesome, I'll keep that in mind going forward.

Started welding, in areas that wont be seen for the most part first, I'm new at this. These are my first MIG welds ever. Small patch panels went well enough, but went to fill in a few holes I uncovered with the wire wheel and started blowing holes, wowzy! Managed to get them filled eventually. I'm guessing some rust must of been hiding underneath. Ok, a question for you guys. The last PIC shows some surface rust inside where I cut out the lower sill, right where the lower door hinge bolts up to. Its very solid, just surface rust inside. The question is, can I just treat this area with rust converter and move on and hope for the best, or does it need to be cut out?

I'm going to remove the inboard piece right up to the frame rails and weld in a new piece. The rest of the radiator support is pretty clean.

Adding pics of the car before breakdown, just to shoe what I'm starting with.

Lower radiator inboard support it toast, but thats the only part thats rusty, the rest of the support is just surface corrosion. I think I saw this piece for sale a Z Source or one of those sites for big dollars. Check out pin holes in left dogleg (car is upside down on rotisserie), that did not show at all through the paint, and no bondo either, hmmmmm.

Got some grinding done today, sills seems pretty good except for a couple holes. Looks like the pinch weld maybe mostly intact!

I hear you. This 240 is the 5th one I have had, and try to keep them mostly original, but this 240 is my first rotisserie job, and will be a life long keeper. With that said, it will be my kids problem to deal with when I'm gone, and since I just turned 47, it will hopefully be a few years. Maybe this is a good time to say I'm making a Fairlady tribute as well out of it. Badging, fender mirrors, D hubcaps, JDM tail lights, etc. I love the Fairlady, but hate the right hand drive.

Bummer, I was all set for some great Intel. No problem, I'll get a sample and see if I can get a match. I'm definitely going with 904white and the blue interior.

I'm restoring this 73 which has red interior, but I'm really digging the blue, so I think I'm right there with you, its fantastic.

Yeah, looks a little dark, but thats from a computer screen. Datsun, kind of like VW, they didnt expect for these cars to be around 50 years later.

Is there a spray paint that matches 240z blue interior for plastic panels?

Ok, look forward to getting out there this weekend to do some cleaning.

Wheel wells and rockers are solid, rear of the car is very clean.most of the problem are on the pans and supports. Until a few days ago I wasnt even going to worry with the sills until I started inspectinf the sandwiched vertical seem where the door closes. I'm more concerned of trying to repair that seem if the rust is significant. I will be putting new pans and supports in no matter what. I"ll know more in a few days when I start to probe the sills and put a wire wheel on them. Maybe I'm thinking too much on them.