1971 240Z

Restores, Revamps and Repairs
Post Reply
User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

1971 240Z

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:41 pm

Hey guys,

My names Moddy. Ive been hanging around for a while now and picked up my 71 last year sometime from Chris aka BadHabit. Unfortunately i didnt have the pleasure of meeting him in person but hopefully ill see ya one day at a club meet somewhere ;)

Anyways, so ive been intending to post up a bit of a build thread for a while now and just havent got around to it until now lol. Its not the most interesting build in the world as im pretty low on funds at the moment (kids, bills, life, etc lol) but i know if the members of this forum are anything like me you'll all just be happy to see pics of yet another beautiful Z being loved by its owner :) I havent got as many photos of her as i would like at this stage and i tend to get carried away while working on her and forget to take photos in stages so i just end up with before and after shots hahaha unless its a job that takes a while, like the head >.< but i hope you guys enjoy the thread regardless and feel free to chime in with your opinions and advice at any time ;)

PS - Bronzee im sorry i havent sent you my membership form yet :P literally the only reason is it ended up in "the pile" on my desk and i keep forgetting about it. Also just noticed theres no photo hosting on here so im gonna go upload all my photos for this thread and then ill be back here to post em up for all of you to peer at :D
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:59 pm

So heres a handful of pics i took when i first rolled it into my garage. Its from california and had some minor rust in the arches and rear slam panel (typical lol) and needed a few odds and ends to get it vinned and registered. First couple pics were sent to me when i was enquiring about it. They're taken in the lot in california where it was originally bought from.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

The old throttle linkage really made me laugh. I had to take a couple pics to send to a mate. More reliable than a cable perhaps? hmmmm....

Image
Image

These were taken the next day when the sun had come up and i wheeled her out of the garage to have a good look at her in the light. I liked what i saw :)

Image
Image
Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
old_datto_fan
Z Club Member
Posts: 951
Location: Kapiti

Post by old_datto_fan » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:01 pm

Hi Moddy,

Welcome and great to have another S30 in the lower North Island. Hopefully you will be able to make it to our next event which I'm trying to get sorted for later in May.

Cheers, Mike

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:04 pm

Im a welder/fabricator by trade and ive worked on cars and motorbikes my whole life, so i had the knowledge and experience to fix the rust myself. I just didnt have the time or patience to be honest. I thought for the sake of getting it back on the road in a month instead of a year (coz to be honest it would have taken me that long to "get around to it") i thought i may as well pay a reputable panel beater to do it for me and get it roadworthy as fast as possible.

Heres a few pics of her leaving home for he first time :( it was actually kinda sad but exciting at the same time haha.

Image
Image
Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:08 pm

Hey Mike, thanks mate. Unfortunately the last post im gonna make will let you know why i probably wont be able to make it hahaha. I was trying to get out for that meet in kapiti not long ago but ended up having to work which is unfortunate coz now ive blown my engine and it will be off the road for sometime.
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:14 pm

Heres a few pics taken at the panel beaters. They have a whole bunch more that they took while they were actually working on it so that the certifier had something to look at to certify the work but i havent bothered to ask for those photos yet. I suppose ill get around to it eventually.... lol

Image
Image

Once they started work on her they found a few extra bits and pieces that needed some tidying up, such as the RH side chassis rail.

Image
Image

And here she is finally back in my driveway. Cost blew out to more than twice what i was actually quoted for the work which was disappointing. Having said that, the work they've done is fantastic and as i said, they did find extra stuff that needed doing while it was in the shop so on the whole i was happy with their work and would definitely go back for more work in the future.

Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
old_datto_fan
Z Club Member
Posts: 951
Location: Kapiti

Post by old_datto_fan » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:14 pm

Hi Moddy,

Sorry to hear about blowing the engine - most unusual as Datsun engines normally go forever unless they have been abused and not serviced. I have a complete 240 motor sitting here that you are welcome to borrow until you can get yours sorted if that is any use.

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:30 pm

First job i decided to tackle was the perished seals. Hatch and both doors had pretty much turned to dust in the californian heat so a order placed with MSA had all the seals i needed on their way and i began to tackle the baked on rubber with vigor :)

Image
Image
Image

Also learned that lead used to be used in panel repairs before the invention of bog. Or perhaps bog was available but lead was more workable/reliable? Anyways i found some in the rear hatch sill along the top. The wire wheel i was using started to eat it hahaha. Glad i was observant enough to stop before it ripped it all out >.< Heres the finished hatch. As i say, i forgot to take pics once id fitted the new seal so you'll have to use your imagination till i get some up :)

Image

Image
Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:31 pm

Hey Mike, thanks for the offer.... its pretty tempting to say the least. I really like the L24. Im in the process of convincing my friend to sell me his unused L31 stroker and im pretty sure he's about to cave hahaha so ill keep you posted ;)
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:46 pm

Next job was the head. This is probably why my car is now dead :( After about 4months on the road i got home one lunchtime to find cooland literally running out of my exhaust like a tap was turned on. Ive been so bitterly disappointed i havent looked at it for the last month (ive been away for 3 weeks anyway haha so thats a little bit of a misleading statement :P) Heres the pics of my headwork.

