OldAndyAndTheSea

Yeah, I can "like" one post a day. I am fairly certain it is because of the donating member status.

My MC leaked out of the box too. I'm on my second 1" master cylinder...I have yet to bleed it...I hope all checks out.

Thanks! I'm really happy with the car. It's nice having a solid bare bones car, not some rotten thing that hardly justifies routine maintenance work. Its nice having something worth dumping money into. Instead of diving right into my blinker issue, and potentially getting frustrated..... I figured I would do a couple of the smaller tasks, just so I can make some forward progress. So last night I finally got my fuel tank pre pump plumbing installed. Super tidy. Sooo much better than the Rube Goldberg setup I had before. Definitely worth the effort. Overkill and clean; just how I like it. Today I'm going to work on the CV axles. They need to be disassembled, powdercoated, and reassembled with fresh grease and boots. Gotta keep crossing things off the list....

i04

Thanks! And yes, I simply wired the AutoMeter bulb holders into the OEM position, and used the following bulbs. Just remember- polarity matters, so if they don't work one way, spin the bulb, and it should turn on. http://www.amazon.com/Partsam-PC194-instrument-Panel-Socket/dp/B00KV7WSVQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01 Beats the shit out of Autometer's 10 bucks a bulb, that's for sure.... And yup, I am going to be using black screws to finish them [door sills] off. For my setup - no, they are not dimmable. I looked into potential pulse width modulation, but I decided I wouldn't ever use it (I also deleted my stock rheostat years ago). I've heard that the stock rheostats may lessen the voltage, making the LEDs dim, but that isn't true, proper, dimming. On and off is good for me, and they seem to be a very appropriate, readable brightness.

How time flies.....Apologies for the lack of updates, all. My life has been extremely busy as of late, and my projects have suffered.... Right after I finished the Whaler and got that out of my garage, another big job fell into my lap. That's been my last month... ...but I'm finally getting caught up with all ongoing pay jobs, and should be back on the car this next week. I've received a bunch of remaining odds and ends in preparation for some free wrench time. So despite the car being covered and sealed up tight, as to prevent dust, I've been trying to make progress in any way I can. So here's what I've been up to... Finally mounted the door sills. The illusive Australian fitting.... ...And after two fuel filters, I finally landed on one that fits beautifully. Shown with some brand new flow matched RC 440 cc injectors. Finally got around to buying a real GReddy blow off valve - something Ive been meaning to do for quite some time. And an impulse buy - a Lonewolf intake manifold. Normally about a grand to procure, but I found it for about half that, so I couldn't help myself. It'll sit on a self, horded away, until I find a use for it. ....some composites stuff, albeit boat; figured some people may care to see. High performance trimaran repair - last ongoing job at the moment. Hoping to finish it up Monday/Tuesday. In primer, currently awaiting final fair a flat black stripe to be sprayed. I've been building carbon parts for the 8 Meter sailboat I'm racing on throughout the summer. Here are a few of the odds and ends I've made for the boat, as it undergoes an extensive refit. Instrument cluster and companionway hatch Tiller and miscellaneous components... It has been a fun project...But I'm glad it's coming to and end. ..I've been spending most evenings out on the water in order to decompress from my current busy work schedule. It definitely helps. And playing around, making a gift for my business partner's birthday.... should look cool in carbon. Well I'm off to Toronto tomorrow for more 8 Meter sailing out of Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Saturday and Sunday. I'll be out and about the city in the evenings, if there are any locals around, hit me up, maybe we can grab a brewsky. If not, look for this boat out in the bay.

http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-648831-Nissan-Timing-Holding/dp/B0002Q8TV4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464045612&sr=8-1&keywords=datsun+timing+chain+wedge One of the better 12 bucks I've spent.

I do all my powder coating with Eastwood's kit. I love it. I will never paint anything again, unless I have no other choice. I've had very good luck with a repurposed conventional electric home oven. For large parts the IR lamps will work, but I'd recommend having some sort of IR thermometer to test the surface of the part, as it bakes. Move the lamps, as need be, to insure even heating. Thermocouples are very helpful. You should contact Ryan, (cockerstar) I was fairly sure he operates a powder coating business.

So sad.......Rest in peace John... I am thankful for your posts...and I will greatly miss your candor.

