[Daily Driver Stripped Interior]

I stripped the entire interior except for seats/dash/center console out of a '95 Integra GSR I had awhile back that had every kind of suspension and bolt-on chassis modification done except a full roll cage and had an AEM Intake/JDM ITR 4-1 header/Apex'i Exhaust...the car was loud but not rice-boy fartcan style, just throaty...it got REAL F'IN LOUD with no interior.

 

I lasted for about a week...I hated every second of it. Rattles and chassis squeaks that were annoying before were mind-numbingly loud and hearing every single piece of gravel thrown off my Yokohama AVS Intermediates into the wheelwells drove me crazy.

 

A Z would probably be different because it doesn't have as much sound deadening or interior comforts to begin with anyway and the chassis isn't as stiff so it probably wouldn't be as bad.

[Can I apply body filler to sanded paint? Or can I only apply to bare metal?]

Prime before you apply the body filler to help with better moisture resistance.

[What are your favorite Japanese Car Culture blogs?]

Here are some I try to check out at least once a week...not including the ones you already mentioned:

 

The Real JDM - http://www.bespokeventures.com/blog/

Japanese Nostalgic Car - http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/blog/

Motor Mavens - http://www.motormavens.com/

Noriyaro - http://noriyaro.com/

Build Threads - http://www.build-threads.com/

JDM Ego - http://fatlace.com/jdmego/

Beyond the Dyno - http://www.motoiq.com/columns/beyond_the_dyno.aspx

J-Type - http://jtype.net/j/

JDM Legends - http://www.jdmlegends.com/blog/

Retro Classics - http://blog.retro-classics.co.nz/

Al's Car Stuff - http://alscarstuff.wordpress.com/

Hakosuka - http://www.hakosukagtr.blogspot.com/

Datnut - http://datnut.dfrag.com.au/

Beeoneoneoh - http://beeoneoneoh.wordpress.com/

Rat-Dat - http://www.ratdat.com/

Clunkbucket - http://clunkbucket.com/

Giant in the mental - http://giantinthemental.blogspot.com/

JDMwhat - http://www.jdmwhat.com/blog/

Stayfresh - http://fatlace.com/stayfresh/mark/

 

 

Z-related blogs:

 

Dsalni - http://dsalni.wordpress.com/

Kyusha Kai - http://kyushakai.wordpress.com/

Oh, you speak english? - http://yuta-akaishi.blogspot.com/

Henry's S12 200sx build - http://jumbosandbox.blogspot.com/

Mark Rolston's blog - http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-car.html

Crazy Octopus - http://crazyoctopi.blogspot.com/

Z Car Garage - http://www.zcarblog.com/

Rocky Auto Blog - http://www.rockyauto.co.jp/blog

 

Hope thats enough for you guys

[wheel bearing question..]

what is the torque spec for the new bearing.

 

Front or Rear?

[coilover questions]

I'm sure there is a generic threaded collar you could get. Just measure your strut tubes outside diameter and look around on circle-track or nascar style racing websites for the threaded collars for cheap, I think QA1 or Carrera or someone makes some cheap.

[86 and 87 Volvo 240DL wagons.]

I love my 850 T-5R...it gives me small issues every now and then. Since it has 159,000 miles I've had to replace things like all the vacuum hoses, radiator, heater hoses, alternator, brake calipers, shocks/struts and stuff but thats because of age and normal wear/tear. Its the first Volvo I've owned and I bought it for $3000 with 133,000 miles on it in average condition and its a good car...just wish it was RWD and the previous owner had taken better care of the paint.

[Anyone tried 17x9,5 offset -19 with flares without cutting the fenders?]

Falken Azenis 275/40/17

[How much grease to put in rear hubs?]

I just liberally put grease in there, figured it can't hurt to have a little extra. With Redline CV/wheel bearing grease and brand new NOS Nissan rear bearings...the hubs feel incredibly smooth.

[R200 cover gasket]

I just bought one from a 240sx from the local auto parts store.

[What Dash Is In This S30]

Thats the Z from sr240z.com: http://www.sr240z.com/sr240z/sr240z.htm I love the look and execution of that car.

[Anyone tried 17x9,5 offset -19 with flares without cutting the fenders?]

I just don't see that happening.

[ARP head stud installation questions]

Those instructions are the worst. For spending over $120 for some damn bolts, you'd think you would get some better instructions.

[I need suspension advice.]

Just get a set of Eibachs or other springs. Don't cut the springs, thats just not the proper way of doing anything.

