Z Greek

The Datsun L24, L26, L28 is a fabulous engine. I would do a quality overhaul on what you have if it were me. If you feel like you have to transplant an SR20, like SBlake said, you will find a multitude of information on Hybrid Z. Good Luck!

Thank you very much for the advice! I have searched a number of times, but did not see the post referring to using an old fender. I am surprised there are no commercially produced patch panels available for that area, since it seems at least half of all Z's suffer there. Opportunity for someone in the sheet metal business?

Let me also add this. Make sure to use the "straw," that comes with it. If you don't, it comes out way too fast and wastes it. I used one without the straw, and I used it up 3 times as fast

I used five or six, no more than six. It was about 5 bucks a can at Walmart.

I experimented with a number of different techniques when removing the undercoating from my early 260. Here is what worked the BEST. First, I would "freeze" an area about 6 inches square with the "canned air" they sell for cleaning computer keyboards. It turns out, if you spray it with the can inverted, it gets cold as hell! After I froze the area, I used a needle scaler (Harbor Freight, 30 bucks), and the stuff pops off like chocolate off of an ice cream bar! I did the first half of the car with scrapers, wire brush, etc in about 15-20 hours. I did the second half using the "freeze and pop," technique in about 4 hours.

Wow, very nice work. I was just admiring your battery box. I was working on my battery tray area not an hour ago. I am very lucky, my car is very solid over all, but the battery tray area is really a mess. Previous owner had laid fiberglass cloth over the whole area, and then riveted the battery tray back in. I have a parts car that looks like it may be pretty solid in the battery tray area, I think I might cut pieces from it.

$5K is way high, unless your car has a lot more issues than rotten floors, and frame rails (which it likely does on the east coast!). Parts are about $500 for floors and replacement rails, and 15-20 hours labor, depending on if you do some of the grunt work. You can save yourself a lot of the body-shop's time by stripping the carpets, padding, and especially the rubbery coating on the inside of the floors (dry ice, and a hammer work great for that). Price of Ivory and whale skin what it is though...................... Good luck!

Welcome to the site. I travel Utah frequently (I am in SLC right now). Good bunch of guys, here on this site, lots of good help available. I have two 1974 260Z's (one is a parts car), a 67.5 Datsun 2000 Roadster, and a 67 Honda S800 coupe. Good luck with your car(s)!

I am pretty new also, welcome. This is a great place to learn, share, etc. I am working on a 74 260Z. Long way to go, but enjoying the process!

Remember when it comes time for reassembly two things. 1 Cleanliness is next to Godliness when it comes to engines. 2. Detail, detail, detail. Never settle for "that's close enough," and if something does not seem right, STOP, investigate, and remedy! There that's my two cents! Two very good books for the L-series engine. 1. How to rebuild your Nissan/Datsun OHC engine 2. How to modify your Nissan/Datsun OHC engine Good luck, and have fun!

12 degrees F here over the weekend, right now it's a balmy 28, and sunny!

Congrats on the purchase. I am also a multiple Datsun/multiple model owner. Look forward to pic's of the Z, and the 510.

Good job siteunseen. "don't do well in the cold months?" I didn't know it got cold in Alabama?! everything is relative, I guess. It looks like you have an engine stand in the background there, you're in business! Have fun with your project.

Welcome to the addiction, enjoy the ride!

What I would do for a set of horns like that! Classic JC Whitney!

Really nice looking project Blue. I have a 74 260 i am just getting going on. I will aspire to have my detail as nice as you!

Not sure why my thread got moved to "introduce yourself." I am sharing progress of my project, seems like "what I did today" to me!

Got the shop warmed up and spent some more quality time battling the undercoating. I have been wanting to try a needle scaler, but did not own one, so I bought a cheap harbor freight one yesterday to try out. Wow, that thing works great, especially for the nooks and crannies. I would freeze a section with the "canned air," and then buzz it with the needle scaler, and the nasty black stuff pops off pretty slick. I spent about 5 hours, and pretty much finished the the whole tub from the front fenders back. I started working on the front inner fenders, but the needle scaler gave up. I guess you get what you pay for! I am going to try to exchange it today, I'll spend the 6 bucks and get the 2 year warranty this time. I hope to get the fenders off, and clean up the inner fenders today. I am also going over to my buddies shop to help get their "Chump Car," ready for an eight hour race at Laguna Seca the 22nd of this month. I attached a picture of the Chump car, with my roadster at the 24 hour Spokane race this summer, which they won! That's about it for now.

