I have had some experience with replacement fenders and hoods for my old VW Beetle, some places had parts that didnt fit well and were not very thick metal.

I am looking for what experiences you all have had with Z replacement parts. I am thinking of ordering some stuff from Black Dragon Automotive, I need rocker panels, rear quarters, and front fender patch panel in the lower portion. Where's your favorite place?

 

MSA, BDA, JC Whitney... they all have replacement panels. The problem w/ aftermarket (Non-Nissan) panels, is they use thinner metal & lower grade e-coat. So make sure you load up the primer / sealer, and seam sealer. I was up @ the DATC Auto Collision Shop for a couple years. We ordered most of out parts from Keystone Paint, and Interstate Auto Body Parts (both found in the SLC Yellowpages).

 

Oh thats cool, I will look them up

 

I had to replace the whole front end on my '78 (both fenders, the hood, and both headlight cases). I got aftermarket non-Nissan fenders and headlight cases, and I count that as the single biggest mistake I've made in the restoration. Sure, the fenders are $100 less than Nissan, but you easily burn that money and more making them fit. I got an original hood from a donor car, and it fit perfectly. But the fenders were a total mess. Mounting points were off by inches, and the pieces were totally misshaped. They were too "curved" in the vertical cross section, requiring us to cut the inside structure, reform the fender, and reweld the brace. The openings for the the inspection lids bore no resemblance to reality. Had to modify the lids to fit the fenders and match, including moving and rewelding the latches. The headlight cases had cracks and dents and aren't even close to lining up to mount to the fenders or to mount lights in them. I finally have the lights in, but the adjustment screws don't line up with the access areas, so you have to remove the lights to adjust them, then reinstall and see if they're aligned. I certainly don't expect "new" body panels to be perfect. They all need work. But the non-Nissan S30 panels aren't manufactured correctly at all. I'd try Courtesy Nissan. In the end, my car came out great, but it would have been a lot faster, cheaper, and would be more "correct" if I'd just used Nissan steel. If I ever have to do bodywork on the front, I'm screwed, because every piece is now custom altered. Just my $0.02 of experience.
Dave

 

See, that experience is similar to my VW parts buying experience. I might have to check with the Nissan dealer to see what OEM parts would cost me

 

Well, let the ordering begin!! I am rolling on this thing, yippie!

 

YAY! Where you gettin the parts?

 

I am going to try a patch panel from Black Dragon to see if I like the quality. And then I am ordering floorboards from Charlie at datsunzparts.com

And I found a set of early style SU's that I am going to buy