Home Built Z 'Full video build'

[Home Built by Jeff]

Hey guys,

 

I have owned my '71 240Z for around 12 months now, and this week I have finally been able to start work on it. I bought it as someone else's project, that they tore apart, but never got around to doing much beyond that. I saw a diamond in the rough, as it was a complete car (well all the bits are there) and it has almost zero rust. I know lots think that, but the shell is amazingly clean.

 

I have been working on another project, a '73 Porsche 911 RSR inspired build, for a while now, but I have reached a stopping point as I am waiting for custom engine parts. This means it is time for the Z. I first needed to replace the front wheel bearings on the 911 so I could put wheels on it and move it out of the way. I then got into doing a stocktake on my Z to see what it needed, and start formulating a plan for the build.

 

 

Here is the episode.

 

[wayno]

Welcome  :thumbup:

[Home Built by Jeff]

Welcome  :thumbup:

Thanks mate. This is my first Z (although my first car was a 200B wagon). I have a lot to learn, but I love jumping in the deep end  B)

[racerx]

Nice video...

[frank88]

Ive been following your porche build from the beginning. Top quality videos and nice to see you on here mate. Looking forward to the progress

[Home Built by Jeff]

Thanks guys. Looking forward to the fresh challenges of the Datsun. Should be fun.

[Bleach]

:D well made video and nice shop!

 

Datsun 240Z video part 1: doesn't touch the Datsun until 6 minutes into the video :)

[240zness]

Wow no rust ,really!!

 

 

Nice sketch

[Home Built by Jeff]

This week I get into stripping the many many layers and years of paint and bog off of the Z. It is a very slow messy job, but it has to be done.

 

[Farmer]

Subscribed

[racerx]

Mrs. Jeff is pretty but then I'm a sucker for brunettes and I think its cool she's into cars and supports your endeavor.

[wayno]

We all know what you are talking about no matter how you say Datsun, Datson, Dotsun, or even Datsoon, I search them all on Craigslist every once in a while, young people don't even know what they are around here.

I am not really a car guy so I don't know a lot about Z cars, but it seems like you could have someone ship you a perfect headlight bucket, Z cars are all over the place over here, although 240Zs might be getting harder to find, but they are so popular that they likely have aftermarket support.

One of my customers owns a 1971 Datsun Fairlady with an L20 in it, it is also RHD, he bought it in Europe to drive around when he was in the military and they shipped it to the states when he finished his tour.

[Home Built by Jeff]

We all know what you are talking about no matter how you say Datsun, Datson, Dotsun, or even Datsoon, I search them all on Craigslist every once in a while, young people don't even know what they are around here.

I am not really a car guy so I don't know a lot about Z cars, but it seems like you could have someone ship you a perfect headlight bucket, Z cars are all over the place over here, although 240Zs might be getting harder to find, but they are so popular that they likely have aftermarket support.

One of my customers owns a 1971 Datsun Fairlady with an L20 in it, it is also RHD, he bought it in Europe to drive around when he was in the military and they shipped it to the states when he finished his tour.

I am really stubborn, and I will keep working it until it is right ;) 

Mrs. Jeff is pretty but then I'm a sucker for brunettes and I think its cool she's into cars and supports your endeavor.

I wouldn't say she is into cars, but she is very tolerant, which is the next best thing ;) 

[racerx]

I am really stubborn, and I will keep working it until it is right ;)

I wouldn't say she is into cars, but she is very tolerant, which is the next best thing ;)

...I say more power to you. Most people don't have that kind of patience.

[Home Built by Jeff]

This week I have a go at making a stud puller to do some dent repairs and I pull the engine out of the car.

 

[wayno]

And this is what I was talking about, I don't know if it will actually fit your car though.

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/pts/d/datsun-240z-260z-280z/6305346740.html

[Home Built by Jeff]

And this is what I was talking about, I don't know if it will actually fit your car though.

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/pts/d/datsun-240z-260z-280z/6305346740.html

I am happy with how mine has come out, and it is rust free. That looks good and a good price, but shipping it across the globe is less than ideal.

