Author Archives: RussD

I’ve documented ongoing problems with the Imperial’s air conditioning. After considerable work we got it to the point where the vacuum controlled air doors were working and it was blowing cool but not cold air. Not completely surprising with a … Continue reading →

The revised revised plan for working on the Z starts with recognizing that the car is currently structurally unsound. As I cut out and replace parts of the body there is a good chance that it will bend, flex, and … Continue reading →

There was spray foam in the rear quarters and around the rear valence panel. Might as well find out what that is all about. The covers over the tail lights were stuck to the foam. With careful prying I was … Continue reading →

There are two bits of “good” news, call it a silver lining to the dark Z cloud: First, since Z cars are popular as well as aggressively rust prone, replacement body panels are available. From multiple sources. This is in … Continue reading →

I’ve got a definitive answer on the clowns that made rust “repairs” on the Z – it was deliberate. I was probing one of the front frame members in an area that wasn’t obviously bad and the screwdriver went all … Continue reading →

Time to really dig into the Z body and find out what is going on. Starting with recollections of hell from the Imperial – removing undercoating. Dig out the heat gun. The arm I used to hold the heat gun … Continue reading →

After discovering and documenting needed sheet metal repairs I continued the investigation with mechanical and electrical issues. A lot of this was known going in, which provided the foundation for my original plans. Start with a complete brake job. I … Continue reading →

I was almost a tiny little bit disappointed that the Z body was in such good shape. It looked like this would be a straightforward mechanical restoration. Making this restoration a relatively small job. At least compared to the Imperial. … Continue reading →

Continued searching turned up something interesting – a 1978 Datsun 280Z in Kansas. This was near the top of my list. I had a 1976 280Z. Looking for a new car I had a slight preference to a 1977 or … Continue reading →