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Post by ehlersrs on Mar 15, 2013 8:01:28 GMT -5
Guys,
With the cold days of Winter trying to hang on a few more weeks, I thought it would be nice to discuss what projects everyone has planned for the Spring?
My wife has a long list of things for me to get done, including repainting all of the bedroom furniture, setting up her sewing room, making garden boxes, and installing a water filtration system in the house (going to call a plumber for that one). For my list, I plan to build a storage shed in the back yard, organize/clean the garage, and start the rust repair on the Z. I will be purchasing repair panels for the Z from MSA and my friend will be teaching me about body work and welding. Before I can dismantle the car completely, I need the storage shed to store more parts!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Robert S.
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Post by luke on Mar 15, 2013 17:17:23 GMT -5
Sounds like you'll be busy!! I just got some parts delivered I'm hoping to put on this weekend or next. Front and rear swaybars, springs, spacers and some better brake fluid. Got pics of the 240? Love those cars  |
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Post by 200sxSer on Mar 15, 2013 19:34:18 GMT -5
^agree, does sound like you've got a mighty list!
Just got my mount inserts, few other cosmetics, waiting on a strut bars should be here Tue, probably buy a Water pump from Jason, control arms timing kit, oil pump Etc for my brother
:/
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Post by Jason on Mar 15, 2013 21:03:41 GMT -5
Robert's list makes me feel lazy. I just have compression rod bushings and sway bar end links to replace then lower the car.
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Post by 200sxSer on Mar 15, 2013 23:00:54 GMT -5
A shop wanted 550$ to do ONE wheel bearing on my car.... LAWL no... lol
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Post by luke on Mar 15, 2013 23:26:28 GMT -5
lol. That, sir, is a proper reaction...
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Post by ehlersrs on Mar 15, 2013 23:27:47 GMT -5
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Post by 87turbozx on Mar 16, 2013 17:10:49 GMT -5
Nice car Robert, one thing you will learn is PATIENCE when it comes to rust removal on these old Z's. I should have mine all welded up and undercoated in about a week. Then re-assemble time, and big motor time. Good luck with the project, and don't get discouraged, it takes time.
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Post by Ruben247 on Mar 17, 2013 10:06:40 GMT -5
I plan on replacing front strut assemblies, front swaybar links, change tranny fluid flush radiator and replace thermostat as well as install my drilled/slotted rotors and replace brake fluid.
Just need for it to get a little bit warmer..
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Post by ehlersrs on Apr 6, 2013 16:53:36 GMT -5
Hello Guys,
I hope everyone is doing well. So Spring is finally here in Iowa! On Friday evening I ordered the storage shed from Home Depot. It will take 2-3 weeks for the manufacturer to process the order and ship it to Home Depot. The shed will most likely be put up in May. Today my coworker ordered our parts from MSA. My part of the order was just repair panels, floor pans, and frame rails. My coworker ordered some repair panels along w.ith smaller parts like bolts and seals. We inquired about freight shipping to our workplace and the total cost for shipping was only $105. The shipping cost from CA with FedEx would have been a lot more for the oversized panels and frame rails. It's also great I only had to pay half of the shipping costs! For those with Z cars, you get a club discount from MSA when you are a member of a car club and they provide a member ID. For example, MSA honors members with a Classic Z Car Club member ID. For items that may be on sale already, you get the lower price of either the sale price or your member discount.
Have a good weekend and enjoy the warmer weather!
Robert S.
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Post by Remus92 on Apr 6, 2013 19:42:22 GMT -5
So is this storage shed large enough for the 240z? Or is it just for all the stuff you have to move out of the garage to work on the z?
Either way looking forward to seeing the restoration!
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Post by ehlersrs on Apr 6, 2013 22:02:43 GMT -5
Good question! I would love to have another garage/work shop that was large enough to park a car in, but unfortunately we don't have the yard space or money for that. We have a 2 stall garage and my wife parks on one side and the Z is on the other side. Last summer I had extra concrete poured for more parking and my two vehicles are parked outside. It seemed like a better alternative to have the driveway expanded rather than renting a storage unit at $70 a month to store the Z. The cost of the concrete was about the same cost as renting a storage unit for a year! Maybe one day we'll have enough to buy a large house with more garage space. Anyway, in the city of Marion you don't need a building permit if the storage building is 120 square feet or less, so mine will be 10 ft. x 12 ft., with a small loft area for more storage. Our house just doesn't have a lot of storage space and the garage isn't big enough to store all of the Z parts, plus all of the yard equipment, tools, Christmas decorations, etc.
