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It's not as easy as it looks. Even after pulling dents and waves on my roof, the bodyguy who painted my car and did all my work noted how complex the multi-radiused curvature of the roof is, side to side, fore and aft, etc. Basically, hiding the welding seams is the least of your problems--aligning the curvature is the bigger issue... If it doesn't match up perfectly it will not look right at all. The other issue is what lies beneath the sunroof weatherstripping. If it leaks, there is likely some rustiness that may exaggerate the cut-out of the roof, adding to the difficulty of the repair. I'm not saying it's impossible-- I'm saying that if it were my car, cost associated with the repair would be secondary to quality of work.

That car looks almost the same as mine did before I started my resto (except for mine had cheap-o paint over the original lime...) Looks good! Good purchase prices, too-what are your plans with the car?

Arne, My body guy wanted to replace the roof on mine just for some dents but no rust or sunroof. I convinced him to just pull the dents and not go through the trouble of a new roof, fearing that fitment would be a problem (along with scarcity of a donor roof). The problem is if the donor roof doesn't fit right (duh)--35 years of sun, tweaking from unibody flex etc between the cars may make it look good on the donor body but not so much on the recipient body. I would imagine that you would cut above the windows/hatch/windshield, but if not there's significant alignment issues with new seals. I guess if you're looking to fill the sunroof gap only, then the problems would be minimized to some degree. Like you said, definitely need an expert body guy to do this kind of job, because if it's off, even in the slightest I would imagine it would be exceptionally noticeable. That metal's really thin, so I imagine the welder would have to be more careful than usual... I think you're right on about resale, whether it be in price or how quickly someone buys it. Good luck, Steve

Bryan, A member here, CandyBlue 2+2, is in Newport News and does automotive pain/ restoration. From some of his posts in my paint thread I get the feeling that old cars are up his alley. Maybe you could PM him? Or search his posts for more info... Steve

Might be easier just to wait until he gets settled in CA and has a chance to peruse the local scene--maybe get some leads from the local Z club...

Hi Mark, In a word---rumble. As in :"rumblerumblerumblerumblerumble--WHOOOM! rumblerumblerumblerumble..." Sounds great IMO. Nice lope fromt he camshaft quick brappy revs from the light flywheel--but it's still not well-tuned as it sounds a little too V8ish for my taste. I can feel the exhaust note in my chest standing near it from 2-3 feet away at idle, and I can't detect significant resonance to speak of (but I've only had it around the neighborhood, so haven't assessed highway speed yet.) In tyhe cabin it's a great low-mid tone up to 35 mph, but I'll know more once I troubleshoot some other areas. I'm still sorting it out, and figuring out a good way to record it without distortion, but I'm very happy with my choice. Steve

From Zhome.com The Lowest Chassis Number (VIN's) Z Cars Delivered To The U.S.A. Were Not Intended For Public Sale - They Were Used For Photo Opportunities and Public Display Then Delivered To Racing Teams and Have Been Restored To Their Historic Racing Condition. VIN:HLS30 00006 Production Date:10/1969 Color Body /Int :not known Orig.Eng.Number:not known Owner:Dr Allen Robbins City/State/Cntry:Ontario,NY IZCC Member#:none Comments:Jim Fitzgerald's BSR Car e-mail:Sharp33@aol.com Date Registered:15/04/96 I'd like to see some pics too, but I question the accuracy of the ad based on Carl's Registry

After eight months the doglegs have retained their chrome strips in perfect shape. No peeling or stripping...I talked with several local custom upholstery guys and they swear by contact cement for numerous applications. I used it on my rear wheel vinyl application and that vinyl will NOT come off! So, I did the doors today as I previously outlined above. --Buy a roll of 4" chrome adhesive trim from the local hobby shop. Cut strips 5/8" wide, and as long as the plastic trim (mine was 34 3/8") --coat the middle third of the strip, then all three sides of the plastic trim where the chrome will go. I used a small 1/4" brush, but whatever works for you is fine. Coating the middle third ensures that the cement will be in contact with the top and bottom as well as the wide edge of the plastic trim --wait at least 20 min for the cement to get appropriately tacky. Don't cut this time short, as the contact cement doesn't adhere well if it's still wet. --press it on, maintaining the middle third of the chrome along the wide edge of the plastic trim. Pinch the top and bottom edges to get good adhesion --after a couple minutes, trim the excess with a #10 or #11 blade The Weldwood directions say max adhesion is at 7 days, so maybe don't bake your car in the sun until after a week's past. Here's the final result below. Looks very good, tight adhesion even on the beveled leading and trailing edge. If you absolutely have to have NOS parts for your resto then don't do this. But, if you like retaining as many authentic pieces on your car as possible (like me), or you don't feel like parting with 700 of your hard-earned, rapidly devaluing dollars then this may be a good route to go. Steve

