Tailgate Alignment - Customizing for the Perfect Fit (Datsun 240Z)

In this video I'm adressing the issue of the tailgate alignment. It was sitting too low to the chassis and with the adjustable hinges I did not have enough movement to correct that. So I had to take off material on the chassis itself. After that and with the installment of the inner rubber seal I was able to get the perfect alignment.
I hope you like my work and enjoy the video.
Huge thank you to all of my Patreon supporters and especially to:
Adel AlSaffar
Alfonso Baz
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Sorry for my bad english, it's not my language. I try my best to improve my technical english.
Thank you for watching :-)
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[@artifex_amandalastname2297]

Anyone else run out of My Mechanics videos, go watch other channels, and then spend the whole time annoyed at them for not doing things right?

[@hafiezyusoff6677]

yes😢

[@Mimi-lv9bu]

🤣yes

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

Just found this. 240z GLORY!!! I submit This Old Tony for tax.

[@EDoyl]

"you didn't restore that! you disassembled and cleaned it! that's not nothing, but my mechanics would have fixed this part and that part and..."

[@Roguescienceguy]

This

[@zacharyirwin49]

You consistently amaze me with your technical prowess. I am beyond excited to see the other elements you have in store for us.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you very much, nice to hear that

[@fgriffintx]

Yes - more restored tools - please! - SOON!!

[@moomae1]

Natural tailgate strut approved! 😊 It was interesting to see that the hinge rubber pocket had not disintegrated.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

This was a few months ago, but if I remember correctly you could see the age of that rubber when looking close. Think it showed some cracks. But yeah, overall not too bad compared to other rubber parts on the car.

[@mzigliara]

The level of detail is mindblowing. That's true perfectionism.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks a lot for being here :-)

[@AudioTones67]

This entire build should be called "Datsun 240Z - I make a new one!". Love your work mate. Always have, always will. Greetings from Australia.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks a lot for being here :-)

[@juanignaciocaino]

Very nice job, although most transversal body line gaps are aligned with the leading edge of the trailing panel sitting at least 1mm below the trailing edge of the leading panel, to avoid wind noise and turbulence.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Well, I could still lower it if needed. I'm not too concerned about wind noises.

[@juanignaciocaino]

@@mymechanicsinsights I think your alignment is perfect and will not add turbulence, if you pay close attention, even with the seal the trunk lid has the trailing edge ever so slightly rolled under the surface, like "deburred"

[@LFKGooner]

The length to which you are willing to go to achieve perfection is for lack of a better word, incredible.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Way to go ;-)

[@verdict1163]

240Zs are great but I would have loved to see this done to something like a classic Mercedes. I think you would have been really impressed with the engineering. Thicker metal and real 'nuts and bolts' quality that you don't see anymore.

[@Pim3211]

Many here are amazed, I'm just glad too see some people still know how to work properly

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks a lot

[@akihiko6256]

What I love about this build is how you improve the small things which others wont even think about it for a second. I am sure this car would be gorgeous and perfect in everyway for a car enthusiast.

[@micahparsons9036]

My most anticipated drops of 2023 were this restoration... I can't wait to see what you do with this

[@niklasschmitt]

Must be pure satisfaction to fix the little things like this 🥰

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Well, I wish they were right to begin with ;-)

[@txikitofandango]

I love watching this progress. I'm really hoping this car ends up not like a mustard yellow but a deep orange or moss green color. Or as close to the original brown as possible.

[@BrunovskyPlays]

Just can't wait to watch the whole painting process!!

[@wohnai]

Personally sir, I enjoy these narrated videos more than the ones on the main channel. Lately the main channel was a lot of dremel, griding, hammering, and sanding which are not among my favorite things to listen to. Just letting you know I appreciate these!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks for the feeback :-)

[@CGJ7755]

I for one cannot wait to see this Z fully restored and painted..I hope he does it in black

[@mjamesw2]

These videos are too short man. Was initially not into you starting car stuff, but I’m super into all the body work you’ve been doing

[@napalmarsch]

Always a Pleasure to watch a New Episode

[@Picsou728]

Beau travail! J'ai hâte de voir le résultat final!

[@johnwooldridge9994]

Your attention to detail is to be commended my good man.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

That's nice to hear, thank you!

