PHOTO ALBUM

The 1970 restoration.......

Here are some pictures of the new car that I am building. There wasn't much to it when I bought it, just a rolling chassis with a jumble of miscellaneous parts thrown inside. No engine, tranny or differential. There was some rust .The previous owner had intended to build a race car and had tubbed the rear wheel wells. What I did get was a body that was straight and a dash-board with no cracks or holes.

I have managed to trade, beg, borrow and steal, (and in some cases actually buy) a rebuilt 2.8 litre, a heavier differential and a five speed which I rebuilt myself ( I am a transmission rebuilder by trade). There used to be a day when you could buy rusted out Z's in the Buy &Sell all day long but alas those days are gone. Fortunately a tow truck driver I know turned me on to a great parts car. Yellow, completely rusted out with a seized engine but with an almost immaculate interior. It can be seen in the picture of the two cars in the garage, the one on the right on the previous page.

Click on above And below pictures for a full size image

Some newer pictures, the doors were painted off the car and can be seen here mounted back on the car. The hatch back and hood are still being prepped for paint.

The yellow collection, Parts car, My new car and the one my friend is getting. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get a shot of all three yellow Z s

A picture of the carbs installed, Webber 40s

Recent progress and restoration tips

So what do you do with the rotten, shaggy, cardboard dash box ? Build your own out of steel !

The finished dash box. My original plan was to use fiberglass but it turned into a big mess. I thought if I made a mold $$$$$ but the steel one turned out great and was a lot easier to make.

The car I am building is a 70 240. There are differences in the wiring compatibility. The 70 uses a different harness in the dash than a 71. Since most of my parts are from 71's I decided to rewire the dash so I could use 71 parts. Signal switch, headlamp switch, and fuse panel connections are some of the differences. At any rate it is well worth the effort to take it all apart and check the wiring. Repairing stuff now is easier than when it's all back together. Most Z's by now have had any number of stereo equipment installed and wired up to God knows what ! Get a manual and double check EVERYTHING ! The last thing you want is a "Mickey Mouse" electrical system ( Sorry Mickey)

The finished harness. Now you know what wire goes where and what it plugs into but more important you can put it all together and know it is right !

Preparing the door for paint. Mask all areas and cover anything you don't want over spray on.

Use Tremclad rust paint and pump the doors full of the stuff. Quite by" accident " it turns out that Tremclad yellow is the same color as I painted the car.......it helps!.....

Only thing left is to install a moisture barrier. Thick clear polyethlyene works great.

The heater box has to be installed before the dash. The blower can be installed after but it is easier without the dash in the way.

Dash modifications for the roll cage. Some of the steel frame in the back has to be removed and the fresh air vents have to be shortened to clear the roll bar.

View of the dash and steering wheel. Removing and installing the dash is an easy job. It helps if you have two people. I did it by myself but only because the windsheild has not been installed which gave me more room.

New pads for the pedals. I wear size 14 shoes so I made them small on purpose. I don't like the cheezy aftermarket ones that you see in just about every Honda you look at. They are too big, too loose and too common !

I have no more current pictures to add but I will in a week or so...Never mind here are some new pictures as of June 16, Fathers day the day of the " sea trials"

I thought I would include a picture of my " Classic Spoked Wheels" I have given them to my friend who painted the car, he's going to put them on his MGB.

These are my old dinosaur wheels after being cleaned up and repainted. I am having a hard time trying to find new tires. Pirelli P7F 225-55-VR-14.

The wheels are American Racing wheels, 14 inch wheels are not that popular anymore and like I said finding

tires to fit is not that easy.

Below are pictures of the interior and how I located the speakers.

These are pictures I took of the battery tray and tie down I made for the Optima battery. I took them with a $ 70.00 digital Camera so they are not very good pictures.