I think the West Coasters may need to revise their opinions up a bit...this 1972 240z in Maine just sold on Ebay for 4k+. This car is similar in condition, especially with the bad patch job on the floors....Better ending price this time because it is now known to be a running car. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=016&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=260179251359&rd=1 Based on this I'd stand firm at $3250, and the starting price at $3900 is fine. Gotta roll with the market!

Perhaps just take them off the car and go through them. Better a little extra work will result in less risk to ignite yourself and the car. Obviously you're getting fuel. We'll deal with fuel pressure and rate later. Check the carbs over, and if necessary order up some ZTherapy rebuild kits (and video) and go from there. Supply pics, and we'll be here to help out! Good luck, Steve

Seems like an annual event for Sports and Exotic to do something for the Z---now that my car is nearly finished, I say the more press the better! They just did an article in January 2006, so I wonder what they'll have to say this go round. Maybe some real auction results.... Edit: I checked out the current issue TOC and it lists a restoration profile for a Z, but no text--probably to make us buy it and read it (which I'll do!) http://www.hemmings.com/store/current_issue.html?pub=HSX

I don't think it's controversial at all. The Z was the main competitor for the TR6, 2002, MGB-GT and Opel GT in its time, and are pretty close to the same rung now on the Classic Sportscar ladder (except maybe Opel, which is more toward Spitfires, MG Midgets etc). Pricing by SCM, NADA etc all put them in the same ballpark (15-25k), depending on resto quality, rarity etc. Of course, the Z put both Triumph and MG on life support when it came out, but that's a different storyline... So....Is it hard to sell a series I Z? Right now probably so, especially as people get spooked by economic issues (dollar's value, subprime crisis etc) and feel they can't spend money on something "frivolous" like an old car. There's already a major impact on collectibles at the highest end of the specturm...(eg, Christie's stock has taken a HUGE hit in recent months, dropping from $250 to $180/share) So if folks with serious cash to spend on collectibles are feeling the pinch, Joe and Jane Average are going to also. Of course, if you're in the right position great deals can be had in the coming months.... Steve

Finally got some time to correct the distributor spindle tang. Turned ACW one tooth and it looks much better. In golf terms that would be a "right edge" putt with the upper screw hole the target and looks more like 10:30 o'clock than 11:25....but whatever. Fired up with a little coaxing (overcorrected timing from the prior tang orientation) and once the timing was readjusted the engine ran very well. It settled into a mild loping idle from the non-stock cam with a pleasing rumble from MSA's new premium exhaust system. Vacuum advance mechanism works well, now just to synch up the carbs, install the windshield (er..have it installed:finger:) and I'll be driving the Z this week! The pics below consolidate the situation...#1 is initial orientation, #2 is the book's depiction, #3 is the corrected position. #4 is there to show TDC at #1 cylinder. Thanks for the help! Steve

I assume you mean "leaked from the end of the hose after I pulled it off to see if fuel was getting to the carbs," right? If it's really leaking then , obviously, new fuel lines are in order...

Check in this order: 1) Air--easiest one. Check your SU carb piston movement. remove the air cleaner (for now). Turn your idle speed screw in a turn or two to open the butterfly. 2) Fuel--change the filter, check your float bowls--replace the gas if it's old. Does your choke work? If you haven't changed the filter, why did you expect it to run? 3) Spark--plugs are good, normal gap. Check for low resistance in your spark plug wires and HT wire from the coil. Check your coil resistance. Place a metal punch in the end of each spark plug wire, hold the wire (by the insulated part with a rubber glove) near the valve cover while someone turns over the engine--do they all spark? If you have all three your car should run, even if poorly. Compression and timing are two other important points, but should be dealt with once you get these first three under control. Steve

