78280z

Evan, thanks for the advice, but please forgive me because I think I didn't go into enough detail when describing the panel's current condition. The dent is in a section of the panel that has already been patched and patched poorly at that (saw the crappy weld seams through the speakerhole from the interior). So, pulling the dent would be nice, but I don't think it's possible.

I guess at this point I am looking for an intact passenger rear quarter panel for a 78 280z if anyone has some body panels. Thanks for the encouragement TeamNissan. I'm from upstate NY. After looking at your project, I am wondering how much por-15 you used during your resto?

I have basically no experience with bodywork, so I need some advice on what to do about some repairs on my 280z. The passenger rear quarter panel has a 1/2" deep dent in it that is rusted. The approximate affected area is shown by the circled section in the picture below. (Picture borrowed from azizaz...I hope he doesn't mind that I use a pic of his beautiful car...) My plan of action for fixing this was to obtain an intact quarter panel, cut the dent/rust out of the existing panel and weld in the intact one. Does this sound like the best course of action? Also, there is a rust-through hole on the hood of the z where the emblem used to be. I figured that I could again cut out the rusty area, but this time use a piece of metal sheet (since this section is not contoured) to weld in. Does this sound feasible as well? Thanks for your time and thanks in advance for your advice!

Have a look around on http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/ and http://www.rs25.com/forums/, there are tons of people who rattlecan winter wheels on their subies.

Upstate NY. But, the Z will be a garage queen in the winter since I have an AWD Subie for fun in the snow. I think I'll go with Zero Rust though, I just can't afford the others.

Has anyone used POR-15, Rust Bullet, and Zero Rust and compared how well they work? I am in the process of restoring my 78 280z and Zero Rust's low price tag is lookin good considering my student budget.

I tried the dry ice method and it worked great for the deadening on the tranny tunnel but doesn't help for the deadening on the driver and passenger floorpans. Again, I think it's because theres some sort of insulating material mixed in with the adhesive. I might have to try out the heat gun method.

Thanks for all of the great input. On a related note, I got all of the sound deadening chipped away with the exception of the sound deadening on the driver and passenger floorpans. This deadening seems to be composed of some kind of insulating material mixed with tar and cannot be chipped off like the deadening on the tranny tunnel or pulled off like the deadening on the firewall. Does anyone have any experience with how to get this type of deadening off? Thanks!

Did you rest them against anything or on anything to prevent damage?

I am currently in the process of stripping down my 280z for rust elimination and painting. So, I will have to bite the bullet and take out all glass to make sure I don't miss anything. I was just wondering what is the proper way to store a windsheild and all other glass for that matter. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Thanks for all of the great advice guys! I really appreciate it!

Haha. Thanks for the reply, I know what a PITA it is to get all of that junk off. The good news is that I have everything off except for the hatch strut on the passenger side and the trim piece on/above/behind the shock tower. I don't know how to get the hatch strut off since it seems that the bolts for it are welded to the bracket. Is there a way to get the bracket off?

I was going to remove the chassis wiring harness today so I could take it inside and troubleshoot it. However, I cannot get the part of the harness out that connects to the overhead lamp and the rear defroster (it runs from the passenger side up behind the passenger rear quarter panel and then runs along the roof where it connects to the rear defroster and the interior lamp). Is there some trick to getting this part out? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I have a 78 280z and I am currently stripping the interior to remove rust and repaint. I am looking for a relatively cheap but durable paint to use for the interior and underbody. I have searched and heard horror stories about bedliners and rubberized undercoating, so I am not interested in those. I was thinking about using some rustoleum, but I have some questions. If I do use rustoleum, what type should I use and should I prime the bare metal first? Also, how much should I expect to use? If anyone has any advice or suggestions of other products to use, please let me know. Thanks in advance for replies!

Is it absolutely necessary to remove windshield/windows and headliner when repairing rust and repainting?

Thanks for all the advice. I have been leaning towards ME for a while because of my interest in cars and other things mechanical. However, I also enjoy some aspects of CE. For example, I had an internship working primarily with ME's, but we worked on a project rehabilitating a waste treatment plant. I suppose though, that most of the work was ME since it involved pipe sizing, pump selections, etc. It is pretty much impossible to separate out what the actual definition of ME or CE or any engineering is since all engineers work on aspects of all fields of engineering. So, that makes choosing a specific field tough. But, I think I'm going to go with ME because of my interests and my experiences working with ME's. Anyway, thanks for all of the advice and wish me luck with all this homework...I know you all went through it haha. Thanks again!

I am currently a sophomore civil engineering major but I have been considering changing to mechanical engineering. I'm not sure what to do, and I have to make a decision soon since courses are starting to differ between the two programs. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Thanks for the advice. I should probably put some heat/sound deadening on the firewall and the tranny tunnel then. What brand and type of deadening would you recommend?

Is there any reason to keep the sound deadening / padding that is on the firewall ? I am completely stripping all other sound deadening from the car (it just adds weight and totally defeats the purpouse of a sportscar), and I dont see any reason for keeping the deadening on the firewall. Am I overlooking anything? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Thanks for all the input so far, I really appreciate it. I am also wondering about the injectors from the supras or rx7s. Do they require any modifications to work on an L28 or do they mate right up?

No one has any thoughts about this?

I am currently restoring a 78 280z and I want to revamp the suspension for lower ride height and good handling (for spirited street driving and the occasional autocross or open track day). I was looking to get the Tokico HP spring and strut setup from Beta Motorsports since its a great deal. Datsun 260/280Z HP Advanced Handling Suspension Kit (springs and HP shocks) HPK253 $347.00 However, I have read that some people are having problems with the Illumina setups. Do these same problems arise with the HP setups? Also, while I'm at it, should I look into swaybars to improve handling as well? Thanks in advance for any replies!

What about controlling boost? (Basically I want to be able to run and control everything using Megasquirt.)

I have a 78 280z that I am currently restoring. I want to make it quicker, so I am looking into the option of turboing the stock L28 (boost should work due to the L28's 8.3:1 CR and dished pistons). I know everyone says its easier to buy a complete L28ET and swap it in, but I don't have that option since there are no junkyards or donor cars anywhere near me. So, I will purchase the parts to do a conversion... 280zxt exhaust manifold 280zxt turbo with wastegate and downpipe 280zxt oil line to turbo and J-pipe 280zxt oil pan and oil pump pick up tube Megasquirt (???) cc injectors Intercooler I have a few questions about my plans before I start buying anything though. 1. Will Megasquirt alone be able to control my setup? 2. How much do these parts usually run for (assuming I cannot source them from a junkyard)? Thanks in advance for any replies.

Thanks for the quick reply. When reinstalling it after I'm done with the rust removal / paint, should I just use a spray adhesive?