rturbo 930

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic08i01a/50-2050

Yeah that's definitely too low. Looks like the flare lip is actually lower than the fender lip - a good indication that the flares are too low.

Yeah, I'd look into getting it blasted or dipped.

I believe I saw the ITBs from this build for sale recently, so, I'd say probably not.

If you only want to run a finned diff cover, why not just have a new piece made? No need to replace anything but the piece getting in the way.

No seat belt reel? Doesn't look like it even has a pocket for it. My '76 has dual reels, and so does my '78. Interesting. If I could get my hands on whatever belts the late euro cars had, that would make my life a lot easier.

For the reasons I stated earlier, you're going to have to re-engineer your seat belts regardless since your main hoop is going where the lower seat belt pockets are, and I don't see how they can both possibly occupy the same space. My plan was to do what you show in the picture above there - mount the bars to the front of the strut tower where the strut bolts in - unless there's something I don't know, I can't imagine that would be much worse than having it on the top of the tower. Interested to see what you do, since I'm facing the same problems.

I'd put the pad you're gonna use on the frame you're gonna use, and restore it. Less risk of screwing it up after you fix it. I don't know if it has the structural integrity to withstand being repaired off the frame. Here's one guide: https://zcarguide.com/repair-dashboard-datsun-z/ And another: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/22325-dash-repair-processpictures/ There's also this, but I don't know if they have early dash pads available yet. Some guys on CZC were saying in the discussion thread over there that their restored dashes had cracked again. I guess the material that hadn't cracked yet is so brittle that even after you fix it it's still prone to cracking. Food for thought.

I think you'll be okay with the wiring. There might be a few that you'll need to look up, but I think most of the connectors only go one way, at least from what I remember. Without looking, I'm 99% sure you gotta remove the gauges. Not really a big deal honestly. And yes they are tapered. It sounds like you're trying to save time and effort by cutting corners - the dash is not that hard to take apart, I'd suggest you just do what needs to be done.

His car is a series one, and yours is a non-US '78 260Z, so you should expect a bit more weight, all else equal. I read a post from John C once saying that an early 280Z chassis was 100lbs heavier than a late 240Z, and a late 280Z was 300lbs heavier than an early 240Z. Seems like a big difference for just a chassis (I believe that was the context) but that's the only info I've ever found. I have a '76 chassis and an early 71 chassis, and I'm hoping I can weigh the two while stripped down and compare. I don't know how the non US late models compare to the US models.

I could be wrong here, but I think the idea is to sort of triangulate from the floor, to the roof, to the rear strut towers. Yeah, I'm by no means an expert, but I think your thoughts there are about right. Easy for to say since I don't have to pay for the replacement, but I think I'd toss it and get a proper one welded in by a good shop.

Yeah, I'm looking at your rear bars, it looks like the mount somewhere in the trunk? I'm also looking at where your main hoop mounts. It's hard to see, but it looks like it could go back a little more, is that right? I'm also thinking it could be leaned back a bit. My plan was to put it pretty tight up to the wheel wells, leaving just enough to get the thing welded, and also put vinyl on the wheel wells - maybe an inch or so out. Though, I'd also consider cutting the wheel wells, and running the bar into them. If I do a bar, I'll likely do it to SCCA rules, so I'll have to double check to make sure this is all in line with their rules. My car is going to be primarily a street car, so it's important that the roll bar doesn't get in the way of that.

I take it you plan to run 3pt seat belts on the street? And I believe you have a '78, with seat belt reels on both the strut tower and on the floor, yes? If so, this is going to be harder than you think. If you want the roll bar for stiffness, mounting it on the wheel well isn't gonna do anything. Going from memory so I may not have the details right, but John C had the S30 chassis analyzed (I forget the method), and apparently found that the chassis flexes at the front and rear bulkheads "like a hinge." The solution to the front is the 3pt strut tower bar, as well as the bar going from top of rocker to upper chassis rail. Solution for the rear is a 4pt roll bar, and as mentioned, gusseting the bar to the roof helps as well. I'm not 100% sure what he's calling the rear bulkhead, but I think it's like the area about where the tool boxes are. So, the problem here, since you want 3pt seat belts, is that your main hoop needs to go right where your seat belt reel is. I'm planning on doing the same as you, and I think I might have a solution using a slightly modified belt from a newer BMW, but obviously haven't gotten to that point yet. Basically the reel bolts to the stock location on the strut tower, and rather than another reel, the lower belt anchor simply bolts to a location already on the car, like the 240Z seat belts do. Sounds sketchy, but I'm fairly certain it'll be safe. Custom seat belts are also an option.