As an East Coast type, I can tell you that cars of this shape in "restoration" condition don't come around often. Certainly more common out west, but tack on an extra $1000 transport fee and the prices are nearly equivalent. This car looks similar to mine when I bought it, but mine had less rocker/rear quarter panel rust. I think it's fair to assume the floors will need replacing unless pics are convincing otherwise. I paid $2150 for mine in 2004, a 5/72 build. I think on the East Coast $2800-3000 is about right for what the pics show. I hope that this same car in the same condition will sell for $5000 in a couple of years... Just because it isn't one of the first 500 doesn't mean it has no value, so don't kick it to the curb because of its VIN. Done right, it'll outprice a low VIN car that isn't done well. Numerous examples are hitting the low to mid-20s--some say cars are selling for more, but aside from the Z resto program cars, there's no concrete evidence of that yet (auction reports etc)--if there is please post it so I can adjust my comps! We should all be happy a 260Z just sold for $21k....I'm calling Hagerty tomorrow to change my agreed value!

Excellent! And a 260 to boot! Hopefully, the car won't show up in another auction with a "prior high bidder didn't pay up" in the first sentence of the description.... (Adding it to my list of comps)

Glad to hear it's fixed! Replacement window channel felt is a cheap fix with parts from JC Whitney. Here's a link with pics to a thread: http://classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14360&highlight=window+channel Steve

here's a pic of my door--you can see the marks where the roller goes

The barrel roller is located on the forward aspect of the window near where the window guide meets the door. You'll have to look sorta hard because the barrel part is under the outer door trim. If you pry off the trim you'll see the clip, but don't do that unless you have to. Or, you could reach (or look with a light) up from one of the holes in the door and feel for it. Pretty hard for them to fall off, but if the door trim has been removed for paint, and the roller, too, it's easy to see that someone might forget to replace it If the pics show where the rattle is, I think you should check the window guide felt to see if it's (a) absent or ( dry rotted. Maybe the rubber piece that cushions the base of the window unit has rotted off also (MSA part #30-2357), but others may have different ideas. Remember, without your door panel there, the window will move in its slot. The fuzzy trim, along with the outer door trim, barrel roller and window guide channel felt keep it in place as it moves... Good luck, Steve

Thanks guys...No this is not a race setup. Check the link in my sig and you can see that this Z will not be on the track! Actually, it's not under control yet, as I have had no time to work on the car what with work, kids, etc. Hopefully with a week off upcoming I'll have time to get this settled and the car on the road. The "X" factor is that this head has a non-stock cam on it and the spec sheet has been lost. It doesn't appear to be very aggressive, so I assume that the timing will be OK when the spindle orientation is corrected. But, it could result in more "learning opportunities" if it doesn't. I don't leave my threads dangling...if I can get this fixed, I'll post so that current and future members who may encounter this have some additional conclusive evidence to help them out. ...9300 rpm is pretty impressive though... Steve

That Snopes link is good because it has a vid link of the woman "singing" the anthem. I may be callous, but if someone sings the Anthem like that I'd have a hard time being respectful, too. (then again, I'm not running for Pres)

908? Maybe you mean 918? 110 Red ("Persimmon") is a mostly red color, with some orange hue to it. Orange 918 on the oother hand, is DEFINITELY orange--no mistaking it. Doublecheck ZHome.com, but I'd stick with 110 if that's what the color sticker says. Maybe check some less-exposed areas (under the seats, wheel well, toolbox etc.) Steve

...i always forget something...you should see me trying to leave on a roadtrip!

Randy, It's pretty uncommon for the glass alone to be the culprit. It's bolted to its little frame (at the base of the glass) quite tightly, but those screws I suppose could come loose. I would check three areas... --window guide channels --window crank mechanism --door lock linkage Check all the bolts that secure those mechanisms to the door. Check the window frame bolts too, since you've got the door panel off. If it rattles with the window up the weatherstrip that runs in the frame might be in need of replacement I am assuming you're hearing rattling in the door that you attribute to the window? How does the inner fuzzy trim look--the exterior squeegee? If those are shot or absent it could contribute to window rattling... Check the bottom of the door to make sure some random stuff hasn't fallen into the door and rattled around some, too. Good luck, Steve