1973 Datsun 240Z Restoration

  The Transmission is Out Datsun really went the extra mile to simplify everything on the 240, especially the transmission mount and bell housing bolt pattern.  Just 4 bolts connect engine and transmission and all are easily accessible, so much so that I was confused for a while as I couldn't really believe that was all there was to it.  I was sure I missed a hidden bolt somewhere but no, it's just that straight forward.  Another 2 bolts connect to the mounts and with those gone, the transmission is free to drop easily.  The drive shaft is only connected to the transmission by a slip joint and will slid out and dump fluid everywhere if you aren't ready to catch it... Complete Rear Suspension Removed Dropping the rear suspension complete was a treat.  It's not so clear a removal as the transmission but pretty intuitive.  About 10 or 12 fasteners plus brake and e-brake lines, need to come off before it can be lowered on a jack.  I placed a 2x6 board...

Naked Rear End  Lots of progress over the weekend and into the first half of this week.  I gutted the rear end, removing lights, gas tank and any hoses, lines or wiring harnesses.  I must stress the importance of situational awareness when working around gasoline.  While preparing the tank for removal, I unscrewed the drain plug and nothing came out, so I assumed (mistakenly) the tank was empty.  The drain area must have been clogged with sludge because a few moments later, while lowering one end of the tank, gas poured out of a side vent just inches from my old school incandescent shop light! That could have been nasty.  Lesson learned.    Weber Triple Carbs and Cannon intake manifold Lowering the engine  After some consideration and flip flopping, I decided to drop the engine instead of hoisting it out.  The arguments for each method are valid and in the end I wanted to save a buck and avoid buying a hoist.  I first removed the bu...

Cjsw, the campus station for the U of C has the best shows on Friday, so I was motivated today.  Thanks Wooly Bully and Future Language!   The first item on the agenda was to drain the rad (and remove it) in order to disconnect the heater.  The last pieces of vinyl wrap on the interior A pillar were tucked under the windscreen seal so the windshield needed to come off next.  The rubber seal was impossible to save as it was held fast with urethane sealant.  Things moved quickly and before long I'd disassembled most of the front end... 

This afternoon I decided the shop needed a tidy up and filmed it.  The timestamp is wrong so please ignore it.  It's so easy to let the parts pile up and spread around because organisation takes a surprising amount of mental effort.  That's why you'll see me running around and moving the same things multiple times.   This shop set up is new for me so I'm working to find a good rhythm going forward.   There are a few other projects in the background...and if anyone is curious, I can do a post on them in a bit.  I anticipate diving into them fully once there's a lull with the Z. The dash is out The Last bits to come out of the interior are the heater core, roof liner and wiring loom.  The heater core has a set of coolant lines running in and out, through the fire wall, so it stays until after I've drained the fluids.  I'll continue chipping out the bitumen insulation until its completely removed and do a post about it down the road when it...

 I had been quite nervous about removing the soft diamond vinyl but it turned out to be quick and easy.  The vinyl was held down by a flexible adhesive that looks to have been sprayed on.  It's amazing that after so long both the vinyl and glue were still soft.   I had to hacksaw the bracket to the powered antenna; and one of the steering rack bolts snapped, so that's about average breakage for a good few hours of disassembly. My niece popped out to the shop to watch me work for a bit.  She said the car is "so awesome, it looks like a Delorean!"    Hatch removed along with hardware Steering wheel and column out  More jute over the trans tunnel Remarkable 47 year old vinyl.  Peeled away like new. Removed the powered antenna and 4" rear speaker

First on my list of tasks is to carefully strip everything from the inside. It's easy to lose patience and I've already broken a couple of rusty bolts taking off the door hinges. I was trying to film a time lapse, so maybe I was less focused than usual. Not to worry however, as I break things all the time. If nothing ever broke why would we ever fix anything? Decent condition inside the spare tire well and cargo hatches  Note about the interior panel fasteners:  This plastic expansion type has a small dowel or pin running through its centre. To remove these safely, use a straight pick or punch and tap the pin through. You'll hear it fall out. Remember to fish these out later or forever wonder why your car rattles. Over time the panels can and will become brittle and its very very easy to crack or scratch them when removing fasteners. Use a plastic set of interior panel removal tools and take your time. The plastic fasteners are simple if the pin is removed first and if not...

Thinking about the order of things... It's pretty evident from the photos of the Z that I have my work cut out. So, the question arises, where to begin? It's tempting to tear into the disassembly right off the bat, damaging parts only to find later that they are unobtanium. Inevitably things will be stuck, rusted, scaled, pitted, scratched, stressed, seized, crusty and most dangerously, seem to be irrelevant or unnecessary garbage. Save everything!   I've researched enough to know that a crusty little component can cost hundreds to replace and a little extra care and attention to detail in the beginning can save you a real headache down the road. The last set of NOS door cards for the 240Z in the entire world are running for over a grand(CDN) each out of Japan right now and there's no international shipping so...save everything. There's a great aftermarket for almost everything if money is no object, which is always an option if the project gets stuck, so t...

Hi, I'm Ben and welcome to my restoration blog for my good friend, and former flatmate, Chris' 1973 Datsun 240Z.  Please join me as I work to resurrect a legendary car for a legendary friend.   Our Z was discovered on autotrader.com and purchased in November 2020 out of Regina, Saskatchewan and trailered to my home shop in Okotoks, Alberta where it will be fully restored.   Welcome home! Chris' Datsun arrives in my shop The history of this particular "Zed" is fairly undocumented.  We purchased the car from the estate of the late owner who'd parked it some time in the late 1980's with (as yet) unknown mechanical issues.  It sat outside for a significant period of time as it shows the rust characteristic of Datsuns. While the car sat outside, the hood, hatch and hub logos went for a walk but otherwise the car is remarkably complete, down to the vintage cigarette butts in the ashtray.   The previous owner purchased the car prior to 1980 as far a...