[@Farooq_Bhai_]

As soon as your very first video came out about restoring this car, I saw a few other channels working on the same car. Insane how they copy your work. I first noticed this when you made a billiards ball...

[@kent....]

We could understand it it all without words. Nice wörk!

[@haphazard1342]

It's definitely important to do alignment with the seals/gaskets installed, but that amount of difference indicates that your hinges have a lot of play in them. The single pivot design will not have quite as much play as the complex hood hinge geometry, but you may want to check the back hatch hinges and consider refreshing them. Very nice work so far. I love your attention I detail and appreciate the narration on these shorter videos.

[@1mic3]

As always, nothing less than absolute perfection is good enough. 👍👍

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you very much

[@rjung_ch]

I am loving this build/restoration work that you are doing. Thanks! 👍💪✌

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Many many thanks :-)

[@motocross4198]

Your English is perfectly fine and you are easily understandable so do not worry about these things ^^

[@FearlessLeader2001]

So wonderful how your restorations aren't restorations, they're genuine improvements for the most part. Other than a few personal modification choices I disagree with personally, this is genuinely gonna be a better looking car than it ever has looked in its lifetime.

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Well done. What a great idea Nissan had with a complete rubber pocket rather than just a gasket. Cheers, Stuart 🇦🇺

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@filippofior3722]

I'm just so happy that this AWEFUL color will go

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Yes sir!

[@张昭-m9u]

迫不及待想看这车的巅峰时刻了。。。。多么强大的修复技术啊，就像医生、艺术家一样了。。。让人极度舒适！

[@chriholt]

Nicely done sir! I am looking forward to seeing this beauty completely restored!

[@MrVivelagratte]

I love when you say chassis ! Keep it the good work ! I love theses videos !!!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Happy to hear that!

[@looper451]

Just a tip for doing alignment: buy two sets of new seals. One set to use for your panel alignment that will stay on throughout the body working process (metal work, filler and primer) and one set to finish the car with because that first set is likely going to get beat up during all the body working

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Sounds reasonable and makes sense, but with a price tag of $150 for that oem seal it's not really a solution.

[@looper451]

@@mymechanicsinsights Fair enough. It really just depends on your level of restoration. I build concours level vehicles that take 6 months+ to finish,where every inch of the vehicle is epoxy primer’d and skim coated with body filler to eliminate any waves or deflections in the metal. In those scenarios body filler is applied across panels to create perfect flushness that isnt achievable with just metal work, and in those cases the door seals must always be on and the door shut in the exact position its going to live in

[@minementalx]

I love that you show us the many detail work! Greetings from Germany!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks a lot for watching :-)

[@shaocaholica]

Can’t wait for the body blasting episode

[@JefGlubka]

You can see by the bent down gutter lip in front of each hinge that someone tried prying the hinges up. Nice job on the hinge pockets!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Yeah, need to get them straight. Missed that spot

[@dixonqwerty]

Wow man you are really excellent with your restoration.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you :-)

[@oxcart4172]

Can't wait to see it finished. I have no doubt it'll be the best 240Z on the planet

[@steve7340]

So krass wie du arbeitest da könnten sich andere Leute Mal was abschauen top du bist super 👍👍👍👍

[@lmagiro]

I'm really too invested in these restoration videos 😂

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks a lot for being here :-)

[@jonanderson5137]

I'm excited, soon we will see a bare chassis! Don't forget to get any optiilonal wire chases or mounting parts drilled and welded in, unless you want to stay stock.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Can't wait!

[@gidesp1]

Superbe Monsieur. Encore une superbe vidéo.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Merci beaucoup

[@themechanic49]

Grüess us ruum Bülach ;) 🤝🏽 Echt geili Projekt und Videos! Würd mich freue de Z irgendwenn uf de Strasse gseh!

[@HappyHands.]

Looking forward to seeing it ready for paint.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Ohhh me too, but that will take a while.

[@hernanbanuelos6286]

You could have left it out and we would be none the wiser to it. But I like that you show even the small hurdles that lead to a better finished product. Great attention to detail!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

There are soooo many other things which I left out. Thank you

[@peterschwarz6109]

Very nice job. I would've been to afraid to damage the chassis, thinking that extra material could have some reason to be there. I would have tried to modify the hinge-assembly so it could slide higher. Love your channel.