Anyway, I had never heard of Menlo before so I Googled it. The population of Menlo is a lot less than in Riverside, where we lived last. Riverside has about 1000 residents.
So, here's another question for you guys. What would your dream garage/work shop be like and what would you fill it with?
Robert S.
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Post by luke on Apr 7, 2013 0:44:50 GMT -5
So, here's another question for you guys. What would your dream garage/work shop be like and what would you fill it with? Robert S. Realistic: Just having a lift and a full set of air tools with a massive compressor would make me happy. Dream: without writing an entire page, the biggest items would be a CNC, dyno, and enough tools to fab up anything my pea brain could come up with. ;D |
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Post by Remus92 on Apr 7, 2013 9:04:02 GMT -5
I had never heard of Menlo before so I Googled it. Robert S. And we actually live out in the country... just over the county line from where the rest of the town sits. I would also have to go with a lift and a massive array of tools! Plus tons of space for cars and parts to be strewn about! |
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Post by ehlersrs on May 3, 2013 22:10:10 GMT -5
Hello Guys, The shipment of parts from MSA arrived last week, along with the storage shed! I'm still waiting for the rear valance/repair panel from MSA which is on back order, but I've posted photos of the other repair panels on my FB page: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100226630218588.1073741827.56704867&type=1If the weather cooperates, I'll be putting the shed up this coming weekend. I intended to load the shed myself and bring it home, but after seeing how large the pallet was, I paid the extra to have Home Depot deliver it. I unpacked the shed and it's currently in my garage waiting for the weather to warm up. I'm also still saving for the roofing materials. I didn't realize how much shingles cost! I also wanted to share some more details about the repair panels for those interested in rust repair. Basically MSA supplies parts that are manufactured by other companies. The floor pan kit and frame rails came from Zedd Findings in Ontario datsunzparts.com/NewParts/summary.htm and the other panels came from Tabco in Ohio www.tabcobodyparts.com/index.html. Compared to the pricing on Zedd Findings, the pans and rails cost a little more on MSA, but you also don't have to pay the extra shipping costs from Canada. The pricing on Tabco's website is outdated and I've heard you have to call to get the most recent prices, but I would expect they are probably a bit less than MSA prices. The total cost of the repair panels with shipping was just over $1650. MSA only charged $105 for freight shipping and I paid half of that. Most of the repair panels were on sale which helped save about $120. I also wanted to point out that it's easier to start with a car with as little rust as possible. However, there are a lot of factors that go into purchasing a car to restore. I knew up front this car needed a lot of work, but I also wanted a car that was all stock and mostly original. I passed an offer to buy a fairly rust-free car in Colorado because it was high mileage and missing a lot of parts. Really it just didn't feel like the right decision. I also want to learn how to perform rust repair and body repair and in the end have a finished project I can be proud of. So, I hope you guys are doing well and I look forward to hearing how your projects are coming along! Robert S. |
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Post by Remus92 on May 5, 2013 9:45:54 GMT -5
So excited to see this project! I think doing all of this work will make the car mean that much more in the end!
I can't wait to see it come together and then be able to see it towards the end!
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Post by Jason on May 5, 2013 22:35:17 GMT -5
Well said Ben!
I too am excited for the progress on your car Robert!
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Post by ehlersrs on May 12, 2013 22:16:50 GMT -5
Thanks guys! No update on the Z yet, but we made good progress on the storage shed this weekend. We didn't get the shed done, but like most projects, they usually take longer than expected. Our back yard is sloped, so laying and leveling the cement block for the foundation took all day Friday. On Saturday we finished the flooring and got 3 walls put up. This shed kit was precut, but the poor design came in the extra 4 foot extension. Basically you order the 10x8 shed and the 10x12 comes with a 4 foot extension. Well, rather than sending full length 10 or 12 foot boards, they were all packaged in a 4x8 box/pallet. That means the flooring and walls had either 4 ft. or 2ft. boards tied into the longer ones. It made for some weak joints that had to be shored up! Anyway, this morning my friend had to leave, so I only finished the last wall and secured the weak spots in the floor. It looks like the shed will have plenty of room for storage for both Z parts of anything my wife wants to put out there!
Robert S.
