V8_DatZun

I would like a side and an angled view of the front bumper if possible please

The way the rear quarters look is what i want to do to mine kind of... I was going to get replacement quarter panels and weld a 2" spacer between them and the stock quarters then blend back near original width at the very back of the car.. Glad to see this pic and get a little better idea of what it will look like if i do it.

anyone have a 280zx brake booster and master cylinder that you know are in working order you want to get rid of?

They are a little long... I cut them this way so i wouldnt have to fab up more mounting out of wood though. Also it wont hurt them being long like that.

I worked on the dash 2 or 3 hours today. Not as long as i had hoped to get. I did however get the basic setup for the gauges, and get the side pieces mounted where i wanted them on the center piece. I'll be doing a little more work tomorrow, and I'll post the pics then. I'm ready to get this beast wrapped and glassed... Here are the pics.

I've got electric windows good info for anyone reading this that may want to do something like this though. And yes, im rolling automatic. Although my shifter will be set back about 2-3 inches from the original hole. If i decide to go manual one day, i still shouldn't have any problems. I just havent welded up that hole for the original shifter yet (thanks for reminding me). I'll be working on the dash most of the day tomorrow, and ill post more pics then. Thanks for the comments, and for the heads up on problems i may encounter. anything else just shoot it my way!

If you mean how im going to get the shape, actually im probably going to use stretchy fabric. Something thicker than pantyhose, that will stretch to the contours. Then brush the resin into it, let it harden, then glass away!

Most of it is just temp bracing that will be cut out once the dash is completed. The center section will almost all stay however. This doesnt weigh an awful lot. All of the 2x2"s running across the dash will be removed, and any other wood that can be cut out. Also, I have a 383 stroker... LoL not too worried about it slowing the car down even if it does weigh a few pounds more than stock (keep in mind the stock had a good bit of metal bracing, etc that weighs alot also)

Worked on it a few hours today. Here are some new shots. Dash with center piece installed, and DVD mounting installed. See the piece beside the center that is angled the same as the center? That is pretty much even with the side of the dash. All of this will be rounded, then from that piece it will come out about 2" or so to the center piece at an angle. Hard to explain, but when i stretch the fabric you'll see. (forgot to mention that piece is just laying there temp braced so you can see what i was trying to explain.)

I was trying to figure out what you meant by stick out so far, but i see how the pic makes it look that way. See how far the sides stick out that are by the doors? It is going to stick out that same distance all the way up to the center piece. That center piece is only about 2 inches bigger than the sides of the dash are. This is so that it will stand out from the rest of the dash. I am going to mount DVD, and oil, temp, and volt gauges at the top of this center piece. I've got a little more work done to it today, and ill post some pics up for you guys.

It's been forever since i posted. I've got about 8-9 hours worth of actual work in what i've got so far. The biggest problem is trying to figure out how to keep everything symmetrical, and in line starting from nothing but THIS. Here is whats left of the original dash installed in the car. Wise man say never use hammer near glass.... unfortunately I didn't hear wise man until AFTER the fact... A few pics of the basic frame installed in the car... And Here is what i got done today... The center part of the dashboard cut out, but not completed. I also framed up portion for double din DVD player/screen, but do not have pics of this yet. Also, this center piece is not installed yet, as i did not center it up or measure everything yet. I plan on working on it a few hours tomorrow before work. Sad thing is when you've only got a few hours to work on it, by the time you get tools out and get started on it good its time to clean up. I'll post progress as it comes along. Any questions feel free to ask.

it doesnt have a gas tip.. and it has flux cored wire so i ASSUME he was using it w/o gas at the time. although the gas connection in back does have a bit of clear tubing still attached to it as if it was just cut. thanks for the tips guys! i dont have any more welding to do at the moment but i plan on getting up some scraps and doing some more practice welds. ill post the pics when i do for some tips and hints.

Sorry i never signed in on this. I've had my 83 280zx since August 2004. Started tearing it down about 2 years ago, money got a little tight. It has a 383 stroker SBC with 700r4 tranny. Got a few pics of things i've done but not really as many as i should have. Here it is the day i bought it. http://i413.photobucket.com/albums/pp212/turb022/ZXBuild/280z001.jpg Here it is with the rolled engine bay http://i413.photobucket.com/albums/pp212/turb022/ZXBuild/rolledenginebay.jpg 1977 280z dash retro-fitted... not going to keep. going to make a custom http://i413.photobucket.com/albums/pp212/turb022/ZXBuild/zdashinzx.jpg And here is a photoshop that i believe Mikelly did a while back by my request of I THINK DavidK's car... Anywho this is what i want my ZX to look like in the end. Possibly a dark lime green color tho. http://i413.photobucket.com/albums/pp212/turb022/ZXBuild/ZxMorphIntoNewCar_10.gif I've still got alot of work to do to it.. About to tear the engine and tranny back out and do the widebody and some other mods. I'll post more as it happens

