240Z Turbo's 1971 Datsun 240Z Restoration and Turbo Build
I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged
Read the full write-up at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
Photo: I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboChargedRust repair and body rebuild on a 1971 Datsun 240Z bound for a turbo swap
The owner, posting as 240Z Turbo, is restoring a 1971 240Z that sat dormant for years before work began in 2022. The thread documents extensive patch-panel fabrication and rust removal on the rockers, floor pans, door hinge areas and rear valence, done at home with MIG and TIG welding, while drivetrain options including a turbocharged L28 or a GT-R VR38 with a BMW DCT are being considered. The write-up is a detailed, in-progress record of metalwork technique rather than a finished build.
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Gearbox & Drivetrain 1
- BMW M6 DCT transmission
Purchased from a 2014 BMW M6 to be adapted to the GT-R VR38 engine via a custom bellhousing
Body & Trim 2
- Replacement body panelsKF Vintage
Rockers, floor pans, dog legs, b-pillars and other patch panels ordered and fitted to repair rust
In the shops
Outer Body Panels ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
Rear Body Panel, Lower ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $210.39 USD - Replacement body panelsTabco
Additional patch panels used where KF Vintage parts were unavailable, requiring extra fitting work
In the shopsOuter Body Panels ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USDRear Body Panel, Lower ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $210.39 USD
Tools & Workshop 2
- RotisserieRedline
Purchased with unibody rear brackets and Redline front Mopar mounting brackets to support the body during repairs
- Body cart/dolly
Built a dolly to support the car instead of buying a commercial one, to allow working on it before the rotisserie stage
Photos
102 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
240Z Turbo · 2022-01-29T22:25:33Z 3this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-01T23:06:19Z 5this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-05T22:44:05Z 1this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-14T21:09:13Z 9this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-17T05:57:17Z 3this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-21T17:06:32Z 6this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-22T05:06:53Z 1this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-02-23T17:09:55Z 4this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-01T14:59:09Z 1this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-03T14:45:33Z 2this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-04T19:51:51Z 4this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-05T00:38:01Z 1this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-06T13:55:58Z 3this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-07T00:51:30Z 4this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-11T12:55:17Z 8this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-12T22:50:43Z 6this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-14T00:21:49Z 4this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-16T15:36:02Z 2this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-16T18:33:12Z 1this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-16T23:55:00Z 5this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-23T15:49:54Z 1this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-24T19:39:46Z 4this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-25T22:27:11Z 2this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-27T00:43:18Z 5this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-27T23:37:28Z 6this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-03-29T14:10:22Z 3this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-04-11T18:03:25Z 6this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
240Z Turbo · 2022-04-12T16:15:27Z 2this post at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
The owner bought the 240Z about five years before starting work and found extensive rust, especially on the passenger side, affecting the rear panel, rockers, floor pans, b-pillars, dog legs, firewall and battery tray area.
Body repairs
Work began with cutting out the rusted rear panel and progressed through fabricating and welding in new rockers, floor pans, dog legs, and door hinge covers, using panels from Tabco and KF Vintage. The owner built a car dolly and rotisserie setup, used MIG welding for tacking and TIG for finishing, and TIG-brazed seams with silicone bronze for a smooth, water-tight finish.
Driveline planning
The owner is deciding between a turbocharged L28 with a single large turbo on a custom manifold, or a stock VR38 GT-R engine paired with a BMW M6 dual-clutch transmission via a custom adapter being designed by a machine shop. Neither option is confirmed as finally installed in the supplied posts.
Progress so far
By the latest supplied posts the passenger side rockers, floor pan and door hinge area were largely complete, and the driver's side inner rocker and floor pan had just been installed, with work ongoing and no indication of completion.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at I'm Back, 1971 240Z and Yes, it will be TurboCharged ↗
Worth knowing
- Leaving the floor pan in place while removing the rocker panel keeps the door gaps better aligned than removing the pan first
- TIG welding washers into spot-weld holes before grinding gives a cleaner repair than leaving the holes open
- Lap joints are considered stronger than butt joints for panel seams
- TIG brazing with silicone bronze seals factory seams against water without melting the base metal