Off to ontario!

[northernz]

Hey all, I am starting a thread to document the restoration of my blue on blue '71. I have driven the car for 4 years now, and have finally accepted that I lack the time and heated space and, let's face it, the skill and determination to do the work myself! I have always admired the work done by the members on this site in preserving and modifying these great cars. I feel slightly ashamed that I am not in this category!
Here are some pictures of the car being loaded in Beaumont AB in -25 C! Thanks to advice from members here I hired Mackie Moving Services to provide covered door to door transport. The car should arrive at Whitehead Performance Monday. Mike Hansen, the manager, has promised pictures every week as the work progresses, which I will share with you all. Work should be complete by April or May at which point the best part will be the drive back to Alberta!
Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I will!
Mark

[fuzze]

Morning from minus 10 , lower mainland BC . what all are your expectations for a restore . Will it be a rotisserie body job , a full performance drivetrain , suspension mods or all of the above . from the pics you look like you have a wicked driver already . What are the plans ? will you keep the louvers on the hatch or is it time to nix them . The blue is one of my favs on these cars . it serves the body style perfect .When it is all done send me a PM if you at all drive it to Vancouver . As the z community here in the lml is very welcoming to out of town guests . There is a good cruise to Whistler in the late spring and , unlike the roads in Alberta , we have lots of twistys to challenge your skills .
Got to go for now , look forward to following your thread .
Zya all ltr
Chris

[northernz]

Hey Chris, the car looks good in pics, and it is a good low rust Cali car, but it is showing it's age! The car will have a bare metal repaint and new dog legs welded in. The car was repainted once, badly, in Mercedes blue. I am going back to the 903 factory blue. No body mods, not even a spook. The louvers are kinda cool, and protect the hatch area from sun damage, but the lock on one side is buggered so I can't open it to clean the window, they will probably go as will the side moulding. The engine bay will be stripped and painted as well while the engine is out.
The engine will be bored and stroked to 2.7 litres with new valve seats and a mild cam. More HP while keeping it numbers matching!
Eibach springs and a mix of Poly and OEM bushings will be done, suspension parts will be powder coated, and sway bars added.
The interior will be refreshed and all new rubber done, hopefully solving the fumes in the cockpit problem! Might not make it back to AB otherwise!
I would love to make that run to Whistler in this car! My first car was a 72 240 which I refurbished and ran in the 1980 Knox Mountain Hillclimb. Finished second in class! Next year I rolled it!(the sway bar ripped out of the front mount mid corner due to rust!) This was the start of a few forgettable years of racing Formula Ford, but I did have a few highlights, winning a race in Portland, racing against Greg Moore in Calgary, and attending the Winfield Racing School in Magny-Cours, France.(same school Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Francois Cevert attended) During this time I had another 240 and a sweet 69 510 with an 1800cc engine with SSS head! Wish I still had that one!
Anyway, suffice it to say I have an emotional attachment to these cars(don't we all?) and that is why I am doing this work now. I will pass this car on to one of my sons, and in the meantime I'll get back into some Autocross and track days here at Castrol Raceway!
I'll see if I can transfer some old pics to the computer for those that might be interested.
Anyway, got to go take the dog for a walk, it's only -30 or so!

[fuzze]

Hey , your plans sound awesome . 903 is beautiful , the sunshine brings it alive . Beating Greg Moore is a amazing task , he is one of our home town hero's . My 72 z had louvers as well . loved the look , had the same widow cleaning issue as you ! Will you think about install adjustable TC rods , I run the techno tuning tc's , the helped greatly with fine tuning the front end . Look forward to see some old school pics , I have some as well that I can scan .
Maybe Whistler trip could be in the works for you , It is only a 15 hour drive !
Have a great weekend , and as a side note , ru working in the patch , the money is excellent and that is what you will need to do all the work as described above .
Zya
Chris

[northernz]

