75 Datsun/ Scarab conversion project

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Hipster

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What color is it going to be?
I wish I had the skills, knowledge and just as important, the PLACE to do bodywork and paint. Would come in handy since I've always picked vehicles that are a little past their prime.

They are talking about a 3 stage red/burgundy pearl like what's on some of the new Honda's. It's a pretty color. More like a candy actually.
 
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I haven't had a chance to mess with this for a bit because I've been messing with this one. The bodyshop owner liked what I was doing on the Z and pulled the other guys off his own ride for me to do the mudwork. Some guys are better at it then others and I was the dweeb that always took art and pottery classes in school so I've always had a bit of an affinity for sculpting.

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Eleanor vert?

Yeah, sort of. That's what he's going for with this. He bought what looked to be a pretty nice car wanting something to just drive, but the more it was looked at the more that was noticed. It was a buggered up, bondo'ed up bit of a mess. At this point the car has all new floors, frame rails front and rear, quarters, rockers, and fenders. Then he decided to do the glass flares and side panels.

Really kind of common with so called "restored" cars to find some covered up messes/shortcuts.
 
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Haven't been back on the Z at the other shop in a while. The owner has had me on his stang. After cutting some panels loose ,test fitting, rewelding and probably 150 hours of bodywork, priming , blocking, repriming block with 400

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see if this works. I sprayed it Single stage black. When I say there is single stage black out the that rivals basecoat clearcoat this is pretty good example. A few places need touch up before final paint but I was pretty happy with this and probably would have looked just fine with the lighter green on it. The owner explains in this video.
https://www.facebook.com/663827810/videos/pcb.10157511895587811/10157511894617811
 
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96TahoeDoug

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A little back story. These cars were built by Scarab. Glass skins bonded to the steel body etc and a V8 was tossed in. It's a shop my buddy is at and I have worked for and known the owner better part of 20 years. This was a father/son project one of the helpers was doing at home with his Dad. Well his Dad passed so everybody is volunteering time to get the car done. I don't work there but volunteered some time in exchange for some booth/shop time. The car was really rough and had a faux targa/t-top hack job done on it. The kid prepped/stripped it, my buddy welded the roof on, and I get to do the mudwork and prime work. Never been a big fan of the Scarab's but I dig the old Datsuns V8'ed and this one sounds nasty as hell. It's for conscientious hard working kid which is a rare find these days.

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Better than a Triumph TR8 Stag, nice valve covers too.
I dig the Scarabs. I dig Z cars as well. The L24/26/28s were fantastic motors, but a V8 is just icing on the cake. Like Sunbeam Tigers, I think this is another unsung classic car whose time is coming. You gotta keep us up on this one! Nice work!
Sunbeam for sure early parallel and inspiration on the AC Cobra.. really a 289 alpine tiger used to cost 5k now 50k. The widened rear on that Z is sick. Needed that was always too slim
 

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Been a while since I updated this. Long story short I got called back in to finish the sheet metal work. I wish I had taken pictures of the raw body work on the loose sheet metal work prior to priming. It was a mess.
 
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