Mdantonio

[/url] Calico offers cosmetic coatings as well, the kool chrome is not cosmetic its ceramic, provides the radiant heat reduction, and, I put it on stainless steel. The kool chrome finish resembles very closely polished aluminum IMHO.....it's very nice....the flat black calico ceramic coating is used alot on the exhaust on drag cars at the tracks in mooresville (NASCAR country) because its cool to the touch very quickly. All I can say is the calico coating reduced the heat in my Camaro and zcar substantially. I'm sure white lightening would work as well from the information on the site but personally I don't want flat white white headers and exhaust? Can it be colored?

Another option would be greyhound, a local lamborgini oem parts shop ships with greyhound and swears by it..said its very inexpensive and he ships larger awkward shaped fiberglass body panels...

If you went with calico I'd ship it ups ground. It's not alot to ship or coat in my opinion and the result is worth every penny, at least it's been for me. Call calico, they ship all the time and can probably price it for you...is there no one local that does ceramic coating?

Sorry it's been awhile I was one that had trouble logging in. Koolmat works better than anything referenced on this chain and I've used it all. It's hands down superior in every respect. It blocks up to 2000 degrees and its an incredible sound deadner. They have the 260 2+2 kit from my car. For coupes 240 etc I would order the 260 kit and simply take out the floor sections. The owners name is pat. If you tell her your going to fit the kit and send back the floor pieces that don't work she'll refund them. And, if there are pieces (I would guess will only be in the jump seat area) take newspaper and make a template, mail it to her and she'll complete a coupe kit. It will work and I guarantee you if you follow the install instructions you'll have no more heat issues in the car. By the way, along with NASCAR the US Military is buying kool mat installing it in the portable buildings and around electronics in the desert....it works. I've taken a torch to the stuff alongside a piece of metal with another torch, I got through the metal first.

Rebekah, I'd consider ceramic coating the entire exhaust you've welded all the way back including the headers, it will make a big difference in the temperature released from the exhaust all the way back. I'll share who I use and disclose I have no financial interest of any kind in this firm. http://www.calicocoatings.com/. They do alot of work for NASCAR teams especially exhaust. I've used kool chrome on my headers and the entire exhaust. Prevents rust and looks phenomenal (ill get pics this weekend) on my zcar. And, I've used flat black ceramic on my Camaro z28. They both look outstanding and made a big difference in lowering radiant heat and having it directed out the tail pipe. The kool chrom looks more like polished aluminum but cleans up with brake cleaner. Calico has some good images on their site. I will tell you that I went through two others until I found calico so if you go local make sure you visit the shop and see their work. If the place has alot dust sources and trash everywhere move on, it will end up in your finished product. Good luck and your doing a great job!

I think everyone will be excited to see the lenses and lens options....

To All: The pictures speak for themselves. The trim ring version you see here lays flat against the glass/plastic lens. On the oem trim ring the holes for the screws were pressed through and the depth of the turned down portion on the underside for the screw holes was the depth of the turned down lip that ran the length of the top and bottom edge of the oem trim ring. I suspect the oem rings were designed with the turned lip be ause they were pressed and made of cheaper thinner material that was chromed. . On the polished aluminum trim ring the screw holes are counter sunk into the face of the trim ring which allows for a very snug fit to the plastic lenses. Thats said, Since I've committed to having an oem match made I'm going to have the buck made for that oem trim match but I must tell you quite frankly next to the polished aluminum trim rings depicted the oem band (chromed) looks cheap and like something you'd pull off a Volkswagen. The oem trim ring really looks cheap as compared to the polished aluminum trim rings. Even with the buck, there is quite a bit of hand work including polishing so the fabricator is asking for 175.00 each trim ring plus shipping (shipping shouldn't be much) so 350/set. We anticipate the lenses will not add substantially to that cost. Take a look at the pics and share your thoughts. I may be able to get a discount for a run of 25 or more...I've attached side by side pictures with the oem trim ring to the right and the polished to the left. As with anything, the advances in technology allow for such an improvement I can't imagine anyone would want an oem replica but we will offer them...

I agree and there will be two versions for each headlight trim ring cover type. One OEM match with two tucked ridges and the non oem with one tucked ridge. By tucked ridge or lip I mean the upper and lower edge of the OEM trim ring that turned down. By flush against the headlight lens cover I mean the edge that would have turned down on the plastic lens on laying on the outside of the lens. I will take pics and have arrowws point to both......To go completely for an OEM look you would have to chrome the aluminum rings, I can get them chromed for those that really want that done but I personally am not a fan of chrome anything.

I just noticed that by reproduction lenses it appears you meant the ones currently offered through motorsports and the like? Is that correct? If that's what you meant I am confident these wont fit. The original lens covers went over the headlight bucket and the ones sold today via motorsports As depicted in your picture are snug to the edge of the headlight bucket cut out (originals sit over top of that edge yours are flush with). You'll need the new lenses and trim rings.