Hey Chris, you'll note I never said I beat Greg Moore! I did finish ahead of him but only because he tangled with a back marker before catching up to me! He had a brand new Ray FF that weekend and was still sorting it so he missed qualifying and started last. He was a true talent, one of the best Canada has ever produced and a true Canadian, polite and mild mannered out of the car, absolutely comitted and ferocious in it. I am a B.C. boy temporarily in Alberta, if you can call 17 yrs temporary! I don't work in the patch, I am an Air traffic Controller. Started in Castlegar Tower, then YVR centre now Edmonton centre. Hope to move back to the interior when I retire.
Haven't thought about adjustable TC rods, I'll take it up with Mike as the project advances. The Whistler run would be a lot of fun, I could just keep going through Pemberton, I think, and on home!
Later
Mark

[grannyknot]

Well I'm a B.C. boy myself Mark, Vancouver born and bred. I have also flown in and out of Castlegar dozens of times.
You are going to love your Whitehead engine! I have an L28 by them and it rocks. Are you using the original E31 head
with larger valves? Your final bill for everything is going to make you wince but it will all be done very well, turn key .
Motorsport! Tension Rod T/C Kit, 70-78 240Z-260Z-280Z - The Z Store! Nissan-Datsun 240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-300ZX(Z31/Z32)-350Z-370Z Parts this kit with a stock rubber backing bushing is a great way to go for the T/C rod, good road feel without too much harshness. Any pics you post will be very much appreciated.
Chris ,another chris

[northernz]

Hi Chris2(Chris also?) Castlegar was a wild place to work, we used to say 3/4 of the control zone was granite! I was there only nine months, they closed the tower and I moved on to YVR centre. I would gladly have spent my career in Castlegar if they'd let me, the lower mainland was not my cup of tea however, hence the move to Edmonton.
I am really looking forward to the completed car, everything I've heard about Whitehead is positive. The engine will retain the original head. Mike has been absolutley fantastic about breaking down the costs for me so I don't expect any surprises,
other than the HST which I only thought about yesterday! The car was becoming unusable so it was either sell it or bite the bullet.I'll have about twice what it's worth into it, but in 20 years I'll hopefully maintain or improve that ratio, better than most cars.
I'll post pics as soon as I get them, in the meantime I'll dig out some old racing photos. Don't have too many of them, didn't seem important at the time!
I sent a complete urethane bushing set to Mike with the car, an impulse buy right after I got the car before realizing that the roads here made that choice unwise. Mike has recommended a mix of OEM rubber and I think it was NVH bushings for the control arms as a good compromise. I think it was NVH, I am at work so can't check his e-mail.

Later
Mark

[northernz]

Okay, As promised while I await pics from White Head Performance, here are some old Pics circa 1979! I only have 2 before pics of the car. I think it was a 1972. Here is one! The re-paint is already under way! Tremclad Yellow! Blue hood because I bought all the Yellow in the store!The second pic is on the start line of the 1980 Knox Mountain Hillclimb, Canada's longest running Motorsport Event!
The second two pics are of my 1968 or 69 510 wagon which I used for ice racing!
In the background is my 69 two door 510. Enjoy!

[northernz]

Here are some more pics, before
Lookin good at the hill.
First Hairpin
Second Hairpin, I know, my line is terrible!
My buddies m510 with a 2.4 out of a zed in it!
Hope you like the pics!

[northernz]

Progress!Here are some pictures of the engine out and disassembled.Intake seats were pounded and chambers were full of carbon.
Car is on rusty suspension to roll around the shop. Should be in the body shop now. Will post more pics when they come.

[grannyknot]

Hey Mark, as it happens I'm going to be down at Whiteheads tomorrow morning picking up some parts, I'll take a few more pics for you.
Chris

[Hank240]

Mark - I was at Whiteheads today checking out the progress on my 240Z and had a look at your baby. She's a nice clean car - you'll no doubt be very pleased with the end result.