LED lights for the gauges work - Great! No more scalding hot traditional bulbs. And MUCH better light output, with significantly less draw. Win win win. Very impressed with these little guys. That means I can continue with the dashboard wiring. That was one of the last steps before I can install the dash. Neato.

I really appreciate that, thank you. Kind words like that really make this whole process all the more enjoyable. More parts arrived. Those damned CV boots I've mentioned numerous times in the past, I finally bought them. So I can take those apart, powdercoat the shafts, and assemble that portion of the car. Then the drivetrain is complete. And some blue door sills. I still think I'm going with the red, but the blue is nice too. Next step is to investigate the LED gauge light replacements. Hopefully they work.

Slackers....

Pulled an audible; Went with red letters, at least for now.....Or until I pull the blue lettered set tomorrow... the aluminum powder mixture was not nearly silver enough - more like dull gray. More Parts came in the mail....still waiting on lots though... Fuel filter, LED gauge lights (hopefully these work), and a quick release for the Prototipo. Whaler stuff: The boat is very close to "finished". I finally installed the threaded inserts into the deck, and am now able to mount everything for real. Here they are, awaiting install. Notice the foot on the bottom of the insert, this is to prevent pullout, as this area is often in tension. Everything is taped to avoid adhesion. Bed dem bishes in carbon, with a thickened epoxy/cabosil mixture. A drop of blue pigment will get the color close enough, especially considering you never see this area. The tape helps provide a fairly smooth surface, essentially molding and excess squeezed out resin to the appropriate shape. SO much better than screws! I made some pieces out of plexiglass....These will be what everything actually rides on. These spacers will lift the wood console/seat off the deck by 1/4", Keeping the pieces dry, and preventing vibration against the textured deck surface - which is what leads to premature wear/rot. .... sneak peak of that. Like I said. Pretty close to looking like a boat. Today should be a big day. Tiny house: I have been approved for a permit by the town. I have one last little hoop to jump through before it is actually in my hands. Then I go to the county. ..Then I start building. More on that later...

I'm thinking I need to make some more molds with the response I've gotten with these pieces. Uh oh. Haha. Sure thing! I'll definitely be sharing. I mean it has a carport, so it is car related .......riiiiiight? Thanks for the kind words. They always mean a lot. So I made the trip to Progress-Town this weekend. I did get a lot of things done, despite appearances...... Lots of wiring organization. I added provisions for my new gauges and relocated a bunch of wires. Finally got the GPS Speedo installed, fired up, and calibrated. Dope. I'm redesigning a cleaner pre fuel pump plumbing setup. My original solution was comically bad. And the beginnings of the new setup. I'm waiting on the stuff to finish that up in the mail. Hopefully that comes this week. -8an line leading from the tank to a Trick Flow 100 micron fuel filter, then to the pump through the 180 degree fitting. It will be remarkably cleaner. I have a few more wires to account for/run. Then I test and make sure each system works. Right now I think everything works, except the brake lights, and the blinkers. But I should figure that out as I continue through the loom...Hopefully. But once the harness is set and works 100%, the dash can be installed without harness removal, unlike the OEM version. That should make this easier. ..Now to get to that point.

Oh wow, I can't believe I've missed this conversation until now. I am one of the fabricators at Palm Composites. And wow, thank you for the kind words.. Your satisfaction is our number one priority, if there is anything further we can do for you, let me know. Now to address a couple points mentioned in previous posts. -In regards to the dash....It's not available on the site, because it isn't as simple as "click, pay, we ship you product." A dash project would require some consultation, and core charges/exchanges before we could do anything. It's quite the undertaking. That's why it isn't listed as a purchasable product - it isn't quite that simple. It's more of a "job" than a "product". Basically, if you want what's pictured, you'd have to send us your OEM dash frame and we will install our carbon skin and flock the dash for you. - Since I own a 240z, that is where we get the majority of our donor parts to make plugs from. So this is why we mostly specialize in 240 products. At this time, we can't justify developing a 260/280 dash. Please feel free to PM me here if you have any questions. However, I'd ask that any serious/formal inquiries please go through either the Shop Website: PalmComposites.com or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/palmcomposites/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel You can see each and every part I've developed in my build thread. "Luna, the cause of, and solution to, all of my problems."

Colored letters are a go.. The rushed proof of concept worked well. I'll be going white with my personal set.... Unless I change my mind. This weekend is going to be spent solely on 240 stuff. Next stop: Progress-town!