[@jasonbenoit2277]

Ive got a baby on the way, our fourth. As soon as I can afford to do so, im subscribing to your patreon!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you so much for the support, I really do appreciate it! Better spend that money on your family :-)

[@jasonbenoit2277]

@@mymechanicsinsights allright, we will feed the children. I am hoping that you decide to go with a quilted leather in the back a la Bentley. You will already have a perfect z after you are done, it may as well be fancy.

[@RandomTeq]

I don't understand why the main channel doesn't have a commentary like the second channel, it's much more enjoyable with the narration.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

It's not needed. The video speaks for itself.

[@RandomTeq]

@@mymechanicsinsights Either way, you're exceptional.

[@helmanfrow]

I wonder if Nisan knew about this issue but determined it to be too expensive to fix before production. In my imagination the original engineers who wanted to fix it are in their rocking chairs, watching this video, cheering and saying _THANK YOU_ becausee after all these years they are finally vindicated!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Nono, just not accurate. Some are too low, some fit good and some are too high. Seen it all

[@helmanfrow]

@@mymechanicsinsights Ah, so it was a quality control issue.

[@MdAbulHussain-jl5ot]

Just looking like a wow

[@Cradley684]

Great work great video's keep them coming friend !!!. Brian UK !!!.😀😀👍👍.

[@opticaltrace4382]

You tease us with such short videos 😂

[@mymechanicsinsights]

better than nothing ;-)

[@Phil2stroke]

Love the content! Love your accent 😊keep up the good work

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Will do, thanks

[@MRrwmac]

Well done! Nice little fix. Do’t forget to paint all the bare metal. You don’t want any rust.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Of course not, this was just a dry fit :-)

[@Nexusof91]

where does this guy gone? its been more than 2 months no video? 😮

[@tomswindler64]

Great video,your attention to detail is over the top,kudos to you 👍👍👍😎😎😎

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you, I'm glad you like it :-)

[@sammartin3896]

This has been great to watch, keep up the good work!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

much appreciated :-)

[@jakemorrison482]

Suprised ferrari hasnt offered you a job in italy. Perfection

[@observe_and_purport]

Thanks for the vid + narration!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it :-)

[@sergioguerra1246]

Your work is incredible. The manufacture of tools and molds to make repairs shows your extreme care in the pursuit of perfection. I would like to know if this limitation to regulate the trunk lid would be a factory defect of another 240.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you very much :-)

[@basilfocusov8700]

Nice job, i wait the next seria.

[@c0ldw1nd27]

Really nice to see this precission work

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Many many thanks :-)

[@lukicdragan011]

Happy New Year dear My Mechanic

[@turbo.panther]

I love to see a perfectionist working. :)

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thank you kindly!

[@HxTurtle]

move aside, guys-early squad coming in! 👀 ohh, looks like I came hours too late already even just minutes after the release 😂

[@mymechanicsinsights]

haha ;-)

[@Dolmeca_the_Knight]

Happy new year!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Happy new year!

[@Markus_BW]

Wünsche dir einen guten Rutsch und alles Gute fürs neue Jahr.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Danke, dir auch!

[@nyernga]

I just changed the details of my will.......after I pass, I want this master to restore me......

[@DanSuneKronvold]

This guy be hired as a consultant by Nasa! Just to make sure they're up to a bare minimum as by his standard.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Glad to hear that, thank you very much

[@Manufacturingsite1]

Amazing video

[@erhan6095]

The difference between looking and seeing.

[@IRoych]

Wooo!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks for watching

[@Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbdd]

Love your work and this series but I can’t help but feel like this episode was missing the love and attention to detail that we all appreciate, eg: those hinges could have done with a bit of ‘my mechanics’ love as well as the rubber hinge boots

[@mymechanicsinsights]

They will get that treatment for sure. This video was all just about the alignment.

[@Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbdd]

@@mymechanicsinsights I appreciate you clarifying that and I apologise for thinking otherwise. What you do is truly a work of art and you deserve all the success that comes with it!

[@Whanekill57]

Perfection !