Hank

[northernz]

Hey Hank, Chris
Awesome! More pics would be great! I am very excited to say the least. This is the only thing getting me through this brutal winter. 120 kmh winds yesterday and I got stuck in the foot deep slush at the end of my driveway! Hank, what work are you having done?
mARK

[grannyknot]

Mark that is one clean car! Obviously not from the salt belt. I could only find 2-3 little spots of rust and none of it was deep.
The steel is straight and the vinyl is in near perfect condition. The guys there are really looking forward to the build.

[northernz]

[[QUOTE=grannyknot;448378]Mark that is one clean car! Obviously not from the salt belt. I could only find 2-3 little spots of rust and none of it was deep.
]/QUOTE]
Yeah, she is in great shape,originally a California car and always garaged here in Edmonton.That's one reason I'm doing this, it deserves to be preserved,the other is I just love it!
Thanks for the pics!
Mark

[northernz]

Some more pics.Valve seats are done, porting done, just waiting for the cam!

[grannyknot]

Mark, your going with the stroked 2.7L right? Just looking at those valves, to my eye they look like the stock smaller valves.
Maybe they have just cleaned everything but haven't started cutting yet.

[Hank240]

Mark - I can see why you love your Z. My 1971 is just finishing a total resto-mod restoration - built up 2.8. 240SX 5 speed, Arizona Z Car disc brakes all around, Arizona Z Car suspension, Quaiffe posi rear end, header and exhaust from Japan, all new interior, Rota RBR 17 inch wheels, etc, etc.We.re hoping to get her done for the big Speedorama Show in Mississauga in March. Mike has found some amazing original and rare parts for me in Japan. I can't wait to get into this thing. Rest assured, Whitehead is very trustworthy and know what they are doing with these Zs.
I am in touch with another Z owner in Edmonton - he owns a red 72 and bought some original wheels off of me - Ian Salisbury, a good guy. Do you know him?

[northernz]

Hey Chris, I was thinking the same thing! I am going with the 2.7 l, but I have left the details to Mike. I know the head has it's new seats, so the valve size isn't changing at this point!
Hey Hank, your car sounds like it's going to be amazing! I'd love to see some pics. I am trying to stay stock looking for the most part, I will have a Quaife posi as well, but in the original rear end with the four speed, eibach springs to lower the stance a bit, but staying with the 14 inch wheels. I am getting the Fujitsubo exhaust, that thing is just art! Mike also has a model correct KMH speedo for me ( no coloured warning bands) which is quite rare. We are aiming fo May long weekend for mine to be ready. I don't know Ian, is he a member here?

[grannyknot]

Now that I think about it I remember reading about the E31 head and how well it breathes in stock form and that you would only notice the smaller valves at high rpms and wot. For a street car you are probably never going to notice. Maybe they didn't want to risk your original E31 head as they are getting harder to find in good condition.
Ready in 3 months, wow. And if your are driving her back maybe we can get some the guys out from our local club,
Ontario Z Car Club to give you a send off.

[Hank240]

Mark - I too have the Fujitsubo exhaust on my Z - the sound is beautiful and it looks great on the car - fits perfectly. You are going to have one sweet machine there - love the colours. I don't think Ian is a member here but I know he is a member of the Z car club in Edmonton. Grannyknot - I agree - we should have a send off for Mark.
Hank

[Casey_z]

I'm in

[northernz]

Hey Guys,
I do remember having this conversation with Mike now and he just confirmed it by email. The larger valves would be shrouded by the small combustion chamber without a lot of hours to open up each chamber. We are going with a 268 dg Comp Cam and with the street porting should flow very well and suit the Z Therapy carbs perfectly.Anything more extreme would need stiffer valve springs, making it harder on the valve train. I didn't want to sacrifice drive ability, or longevity of the engine.
It would be great to meet you all in May, as we get closer to completion I will let you know my plans. The car is stuck at White Head for the moment, too much salt and slush on the road to get to the body shop!
Mark

[colinc]

I'm in

Me too!

[AlexS13]

Count me in aswell!

[northernz]

Well here's some more photos from White Head Performance, block is machined, LSD installed and head assembled. Body work has just started apparently, so no photos of that yet.Here is a before photo of the engine for comparison.
May Long weekend is still roughly the target date, getting excited!