Well it is a 600-800 dollar welder and i got it for 275.. Couldnt pass it up. Sure its used but Im sure it should work for the thin stuff, and probably even some of the thicker stuff.. I bought it with intentions of reselling it (or keeping it for thin jobs). When i need to weld up to 1/4" (which i dont think i'll be doing) but i know what you mean I know its cheap, but i also bought it CHEAP lol. The control on the mig gun for the wire speed is an option i love, also the 20ft lead for the gun is GREAT. but yeah i plan on running gas.. I already have a regulator. Do you just go somewhere and rent the tank and gas and return it when you are out or what? Also another question. If i am welding small holes such as where the emblems were, what is the best way to weld them up? fill it in with weld then grind down? Thats what I did, I just have to grind it down now. Also what if it is Quarter sized hole? try and get a piece cut out to fill it in, then weld it up?

I have a solar powered auto darkening helmet.. cant remember the name brand, BUT it has a knob on the side numbered 10-7 i believe... could this be the lens darkness adjustment or do you have to buy different lens?

yeah wizardblack that was another problem.. I wasnt close enough to see exactly what was going on, and also once i started doing small circles with it the weld started looking alot nicer. With the tips you guys have gave me hopefully the welds can being easier to do with more quality... also it seems to help to have a bright light shining on what im working on inside the dim car. I can see what im doing with the weld alot better. Thanks again you guys. Oh yeah jeffer949 it has 4 settings. and i had no wind at all on me

Thanks guys. I cant really get a good bead going where i already have the little splatter, BUT I tried a few welds across my patch just to see and it worked ALOT better. I turned the heat up 2 notches (may be a little too hot) and turned the speed up JUST a little, then moved the gun faster across the metal and it did GREAT i actually got a few nice looking beads (I also learned how to patch a dime sized hole where it burnt through lmao) but i think I've got the idea now. Thanks for the help! ill post pics of the beads i ran across the patch tomorrow. Hybridz helps again

That sounds like my problem right there.... The wire does often touch the metal before melting, and I dont let a pool build up first. I will try that hopefully that is my problem. Are there any places where you can rent the cylinder and when you need a refill exchange it?

If I turn it up it burns a hole in the material. Maybe I just need to move faster. I've never welded before. I know its going to take a little while to get use to, and maybe that IS my problem im just not going fast enough and the welder isnt turned up high enough. Thanks for the replies any other info would be appreciated. Thanks for the tips wizardblack I'll try that in a few minutes. Also do i need to grind down what i have and try to reweld to ensure it holds? or try tapping it with a hammer to ensure it holds?

ahhh guess ill have to maybe put them on myspace... lmao thats the only other place i have web hosting...is photobucket free? EDIT here are the pics sorry about that... again any help appreciated. http://a910.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/106/l_1c046025c457538a8b9821a3d3d2a2e5.jpg http://a964.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/93/l_a605e422f9afd0a82cef9146a1ebbaab.jpg http://a955.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/128/l_90cc6e9de3910de93b2c2dbc114d8e72.jpg http://a309.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/75/l_e9fe6d7525f4489252cef9a191c94f84.jpg

Im new to welding and just attempted a few test welds. For some reason I cannot get my settings correct. I get alot of little splatter welds, and can not get a good bead started. I know practice makes perfect, but a few hints never hurt eiter any help you guys can provide is appreciated! Here are a few pics when I welded in my patch to the transmission tunnel shifter hole. Its strong, but as you can see alot of splatter. The welder is a clarke hot shot mig, no shielding gas but flux wire .035". http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture003.jpg http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture005.jpg http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture007.jpg http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture008.jpg

lmao looks weird to see seats in a z... i havent had any in mine for about a year now.... is that when you know you've been bit by the "while im at it bug"?

ah ok. havent fooled with any of the suspension yet... still working on body etc... post more pics if you get time. looking good so far!

thanks for posting the pics! i too soon will be doing this in my 280zx. is there any simple way to remove all this in one or two big sections instead of unbolting every individual piece? that way you can kind of keep it all together? also mocked up how you have it.. can it be installed pretty much just like that onto the car? or will you have to disassemble some of it to get it in

i plan on doing ALOT of my interior in fiberglass... i have VERY little experience with it but there are A LOT of threads on here that have great information about fiberglass... i dont think it would be very difficult... should actually be something great to start out on...