[wayno]

I am happy with how mine has come out, and it is rust free. That looks good and a good price, but shipping it across the globe is less than ideal.

 

I have no doubt shipping is expensive, it's expensive from there to here also, most the time it costs more to ship the part than I paid for the part, but I have found parts over there that I cannot even get here, so it is worth it, I actually bought a side trim set for my U320 and found out it didn't fit, the U320 is about 6 inches longer than any other 320 made, I thought the V320 was the same as the U320, I was wrong.

I didn't watch the video on you pulling the engine yet, I don't watch a lot of videos unless they are less than 5 minutes long, I cannot sit still that long. :lol:

[Home Built by Jeff]

I have no doubt shipping is expensive, it's expensive from there to here also, most the time it costs more to ship the part than I paid for the part, but I have found parts over there that I cannot even get here, so it is worth it, I actually bought a side trim set for my U320 and found out it didn't fit, the U320 is about 6 inches longer than any other 320 made, I thought the V320 was the same as the U320, I was wrong.

I didn't watch the video on you pulling the engine yet, I don't watch a lot of videos unless they are less than 5 minutes long, I cannot sit still that long. :lol:

Ahh, ok. If you can do the video in a a couple of sittings, I actually finish off the headlight bucket and it comes out pretty good. It has been repaired too many times to get it 100% perfect, but it will now only require a very light skim of filler to get it perfect.

[Home Built by Jeff]

This week I tackle stretched sheet metal with the bonnet repairs, and I start pulling apart the engine.

 

[wayno]

The cam sprocket is generic, #1 dowel hole and outer chain alignment mark are for the L16, #2 dowel hole and outer mark are for the L20b, and I heard #3 dowel hole and outer chain alignment mark are for the Z car, this is what I heard what #3 was for.

These alignment marks only align properly every 12/15?? revolutions of the crank, so how they aligned on #1 mark in your video might be luck/a fluke, is the dowel pin in #1 also?

I have never owned a Z car or any of the engines that came in them.

Also I got distracted and didn't see all the video, but you tack weld sheet metal otherwise it warps, this is how I weld sheet metal when I make a kingcab, it has never cracked the bondo after covered and painted so far.

 

[Home Built by Jeff]

The cam sprocket is generic, #1 dowel hole and outer chain alignment mark are for the L16, #2 dowel hole and outer mark are for the L20b, and I heard #3 dowel hole and outer chain alignment mark are for the Z car, this is what I heard what #3 was for.

These alignment marks only align properly every 12/15?? revolutions of the crank, so how they aligned on #1 mark in your video might be luck/a fluke, is the dowel pin in #1 also?

I have never owned a Z car or any of the engines that came in them.

Also I got distracted and didn't see all the video, but you tack weld sheet metal otherwise it warps, this is how I weld sheet metal when I make a kingcab, it has never cracked the bondo after covered and painted so far.

 

I have completely tack welded, I have used water to cool, air to cool, it always seems to warp. It is good now though ;) 

 

As for the numbers, as I mention in the video, the rebuild book states that the numbers represent (4 degrees from memory) retard in the timing for each consecutive number.  

[wayno]

When I tack weld I put the tacks at least 4 inches apart, I go all the way around, by the time I get back to where I started the metal is cool to the touch, I then tack in between each weld(still 4 inches apart) all the way around, then I skip ahead 4 inches on the next time round and so on and so on, I never tack weld anything so hot that I cannot touch with my finger, as that would be to hot and it would warp.

If what I am tacking in something small like a 4 inch square piece of metal then I do all 4 corners then walk away till it is cool, then I do all 4 sides once, then walk away and let it cool, ect, ect, if I am extending a skirt I tack it in position with the tack welds being at least 4 inches apart, then walk away till it cools, it has to be cool to the touch to make the next set of tack welds, it never warps when I do it this way.

I have lots of photos of this, but they are hosted with Photolame, so to see the photos/the way I did it you have to have the embed fix extension on your browser.

[Home Built by Jeff]

This week I tear down the bottom end of my L28 and repair some rust holes in my front cowl.

 

[Farmer]

great ideal about the totes