[northernz]

Well the body work has finally started! Should have some photos next week.
In the meantime, powder coated suspension is back, re-plated engine bay bits are done and Z therapy carbs are in!


That engine bay is going to be beautiful! Hopefully body will be done by mid April, might still be on target for May long weekend pick up!

[grannyknot]

Man that is going to be so friggin sweet! You just can't beat powder coating and new zinc.
I was just looking at the map, you should have that engine run in by time you get to Thunder Bay, do a quick oil change and you still have 3 provinces to open her up. You might want to p/u a spare oil filter at Whiteheads so you have one on hand,
just in case they hard to find where ever you happen to be.

[northernz]

Yeah I'm really looking forward to the drive home! Good idea on the oil filter, I'll do that. Starting to think about a small tool kit to pack for the trip, just in case!

[Namerow]

Your Z is going to be a real showpiece by the time it's back on the road. Hope to be able to take a look at it at Whitehead's sometime before you pick it up. Can you comment a bit more on the parts-plating work that was done... Is it cadmium, or something else? Do you know how the price was set... flat-rate for the batch, $/lb, or ___?

[northernz]

I'll have to get the details from Mike, I didn't even know they were going to re plate all that stuff! I do know the suspesion powder coating was $1000, which is a flat rate no matter how many pieces. Mike said that would include the whole shell if they could fit it in the oven! I am really excited about how that engine bay is going to look!

[grannyknot]

That's not a bad price considering every part would have been degreased then sand blasted before the powder coating over the fresh metal. I know the American guys are scratching their heads right now saying "That's not a good price, what's he talking about" but up here that's pretty good, we just pay more for everything, you get use to it.

[northernz]

Yeah, it really is apples and oranges compared to the US prices, they are redoing the splash pan I got from ZKars as it wasn't prepped well enough. Still waiting on pics from the body shop.

[northernz]

Okay, here are some pics of the motor with carbs and header and shiny cad plated pieces! No body work pics yet, and it looks like it may be early June before she'll be done Mike and the boys need 3 to 4 weeks to put her back together and tune the carbs, so I'll have a better idea once the body shop is done.

[zKars]

A little birdie told me tonight "someone" is coming back from Ontario with a fresh Z and might be passing through Calgary this weekend. Now who could this be? Hmmmm...

[zKars]

And now I have to retract my presumtive statement above.

Apparently it's not Mark, but another Z on his way here from Ontario to BC. I tried to put two and two together and got 137. What are the chances of two fresh Z's coming through from Ontario, I mean, come on?!?!?!

Now that said, hopefully Mark will be through later in the year, or we'll see ya at the Edmonton Z club show in July. Now, back to your regularily scheduled programming...

[grannyknot]

Mark, it's gotta be soon, what's happening?
My Z is at Whiteheads as well right now to do final tweaking on the carbs and timing.
Chris

[northernz]

Hey Guys, been busy so I haven't updated the thread for a while! The car is STILL in the body shop! I'm supposed to be getting pictures soon, but nothing so far. It's going to be 3 to 4 weeks to put together once it's painted so looking at first week or two of June, maybe! I'm very frustrated by the body shop lack of apparent progress, I did not expect this when I started. They've had it for 4 months!!! At least the snow will have stopped by the time it is ready.
Will post pics once I get them.
Mark

[zKars]

In the car restoration business, there is NOTHING more common, and frustrating, than body shop delays.

Someday I will understand this issue better and learn how to better control it, or maybe just learn that there are some things you cannot change.

Maybe home renovation contractors are worse, but I think they are all suffer from over promise, under deliver, and poor communication of the realities of the business. They are both victims of "you'll never guess what we found when we removed the old paint (body man) / walls (contractor)".

Hang in there, it will all turn out great in the end. Patience grasshopper....

