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my 240z rebirth v2.0!
franky - 17/2/12 at 08:50 AM

You may remember I started a thread about a black 240z, however all was not as it appeared so I had to begin my search again.

I got bored looking at rusty, patchwork welded UK cars so decided the only way forward was an import from the USA.

So I landed myself this...

Its a 1970 Series 1, so only 12500ish built and about 3 on the road in the UK, the plus points of the series one are a 998kg wet weight and higher compression engine. As standard 0-60 is 8 seconds so not shabby for a 42 year old standard car.

Original spot welds on the arch's and all round the car.

Some surface rust in the engine bay which is a welcome sight as its not hiding anything and is totally solid.








My plan is to fit a high compression 2.8 into it(nissan/datsun L series) on triple webbers running about 210bhp, LSD and uprated suspension. This should make it more than quick enough.

Inside will be a full refurb, as Arizona heat has taken its toll on the inside.

I've been building a stash of parts to help with the restoration/upgrade.





I've been stripping the shell bare inside looking for dreaded tin worm, I've only found 3 small holes under the factory installed sound/heat matting.






So far apart from the 'rust hunt' i've been sorting out the electrical issues with some joy:

Wipers now work
Hazards
Indicators
Heater blower motor(no need for a heater in Arizona I guess.)
UK headlights.

The dash is out while I work out how to 'fix' it


Other things are a diff only driving one wheel, which is fine as i'm going to change it out. Some bits missing here and there. but amazingly solid in a way no UK car is half its age.



If anyones got anything 240/260z related they want rid of let me know

[Edited on 17/2/12 by franky]


scootz - 17/2/12 at 09:09 AM

Probably the best looking Japanese car ever!


afj - 17/2/12 at 09:10 AM

I like it. Don't you fancy a turbo skyline engine in there


r1_pete - 17/2/12 at 09:15 AM

Wish I could see the pics, but our proxies are blocking them, can't wait to get home and see them.

Good luck with the work, I love to see such cars being restored and improved.

I'd think twice about triple webers for road use, they are a nightmare to keep in tune, I removed them from My E Type and went Twin SU, for 99.9% of the driving I dont notice the difference from when the webers were in good tune, plus the SUs don't go off tune.

Description
Description




franky - 17/2/12 at 09:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by afj
I like it. Don't you fancy a turbo skyline engine in there


I did think about an m3 drivetrain but decided that I don't need that much poke, it'll be more than enough fun as it is, oh and old engine look cool

Besides there's people who are getting a genuine 320bhp out of the 2.8, not bad for a SOHC motor


franky - 17/2/12 at 09:18 AM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
Wish I could see the pics, but our proxies are blocking them, can't wait to get home and see them.

Good luck with the work, I love to see such cars being restored and improved.

I'd think twice about triple webers for road use, they are a nightmare to keep in tune, I removed them from My E Type and went Twin SU, for 99.9% of the driving I dont notice the difference from when the webers were in good tune, plus the SUs don't go off tune.

Description
Description






Webers aren't 100% going to be an addition yet as its got a set of 'Z therapy' rebuilt twin SU's on it. There suppose to be good enough for 225bhp. I've since found out that you can bore them out too. Cash dependent really.

Cheers for the comments.


imp paul - 17/2/12 at 09:27 AM

wow that's a very nice motor nice to see 1 as very rare on the roads looks good fun


hicost - 17/2/12 at 09:28 AM

Thats nice, I just purchsased a complete 2.4ltr 240z engine and gearbox to go in a Type 35 build im going to start soon.

James


tomgregory2000 - 17/2/12 at 09:46 AM

why dont you fit fuel injection to the engine?


franky - 17/2/12 at 09:53 AM

quote:
Originally posted by tomgregory2000
why dont you fit fuel injection to the engine?


Its too wrong and will loose some of the character

Besides I like have all the lights/knobs that go with the choke operation!


sdh2903 - 17/2/12 at 09:55 AM

What happened with the black one?


franky - 17/2/12 at 10:01 AM

quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
What happened with the black one?


Long story! A few things on it were not quite right shall we say so I 'wisely' walked away.


tomgregory2000 - 17/2/12 at 10:19 AM

i love the look of those wheels but get them polished up a little


mark chandler - 17/2/12 at 10:44 AM

Injection is easy, block the carbs and fit injectors into/underneath the inlet manifold and a TPS, away you go better power & economy


franky - 17/2/12 at 10:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
Injection is easy, block the carbs and fit injectors into/underneath the inlet manifold and a TPS, away you go better power & economy


See above why i'm not, its a very early version of a classic car thats not been welded(yet) and one of a few on the road in this guise. I'm going to keep the period charm+resale value

The drive train will get tweaked but it'll look and sound like it should, i've already got some 15x8 mag replicas to fit to it.

ETA, I did look at fitting throttle bodies though!

[Edited on 17/2/12 by franky]


Confused but excited. - 17/2/12 at 04:43 PM

That is sweet.
Oh, my eyes have gone all green.


franky - 2/3/12 at 08:23 PM

Not much progress, a couple of cars i've seen have confirmed that I should attack the car properly, removing all traces of even the finest surface rust.