[L28 Flywheel and Clutch Interchange]

Slightly stale thread, but it seems to be worth reviving. So I'm assuming Z32 flywheels don't bolt up to the L6? Otherwise it seems more people would be doing that. Truly a shame, because XTD has some nice inexpensive chromoly flywheel/clutch packages.

 

I would avoid XTD clutches like the plague. Don't believe me? Google them and look at the reviews.

[Coilovers - Techno Toy vs. MSA]

There is always Modern Motorsports & Ground Control also. You can get Ground Control camber plates as well. I have the Modern Motorsports coilovers with Ground Control camber plates which many think are a slightly better design than the all the other weld-in kits for this car (Arizona Z, TTT, etc.)

[240Z Chassis prep / reinforcements]

Any pics?

 

Only this crappy camera phone one. The rear stock mounts are still there, strengthened by seam welding them to the floor and we put a 1" wide x 1/4" thick flat stock bar across them welded & bolted to the stock mounts. You can kinda see the spreader plate on the tunnel of the front seat mount.

 

The rear flat bar is not welded and finished in this picture and the overhang area was trimmed off before welding. The rear mounts had to have the bar so that we could mount the seats inboard enough to clear the door since the Sparco seats we are running are 23.8" wide at the widest.

 

Edit: You can also see my frankenstein floor patches where the stock front mount is, reused most of the stock floors because there was only a few rust areas. They aren't restoration quality but they are in there very solid and have Bad Dogs underneath.

[Need new rear tail panel-motorsport on backorder]

This place in Australia has them for sale under "Rust Panel Sills" https://rsp-secure.com/rarespares/default.asp?car_type=34A&model=DATSUN%20240Z%20260Z ...they are $121 Australian dollars which is about $110 USD.

[240Z Chassis prep / reinforcements]

I just did tubular seat mounts with some DOM and 1/8" thick spreader plates that I cut holes into for the DOM to fit perfectly into on the ends, and man are they SOLID! Welded the spreader plates to the car and then the DOM to the spreader plates. Soooo much better than the stock seat mounts.

[Brake rotor brands and quality]

Why not get some from Silver Mine motors or Modern Motorsports? They'll sell you the rotors separate of the whole kit. The ones I ordered for the front from Silver Mine are nice. The rears I got from Modern Motorsports and they are Brembos.

[How much did paint cost you?]

Usually to have a car bead blasted its going to cost between $700-$1200. Rust repair, who can even say...it takes A LOT of time.

 

I just got a quote from my auto-body supply place for paint, Dupont Nason in black (non-metallic). 1 Gallon of Primer, 2 qts of paint & 2 qts of basemaker, 2 qts of activator, 1 gallon of Clearcoat...final price is $423 with tax.

 

I also have bought 2 qts of self-etching primer, Rage Extreme body filler, body glaze, seam-sealer, guidecoat and various sandpaper. Lets say total I've spent for body supplies alone including the $423...to be a little less than $700. You could do it cheaper or more expensive for a better line of paint.

 

I've been trying to go somewhere between show-car finish and maaco paint job since I'll be tracking the car and driving it on the street to shows/meets.

[Replica Seats at a great price . . but will they fit?]

I have a Sparco Pro 2000 and a Sparco Corsa in my Z...they are listed as 23.4" and 23.8" wide at the wings...they JUST fit in the car and don't rub the door. I haven't tried fitment with the interior door panel on yet, though I don't see why that would be much of an issue as the door panels are so thin.

 

I mounted both of them as close to the transmission tunnel as possible without making the seating position skewed or getting to the pedals awkward.

[Aluminum Radiators]

These aluminum radiators should have rubber insulators between them and the radiator support/where you mount them if you are using them on the street or for long-term use.

[Found Clutch kits for $92]

Not bad, Zoom makes some decent clutches.

[Yonaka seats?]

They look like integra Type R recaro's. Just more expensive. You could get a clean pair of type R recaro seats for one of those. Although I'm not sure about the size of the recaro's.

 

You can't get a pair of original JDM ITR Recaro's for under $750...no way. Maybe some crappy chinese knockoffs, but not OEM Honda. When I had my Integra GSR many years ago, I was dying for a set of those and they were selling for like $2,000-$3,000 and they are probably even more rare now.

[Replacing front fenders.]

Blackdragon fenders suck, fitment is poor at best.

 

I agree with that. I got an aftermarket replacement drivers side fender from a guy on craigslist for $50. It fit so poorly and just doesn't have the same contours as the OEM ones that I ended up cutting and fixing the stock one with the Tabco lower repair panel I had sitting around.