Today was a good day. Produced a beautiful door sill. These will be available virtually any time. And then I proceeded to make another one, but this time experimenting with colored letters. We'll see how that one comes out tomorrow.

That's awesome! I definitely approve. I imagine tooquick probably approves as well And thanks for the kind words. I do appreciate them. Thanks, it's a fun project to design. Lots going on at once, but I'm fairly used to multitasking at this point. Life, as you can imagine, has been busy for me these last couple weeks. But, I've made some progress on all of my projects, so that's good. Car progress... Still can't report much, aside from the fact that I've remade the door sill mold, and made the first real attempt at one of those today. Revised Plug - crisper letters #001 door sill - infused. I'll see how that turns out tomorrow. I haven't spent much time on the car itself, as of late, because my friend's 17' Boston Whaler was being worked on in my other bay. I did not want to have the car uncovered, even for a moment, while he was working/slinging fiberglass dust everywhere..... Here's his boat, finally out of my garage. Some fresh bottom paint away from being splashed (hopefully this weekend). So I too did boat stuff. Needed to play catch up with my Whaler, as some of you may remember from earlier... Strippy strippy Chris Craft red mahogany filler stain ...And some random coat of varnish picture.....I think this was three coats. The first three coats of Epifanes varnish were thinned 50% with brushing liquid. Then the ratios were cut in half until about 15% thinned for the final 5 or so coats. Sanding with 220 between coats. There are a total of 8 coats on the pieces now...I'll take more pictures once things are actually assembled. Tiny house update - I've spoken with the zoning officer and everything seems to be in line and moving forward as planned. I anticipate receiving my town building permit on the 6th of April. Then I touch base with the county, and start building the slab. Freakin' sweet! I took some time to clear the build site in the meantime... Showing the lot, and my really weird boundaries. It's a non conforming lot.....that's about 9 acres. Since it is waterfront property, the 110' of frontage I have is what they use to determine conforming/non. I'm 10' short of the 120' minimum to make the lot conforming....What a stupid rule. haha. I wish there were exceptions based on lot size.... But no dice. It's such a cool property. You've got the water, 4 acres of woods, and the 4 acre field portion, and trails/connected pathways to bring you anywhere on the property. You can walk from one end of the property to the other, with no one seeing you. I like my privacy. For perspective, the doors will open into the woods, and lead into one of those pathways that brings you anywhere along the property. We are currently looking toward the carport side of the tiny house. Now that Ryan's Whaler is out of my hands, I can remove the cover from the car, and actually (yes, actually) start to pick up where I left off: Getting that carbon interior together....Once and for all. The time is now.

