ZROSSA

RC, Not really planing to seam weld anything. I really dont want to take this car that far apart. The interior is mostly out and I will pull the engine out soon as well to tidy up the engine bay. I was really thinking about things like welding plates where there is known movement. Discreate kind of things that wont actract the attension of the M.O.T. Douglas

Well I pulled the spring set of. It looks like the options are to melt all the rubber out and cut and weld up the isolater to work like a non adjustable camberplate or I could try to make some camberplates. I dont have a mill or lathe, Or a drill press for that mater. I do have welding gear though. Kind of answers my own question really, doesnt it? Douglas

Jon, Prevoius owner shaged things about a bit, lowered the front but not the rear. I am really just trying to find a way to get rid of the isolater without machining up new parts. I can cut things and weld them back. Just wondering if any one has done it before. Cheers Douglas

Howdy, I pulled the rear strut out yesterday. I have a diference of 60mm between the front and rear ride hight in my 260. I am tring to get the rear lower without puting in new springs. If I could get rid of the rubber in the rear strut isolater I would be in the ball park, But..... It apears to be atatched to the top of the spring seat. What do you guys running camber plates do? Mill of the top from the spring seat, or are they two peices and mine has fussed together over time? Cheers Douglas

Thanks for moving the post. Must have been asleep when I posted it. So, anyone have any ideas. Douglas

Howdy all, I finally have the z on jack stands and in the enclosed part of my shed. I have been fixing up the odd rust spot and thought that "while I am at it" I would weld up some bracing plates as well. In one of the how to race your datsun books I used to have, they had photos that showed where to put the additional bracing. I gave this book away years ago and dont seem to be able to find one locally. I am not talking about roll cages or new chassis rails. Does any one out there have some photo's, links or sugestions on where addition bracing is required. This is a road car so I really dont want things intruding into the cotpit that I cant cover with carpet. I am also still considering in strenthening the trans tunnel so it works like a back bone. So, Any ideas? Cheers Douglas P.S. Dont know why I put this here. I thought I was in the chassis section. Can a mod move It, please.

The Toyota Supra 5 speed is another option. You can get close ratio's and higher overdrive ones if you look around. They are rated to 400 lbs of torque. Cheep to. Douglas

Richard, Your car has the fj20, right? I would asume that you have a rear weight bias. This would mean that your actual wheel rates would still be different front to rear. I think John is working on a car with 50/50 weight distribution. You would also have to have a car with the same unsprung weight on the front and rear. Douglas

I thought the duretec was designed in europe? Anyway, if its the one in the mazda 6 why not do the 2.4lt? Douglas

You are a sucker for punishmet , Terry. The car is looking better and better. You are very right in saying its not easy to get it right the first time when starting from scratch. Originally I thought ot the first gen z as a sleek and "rounded" style. After may beers and a few late nights looking at it, I came to the realisation that it looks swoopy but a lot of the shape is derived from hard edges, In particular the main one that runs along the side of the length of the car. This makes blending a rear spoiler in really difficult if you want to make it look like its suposed to be there. I have gone for a little different approach but then mines a 2+2 and I wanted to lenghthen the car visually to draw attension away from the hocky stick roof line and be funtional. Must go and do some work on it. Havent touched it for months. Good work, you are a inspiration! Douglas

I was at a paved hill climb last weekend that had a lot of classic cars. One was a tiny motercycle twin engine with rotary valves. Pre ww2. It sounded really cool and seemed to have a lot of torque for what it was. Douglas

There is a article on them in the August 2003 issue of GRM. There is a add at the end of the article for a co. called GT source. Phone 1-800-673-5487 it might pay to give them a call and see what they say. The one you looked at was probable a 1.9lt. looks like a lot of neat things there for sale. It looks like its the same block that lotus used to make there engines. hummm, 2.4lt four valve twim side draft run about for ones children. Douglas