[northernz]

Jim, you're right, of course! I should have expected it. The frustrating part is not knowing how far along they are. I don't know what they found when they cut out the dog legs, maybe they haven't even gotten there yet, who knows?! I know the bad weather meant they had a lot of insurance business over the winter so I guess I have to cut them some slack.
It is frustrating though, our driving season is going to be short enough as it is! On the plus side , I haven't given the body shop a dime yet, so maybe I have some leverage! Mike at White Head is dealing with them, I'm sure he is frustrated too. Stand by for updates!

[240dkw]

Mark: I dropped mine off at the bodyshop in May and he said about a month to do the work. It was delivered to me in Oct. It was frustrating to wait that long, but I could not be happier with the end results. Once you are driving it back you will quickly forget about any frustrations while waiting.
Dan

[Casey_z]

Body shop's use restoration as filler work.

The money is in collision work.

I had my car at my brothers shop and made myself such a pain in the #ss that he got it done just to stop me from crying

He also let me work on it myself and it still took 3 months.

He has a old VW bug in the one bay and it has not been touched for two months because people do not drive well in the winter.

Never tell a body shop that you are not in a hurry.

Casey

[zKars]

Mark: I dropped mine off at the bodyshop in May and he said about a month to do the work. It was delivered to me in Oct. It was frustrating to wait that long, but I could not be happier with the end results. Once you are driving it back you will quickly forget about any frustrations while waiting.
Dan

What are you talking about? It did take a month to do! It just occured over a 6 month period in between doing real work. See what I mean about communication problems?

And congrats on the successful arrival at the new digs! Digging life on the coast?

[takayuki]

Jim, you're right, of course! I should have expected it. The frustrating part is not knowing how far along they are. I don't know what they found when they cut out the dog legs, maybe they haven't even gotten there yet, who knows?! I know the bad weather meant they had a lot of insurance business over the winter so I guess I have to cut them some slack.
It is frustrating though, our driving season is going to be short enough as it is! On the plus side , I haven't given the body shop a dime yet, so maybe I have some leverage! Mike at White Head is dealing with them, I'm sure he is frustrated too. Stand by for updates!

Hi northernz!Nice project! I understand what you are going through. Bodyshops will do collision work before anything because it keeps the business going. My car has been in the bodyshop for almost 3 years!! Alot of contributing factors at the bodyshop, such as, more than usual collision work, more than expected rust/damage repairs on my car, employee shortage, and high end customers taking time away from my car. It's quite upsetting because its not like I'm short on funds. I'm hoping to get my car out of the bodyshop this summer. Would be nice to see your car. I'm in Edmonton as well.

[northernz]

Three years!!! I'd go insane! Is the shop you're using in Edmonton?I hope to have the car back in time for the Z meet at Mills Nissan in July, so maybe I'll see you there. I'm also planning to do some track days at Castrol Racewayand maybe some autocross events, we'll have to see once I get it back.
Mark

[takayuki]

The bodyshop I'm using is more or less in edmonton. St.albert to be exact its called redline custom autobody in edmonton. They do great work though. For taking so long, they have given me a discount though. . I'm hoping if I get my car back this summer, I'll have it out for next summer. Hope I can catch your car at the car show.

[240dkw]

What are you talking about? It did take a month to do! It just occured over a 6 month period in between doing real work. See what I mean about communication problems?

And congrats on the successful arrival at the new digs! Digging life on the coast?

Not trying to hijack Marks thread, but yes I am quite digging life on the coast. Its like I'm on vacation full time. The Z made it here without a scratch or rock chip. Not bad for being pulled behind a 26 foot U-haul for around 900 kms.

[ollie]

Not trying to hijack Marks thread, but yes I am quite digging life on the coast. Its like I'm on vacation full time. The Z made it here without a scratch or rock chip. Not bad for being pulled behind a 26 foot U-haul for around 900 kms.

FYI you should come down to the Sechelt during the Sleepy Hollow run & show in August. We have a summer place over there and I will put my car in the show. This is one of the best car shows / weekends ever and if you're in the area it shouldn't been missed. Again, sorry for treading over the OP's thread...

[northernz]

Finally some photos from the body shop, not sure when they were taken. If this is currently where it's at I'm underwhelmed!

