Hi everyone, my name's Geoff, and I've got a thing for Z cars, and am developing another thing for all the hakos around here. This is the story of my yellow car.

Part 1: acquisition.

Once upon a time, almost 6 years ago, my wife had our son. We're upstanding members in the Albuquerque Z club, so we did what anyone would do in our position: started looking for another Z (we also have a '92 TT), so we could both drive Zs to the meetings.

I actually started looking when we first found out she was pregnant, about May of 2006. After 12 months of looking, the Z I was looking for fell into my lap: a 919 (sunshine yellow) '71 240Z. The original owner was getting on in years, and his wife had just had spinal fusion surgery, so she couldn't ride in it anymore.

The Z comes home:




Basically a pretty clean survivor. Hell, the clock even works.

Part 2: The strangeness begins

I don't know how the car managed to run, but it was timed about 15° after top dead center. Almost the very day I drove it home, the car backfired so badly that the muffler exploded. No, seriously, the middle of the can looked like the end of the gun after Indiana Jones shoved a rock in it.

After 2 years, I got tired of roly-poly brakes and struts, so I changed 'em. Swapped the front brakes to Toyota 4 piston calipers and some EBC reds, and a Tokico strut/spring package.

The UFO shot:


Tokico illuminas, Tokico 1.5" drop springs, energy suspension master bushing set:


Burning the bushings out:


Rehabbing the suspension bits:


Front struts:


The helper:


The results:

Part 3: The inevitable.

I took the car out one morning in May of '11, with the intention of 1) studying for my final exam (working on a master's degree) and 2) detailing the car for a car show the following weekend.

I came out from studying to see this:




As fortune would have it, the adjuster for the insurance of the guy that hit me valued my car at $15,000. In dealing with them (State Farm, IIRC), they told me that they wouldn't total it out if the estimate of the repair was less than the value of the car less its salvage value (which they set at $2000). I went down to a local repair shop that I trust, and they wrote an estimate to exploit that, almost to the penny.

Part 4: The rehab

So, with a nice chunk of cash in hand, I set out to repair my Z.

The head gasket had been weeping for some time:


However, a regasket and carb rebuild seemed to do the trick:


Meanwhile, at the body shop...
I watched the body guy struggle with a crappy tabco replacement panel for the rear tailgate, and ultimately found this:



...the last 12" of a 240Z.

On the frame rack:




New goodies, a urethane air dam, and carbon fiber bumpers:


In primer:


In paint:

Got it to my friend's house, and took it all apart again, so I could do this:


and this:


Here I am reinstalling the harness (rewrapped, and modified for a 280ZX alternator and 280ZX distributor):


Installing the battery relocation kit:


Engine back in, with some new goodies:


Unfortunately, the stock exhaust was ruined.


Tacked together, waiting for me to get the can and the tip to the shop for TIG (since it's stainless):


Installed:

Part 5: the payoff

I added some Enkei 92s (the originals, not the new ones), 15x7 front and rear, 0 offset in the back, +10 in the front


A local guy wanted to take some pictures, and I was happy with how they came out:






On the Nissan Test Track in Arizona at the 2012 Z convention:

Glad it had a happy ending.

+1

_________________
"Life can only be understood backwards. Unfortunately, it must be lived forward." ... Kierkegaard

+1

Looks like she's being looked after well

I've never heard someone call 'refurbing' "rehabbing" haha!

Simon.

Stunning

Thanks!

It got featured in the JNC Z-con writeup. I took home "Best Daily Driver 240Z"... in a class of 1. :/

A blessing in disguise?

_________________
1975 C110 Skyline Coupe

I dunno. It seems no matter how much effort or money you put into a restoration, it's never quite as good as it was originally.

I'll grant that things like electronic ignition, 4 piston brakes, and that front chin spoiler are nice to have, but I could have done those things, and not had to have it straightened, too.

Cool story, I really like reading topics like these .

I am studying for my masters degree right now but JNC-forum is keeping me from doing so haha

You and me both. I'm 3 hours away from my MS in computer science.

Just stunning!

Love the colour

_________________
1978 MGC210 Datsun 240k 4 Dr Sedan
1992 N14 SSS Pulsar

Good luck to you mate!

There was a dyno day last weekend, and I figured anything north of 80HP would be a "win" for me, so I went out to see what was up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbabGoua52c

The result was 111HP, but apparently my new exhaust has done a number on the AFRs (very lean in the midrange, acceptable at the high end).

I'm going to either have to get some new needles that richen up the midrange, or hurry up with the L28 swap and dig up a set of Webers or Mikunis.