I am pretty fond of the orange. My 13 year-old is not wild about it (he is my partner in crime), but I am definitely going with the original color. The cold weather is really helping with the undercoat removal. I spent a little while at it again tonight but pretty damn cold in the shop (hence the undercoat is brittle). I did not want to build a fire in the wood stove and wait for it to warm up. Weekend is almost here, I'll get out there then.

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Spent a bit more time on the under-coating this evening. I had been using dry ice to cool the under-coating off and make it brittle, but difficult to do on the vertical, and compound curve areas (like the wheel arches). I had heard that the canned "air," for cleaning keyboards, etc., gets really cold if you turn it upside down and spray it. Well it works pretty darn good. I did the spare tire well the other night laying dry ice from the inside, and then scraping the undercoating off with a harbor freight oscillating scraper. It took me a couple of hours to get to the point it is in the photo. I used the inverted can on the wheel arch. I would "cool down," an area about 6 inches square, and then hit it with the oscillating scraper. I only spent about a half an hour and got it pretty clean. Came in to eat dinner, I think I'll head back out to the shop for awhile this evening.

Picture is of me and my 67.5 2000 at the Shasta Roadster meet in California this July.My first roadster was a '70 1600 back in Summer of 1980. Regarding your interior, there are many good seat and carpet kits, as well as door panels, etc. Ross Mullen at Sports Imports in BC, Canada does a great job, as does Les Canaday in CA, Stan Chernoff in CA, and many others. Your dash, of course will be a challenge. The late cars, like the 70 you are working on all cracked, just like Z dashes. You can get the thin covers like for Z's, but new dashes are made of unobtainium. If I can be of any help with contacts for parts, or questions about the cars, please feel free to ask. I am not as fluent with the later cars, like yours, as I am with the early cars, but have been around the late cars quite a bit also. Good luck, and have fun with your project!

I am parting out an early 260. I have not had the car on my lift yet, as the car I am building is currently on the lift. I will jack it up and take a look to see what I have if you are interested. I am also interested in trading front and rear bumpers from the parts car (early 260, VIN under 4000) for 240 bumpers if anyone is interested. The bumpers are complete, but far from perfect. I would consider them "cores," but everything is there. Bumpers, shocks, brackets, fillers, etc.

What year and model roadster are you restoring Rich?

Well, I have been wanting a Z for years. I have owned a number of Datsun Roadsters, including my "forever car," a 67.5 2000 I have had for over 20 years, and will never sell. I found this Z car down by Bend, OR, in April of this year. Although it did not have an engine, or gearbox, the body was in pretty good shape, and otherwise complete. It is an early 260, s/n 3836. I purchased it, drug it home, and have been gathering parts for it since. I pulled an engine and trans out of a later Z at our local pull and save, pulled factory air out of a 76 280 (Since factory air was an option on the 260, I thought that would be a nice addition) also at pull and save. Other parts include: 3 screw SU's Factory airbox N36 Manifolds Uncracked dash Tokiko struts and springs 240 tail-lights and trim ( I will be putting these in the 260, I like the looks of them better) Complete parts car, less than 200 serial numbers from mine (what are the odd's?) I won't bore you all with all the stuff I have accumulated, but gathering the parts has been a hoot. I have been working on Datsun Roadsters for over 30 years, and by comparison, Z parts are very plentiful. I have been getting a few things done on the car, and thought I would share my progress. I finally cleared the lift bay out in my shop, and my 13 year old son and I towed it up from the garage attached to the house, to the shop. I was so proud of my son Drew's driving, I stopped to snap a picture, when one of my daughters pet goats jumped up on the car! I guess it is lucky we are just starting on the car, and not just finishing. I pushed the car onto the lift, and began disassembling it. I removed the front and rear suspension, and interior. Next I began the entertaining task of removing the undercoating from the bottom of the car. It turns out the car has a bit more rust than I had seen, but still pretty solid. Rust so far is confined to floors, and battery area. I purchased new floors, and floor stiffeners. That work will start after I get the rest of the undercoating off. My goal is to have a nice body color finish on the bottom of the car. In the meantime, I finally got my block and crankshaft back from the machine shop. I painted the outside of the block Datsun Blue, left over from my Roadster work, and painted the inside of the block with electric motor shelac. I will start assembling the engine in the next couple of weeks, I am still waiting for a cam kit (been waiting four months!) I also pulled the parts car in under the lift, and started stripping it. I have a complete set of front and rear bumpers off of this car. It is an early 260Z under 4000 (I cant remember exactly, 3977 I think). They are far from perfect, but everything is there. Bumpers, fillers, brackets, hardware. I would like to trade these for a set from a 240 if anyone is interested. Sorry about the sideways picture of the parts car, I couldn't figure out how to fix it! I am at the airport getting ready to get on a plane, so I have to cut this off for now.