[northernz]

Well the car is primed and being blocked! Apparently it will be primed and blocked 3 times before paint. It may be in paint now, it took me a long time to get these photos.

[northernz]

I had just about given up on seeing any progress on my car, when these popped up today. I MIGHT be able to drive her back in September maybe perhaps. Low res photos make it hard to tell, but it looks like she will turn out great!

[grannyknot]

Mark, looks fantastic! It appears they are doing things properly.
But that only leaves 1.5 months for reassembly and working the bugs out.
What is the weather like in Alberta mid Oct.?
Is that a stock colour for a 71 ? Great colour.
Chris

[sdyck]

Looking good! What made you chose whiteheads?

Steve

[CanTechZ]

Great work so far, that color looks awesome. Following your progress is getting me motivated to do the same.

Mike

[northernz]

Hey Guys, yes it is supposed to be the original 903 blue paint, It will be interesting to see how well it matched up to the original paint in the interior areas.I chose Whithead because they were highly recommended and specialized in Nissan/Datsun cars. I'm very pleased with their work, not too happy with the body shop to whom they farm out the body work, simply because of the inordinate length of time it has taken to get such a small car painted! I'll have to make a last minute call on whether to drive or ship it back, I REALLY want to drive it this year!
Mark

[Blue]

I think you should consider removing the dash and the wiper assembly and refreshing both now that you have the car disassembled to the stage in the photos.

[northernz]

Not a bad idea Blue,I've had the dash out once to repair a burnt harness, but have not monkeyed with the wipers yet! I am at the extreme limit on my budget, so I think I will save the wiper linkage for my own little winter project, assuming I get it back by winter!
Mark

[Blue]

Good idea. The wiper linkage have felt-like washers that hold grease. Just removing the old and re-greasing reduces the resistance considerably.

More heat proofing, sound proofing, and water proofing behind the dash is also good to do.

[northernz]

Well I got back from vacation expecting the paint to be done and the car back at Whiteheads. Nope. Apparently the body shop manager had a family crisis that required him to be away from the shop for several weeks and he left instructions to his guys NOT to paint my car till he got back! He wants to inspect the final prep before paint. Not sure if I admire his attention to detail or what. I am tired of the whole soap opera. I am trying not to think about it because it's too frustrating!

[CanTechZ]

Sorry to hear about the delay, stay positive. I'm sure the end result will be worth all the frustration, and only add to the story of your build.

Hopefully in a year or two I will be able to share similar anecdotes of my own build.

Cheers
Mike

[grannyknot]

Mark, the painters are the Prima Donna's of the car world, what they say goes.
Set your sites for next spring.
Having done some bodywork I know the hired guys want to get away with as little work as possible, the foreman wants it perfect but within budget and the owner wants it acceptable to the customer BUT within budget. I know that sounds cynical but in your case the foreman/manager is still in charge, and that's a good thing.

e mail Mike and have him lean on these guys a bit, after all you are paying for it not only with money but with time.
Chris

[northernz]

Yeah, it's been an education! I can't believe that any business runs this way. I think all the resto shows on tv skewed my expectations! You know the ones where four guys completely strip, fix , and paint a car in two weeks! On the plus side, I haven't given a dime to the body shop yet. Mike seems to powerless to speed up the process, I'm sure he's as frustrated as I am.

[bartsscooterservice]

You know the ones where four guys completely strip, fix , and paint a car in two weeks!

I know what you mean, but they always have plenty of money to throw around making things go much faster..

[JR Ohio]

Very nice! Keep the pictures coming!

[northernz]

Just got an e mail from Mike. The boss is back and wanted a couple of areas filled and primed again, which is happening today. Should be painted next week!(grain of salt) Stand by for more pics!

[northernz]

Well, for once "next week" actually happened! Here are some photos of the car actually being painted as promised! I just wish this guy had a better camera, it's difficult to see much detail, but it looks like a good job. That engine bay is going to look fantastic!



Now to get it back to Whiethead!