Found nothing but good news during further investigations, looks like it might have a new wing on it, Its a painful process removing the stonechip/underseal but it'll be worth the effort i'm sure. This is now long term project

Found plenty more sand everywhere which can only be better than rot.

just got to work out how to get under the car too...

Strange one this, I can't see any replacement panels at the front at all, also its got the original paint code stickers too, however the front seems to have some black brushed on paint, looks like a neat enough job, is this standard?


I've decided on the engine spec, it'll be a high compression 2.8/triple webers/matched length manifold/cam/ported head. Old school tuning but should see me with 200bhp in a <1000kg car.


woodster - 3/3/12 at 10:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Probably the best looking Japanese car ever!



I totally agree


batteredoldsupersport - 3/3/12 at 11:59 PM

So do I, they look fantastic. I only recently found out that 20 yrs ago when I spent £1500 on an early 7s Spitfire I could have had a 240 instead. Reasonably OK Spits are still under 2k, decent 240s are 3 x that. <sob>.

Still, it could be worse, I could have kept the Spitfire.


rodgling - 4/3/12 at 12:41 AM

Looking good - when do you reckon you'll have her on the road again?


franky - 4/3/12 at 11:38 AM

quote:
Originally posted by rodgling
Looking good - when do you reckon you'll have her on the road again?


Cheers

I think it'll be next year to be honest, i'm time poor at the minute and its only going to get worse, which i'm sure you're aware


franky - 16/3/12 at 10:24 PM

Not much of an update....

Engine and carbs sourced, the matching numbers engine will have a standard rebuild.

This is F54(flat top piston block), P90 head....

Plans are, rebuild, 1mm overbore, high lift cam, porting, quality exhaust system/manifold.

Some pics of induction porn ;D




The rest of the car is very very very slowly coming along, just scraping underseal/stonechip off. The more I think about it, the longer this is going to take :


l0rd - 16/3/12 at 10:45 PM

Yiak

that engine looks filthy compared with the carbs.

looks gooddddd


Most annoying of all, i do not have any money, nor a job and waiting for a new member in the family. I have found a 240z in need of restoration nearby and was dreaming of it.


franky - 16/3/12 at 10:55 PM

it is very very filthy


Simon - 17/3/12 at 07:09 PM

Very very nice cars, but as you're going to all this trouble and given the state of the dash, would it not be better to convert to rhd. Fwiw, I'd also go injection

ATB

Simon


franky - 17/3/12 at 07:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Simon
Very very nice cars, but as you're going to all this trouble and given the state of the dash, would it not be better to convert to rhd. Fwiw, I'd also go injection

ATB

Simon


I want to keep the cars originality, don't want to chop/cut anything that doesn't need doing. I've got a full dash cover for it now too and a spare LHD dash Also it means when I do sell one day it'll sell to europe no problem Not to mention i'd have to by a RHD car for all the parts!

Injection would never look as cool either


sebastiaan - 18/2/13 at 07:52 PM

Any updates on this?


franky - 5/3/14 at 08:59 PM

Small update.

Pics will do some talking.....

[IMG]http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/jason61c/240z/DSC_0284.jpg[/IM G]

[IMG]http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/jason61c/240z/DSC_0532.jpg[/IM G]

[IMG]http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/jason61c/240z/DSC_0527.jpg[/IM G]







Basically, its now 100%, all coatings and coverings etc etc removed. Safety devices rear roll hoop fitted.

Then made a choice on colour, 918 orange, an original colour from 1970.

Had a lot of effort getting the right colour mix.







Got the old girl out for a trip for 2x doglegs and sandblast underneath, inside and in the engine bay.



Sorry its been so slow but I've got a bike project on the go also...



sdh2903 - 5/3/14 at 09:25 PM

Ah was wondering what had happened to the mighty Z


franky - 5/3/14 at 09:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
Ah was wondering what had happened to the mighty Z


Time/money/wife+life


sdh2903 - 5/3/14 at 09:47 PM

Don't I know it only mine at present is

House purchase/wedding/decorating old house/busiest at work we've been/kids I'm barely even finding time to have a dump at the minute although I'm still on the look out for a project bizarrely


franky - 5/3/14 at 09:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
Don't I know it only mine at present is

House purchase/wedding/decorating old house/busiest at work we've been/kids I'm barely even finding time to have a dump at the minute although I'm still on the look out for a project bizarrely


I've just sold the house too

I was wondering what you're upto now the GKD's gone?


sdh2903 - 5/3/14 at 09:59 PM

Still depressed, I sold it to help fund a house renovation project which fell through at the last minute so I could have got away with keeping it.

So back house hunting whilst keeping one eye open for a kit project.


franky - 20/2/16 at 07:38 PM

as a thread bump from the past!

Its now like this.



















80% painted.

Decided on the final engine spec

Still need to work out suspension, wheel size. I've been offered some proper wattanabe 14x8 but rubber is a bit of an issue.