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Post by Ruben247 on May 15, 2013 23:18:13 GMT -5
Slapped some big rims on the car, going in for an alignment tomorrow and hopefully sometime soon i can get some lowering springs to drop the car a bit.
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Post by Jason on May 16, 2013 8:05:35 GMT -5
Slapped some big rims on the car, going in for an alignment tomorrow and hopefully sometime soon i can get some lowering springs to drop the car a bit. What did you get? Post up some pics! |
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Post by ehlersrs on Jun 22, 2013 9:54:59 GMT -5
My birthday was last Saturday, so my wife took me shopping at Harbor Freight last night for some tools! They're having a spring sale, plus I had a few 20% off coupons on single items. I bought another pair of 6 ton jack stands to complete my set since I'm still borrowing a pair from a friend. I bought a 1/2 ton engine stand which I'll need when the car is dismantled. I also bought some smaller items including a roller seat, jack stand rubber boots, and metal cutting/grinding discs for my angle grinder.
Hopefully everyone is doing well this week!
Robert S.
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Post by ehlersrs on Sept 7, 2013 18:50:43 GMT -5
Hello Guys, I hope everyone is doing well. Still no progress on the Z, but I did buy a welder this weekend. I was looking at either a Hobart or Lincoln, and with the help of my coworker I settled on the Hobart. www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100303239762448.1073741828.56704867&type=1&l=220fa0a024The discount price at Theisen's is $490, however it's currently not on sale there. The normal price at Theisen's is $530. This morning I noticed it was on sale at Tractor Supply Company for $450, so we went there. That's a huge discount over the competitor's price! I've been saving money for Datsun parts or more tools, so I had enough in the bank to get the welder. Since the price of the welder was so low, I also had enough to buy a welding helmet with accessories! Hopefully soon I'll be getting my first welding lessons. I also picked up a small sheet of 18 gauge at the local steel shop to practice with. It was only $22, so I thought that was a fair price. Look forward to seeing everyone at the anniversary cruise next week! Robert S. |
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Post by Jason on Sept 8, 2013 0:35:00 GMT -5
Excellent Robert! I always enjoy your updates and can't wait to see more progress on the Z!
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Post by ehlersrs on Oct 16, 2013 17:24:57 GMT -5
I started this message thread 7 months ago and wondered what everyone accomplished this year? I can attest I didn't get nearly as much done as we hoped this year. Actually, most of the items on my original list never got started! I didn't get any work done on the 240Z, but I was able to save enough money to buy more tools and parts. Besides the sheet metal for the car, the biggest purchase was the MIG welder. The storage shed was almost completed. I finished the majority of painting, but I'd still like to build a loft. If the weather is warm enough, maybe I'll get that done next month. We started working on the refresh of a kitchen hutch, but that's still not done yet. Most recently I bought a pressure washer and started cleaning off the deck, so that can be restained before the weather gets too cold. I also hope to start organizing the garage before the weather is too bad. Oh, and I also got to meet you guys on the anniversary cruise! I hope all of you are doing well and look forward to hearing what you've been up to! Robert S. |
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Post by Jason on Oct 17, 2013 8:39:50 GMT -5
This always seems to happen to me too. I make plans for things I want to get done and only accomplish a fraction of them. You at least made strides in acquiring things you will need for the restoration which is still a big win. I am very glad that you were able to join us for the Anniversary Cruise and look forward to having you join us again, maybe even in the Z!!
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Post by 240ryan on Oct 17, 2013 8:41:33 GMT -5
Well that always seems to be the case. Not enough time to get everything done. The only thing i accomplished was the exhaust. I have a long list for winter. Hopefully most of it gets done. Lol
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Post by luke on Oct 17, 2013 22:17:26 GMT -5
Winter projects are the best! Even though it's colder, you're less restricted by timeframes to want to get out and drive because it's so crappy out. I'm pretty sure that's why all the cars in Sweden are so awesome. They get like, 5 good days to drive 'em.... haha
?
But yeah, got my springs, sways, and spacers in, along with my exhaust. But didn't get the turbos I was hoping for.... meh, that's what Winter's for, right??
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Post by ehlersrs on Oct 19, 2013 9:44:39 GMT -5
Yes, these long winters in Iowa provide a lot of time for indoor projects. I'm convinced winters here last longer than Spring and Summer combined! I'm glad everyone was able to make progress on their projects. I don't have the conflict of driving the Z versus working on it, because it's not operational yet.  Robert S. |
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