| Message |
If it is drivable and you need enough work to justify the trip I highly recommend Andy Turpen in Peoria, IL ("booztd 3" - [ http://twinturbo.net/net/directory.aspx?forum=general&user_id=47769 ]). He's knows these cars, races these cars, and has been restoring my '91 TT since October. There's been too much work to list off the top of my head but the highlights are that he did the 120k maintenance, swapped my broken AT for a brand new 5-speed, deleted the Hicas, replaced that ultra-sexy tweed with nova suede, and did many of the popular mods you'll find written up on this site. He is also a great communicator! Pretty much everything I know about cars has come from scouring these forums so I am easily overwhelmed when speaking with a mechanic. Andy has kept me informed of his progress in meticulous detail via email. This may sound insignificant to someone with sufficient mechanical skills and knowledge but for me it is invaluable because I can always go back and review that information when I feel the need to learn more about some aspect of the car or to share the details with someone else. He's 2 hours away from me but that is "close" for a Z mechanic. Luckily there is a bus with daily runs between Peoria and O'hare and his garage is very close to one of the stops so when I need to leave it or pick it up I don't have to find a ride all the way out there. Right now he is in the middle of installing my new coilovers, 350z brake kit, and wheels. That should pretty much wrap up the mechanical aspects of the restore, leaving just the body and paint. I could probably work directly with a body shop for that and maybe save a few bucks but I'm so happy with his work that I'm not even considering that. Unfortunately I have not gotten around to doing a proper write up with photos and such but that's coming soon. There's also this: [ http://z32.wikispaces.com/Service+Centers ]
Which came from this: [ http://twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/forums/general/view/2572003/So-it-looks-like-we-need-a-list-of-Z-mechanics.html ] Andy is the closest to you on that list, followed by The Z Hookup in Springfield, MO. Noticeably absent from the list is RameyZ in Cincinnati. I don't think Brett Ramey has ever been on the Internet but he does great work. :) Good luck. -Kerry
|
 |