[Hank240]

I was at the paint shop this morning and saw your blue beauty. It looks absolutley fantastic - even before final wetsand and polish. You are going to be very, very happy.
cheers

Hank

[northernz]

Thanks for that Hank. It's great to have people from this site all over North America, who can provide on the spot reports! Mike said these guys were very good, I am ALMOST going to be afraid to drive it!
Mark

[grannyknot]

^ At least the internet is good for something.
Great news and about time. Looks like they have done a very nice job!
Not seeing any ripples in those pics, once it's buffed out you are going to be driving a big blue mirror!
Still hope we can all get together to see you off whether it be this fall or the spring.
Chris

[Hunter260Z]

That looks great. Need some Rims like mind.

[northernz]

Hey Chris, looks like I will have to ship it back, unless Mike will store it all winter! Don't think I could wait another six months to have it in the garage again! The more I look at the pics the better the finish looks.

That looks great. Need some Rims like mind.

Hunter, I have 14" rewinds for the car, which look great.I like your wheels, are they Panasports?

[240dkw]

Mark: the paint looks awesome, it looks like you will be very happy to get it back. You can always hope for a nice fall and drive it back. We all know that there is never any crappy weather on the prairies in the fall.

[rossiz]

gorgeous - love it!

[Hunter260Z]

Yep, 15" Panasports with 205/55/15 tires. Wish mine had the chrome lip.

[colinc]

I am taking my car into Whitehead's on October 17. If your car is in the shop I will give you an update. FYI- Mike did mention he is off the week before thanksgiving. Hopefully, that will not result in further delays.

[northernz]

I am taking my car into Whitehead's on October 17. If your car is in the shop I will give you an update. FYI- Mike did mention he is off the week before thanksgiving. Hopefully, that will not result in further delays.

Thanks Colin! I am hoping the car will be back to Whiteheads this week. Not sure how long they have to wait before wet sanding and polishing. Once Mike gets it back it will be at least 4 weeks I think. What are you having done to your car?
Mark

[colinc]

Thanks Colin! I am hoping the car will be back to Whiteheads this week. Not sure how long they have to wait before wet sanding and polishing. Once Mike gets it back it will be at least 4 weeks I think. What are you having done to your car?
Mark

No problem Mark. Whitehead replaced my cam about 5000 miles ago along with reconditioned rocker arms. I am now getting a bit of valve train noise around cylinder #1. I hate to put it away for the winter like this so I am taking it in hopefully for a simple fix. Wish me luck.

[Bbear]

Hello Mark, I am new to this site, and have just finished reading your entire thread. I purchased a 70z ( 4986 6/11about 2 yrs ago in Nevada and brought it back to my home in Thunder Bay Ont. After seeing the fantastic work done to your Z and topped off with that beautiful blue paint job, I started getting an ulcer for you , when I read you where planning on driving it back to Edmonton. Not sure when the last time you have driven through Northern Ont. was, but believe me your delays may have been a blessing in disguise. You would surely have been more disappointed having that paint job scarred up by road construction, logging trucks, long gravel portions of the highway etc. I hope to have my Z done by the spring, and am already sweating on how I'm going to get from my driveway to the first " shine & show" without getting a cracked windshield or paint chips ( lol ) !

[northernz]

Hey Bbear, That's the conclusion I've come to as well! As fun as it would be to drive back, I would have been sick about all the hazards you mentioned! I didn't really want such a concours quality finish for just that reason.I plan to use the car as a summer time daily driver, as well as track days at Castrol Raceway and I know that first blemish is going to hurt! I would love to see some pictures of your car.Looks like you had a nice solid base for a refresh!
Mark

[Bbear]