There will be oem versions with two trim ring options for the oem and aftermarket set (if we get an aftermarket donor set).

Not yet but this isn't a business model for me. I had access to the resources and could get it done one off but the set for continued prodiction wasn't that much more from the one off, well, relatively speaking. I'll have the cost of the trim rings by next week when I get the polished set. And, ill keep updating with regard to the buck for the plastic lenses and associated costs.

First to be sure you understand we are reproducing the trim rings and the lenses. As to the rings for the oem fitting the reproduction---Good question, I'm not sure. There are a few in this thread that have both the OEM and reproduction if I'm not mistaken. Can anyone answer that question? I'll post the polished finished versions next week, and, if you like them and they don't fit the reproduction lenses if you'll send the reproduction lenses I'll have bucks made for both. I've offered that early on in the thread and haven't had any takers. You'd get yours back and a set of the new ones made from the bucks.

I'm having them bevel and polish one and then match the other to oem. The snug looks 100pct better than oem in person in my opinion. Maybe we can add that as an option?

Question: I'n looking at the aluminum trim ring (not polished yet) I like the more flush look of the trim ring to the lens cover. It's a really clean line. I don't think I want to tuck the exposed lip like the underside is to hold the lens. It really hugs the lens nicely. What do you guys think?

[quote name=RB26powered74zcar" post="1042475" time="1361383838]Let me know when you have a complete set up ready to go. I'd love to be the 1st to show them off to everyone... I think the polished aluminum trim will look outstanding against that carbon fiber!

[quote name=Mdantonio" post="1041820" time="1361027684]Sorry for delayed response. I am going to see the first polished aluminum set of trim rings on Tuesday/wednesday of this coming week! Well all I can say is the pictures don't do them justice, the trim rings look incredible! They are snug to the lens all the way around between the ring and lens, and they hold the lens better than the originals. They made the buck for the trim rings and now keep in mind the pics show the rings at 80pct complete. They have yet to be polished and the welds not ground and the bridge on weld in front corner where the band meets is not ground in the one depicted but they are simply incredible. I'll share a pic of the unpolished aluminum band on the lens sitting next to the factory trim ring and lens. I will have the trim rings in final form all polished to mirror finish complete by Wednesday of next week.

Sorry for delayed response. I am going to see the first polished aluminum set of trim rings on Tuesday/wednesday of this coming week!

Greg, great to hear from you! I have the software platform and posted the quarter emblem logo. I could be ready to give acces within 4-6 weeks. This seemed like a simple idea and it can be or as complicated as we want it to be...for instance what stage of completion must a vehicle be to register it? I don't know that we would offend the Brian Morrow (sp?) scarab owners, they are well identified and tagged with very unique features. I think if we reproduced the original scarab logos and started with number 202...we'd be crossing an ethical line. However, the quarter logo I proposed is polished high grade aluminum and looks nothing like the scarab logo morrow used. As to cost this is not an income source for me so the objective is to keep costs way down to whatever I'm charged from the Cnc machine shop...the fender and hood emblems are done and I'll get those posted ASAP!

Unless I missed something there was nothing definitive regarding early vs late in fact unless i read it wrong they seem to be saying the later were aftermarket as we suspected? Or am I misreading or missing something? The bucks are tricky to make however....we'll get it done!

Zrossa, thanks and very nice! It's always neat to see different interpretations of the zcar, yours looks great! Nice work and I look forward to the finished product! I am looking to incorporate an airdam the stays with the original body lines of the car so I sketched it up, created my own quarter logos out of polished aluminum and made one for the front hood. I sketched a front and rear and should have them done in a couple months...I'll post pics then...I also incorporated diffusers on the rear and kept the body lines from body side flowing to the front and rear...I haven't seen any that have done this the way I'm envisioning this will turn out yet but haven't seen too many I didn't like either...I'll flare the front fender slightly, maybe 1/4 inch at most so very slight exaggeration of original (simply extend the original form) but am keeping original lines...always thought the 240/260/280 would look better with airdams that worked the bumpers and open space into the hood lines, fender lines, and body lines including completing the open space in the front with soft transitions and keeping with original lines....so setting the bar high lets see if I can deliver. I went aluminum so I can make a mold in the event others like them...I'm not big on hoarding concepts etcetera...cool cars even more fun to customize!

Opz...or is it PI? Lol Tony, I included some pics of the back of the seat, a simple glassed panel to match the front as I don't plan on turning the back seats down....thanks for the compliment!

No worries, and there certainly is a lot of confusion out there regarding this topic so good point to clarify.

Not at all...and happy to tackle this one, long overdue from what I can tell.

Agreed. I believe the later or low profile to actually be aftermarket. I called Jim Degarde who built race cars with Bob (can never remember his last name but he's well known for his 240-260-280z mods/race) and was advised there was only one oem type to their knowledge and it was what we are referring to as bubbled.

Typing on an iPhone please excuse spelling and grammar.