esmit208

Consider this for a moment if you will......Right now you don't have a car payment, will you be able to say that a month from now?

By yourself a micrometer. Less than $10 at Harbor Freight. Measures inner and outer diameters both standard and metric. A must for DIY'ers.

Ok for the bolts underneath the winshield cowl, take a screwdriver that really fits, then take a hammer and try to shock them with not too heavy of an impact in order to avoid bending the panel. If this doesn't work go to O'reillys, they sell a can of propellant that freezes bolts and nuts temoprarily and they shrink to allow them to break free. Next for the place on the lower valance the was used to raise the car take a 2X4 and a heavy blow hammer (4lbs or greater) and just try to slowly move it away. The bolt that was driven through the lip should not be there. Remove those on both sides and more than likely the fender will pop away from the chassis. When you do this you may find that the lower valance that runs the entire length of the door may need to be replaced. The vertical bolt that holds the fender on probably either was broken off before or cancer took care of it. This is the worst case scenario so be prepared when you do remove the fender to assess the rest of the repairs that may be needed to put everything back the proper way. The lower valance for both sides can be ordered from several vendors but they have to be welded on. This car appears to have sat in the elements for far too many years so every piece of fabric, rubber, and plastic needs to be removed for a true asessment of the task in front of you. Also this will not be a quick restoration, you can do it right the first time or you can do it again in a few years! Now is the time to decide your level of commitment. Good luck I will watch this space with much interest over the next few momths (years) GOOD LUCK!

The only thing that appears to be missing, or at least not in view, is the refigerator full of cold beer to toast a job well done. The lift is something we all could use. CHEERS!

Nice work KEV. There is something to be said about someone that knows kow to use a MIG on paper thin sheet metal. Although I must say that the areas you are working on are a tad thicker but nonetheless tricky. Looks like my floors a few years ago. STAY ON IT!

Nice work KEV. There is something to be said about someone that knows kow to use a MIG on paper thin sheet metal. Although I must say that the areas you are working on are a tad thicker but nonetheless tricky. Looks like my floors a few years ago. STAY ON IT!

Right.....look at the bottom of the tires

I agree, even if you find a little more repair work this is a nice copy. Everything is there and all that is needed is a committed owner. The better shape it is in the more the owner wants. You won't be sorry. GOOD LUCK!

KEV You are on the right track............YOU HAVE BEGUN!.....I began with getting rid of the cancer on mine, and trust me mine had quite a bit. I wanted to get it squared away before beinning the final touches. It just made sense due to the amount of sandblasting required. Accumulating parts for the final assembly has been ongoing (8 years) and everyone here will tell you tweaking your rig will be ongoing because there is always something new being developed or always something you want to do to persoanlize it. Remember.......THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS!......but quite a few repetitive ones. Above all make it your own because it all really comes down to how much time you have and how much money you want to spend. It should be challenging but fun. STAY ON IT!

If it is NOT A RUST BUCKET then expect to pay a premium price because chances are the owner has done all the heavy lifting......AND SPENDING!

Follow a build on YOUTUBE.........Pancho's Garage.......very interesting and he is thorough and seems nice enough although I personally wish he would wear ear and eye protection. But his build will give a novice to these machines some ideas. WELKOM! The sunroof well........try to find a car without one.

Will have to make a trip soon

WILCO!....... DS AUTOWORKS. They have a website also. Be Cool

WILCO!.......

Some guys have all the LUCK! RATS! I found this one in St.Cloud Florida and the guy said the only way he could sell me the entire car was only if he cut it in half. I was able to salvage the main harness and a few interior pieces. It was involved in a drug bust and they were not allowed to re-title the car. The harness was the only thing that has allowed me to put mine back together.

YES.......My harmonic balancer snapped on my 82ZX I had at the time and he fixed it for me. I worked at the CHEVRON station that was at the 101 and Seward. It was a CHEVRON at that time anyway. That is who I was thinking about during this post. There is another Nissan guy in Santa Paula that replaced my idler pulley for me, can't remember his name though. WOW did you bring back memories.I hope you and your family made it through the mudslides and fires ok. VENTURA is one the COOLEST places I have ever lived.

Good call. Remember DON'T GET DISCOURAGED!......Stay on it man!? I lived on Seward Ave back in the early 90's and surfed C street a lot BTW. Be cool.

Ok RCB time for me to chime in. If you don't have welding skills already, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. No one hear, least of all me, is trying to discourage you but no one wants to see you hurt, frustrated, or even worse end up with a pink elephant. Welding is a learned skill that is not picked up in a matter of hours. Welding above your head is even more tricky. My Father taught me how to when I was 16, now I am 59 and I actually held a job being paid as one, even still after so many years of not doing it I had to re-teach myself the technique when I began my restoration. The floor stiffeners on both sides of mine had to be replaced. Repairing was not an option. About 24 hours of work per side considering fitting and trimming. (See pics below). If you plan to do a lot of work with a machine purchasing one is a good option even a used one. But just to patch it is not really worth the expense. I bought a Lincoln 190C about 4 years ago and it has proven to be a valuable tool for what I needed to do. It uses an argon gas mix. No BS flux core foolishness. I really wished you lived nearby I would do them for you. I was fortunate enough to have a friend with a sheet metal business and after I cut out a section I gave it to him because of the U shape I needed. He did a nice job of recreating them using a thicker gauge of metal. I cut them to desired length and formed the front half so they joined the footwell transition nicely. There must be a shop around your area that could help you out even with just a patch. But don't cut corners. The art of welding produces more heat than you can imagine so if you plan on doing this repair at least peel the carpet back to the seat pedestals. Also when you start cleaning off the undercoat don't be surprised to see much more rust than you anticipated. It looks as if there was more than likely some water intrusion and the under coat may be the only thing covering it. But don't give up. Be resourceful and plan on the car being off the road for at least a couple of weeks. GOOD LUCK!

Thanx its red powdercoat. Your local shop can apply it.

Well they are not on the engine yet but thanks. The only DUMB question is the one that you don't ask. Thanx for the clue about the factory rod interfacing. I was worried I might have to use my fabrication skills which aren't bad but I want it to look clean and be without quirks. Questions and concerns are a part of what this forum is about.

I'm sure your toes must be tingling with anticipation, can you remember which one is the clutch and which one is the accelerator?

Here is a pic on my manifold

The support can be removed and straightened. Once again....$$$$$$......time.........& skill level. Do not attempt to do it while it is still on the car. There is no room for it to expand. What does the rest of the car look like? Sometimes, well most of the time these cars are diamomds in the rough. If you want a daily driver that needs no attention more than likely you will pay a premium price. I am really not a fan of buying someone elses's unfinished project. But this seems to be a pretty good platform. If you really have to have it "NEW" or looking that way a sheet metal shop can make a copy but they have to have the damaged one from the car. It is expensive and again you need skill with a welder. A member here is realy good with an English wheel and tig welder. He basically rebuilt the entire front clip in his garage. But don't give up. Be resouceful.

Thank Gknot. The cable idea seems fine my only concern is stretch over time. Will get back to you for advice the closer I get to installation.

Thanx 468 I need all the help I can get....?.WOW am I excited!