At Z Car Garage we feel that every Z car is worth restoring and making a customer’s goals become a reality is our passion. David B picked up this 1972 Datsun 240z in 2001 and he always wanted to restore it. He made an appointment with us and we began our assessment of the car. The interior needed nothing more than a thorough cleaning, a testament to it being a serious survivor. We love 918 Orange!
Before digging into it we gave the car a full inspection and got it running after being idle for many years. A full steam clean revealed what we were working with and a plan was made to address the following areas: drivetrain, engine bay, suspension and exterior. The goal was not a “concours” style restoration but more focused on making David’s Z an enjoyable driver, with some ZCG touches of course!
Drivetrain
The tired engine was replaced with a Rebello 2.8L using new Z-therapy SUs. All nuts/bolts/fasteners were zince plated and many parts like the intake manifold were powdercoated:
More upgrades included an MSA 6-to-1 header, Pertronix ignition, 280zx alternator( int. regulated), Koyo race radiator and our custom 2.5″ exhaust system. Here is the engine is assembled with the MSA header:
Backing the fresh engine were the 4-speed transmission and factory rear end. Both were disassembled, resealed and painted. No more leaks. No more whines:
Engine Bay
With the engine out, we restored the engine bay. Aside from dust/grime accumulation the paint was in great shape:
A few areas needed attention due to minor corrosion, like the battery tray. Repainting entire car wasn’t in the plan just yet so we got a custom mix to duplicate the existing orange paint to spot in after clean-up:
We zinc plated all of the brake/clutch lines, and metal parts found in the engine bay:
The end result is an engine bay that looks fantastic!
Chassis/suspension
All suspension bushings were replaced and parts were zinc plated/powdercoated while it was apart. Techno Toy Tuning (T3) T/C rods and lower control arms were installed. Our favorite non-coilover setup included 5-way Tokico shocks with Eibach springs.
The crown jewel of the suspension is our ZCG Big Brake Kit consisting of massive 13″ rotors and 4-piston calipers (finished in red). This track-tested setup provides the ultimate in fade resistance and pedal feel:
In addition to almost infinite reserves of braking capacity even with street pads, the ZCG Big-Brake setup fits under the lovely 16×7 Panasport wheels. Sticky Bridgestone Potenza re-71R tires are sized 225/50/16 all around. Rounding out our chassis work was a full undercoating:
Fuel system
The aging fuel lines to the gas tank were frayed and cracked. We started by removing and cleaning up the gas tank:
All recovery lines and related hoses/rubber/parts were replaced while were there. Old vs new and before/ after shown below:
Exterior
When we cleaned the car we noticed it had that ubiquitous side molding which is NLA. To hold us over while we do paint, our man William installed a vinyl stripe in place:
Icing on the cake was a full detail of exterior. It is amazing how well older paint jobs clean up. We hope you are out Enjoying the Ride, David! Thank you for letting us get your Z back on the road.
When the word “restoration” is mentioned it can divide the classic car world. A number of different descriptions and configurations exists like the full restoration, the nut and bolt restoration, the mechanical restoration and the cosmetic restoration. Whatever stage of restoration you have in mind, let Z Car Garage take you there!
Please visit the gallery for more pictures
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