Um yeah so I cannot post a pic of my ruck but thats cool. Shouldnt be showing that crud anyway. All "Z's" here...

 

And that doesn't even include any serious repairs, 'mods' or paint/undercoating stripping.

Another VERY important thing about doing a major refresh on any car is the order in which you have things done.

Remove every part of the interior you can.

Remove the hood, front fenders, hatch, doors and all glass.

I would even remove the full suspension and have it stripped, prepped and powder coated.

Then, after detail stripping the engine bay and while the motor, tranny and diff are also out of the car, have it painted.

By pulling everything off the car, you ensure you have all the parts properly prepped and get full coverage on the individually painted parts as well as the exposed body. If you get enough of the interior out, you can fully paint the inside as well.

At that point, no one will even know the car was a different color than what you paint it.

Unfortunately, all that extra work comes at a significant cost.

That should eat up what's left of your $20k...

 

I purchased a 74' 260Z (silver) three years ago on ebay, it had 28,000 original miles. I paid $7200 (which was more than I paid for the same car in 1974, new)
THEN: dual webbers $1000 (installed) a/c $1000 (installed) 4 original wheels $210, and for that price they had rust on them so powder coating another $140.4 original hubcaps $140. Louvers for back window $175, I then had Zsource go through the entire car and fix what was wrong since it had sat for the past 20years, $6400. Then it wouldn't pass emissions $300. oh yeah new tires, (5) $250. I'm afraid to add it up. all for the sake of re-living my youth. But u know what I would do it again, my wife however does not share that opinion she says "it steers hard"

 

A little over $200 LOL. I bought the car with a blown head gasket, came with the full gasket kit and I haven't even paid for the car yet and I've owned it for nearly a year. Only things I have bought for it so far have been wipers, oil, oil filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, air filter, oil pan gasket, new rotors, new pads, some coolant and distilled water. Other than that I really can't think of anything I've had to buy.

 

man nuttin yet i just ripped her apart but 6k is about to be dumped...

 

My wife pointed out a very good point to me today: I've invested more in moving my car from one point to another then I have in the car itself. I had to get it from CA to SD to VA and now I've got to get it back to SD

 

Add ten bucks to my total for my new brake light switch...


Rod.

 

At last count about $ 2,447.00.

THIS IS WHAT I TRACKED...

CAR ORIGINALLY 650.00
RE-COVER SEATS 130.00
RE-COVER TAIL-LIGHT PANEL 20.00
TIRES 235.00
MOTOR PARTS(PLUGS, WIRES, EXHAUST ETC. 150.00
GUY HELPED PUT ENGINE IN 100.00
PAINTER 400.00
BOOTH RENT 50.00
PAINT 285.00
PAINT PREP SUPPLIES 125.00
CARPET 165.00
SPEEDO 12.00 (AFTER UPS REFUND)
TRI GAUGE 25.00
280ZX FENDER BADGES 55.00
CHROME LOUVERS 28.00
DOOR ESCUTCHEONS $ 17.00

$ 2,447.00

STILL TO DO:
DASH CAP $100.00
STRUTS AND SPRINGS $400.00
STEREO - haven't decided what route to take.

I got $2500.00 from insurance company when lady totalled my last ZX and got to keep the car.
So far I havent spent any of my money.
NOW THAT IS THE SWEET PART ! SHE PAID FOR MY NEW CAR AND A PARTS CAR TO BOOT !!!