[@sbushido5547]

I'm curious about that gap around where the text reads "installed" at 5:17. Is that just because the corner and top of the tailgate sits closer to the body of the car when closed, or just a trick of the camera angle? Really enjoying watching you restore this car.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

You got that right, The gapping around the edge is still not done yet. The edge is indeed a little bit too low, also the gap around the corner gets smaller. Needs some reshaping, grinding back and welding up. Maybe I can make a video about that too. At least it's now on the correct height.

[@sbushido5547]

@@mymechanicsinsights Cool, cool. Looking forward to more either way.

[@hassanmusa9534]

Good Work

[@joeshomeshop]

Amazing work! Did you know there are at least two losers on YT who are stealing your content and passing it off as their own?

[@mymechanicsinsights]

There are houndreds on tiktok... :-/

[@NelsonSantander]

Perfecto 💯

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks :-)

[@goodwaterhikes]

😎👍✌️Happy new year

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Happy new year

[@diyrestore]

You r genius 🙏❤️

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks a lot for watching :-)

[@onlyonSiMPLE]

The best.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks so much :-)

[@onlyonSiMPLE]

@@mymechanicsinsights Godbless you man. Small details like that gets me, and the fact you pay attention to it, may your channels thrive.

[@Allgamersadvice]

r u gonna post on youtube ever again or just patreon?

[@zachary9009]

Very nice

[@XXXCrims0nXXX]

This is really satisfying! Looks super nice.

[@Peterfromplace]

I wonder if Nissan will reach out to support your project. They do have a vintage car program in Japan.

[@Xempt_One]

Did you check that the hinges themselves weren't bent out of shape to get the 5mm back? That was my first thought.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Yes of course. I checked it all and also looked for different solutions. This was the easiest one and it made the most sense.

[@wmweekendwarrior1166]

Good stuff

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks

[@PokeBowl82]

New shirt coming up: I make everything flush 😁

[@mymechanicsinsights]

let's go!

[@Philly_Gamer]

Sweet!

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Thanks!

[@RotesKleid411]

Topp! Ich hätte gern gesehen, wie du die Bolzen wieder in die abgerutschten Muttern geschraubt hast.😎🙂

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Ich habe die Mutter hochgehalten mit einem Stück 0.6mm Schweissdraht ;-)

[@RotesKleid411]

@@mymechanicsinsights Da ist diese Mutter, darüber das Gummiteil, dann die lose Wackelhaube, dann der Halter und du behilfst dich mit einem 0,6er Schweißdraht? Ich würde, gelinde gesagt, leicht durchdrehen.😡👺👻

[@royportalise5269]

Hi, will you be chemically dipping the car once all the metal work is done?

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Nope, blasting with walnut shells.

[@aleksandr.546]

Я думаю,в ваших умелых руках,это будет просто,шедевр.

[@pernormann4869]

Your accent is lovely! Are you from Schweiz, or maybe south of germany.

[@IncompleteTheory]

Gruetzi! I don't want to spoil the party but when you said the hinge can't go any higher I expected you to identify some kind of bended piece or part which you can then straighten out. Taking away original material seems like cheating, so what did I miss?

[@PixelSchnitzel]

Excellent results! Do you think that was a manufacturing defect or the result of body distortion?

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Came like that from the factory. Seen it all, too low, too high or flush.

[@dusty2544]

Love your journey so far with this restoration. Don't know if you know but someone is putting your videos on tik tok and passing off as their own. love.the.engine

[@kenl5217]

Is it supposed to be lower for air flow?

[@jeffbaranowski6695]

Well done. I assume you will straighten the bent edges around the hinge area in a future video

[@mymechanicsinsights]

This will be done for sure

[@matthewjamestaylor]

Great video and excellent work. However, I'm confused. How did it fit when it was new? That material was there and it must have fit perfectly in the showroom. Was it damaged? Cheers.

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Pretty sure it came like this from the factory. Seen some too low, flush and also way too high.

[@TheThomasites]

Could the hinge have been altered/bent to correct this instead of modifying the body?

[@mymechanicsinsights]

Yes, but that would be two hinges which needed to be changed exactly the same. And what if a hinge needs to be replaced in the future by somebody else, then they don't know why it doesn't fit.