wrenchtech

Here is a pretty sweet treatment for the rear quarter panel... And I've always liked this kind of blue paint scheme with the white stripes. I wish the front quarter photo showed better detail. The shadows are a little too dark to see what the rear quarter really looks like from that angle. That said, I like Sung Kang's FuGu Z better. It is more respectful of the original design. When aftermarket body panels are seamlessly attached to the S30, I think it rarely turns out well. Quite often it looks like an attempt by unqualified persons to improve on an original design which is already nearly perfect. I think pocket flares are better because there is no doubt that they are not part of the original design, which protects the integrity of that design while still allowing for functional improvements. It even allows others to try to enhance the design without confusion as to what is being done. I think the designers at Pandem have successfully walked that fine line.

I found these pictures of a Pandem body kit on an S30 that have really captured my imagination. I was looking at the Pandem/Rocket Bunny body kit for the Nissan 240 SX/SIlvia a while back and found myself impressed, but still harboring some reservations. Now to see the Pandem treatment of the S30, I am much more interested. I think I just like the S30 better to start with. The 240SX The Awesome S30

Found this picture. Those are the wheel flares, but not the nose that I'm interested in. The problem with artistic renderings of custom cars is that what you see on paper can't always be reproduced in reality. I find that in seeing these flares on the vehicle that I don't like them as much as I thought I would. Fortunately, I think I found another alternative.

It looks very similar, but not finding much more about it.

I wish I had better developed skills for working with sheet metal for auto bodies, but right now I'm on the composites path. If Fred Singer can take old Porsche 911's and replace the hood, fenders and the roof with carbon fiber composite material, and then sell those cars for more than $300,000, then by golly, composites are good enough for me! 😉

Where is the posting FAQ? The software that's used to run this forum it Is significantly different from what I'm used to that I need to learn a few things, like how to embed YouTube video and how to link to other threads. And I think there are more good features that I probably should know about.

In the meantime, I've been playing around with fiberglass and mold making. Recently I have been working on making some quarter panels for my first generation Toyota 4 runner. And I've been watching this guy. I think he made some cars for Hollywood movies. In any case he goes in depth on clay modeling custom car panels. It's interesting stuff. And it's interesting to consider that is the old school method in a world where computer aided design CAD and Computer aided manufacturing are gaining ground. Excellent YouTube on Clay Modeling Custom Car Panels

. . I am not against flares with screw pockets, I don't want to give that impression. It's just that I really like the car as it is in this drawing. I would really like to see it come to life. Of course the guys at Carbon Signal have the hands on experience. There may be reasons I don't know about, aside from aesthetics, that had them go in a different direction. I will try to search for some information about the flares from SSWorx.

. The headlight surrounds are very 280zx-like as well. I also like the wheel flares better than the current Carbon Signal stuff. They seem to blend in with the rest of the car better and look less like add-ons. I like the fact that the top section doesn't have screw pockets and looks molded in. I also like how the leading edge of the black section at the front of the flare is almost straight.

I responded to your post above, but the quote got messed up so I don't know if you were notified. I have been away from this forum for years and am not familiar the software that they are using now.

I think the proportions of this concept better suit a 280zx (s130). The car seems a little bit wider than an s30 could ever be relative to the other dimensions. I really like the car depicted though. The s130 is about 500 lbs heavier than the s30. I wonder how much of that weight would be easily gotten rid of.

. . Always had a soft spot for a good g-nose.

How do you position the ball joints before welding? Do you have some kind of jig to hold things so that your work is consistent and precise? Would love to see something about your differential swap too.

Thanks for pointing that out. A Google image search hadn't produced anything. Unfortunately the parts they're making it Carbon Signal aren't nearly as cool as the concept drawing. It Looks like I will have to make my own.

It is quite a departure from the more traditional lines of a 240 – 280Z while still retaining much that is good about the design of the original car. The Pandem/Rocket Bunny look doesn't do much for me, This, on the other hand, is right on the money as far as I am concerned. The front end is depicted as one piece. I am trying to imagine how it could be made with a separate hood that actually pivots on a hinge like the stock hood. I am also terribly curious to see what the designer has in mind for the back end. If anybody knows more or has some considered opinion I'd like to hear about it.

We are very poor on diesel automobiles in the USA, but it is changing slowly. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is now available here with a diesel V6. My understanding is that this is the same motor as used in the current Mercedes E320 BlueTec diesel car. It has gotten very good reviews and with 210hp and 375 lb-ft of torque it has the Merc running like a jackrabbit. I hpe they sell well here in the Jeep because I'd like to see those motors start turning up in salvage yards. I dream of a mid 90's Toyota Landcruiser hybrid with a 3.0 Mercedes diesel. -- Matt

What a great idea! Now I remember that pipe fitters use a flexible metal belt to do the same thing, but I have only seen them use it on straight sections of large flue pipes. Thanks -- Matt

I'm going to try to build up my first exhaust system (from the header back). I am going to use mandrel bends. Looking at your work I am wondering how to keep the sections square as I cut them to size. I want to cut several sections out of U and J bends that I am buying to get !5, 22.5, 30 and 45 degree bend sections. Thanks. -- Matt

If I remember correctly, that's a Ford V6 DOHC motor with heads designed by Yamaha. 220hp I think. In a day when most V6's were putting out about 140. -- Matt

I'v seen a few websites where they did stories about people who were swapping Toyota Supra sixes into middle aged BMWs. Unless money is no object, for the home shop wrench monkey it makes more sense to go in that direction. A great BMW chassis with a 7MGTE or 2JZGTE motor making an easy 400hp (without even breaking a sweat or your bank account) sounds like just the ticket to me. -- Matt

Dude! How could anything at this level be cheap!

This is from the HybridZ Gallery. I love this front end. I'm wondering if it is available as a kit or if it's a custom creation?

Funny that you'd ask this question in a Datsun Z forum. Luckily I am an enthusiast for both the Datsun Z and Toyota trucks. Crank pully yes, and the radiator and fan. Because you'll need room to get your seal puller in there to get the old seal out and you'll need room for a hammer and the right size sicket to seat the new seal. Getting the bolt that holds the crank pully on can be a pain too. A high powered impact wrench can make quick work of it, but doing it by hand you may find that the whole vehicle moves as you wrench on the bolt. Some people have luck putting the truck in 4th or 5th gear and blocking the wheels. Another option is to leave the vehicle in gear and block the driveshaft with a pipe wrench (which is how I do it). If you have a big enough pipe wrench grip the output flange at the back of the transfer case or transmission and wedge it against the ground. When you crank on the pully bolt the motor will try to turn the transmission but it wont be able to because the wrench will stop it. Also be on the lookout for damage to the seal mating surface on the pully. If it has a groove worn into it from the original seal you might need a SpeedySleeve repair kit that gives you a metal sleeve to press onto the pully body where the seal seal against it and a matching seal. The kit costs something like $25 I think. -- Matt There is no better forum to answer questions about the 22r motor and Toyota trucks than 4x4wire's Early Toyota Truck forum. http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=UBB11

What's the status of this project? It's been almost a year! -- Matt