Can you post a pic? I was planning on a 4pt roll bar for safety, stiffness, and as a place to mount harnesses, but this is giving me pause.

Sorry, but that's flat out incorrect. Both 240Z and 280Z dashes have the pads screwed to the frame.

The thing with the repaired car is that out of the people doing DIY backyard repairs, there is a wide range of ability to be observed - some of it very impressive, some of it scary. I can't really see the repairs in your pics, but I'd take a good look at the quality of the work that was done there. Also, how well were the parts labeled and organized? Are all the bolts in a big box, or were they put into bags and labeled? Still leaning toward the complete car. Having a running car is a great way of keeping your motivation up, too.

What condition are these cars in? What year are they? Given that you are 15, likely have little money, skills, etc. I'd probably get the first one, get it running and driving well, and focus on fixing all the things that have degraded over the years. Forget about the RB swap until you're older. Dealing with someone's project when you are totally unfamiliar with the platform is a pain.

Depends on the year. For a 240, it's almost nonexistent. 73-76 cars have a door beam added to the door, which is actually pretty beefy, it's about 10lbs worth of steel. 77-78 had the door jamb redesigned for side impact safety, and it's probably safer than you think. Not on the level of a new car, though, obviously.

No, it is not proof that there is no such thing as a series one car. No one has claimed that only series one Zs came with the vertical defroster rear window, it is well known that it was used in later series cars as well. I believe the cut off for vertical defroster was around 1/72. I've included a quote from zhome below. Additionally, is it not possible that the original window in one of your cars was broken, and was then replaced with a later window? As for the series one cars, people often make this way too complicated.There is no specific recipe as to what went into a series one car, since there were many changes throughout production. Series one cars are made of thinner sheet metal (I have personally measured and compared my series one chassis vs my 72 and 76 cars, later cars come in at ~1mm, series one car came in at ~0.9mm), hatch vents vs c pillar vents, and no integrated tool boxes. There are other series one specific parts as well, but not all parts used on series one cars are specific to series one cars - like the hatch glass. Also, for US market cars, all series one cars were built from start of production up until 1/71, with VINs under about 20600. Series two cars start at 21001.

Is this a weight weenie build, or more just for kicks? Just asking since you started with the worst year you possibly could lol. Are the doors for a '78, or are they for the earlier cars? Given how heavy '78 doors are, I bet you lost a good amount of weight there. Surprised you didn't go with carbon bumpers + aluminum brackets as well. If you're looking for some more weight to lose, I'd suggest taking out the impact bumper supports. I plan to do that on my '76 chassis. I have a series one chassis that I want to strip down and weigh to compare against my bare '76 as well. Let us know what the final weight is, I'm very curious.

I think out of the three, the hammer is the only worth while option. The floor material is fairly thin, so it doesn't bend that hard, but the bends it has are pretty sharp, some of which are bead rolls. If your floors and frame are in good shape, I'd actually just make up a sheet metal piece out of the same thickness to connect your current rails to the rear subframe. Not that I'm an expert, but I'm not really convinced that thicker metal is needed here, I think simply connecting the front to the back will be plenty. I think your roll bar is going to do far more for stiffness than the subframe will if done right. Look up John Coffey's suggestions for chassis reinforcement on a street car.

Unlike 240Z replacement floors, the 280Z replacement floors I've seen are almost nothing like the originals. If you looks at the subframe connectors bad dog sells, the 240Z rail is flat, and has a flange, the 280Z rail has no flange, and is contoured to mate to the floor. There's a handful of bead rolls that do go over the frame rails, as well as a couple steps, curves, what have you. As for stainless, I've seen lots of people suggest stainless for various things, and based on what I know about stainless (not a whole lot), I'd say stainless is sometimes used inappropriately, ie. stainless bolt kits. Stainless isn't just steel that doesn't rust. It has different properties that make it inferior to steel in certain applications. I agree with seattlejester, leaving the ends open isn't a good idea. They're basically just dead weight if they're not connected to anything, and totally overkill for stiffening the floor. Honestly, I didn't even know you could weld stainless to mild, I thought you had to braze it.

I'm not sure how much stitch welding your bumper or tow hook mounts helps chassis rigidity

I think this is it. As it happens, your post jogged my memory, and I realized that I had seen it before, and that I also had it bookmarked. http://www.motortopia.com/cars/1973-datsun-240z-11118/car-pictures/240sx-transmission-swap-14041

Was it Nigel? Seems like he'd be the type to do that, and he lives in Canada.