Ha! Again, such kind words. Truly, thank you. I admit I've been taking a small break from the car. The weather has gotten chilly here, and I'm not acclimated - as we had a very mild winter so far. That coupled with some much overdue boat maintenance means the 240 has been neglected, unfortunately. I can't tell you how much the support means. It warms my heart to see you enjoying them. Please, if there is anything I can do, let me know. Apologies for the lack of updates. This is just me checking in, touching base, explaining the lack of car related progress, as admittedly I've taken a couple weeks off from Datsun work to get some other things off my list of things to do. Boat stuff mostly. Can't report much on the car, other than I am still ordering the last remaining parts, like CV boots, hoses, and other miscellaneous fittings etc....There really isn't much more to purchase. I just need to put my head down and install/finish everything up. But, given the current cold weather, and not being in the garage, I have begun planning my off grid tiny house build. When my father died in 2012 I immediately moved home to take care of my mother. I have been living in her gigantic Italianate Victorian since, in order to assist her by whatever means possible. She is by no means an invalid, but she is alone; she is the last surviving member of her family- aside from my brother (a lawyer in Buffalo) and me. Just maintaining and heating a 150 year old 6000 sq ft home is, as you can imagine, a challenge in itself - especially in a harsh winter climate. So that's been the last 4 years. But a 26 year old guy can't live with his mom forever, for a plethora of reasons. Long term it isn't beneficial to either of us. So, given that I own property, but have no house, it's time to build me a home. The property is 6 miles away, and on the water - it's where you see all of my boat related pictures taken. So I can still be of assistance to my mother, but I also can be independent and start the next chapter in my life. So that's a long winded excuse as to the lack of updates, for what I now realize has been a couple of weeks. But here are a bunch of pictures, not of car stuff unfortunately, but boat stuff, and tiny house stuff. Some of which you of you may find interesting. If not, more car stuff will be happening very very soon, I promise. I'm not dead; Just cold. But I AM thinking. First update: Whaler parts I'm replacing the wooden mounting points for the seat, center console, and front seat of my 1970 Boston Whaler Nauset. As a rule, I hate screws in boats. So I'm replacing all fasteners with bolts, and encapsulated threaded inserts. It will be much stronger. I need it, as I often take the Whaler in small craft advisories (it's the BEST time to sail ). Our Whaler is our chase boat, it needs to be fast, and capable. The wooden console and seats, after 40+ years, needed some 21st century revitalizing. It's going to be great. Wave jumping for days. Closed cell vinyl foam (5# density) and carbon construction - with brass threaded inserts and stainless hardware. Replacing the wood pieces on the left. Second update: Hydro foiling Moth wing bar patches. For those that don't know, I sail a high performance foiling dingy called a Moth. It's an 11' carbon sailboat that can go 40mph, if you have the skill, and stones, for that craziness. When you rig the boat it must be capsized, of flipped on its side, for at least part of the process. Given most beach settings, and the topography, this can lead to wear - or grinding - of the carbon, which can lead to failure. Kevlar is used specifically for its resistance to abrasion. It's hilariously infuriating to work with. Just try cutting the stuff! ...So I made some Kevlar patches for the Moth. Now you can drag the boat along the rocks all you want. And those wrinkles you're seeing, that's not bunching - that's just veins; cause it's so strong. Third update: Off grid tiny house. 210 sq ft. Radiant heat concrete slab/tile floor. 12v solar system. Propane run appliances, and on demand water heater. Wood stove. Composting toilet. Greywater treatment/irrigation 420 gallons of water supply which will be hauled in, with rain catchment to supplement. Attached carport (with Datsun sized block of course) The cylinder in the house represents a metal spiral staircase - paying homage to my childhood Lighthouse home - leading to a sleeping loft above the bathroom. It's going to be a really fun project. And it will be perfect timing as there isn't too much more the car needs at this point.. I'm hoping to attain the permits with enough time left to break ground with the upcoming thaw. So lots and lots and lots going on. But somewhere in the mix, I assure you the Datsun is getting worked on or, at least, thought about constructively That brings us up to date....I guess?

:hail: "We're not worthy. We're not worthy."

Make a set of long stalk fender mirrors. That's on my "to build" list, but I don't know if I want to develop another carbon part.

Ha, perhaps that may happen. Thanks for the support everyone. The gauge pod "works" but it is hard as hell to make, the way I have designed. If I can come up with an easier process to make it, I will. Thanks I've been neglecting my duties.......the melted snow has inspired me to work on getting all my boats ready for the water. I did make a video showing the process of making a set of the clamshells. I actually have a friend's whaler in my garage at the moment, and he is planning to work today - so that means I'll have company to keep me motivated on the car. Guess it's time to jump back in.

Haha, and I keep telling myself, "This is the LAST thing you're making". I'm basically one set of usable door sills away from reassembly/normal car stuff again. Hooray for that. More like the Clown Prince of Carbon, if you ask me. Here's a boring 10 minute video. Trying to bring the project to date. Might be easier to follow than a wall of text.

After 4 days I found THIS sucker. Note to self: don't leave the unriveted VIN tag resting on the top of the dash frame, then proceed to carry the dash out to the truck, only to realize your mistake a day and a half later. Whooops! Phew! Door sill mold. It actually failed, so that will be remade - but I wanted to test the geometry. So I made a quick prototype. Just sitting there. On the final versions, the "Datsun" will most likely be highlighted, in either Silver, Gray, or Black. In regards to the actual car....I've been busy organizing wiring. I'm nowhere near done, but I got burnt out enough that I decided to mock everything together, cause...yeah. When you're overwhelmed with work, make more work for yourself - I always say. Despite my horrible pictures, as per usual, this has motivated me enough to head out there today. We'll see how that goes.

Couple small packages today. GPS interface for the new electric speedometer. And the first component to improving the fuel feed to the pump. More on that later.. Not much to report elsewhere, except that I have begun organizing the dash harness, once that is done the dash can actually be installed. But I must not get ahead of myself here. Lots of tiny odds and ends to take care of first.