Hey Mark, I know the feeling of that first scratch, chip, but I think it would be easier to deal with if it happens on the track. I have several photos ,but have not downloaded from my camera and will still have to figure out how to post. I acquired the Z , totally by chance. I went to Nevada to help a friend bring back two cars he had purchased and while standing around in the sellers yard ,he noticed me looking over a 280 Z, and said he had a better one to check out. He then brought us to his " special garage" and there it was , vin 04986. Build date 06/70. It had been in storage since 1982 ! Unfortunately , I have had to let it sit for the last 1.5 year , but began to disassemble last month. Although it started and runs I want to do a complete refresh. And to my complete surprise and delight it looks like that's all it will be! I have it completely stripped down and as you will see from the photos it actually is totally rust free and mechanically sound ( considering its age). Should I upload the photos at this thread or to my photo album Bbear

[northernz]

Wow, that really is a great find, for such a low VIN for it to be rust free is incredible! I would start your own thread to document your progress and post lots of photos. I know that everyone on this site would love to hear the story of your find and watch the progress of your refresh!
Mark

[northernz]

Quick update on my car, it is waiting at the body shop for Mike to inspect and should be back to White Heads' by Wednesday!

[CanTechZ]

Great news, I'm looking forward to seeing some pics during the assembly process.

Mike

[Bbear]

Hello Mark, looks like some light at the end of the tunnel ! I am heading to Toronto next week and if I have a chance I'm going to drop by Whiteheads to see if they can help me out with a few items and hope to get a look at your Z.
Then out of country until Christmas . When I return I will start the rebuild and start my thread ( if I can figure out how to lol) as I'm not to handy with computer.For now I will upload photos to date in my album.
I travel to Calgary each summer ( to visit my son) and will definately go to Edmonton to see your blue beauty streaking by the competition at the track !
Bbear

[grannyknot]

Hey Mark, I was by Whiteheads this afternoon and your car arrived yesterday I think they said. That is a fine paint job!
It needs a proper buff but even as it is, stunning. Quite smooth, very well blended and a great colour. Is that the same colour as before cause there is a bit of turquiose now that I don't remember from before?
You are going to be happy.
Chris

[northernz]

Hey Mark, I was by Whiteheads this afternoon and your car arrived yesterday I think they said. That is a fine paint job!
It needs a proper buff but even as it is, stunning. Quite smooth, very well blended and a great colour. Is that the same colour as before cause there is a bit of turquiose now that I don't remember from before?
You are going to be happy.
Chris

Hey Chris, thanks for the report! Mike is going to send me some pictures which I will post once I get them. The colour is supposed to be the original 903 blue. I've only seen the original colour in the interior sections, hopefully they got the correct match! The car was painted in a Mercedes blue according to the previous owner. With such a rare olour combo I felt the proper thing to do was go back to the original paint code.
Mark

[zKars]

The shop lightening will have an effect on the preceived color. Get it out in the sun before you start wondering about correct shades. Might have to wait until next spring for sun though....

[northernz]

The shop lightening will have an effect on the preceived color. Get it out in the sun before you start wondering about correct shades. Might have to wait until next spring for sun though....

You're right Jim , Lighting makes a huge difference. Here are some of pics Mike sent. They will be disassembling everything to start the rebuild.
Getting excited again

[Hank240]

Mark - I was at Whiteheads today - your car is sitting right next to my yellow 71 240. Chris is right - she's looking good and you'll be a happy boy.

Hank

[Blue]

Hank, now you must post pics of the yellow z

[northernz]

Hank, now you must post pics of the yellow z

I second that! Went looking for some pics of your car and couldn't find any!

[Hank240]

I didn't want to hijack your thread and I'm not sure these came through - but here she is. I finsihed her all stock. I have the original steel wheels and mint "D" hubcaps tucked away in the basement.

Hank

[northernz]

I didn't want to hijack your thread and I'm not sure these came through - but here she is. I finsihed her all stock. I have the original steel wheels and mint "D" hubcaps tucked away in the basement.

Hank

No worries Hank, that is a nice looking Zed! Are those 15" wheels? I'm rethinking my decision to stay with 14" wheels for my car. Like you I have the steels and D caps tucked away.

[Hank240]

Thanks Mark. The wheels are 16x7 Panasports with 205/55/16 tires - they work perfectly. Diseazd on this site gave me the recommendation - he has a stable of beautiful Z cars.

Hank