Purchase price: $500
Condition: oh...no...
This car comes with a story...
Just after I graduated high school and was working my 3rd dead end job...I saw her. Sitting on top of a railroad car in some guys yard...I had never seen such an amazing car, and instantly fell in love. I HAD to have it. I had my whole pay check, some $800 bucks or so...
Being younger and more fearless, I jumped his fence, and climbed on top of the railroad car to see it. Ten minutes or so a guy comes out of the house. Screaming like hell, with a bat. I climbed down and told him I wanted to offer to buy the car. The top was all rotted and barely hanging on. It was far gone back then and and that was 2009...he was curious on my offer for the car at first, when I said $800 he just laughed me off his yard. Told me he was restoring it for the wife. Crushed, when I found out just how hard it was to find one of these cars...I searched for the next decade....never found one.
09 I moved away to Wyoming.
Fast-forward 2022 add 2 kids, a wife, and a career in Towing&Recovery. I had almost completely forgotten, the fairlady by now. They were just so hard to find.
I moved back to Eastern NM for living expenses, COVID, destroyed the recovery industry for a good 2 years...it was almost illegal to work. Dead broke. Then I was driving down a familiar looking road. 12 years later. My first dream car was still sitting on top of the same train car...I was furious to say the least.
So I stalked the address for 2 weeks and finally saw the old man pull in. I drove into his gate right behind him. He got out when he parked and approached me, asking what I wanted to buy. I pointed to the Roadster. Asked if he remembered me. He paused a bit and then he said "Your the kid that broke into my yard to look at it the day after I brought it home."
Turns out it was his wife's first car, he bought it to rebuild for her. Put it on top of the train car as a surprise when she came home from work, it was her birthday present that year. She was ecstatic, as was he. The next night I jumped his fence. Then 6 months later he was diagnosed with Parkinson's and his wife died of cancer.
She has sat since then, and he asked if I'd buy her for scrap prices. I told him I would. His one condition was that she must be fixed. Her first drive he wants to be there for. Then he wants to take her Cruising Main. Like him and his wife used to do with project cars. I told him I would do my best.
Now here we are 2 weeks after purchase. The rotted interior is stripped, saved what I could for templates and pulled out some 1940s house carpet the owner before him had glued into the floor board....naturally it was a sponge and ate every piece of metal it touched. The floors aren't totally gone, but I will likely be redesigning an entire floor pan. It's final destination is unknown until I brace the body and separate it from the frame. It will need to be put on a rotisserie for complete rust removal.
The frame is suffering more, 2 good size holes in it so far. I'm told they are unrepairable, but judging by a few posts here, it's certainly is fixable. We shall see. Once she's fully stripped and clean I can remove the frame and get a better look.
I've already noticed here for my swap plans I will need to notch the frame for a KA24DET swap.
The U20 is far beyond my skill level for repair...it's dismantled since before the old guy picked it up in 09, he was told it ran when it was taken apart for a gasket kit, where the guy had to move and in the process lost 2 Pistons, and never got it put back together. The head and carbs were removed, engine was open face. With the oil pan dropped, so completely dry. 12 foot in the air...in the dust bowl of America...if anyone here has the need to buy it and fix it. Feel free to message me, I will list it for sale when its pulled in probably a month.
I also will likely be trying to find a way to mount a 350z front and rear subframe to the chassis.... I realize this will be massively difficult. I have yet to find a thread where someone was able to do it. Plans still not set. Just brainstorming numbers so far.
Please link me any build threads you think might help me in this venture.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Will post pics tonight.
I hope I can finish this car.
I'm stoked.
