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HybridZ

nick-james

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Everything posted by nick-james

  1. Frame rails are on... Using the old crusty, rusty master cylinder to mock up some brake lines... Undercoated the interior. Whew...the 3m spray stuff really requires some good ventilation. I started getting dizzy.
  2. Started to apply some POR15. If you've never used the stuff, its amazing. The only thing its sticks to better than metal is skin. I managed to kick over a can of the stuff and spill about $50 of it all over the floor. It still pisses me off that I managed to do that. New frame rails should be here soon, then its time to rotate the car so we can weld and coat the underside of the car. Still pondering if a stock ls1 would suffice or if I should go big and do something wacky like a supercharged ls2 etc...
  3. I got the "itch" to start wrenching on a new project. I had a lot of fun with previous truck project (4g63 swap into a mighty max)but this time around I wanted a platform that would be good at all things, not just going straight, and looking good while doing it. I'm a Z guy at heard and currently have a 04' 350z track as a dd. I like the car but there is something special about the older s30's...something a bit more pure and honest. Maybe its the lack of all the airbags and safety equipment lol. I was inspired to start digging into what the aftermarket had to offer for the S30 chassis (240z, 260z, 280z). I liked what I saw so I figured I would go pick one up. My goal for the car is a complete frame-up restoration with a v8 engine swap. Nice paint, wheels, new interior...the works, just enough to make for a nice street car not necessarily a race car. I'm likely to get flamed for not putting in a 2jz, 4g or rb motor but really, in my mind a proper v8 just seems to fit the car's "personality" really well. I love turbo motors but there is something about the instant torque of a big v8 that could be really nice in a light little car. So, on with the project: Found this in a field, bought it for $50. It's a 1976 280z. Talking to some people doing this same swap, they prefer the 280z chassis. As most people on here know, datsun made these cars out of very thing gauge sheet metal with the original 240 being the thinnest (and lightest). The problem was they car would flex like a noodle with a 400hp v8 under the hood (or so I've been told). The major problem with cars or this vintage, they all have some rust. I was almost going to pick up a bmw 2002 but there would have been nothing left after it got sandblasted. the car litterally fell apart in my hands The Z I found is a better looking car with more potential anyways. There is some light rust on this particular Z but nothing like the old bmw I looked at. It's to be expected and really doesn’t bother me too much. 99% is just surface rust. There are minor areas that will have to be cut out (rocker panel and below the battery) Getting it home... Pretty gross...(I'll call this the before picture) Starting to strip it out... Taking the engine out... Taking out the rear suspension...(sorry for the overexposure) Stripped it completely down and put it up on a rotisserie. Scraping all the undercoating is not fun but is necessary. Next step was to take it to the sandblaster so I can see exactly what needs to be done to patch up the rusty parts. I managed to scrap myself with a piece of sharp metal which turned into a hideous staph infection. Taking it to the sandblasters...the gray mighty max is my turbo truck. There is something really satisfying about using an old project to help out the new one. It would have towed the trailer probably better than the jeep except I don't have a tow hitch Off to the sandblasters finally! Sandblasting is done. No big surprises... You can see the section of firewall near where the battery sat that I cut out. There are a few other rust spots that I cut out but all of them are easy to patch since they are all flat surfaces. Started to paint some small things: cross member, roll bar, steering rack. Ill powder coat some stuff eventually. I took a look at the steering rack. I love how simple manual racks are. The whole thing weighs maybe 15 pounds. It goes with the theme of the car I guess. It has ZERO play. Even the smallest twist of the shaft pushed the tie rods. Im pretty happy about that. I greased the rack with some mulipurpose moly lube and called it good. I ordered new boots for the rack too. Patching it up etc... so here is the pic as of today, we just dropped it off at the shop so work can commence when all the patch pieces and sheet metal arrive. nothing to major showed its ugly face after the blasting was done so Horray!! So today work started on the rust repair and the stitch welding of the entire chassis.... so only a little update. Also, ordered some frame rail reinforcement...weld right over the stock one. Between the stitch welding, strut bars, and new frame rails, it should be a stiff SOB. More stitch welding etc...Waiting for the tubing notcher to get here to finish the X brace. That is where I'm at as off today. Feel free to chime in. Throw some critisism my way too, you won't hurt my feelings I've never done a project this detailed so I'm "winging" most of it. Thanks for looking!
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