Jon, I have heard a few horror stories reguarding the handeling as well. My father in law said he blew one away in his blazer and that after driving one he could understand why. Another old freind of mine who worked in the states in the seventies told many stories of ill handeling panteras. I hope they sorted it out in the later years. This guy was/is really talented. He has made over 70 cars from scratch. Best one i saw was a some BMW M1 repicas with chevy small block power. Hand beaten ali in a steel space frame. They were just over 2000 lbs and were eventually baned from the classic car races becuase the ferraris and Porches were compleatly thrashed. Kind of what the pantera should have been. Douglas

Macks, Have a talk to some of the local rally guys. There cars have to be used on public road between stages. Some of these cars have pretty impresive cages. You could also use the trans tunnel as a structural member. Do the strut triangulation like John said and then run tube from the inside of the fire wall along the trans tunnel and then back up to a rear strut brace. Kind of like a TVR chassis, or maybe the center section of a lotus 7 type trans tunnel. Not the stiffest structure known to man but can it can be hiden under carpets and things and should go a long way to stoping the chassis flex. I really think this is a better solutin then the beams underneath. You could use really light tube and triangulate it the whole way along. Lots of fun with the welder. Douglas

Terry, You dont have falcons. They used to be similar to the U.S. falcons back in the sixtys but the aussie one has been developed locally. It shares no common components with any U.S. cars except for the engine. They use a locally modified version of the 250 six ( twin cam head) and have just started putting in themodular V8. Douglas

It might be time to find flares of any car that will cover the wheels and them cut them about to fit. I would look at some series 1 rx7 kits or mabye some group one flares of a mk1 escort. In N.Z. these things can be found pretty cheeply and then be made to fit. I have never looked into it, but I would guess that there are hundreds available in the states to choose from. Douglas

260z, Not fussed about the harsness. Its a sunday only car. If it ever gets out of the shed. I keep finding more rust. Anyway, if you are keen to make a another set of plates can you let me know what they will cost so I know how much food to take away from the children. Cheers Douglas

Hey 260zman! Do you want to make a extra set of camber plates? Rear ones only for now. I want to replace the whole rubber assembly back there to lower the car. The car was originally set up with the rear 60mm higher then the front. Not the look I was after. Cheers Douglas (Hawkes Bay)

Fred Phun's (sp) book was a good read. It was the first book I bougt on handeling, many years ago. I havent read the other one. Carol smiths book were also really good. Read Puhn's one first though. Douglas

I am surprized at how close a fit it is. Looks as though we were thinking along similar lines... http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=1205 The photo is pretty rough but a hell of a lot of sanding has been done since. Should have a fiberglass guy showing up this weekend to help out making a mold. We will see............ Douglas

Will do Scott. They will come to you as I get them. I wouldnt have the faintest idea how to post them here unless I put then in the members photo place. I have managed that before. Computers are not my freind. Douglas

Thanks JB. That would be cool. I was mentally stuck on modifying the exsisting brackets. Of coarse I dont need to use them at all. Douglas

Well done! You seemed to have fixed that in good time. I was looking at your pics. You must have modified hings on the hood. Any Idea how it was done. I need to do something somilar to make my hood work. Cheers Douglas

Nice wheels. Very nice wheels. I sent a e-mail to the old boy. I havent had a reply from him yet. Sorry. He is a bit like that. Bloody hard to track down. I will let you know If I hear anything Douglas

The aussies love to put in The 1ggte in them. 2.0 lt twin turbo straight six. It fits. What engine is in there now 2t/3t or 18r. If its the 18r any engine will fell like a emprovement. sorry just noticed the photo. 18rg, thaose must be pretty rare in the states. 140hp stock. Keep in mind that these cars are similar in weight to the early 240z so if you want it fast you will still need 250 hp. The 4.0 lt lexas motor is starting to sell very cheep here used. I was told of them selling for $400 nzd by some of the jet boat boys the other day. I kind of changed my mind about them when i saw one crap all over the sbc jet boat i was in. Douglas