1981 Zastava 750 Build

Cawa750

Cawa750

Low Mileage
I imported an ‘81 Zastava 750 from Serbia about a year ago. It was “restored” and looked good from 5ft away, but I knew it would probably have some issues. Pretty typical of surface level cosmetic “restorations”. I bought it sight unseen for about 3k and it cost about as much to bring it over here. I drove it for a little bit but it lacked power, brakes, and I wanted to take care of some of the rust spots since I want this to be a reliable city daily. So this isn’t a true restoration, but rather a restromod.

IMG_7644.jpeg

IMG_7714.jpeg


One of the first things I did is get some 13x5.5 CMR wheels for it and ran into fitment issues. I calculated the offset to be +9.5mm and it is not nearly enough. So now I’m looking for different 13x5.5 wheels.

IMG_8908.jpeg
IMG_8907.jpeg


I tore it apart and started gathering new parts as I restore the body. I build a tip over jig, sandblasted the body and found some rust issues that were bondo’d over. Unfortunate but definitely could be worse.

IMG_0333.jpeg

IMG_0673.jpeg
IMG_1027.jpeg
IMG_1011.jpeg
IMG_1007.jpeg
IMG_1009.jpeg
IMG_1003.jpeg
IMG_1317.jpeg


It’s currently undergoing rust repairs at a local restoration shop. In the meantime I’m restoring some of the suspension bits and am building a custom wiring harness.

Here’s the list of things I’m planning for this build:

Drivetrain
  • Rebuilt 903cc engine (from Fiat 127, I think- correct rotation)
  • New clutch
  • Rebuilt 4-speed z750 transaxle with 9/38 final drive gears
  • Electric water pump and fan
  • Replica Abarth exhaust
  • All new cables
  • 13x5.5 wheels
Suspension/Brakes
  • Front disk conversion (z750 already has the better master cylinder)
  • Rear disk conversion
  • Abarth front and rear lowering springs
  • Abarth front and rear shocks
  • New brake lines
  • All new fasteners
  • Restored suspension parts
  • Rebuilt steering box
  • All new bushings
Body/Exterior
  • Rust repair
  • Seam sealer everywhere
  • Undercoating/sound deadening (not yet selected)
  • Full repaint (Porsche Signal Orange)
  • LED bulbs in factory housings
  • Bumper horn delete
  • All new grommets
Interior/Electrical
  • Sound deadening
  • New carpet
  • New headliner
  • Reupholstered door cards and seats
  • Custom wiring harness
  • Rebuilt shifter
  • Discreet full sound system
  • Retractable belts
  • Custom front and rear shelves
  • Custom battery box
This is obviously a pretty ambitious project but I’m hoping to have the body done and the new drivetrain installed in a few months. Some of the custom interior work may have to wait till later as getting the car running and driving is the top priority. I’ll continue to post updates here.

I will have some spare parts for sale as I get all the new parts sorted (engine, transaxle, small misc parts that may be reconditioned).
 
BTW your transport tailer is a little overkill.....interesting plywood mount concept. The two engine stands tied together are always a little wobbly.
Looks like you'll have a really nice car with the attention to detail shown.
 
dllubin said:
That tip over jig looks interesting. Is it easy to rotate the body? Looks like it could be a good alternative to a rotisserie.
Click to expand...
Yeah, rotating is very easy but not to the point where you would do so accidentally. I’m not super happy with the front mount as the front bumper mounts are not super rigid and come out at a bit of an angle. The rear is solid though. The construction is 1/4in plywood around a 2x4 frame. If you’re interested in replicating or iterating on the design, it can be found on OnShape here. I had to add pickup points under the bumper to keep the front part from rotating- not super pretty but it works. If I were to do it again I’d use a different setup up front.

IMG_0452.jpeg
IMG_0671.jpeg
 
Frank L. Di Gioia said:
BTW your transport tailer is a little overkill.....interesting plywood mount concept. The two engine stands tied together are always a little wobbly.
Looks like you'll have a really nice car with the attention to detail shown.
Click to expand...
Haha yeah- that’s when I picked up the car from Charleston and had called a transporter to help me get it to Raleigh (easier to pick up from the port that way). And he showed up with a comically long trailer. I’m sure folks on the freeway got a good laugh out of that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top