Image
Image

Head off. Holy shit, i dont think ive ever experienced a cam sprocket so welded on in my life. I had the park brake on, engine in gear, and about a 6 foot bar on the sprocket nut and the car started moving up the drive as i heaved. Not impressed with THAT torque setting lol. Got the rattle gun out. After about 20 odd minutes of semi-sustained rattling i figured that wasnt gonna work either so i got on the blower to a mate who recommended using an old screw driver to lock the sprocket against the head on a block of wood. After that it came off pretty easily haha!

Image

Next thing was to tackle the valve seals. The old ones were pretty poked and the gasket set came with new ones so i thought i may as well put em in. Id intended on just doing the gasket but whatever haha.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Heres the head and camshaft on its way back onto the block. I did a pretty decent job of cleaning the gasket surfaces but to be honest i think my laziness/eagerness to get her running has probably done me zero favours. I dont know how the replacement gasket could have failed to the point where coolant is just running straight out the exhaust so if anybody has any other ideas on what could have failed im all ears. I hope its not a crack in the block. I had it checked "home-style" by a old mechanic mate of mine so he'll be pretty surprised to find its a cracked block too to be honest.

Image
Image
Image
Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:56 pm

Anyways, like i say, theres clearly a few pics missing haha but ill take a couple more of the engine bay when i get home on wednesday (currently away from home again, on the lappy) coz i think my new alloy radiator looks cool as :D The reason i did the head gasket in the first place was she was overheating and there was a bit of white smoke coming out. After doing the gasket she wasnt smoking anymore but the overheating thing didnt go away. Id also replaced the thermostat and cleaned out the water jackets pretty well so the only other thing we could come up with was a partially blocked factory radiator. I bought a replacement alloy radiator and as soon as it was fitted she ran absolutely mint.... for about 4 months lol. Then, like i say, one day i drive home at lunch and shes tipping green gold on the concrete. Thoughts/speculation on this would be appreciated guys. Like i say, i havent had a look at the engine yet as i was pretty gutted so i dont really know anything other than what i did to her prior and that theres water pouring out.

Here she is after my drive home from the VTNZ. Fresh 12mth reg and wof on the windscreen. Haha i was pretty chuffed.

Image

Also bought and fitted the JDM fender mirrors as i fricken love them. They were ridiculously expensive i might add. Like "the most expensive thing on the car" expensive >.<

Image
Image

The original steering wheel is freaken cool too. I wouldve kept it if a replacement horn button wasnt $100 or so but to be honest ive always loved Nardi steering wheels and consider them the best aftermarket wheel available (what the hell is momo haha) so i also went out and bought one of those, as well as a carpet kit to replace the missing carpet.

Image

Havent installed the carpet yet as i thought id wait until id done the door seals to save from filling my nice new carpet with crap.
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 11:06 pm

Oh i almost forgot. I ordered a 4 pot front caliper kit from ebay too as the front calipers had seized and i thought id just upgrade instead of repair. Pretty happy with the kit except for a couple minor things like they're covered in surface rust (the painted calipers are) after being on the car for about 4months and it hasnt even been in the rain. What the hell is up with that!?! Gonna have to clean them up and hit em with some etch prime and new paint i think. Other than that they haul the car up mint :D

Image

Heres what a seized caliper will do to your brakes >.< just in case any of you were wondering haha

Image

Working on old cars is awesome. Its hard work, coz things arent put together the same as on new cars so you're constantly learning, but they're so damn simple to work with and lets face it, old cars are fun :D

Image
Image
Image
Image

Even had my little girl outside cheering me and my mate on as we worked haha. She's wearing the getup she had on the weekend just gone for my sisters wedding (minus the crocks of course, bloody present from her grandparents those horrible things haha). Isnt she gorgeous :P

Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Mon Apr 28, 2014 11:08 pm

Ive also got some camber plates and coilovers to go in yet as well as some steelies ive widened up to 8.5" and 10" for a bit of a wider stance till i can afford to get some better wheels. Id almost ordered a set of Work wheels like Pedey has on his beautiful silver ZG but now that im looking at a possible replacement engine ive started to save all the pennies i can haha. Updates to come!
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

User avatar
A280Z
Posts: 139
Location: Auckland

Post by A280Z » Mon Apr 28, 2014 11:17 pm

Nice work man!

User avatar
Moddy
Z Club Member
Posts: 152
Location: Palmerston North

Post by Moddy » Tue Apr 29, 2014 12:17 am

Thanks bro, she was coming along so nicely till "the incident" haha.

Found a couple pics of my new radiator :D

Image
Image
Image

Came with some cool blue coloured 10inch electric fans too which im gonna stick riiiiiiiiight....
...here

Image
***** Drive it like you stole it *****

Post Reply