Introduction to insanity

[David E Roche]

For the last 4 years I have been in the process of completing a ground up restoration of our 1972 240-Z. By 1987 it had become one more victim of our New England winters and salt corrosion.

In 1976/77 the rear quarters and rocker panels were replaced along with new front fenders. The frame rot was not as apparent and it took ten more years of just summer driving for the front frame members to completely rot.

The car was shipped to Florida in 1987 and completly dissassembled in 1989. The floor plus all the metal forward of the firewall was replaced with original Nissan parts that I had purchased in 1977.

The bodywork was completed in 2004 and the entire car has been repainted.

Re-assembly is now underway, albiet slowly, as I live in New Hampshire and the car is in Florida at my brother's vintage auto shop.

The rebuilt engine (sans carbs, manifolds, wiring, etc.) is in along with the 4 speed and a completely rebuilt drivetrain with powder coated suspension components. All bearings, U joints, and seals have been replaced and the rear axle shafts were dissassembled and rebuilt.

The fuel and brake lines have been replaced with stainless steel.

Every single part from the car is being refinished to as close to factory original as are able to discern.

Therin lies the problem we are beginning to face.

As the car has been apart all these years we are missing some of the more

unsurvivable items like grommets and small rubber parts. We are also in the

dark about some finish details.

We had a 1971 donor Z that we referenced during the initial reassembly. We stripped it of all of the fasteners that were removable and documneted everything and where it came from. All of the screws, washers, bolts, and nuts were measured to determine thread size and length and then

photographed with an ID card.

The fasteners were cleaned and sent out for re-plating. Unfortunately some of the items were lost in transit when the platers packing job failed in transit.

As a result we are having trouble being dead on accurate in some fastener situations.

We have photo documented every single part as it was found, dissassembled, and refinished. Now we want to insure that we have got it right.

We will create a website with pictures which may be of value to other crazed

Z owners. I would hate for this effort to be wasted as it has proven invaluable to our efforts at Z perfection.

Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.

Dave

[Carl Beck]

Hi David:

Sounds like a great project. Lots of people here to help.

Were in Florida is your brothers shop?

FWIW,

Carl B.

Clearwater, FL