What started out as a very unique project car, very quickly turned into a much deeper and more involved restoration project. Austin came to us with his 72’ 240z that had been through the ringer in terms of installing parts that were never meant to be installed in a Datsun. It gave a whole new meaning to the word hodge podge.

What started as a reasonably priced project car for sale in neighboring Oklahoma, this 240z didn’t take long to show it’s true colors. When we received it, it was equipped with a GM 4.3L V6 engine and 700r4 transmission, commonly found in the Chevrolet Blazer platform. Furthermore, the factory wiring harness from the engine bay, to the dash had gone through a combination of deleting, cutting, and splicing to make all of the GM accessories work. To top off the already hacked swap job, a universal A/C and Heater unit intended for a GM pickup truck was modified and installed under the dash, which out of all the modifications done to the vehicle, worked the best.

It wouldn’t be long before the shoddy work began to surface, between permanent sheet-metal and cross-member modifications, to a wiring harness sandwiched against bare metal that began to smolder and almost caught fire, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Over the next 5 months, with many set-backs, we finally pieced this car together with properly fitting parts, the OEM engine and drivetrain, and restored the electrical system back to working condition. As with every build, the result is always worth the wait.