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WOW - Thanks for the tip!! That's gonna be WAY less than Black Dragon's price! Wonder what else I overpaid for?! !

Time for an update.....I guess. I've been slogging through the tedious bodywork phase, working on it a couple hours a day - along with a 40Ford I need to get done for someone else. But as long as it's moving forward, I'm happy. My goal is to get it into paint by fall so I can spend the winter doing the enjoyable part: re-assembly! As I scored a sponsorship from Duplicolor, I've been using a lot of their products where I can. I'll still need to use an epoxy (2K) high build primer and final sealer, but I've been using their products in non-critical body areas, as well as any small parts like engine and suspension bits. It really is good stuff! I had to repair a hole that was worn from the inner fender rear splash shield rubbing and trapping rust.... I've been tempted to just buy 2 new fenders - but at $400, plus shipping, it's a real dilemma. Currently I'm into this car for about $3000, including the $500 purchase price (way back in 1995!) and all the restorations parts I just bought from Black Dragon. Since the paint and much of the body products were supplied by Dupli-color, maybe I should spring for new fenders.....OPINIONS?

THIS is the EXACT truth. If you order the wrong part - what you pay in the shipping back and forth will make the price more expensive than having gotten it through a local vendor. Also, they pick and ship from warehouses all over the states, so shipping can vary piece by piece - and even day to day, depending on who has stock. After a few experiences with Rock Auto I went back to the specialist places, like Black Dragon for 240's, MAC's for Fords, etc.....

Cosmoline and many other rust preparations can help prevent or slow rust and is a good idea , especially if you can reapply it every year or two. Eastwood has a product that comes with a long tube sprayer that you can insert 2-3 feet into a frame rail or rocker panel. For the OP, not having experience or equipment shouldn't stop you, but if you don't have the will then I'd agree that your best to dump it!

New seat upholstery and door felts came today! Too bad it all had to get put away until after all the primer, sanding and paint...... Soon grasshopper....soon.

Thanks for the kind words Chas! I'm glad you enjoyed your holiday and hope my need for attention didn't put too much strain on it - !!

I think it's: "Can't live with them, can't kill them...." !

Thanks guys - now I know what the wife means when she says "No one appreciates me" and we say "Oh- I do" and she says: "well it'd be nice to hear it sometimes".......and we say: "well I just said it" and she says: "Ya, but I had to tell you to say it" and we say: "Well what do you want from me? and she says: "Well if you don't know, I'm certainly not going to tell you"..........

Chirp....chirp.....chirp...... Is there anybody out there.........?

Here's the carbs after the soak in the Kleen Flo tub -

Cleaned up and re-installed the head today - After utilizing all these tools to clean the surfaces I went over the head and block surface with a hard block and 220 paper - I couldn't believe what happened next: as I went to blow the junk off and out off the heads orifices, a good amount of OLD GAS came out of the three valve pockets whose intake valves were closed. This is a car that has sat for 15 years, before being torn apart and being apart, for another 3 years! It certainly shows some very WELL-SEALED valves!! A little oil squirted into each cylinder to guard against a dry start... A little sealant at the front cover joints - and the new gasket - Torquing it down - Looking better! A friend of mine dropped off this Kleen Flo parts bucket he wasn't using, so I threw the SU's in there before their rebuild - Thanks Trent!

Oops - wrong thread.

Cleaned up and re-installed the head today - After utilizing all these tools to clean the surfaces I went over the head and block surface with a hard block and 220 paper - I couldn't believe what happened next: as I went to blow the junk off and out off the heads orifices, a good amount of OLD GAS came out of the three valve pockets whose intake valves were closed. This is a car that has sat for 15 years, before being torn apart and being apart, for another 3 years! It certainly shows some very WELL-SEALED valves!! A little oil squirted into each cylinder to guard against a dry start... A little sealant at the front cover joints - and the new gasket - Torquing it down - Looking better! A friend of mine dropped off this Kleen Flo parts bucket he wasn't using, so I threw the SU's in there before their rebuild - Thanks Trent!

The only bit that didn't show yet was the seat upholstery - soon I guess - not that I'll need it for a year or so! Allso, I got the cut pile carpet, but there was a choice of loop as well - maybe I should have gone with that - more original. I was just afraid of it fraying.

They give you the choice of USPS, who collects duties, brokerage and taxes from you AFTER it crosses the border and you pick it up at a depot, or UPS delivery, which is all paid up front, delivered to your door, no surprises. I paid about $500 total for 3 large boxes, one weighing about 80lbs. I have ordered a lot of stuff over the years and really HATED getting burned for brokerage once it crosses the border. The $500 sure sounds like a lot, but I thought the parts prices were very reasonable, so I felt OK about the total bill. Hope that helps!

Don't you love the time when you order all the parts for your restoration and they finally show up? It's definitely my favourite part of a build and one I save for the time I have to block sand the car - just to get me excited and past the drudgery of sanding primer! Weeeeeeeeee!

WOO-HOO!! Xmas in April!!! All my parts came for the 240Z!! There's about 100 parts in there!

And of course everyone's FINISHED cars here are what inspires me to get it finished! To that end, I just ordered $2000 worth of parts to get 'er done! There comes a time in every build that one must decide to what level it will get completed - which further dictates whether you order all new parts or scrounge around for used stuff. This will be done to same level as all my builds - which is show quality, but not concours!

We sure are close on our builds! Ironic too since your turn-around triggered mine - in a matter of speaking. You are definitely doing it right - like treating that rust instead of just painting over it. And is that a skid plate on the front? I've never seen one of those.

Finally brought all the parts in from the shed.... Some of them need quite a bit of work... Found some odd rust spots inside the back hatch panel --treating it with Metal Prep (POSO4) - And spent a bunch more time detailing engine parts - including using POR15's Manifold Coating on the exhaust mani - A lot of elbow grease and a wire wheel on the cast aluminum intake mani - Fuel Rail - Valve cover done - Just have to show off another shot of the floors - they look so good now with new metal and coated in Dupli-Colors Rubberized Undercoating - As well as one more of the chassis -

Thanks for the encouragement! Of course we all know how long it takes to get to that "finish-line"! You'd be right in a best-case scenario, but I'm figuring on a couple months to get it ready for paint! Yesterday I did the last few things needed to spray the high-build primer, including pulling the drip-rails off: I used a pair of pliers that I've ground the teeth off of and wrapped with electrical tape, but I've also used an old-school bottle opener for this job which also works well!

Can`t wait to get back out there this week - we`re ready for a few coats of high-build primer - and then we`ll let the Block Sanding begin!

My 71 240Z build is the main focus of a promotion I`m doing for Dupli-Color. Check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edward-Danneberg-Dupli-Color-Paint-Crew/365867203526774 - and THANKS for the support!

Is there any objective proof that strut bars do anything - other than look cool (YOMV)?

Looking forward to seeing it!