clocker

That's some very nice work- having grafted in a different dash myself, I can appreciate the endless details involved. I would say that the center console gauge panel is the least finished part, not that it looks bad but an OEM look would have some sort of bezel surrounding it.

No, we never even considered the original dash, that thing weighs a ton (as does the OEM HVAC unit). We used the 2nd gen dash and HVAC because they are cheap, readily available and suitably sized.. Thanks, "perfect" is a high bar to clear. It's been a while since I've posted but the Z has not been idle. We converted to a Holley style EFI system- it looks like a 4 barrel but is a self contained injection unit- and she's been in almost daily use since then. Unfortunately, my health took a dramatic turn for the worse and I have been unable to do anything car related till just very recently. Just as my condition started to improve, Sigfrid began pondering a move to Scotland, so the future of the Z is murky at best. I'm so far in medical debt that I can't make an offer to buy him out, so she'll probably get craigslisted soon. So sad.

Well, she survived the winter just fine and everything continues to work. The only real issues we've had are all carb related and we finally decided that this worn out old Holley just wasn't gonna cut it, so we got this: It's a FI Tech fuel injected throttle body with self contained ECU...https://www.summitracing.com/parts/FIF-30003. Install is set for Saturday, we've been gathering parts and prepping for the last few weeks...it should be pretty simple. We had to remove the headers to get an O2 sensor bung welded on and will have to replace the low pressure fuel pump and hose with high pressure stuff (we're hoping to use the stock RX7 pump that came in the tank I installed) but I hope she's running again by Sat. night. This will not only make her run better (hopefully) but more significantly, signals a commitment to the stock drivetrain, which we've always considered swapping out. With all that uncertainty removed, progress can logically continue. I hope.

Sigfrid spent some time yesterday changing the rake of the seatbase with spacers, we both felt the front was a little high and the rear too low. We couldn't go lower up front, so he added spacers in the back...and here's a top tip (useful even with stock seats) to make your life easier- Replace the rear mounting bolts with studs. Instead of fumbling around under the seat trying to fish bolts through the carpet, studs allow you to just drop the seat onto studs, install the front bolts (which are far more accessible) then run nuts down the studs and viola!-, Bob's your uncle. Granted, seats are not a commonly removed part but when you gotta, this little hardware mod comes in handy. Sadly, it snowed overnight, so the Z stayed home (his RX8 has new Blizzaks) and we still don't know how much-if at all- better these Miata chairs will be.

Well, "the summit" may be boring but at least we can sit in comfort now... Miata seats and man, we got a screamin deal...$50 for the pair. The black cloth is a much nicer and fits the interior design well and the slightly smaller size means we have full slider travel and better headroom. The seat mount points in our 280 are 13" apart, the mount points on the seat are 13 3/8" apart and frankly, it would have been easier if the difference had been greater but about 4 hours of fettling got them installed. Sadly it was late when we finished and our all black interior photographs poorly in the dark, so final pics will have to wait. Initial impressions are positive but a few commuting days will actually tell the tale.

That's an interesting/clever solution, so thanks, Trevor. I had kinda fixated on my original idea and this got me thinking more creatively, so even if I don't use the concept, at least it made me think about it differently. I've spent time lately looking for seats to replace the Prelude units that Sigfrid just doesn't like. Hoping to set up some meets on Sat. to look at some Miata black cloth chairs and maybe some black leather S2000 seats. I've examined Miata parts before and they appear easy to mount- and most importantly, they'll fit (and I prefer cloth to leather) so they are my clear favorite but we can consider the Honda if S. insists. S. has been splitting commuting duties between the Z and his RX8. The 8 has snow tires, so it gets used when weather demands but the Z runs a few times a week at least. Mechanically, she's doing great, no real issues to address other than the increasing desire for a LSD. His only actionable complaint recently is the rear defrost grid either not working or (more likely) just broken and heating unevenly. Other than that, she's pretty adept at mimicking a "real" car. Mileage has been hovering in the 24mpg range, which I think is pretty good. Of most surprise to me is how well the Plastidip is aging. Originally planned as a stopgap before real paint, we didn't expect it to hold up as well as it has. Pretty sure Sigfrid would still prefer a normal, gloss finish but I'm totally enamored with the dip and would use it again without reservation. It's weird to realize that Ratchet is no longer a "project" as much as she's a car we're tinkering with. No more shelves full of parts to install and problems to solve...we've climbed the mountain and the summit is kinda...boring.

Audi S4 wheel. Horn buttons work and turn signals cancel.

Final part of the "Going Keyless" project complete. Almost... External lock cylinder was replaced with a Bulgin momentary switch which operates a popper solenoid to unlock the car. The battery has been fitted with a wireless cutoff switch, so a blip of the keyfob and the whole car is dead (except for the headunit which has a bypass so it doesn't lose settings all the time). Approach the locked car, hit the fob, car goes live- including the external buttons, which can now unlock the door. There is no ignition barrel either, so no keys required at all anymore. Why is it "almost" finished, you ask? Well, we realized that a failure of the battery cutoff means there's no way to get into the car (assuming it was locked) and that would be kinda dire, so we need a secret/hidden, external manual rear hatch release as a last chance option. We already have an interior cable release for the hatch and I'd like to maintain it's functionality as well, so it could get tricky, we'll see.

Progress has been fitful since the last update, but that's mainly due to the fact that Ratchet has been driven a lot and pretty much everything works. Most of our effort has gone towards chasing down the random creaks/rattles/glitches that only show up after some use and we've pretty much got her locked down finally. On my theoretical wish list is a revamp of the electrical system. It all works but I can see several methods to clean up the install and eliminate some unneeded complexity and we are contemplating a return to FI, but only with an aftermarket ECU, so that would be a big change anyway. More practically, we finally decided to enter the great unknown and attempt to revamp the doorpanels and create some way to dress the rear strut towers. We basically made up a technique to shape the panels, involving spray expandable foam, fiberglass, foam sheet and vinyl and after a few weekends came up with this: We're testing this out for fit and comfort before finishing the other side but it's looking pretty good so far. Not sure if any of the techniques will help with the strut towers, I can't believe there's no carpet cover option available...gluing vinyl is no longer an option since we sound dampened everything. Inspiration will strike eventually. A lot of Sigfrid's daily commute is on the freeway and the 4-speed transmission quickly became a problem, so the hunt for a 5-speed became a priority. Took a while but two weeks ago we found one and put it in this past weekend. We have no lift or trans jack, but even working on our backs in the garage, it only took about four hours. The short shifter from the 4-speed inexplicably does not fit the five speed (although it looks like it could be modified to work) and the stock 5-speed stick will not accept our nicely weighted Nismo knob, so a bit of finagling remains to be done. The Nismo knob is threaded for 10mm x 1.25 and the new stick is 8mm x 1.25, so I'm planning on screwing in a 8mm Helicoil to sleeve the knob down. Despite this irritating setback, we were able to test the car anyway and it was a revelation, night>day difference. Ratchet is much less frenetic at speed (we seem to have dropped 600 rpm or so at 75mph) and the synchros and new shift lever work much better than the older unit. In every way this was a decided upgrade and well worth the effort and money ( we got the trans for $340 and spent an additional $50-some bucks on seals and oil), she is much better for it. So, Ratchet is ready for cold weather and snow and we'll see how she fares in that environment.

Sorry, no idea. I never intended to use ANY of the stock wiring or devices, so I am unfamiliar with how the wiper is supposed to work originally. IIRC, a lot of the delay circuitry is actually in the Lexus switch and without it, I don't see how the Datsun switch could make it fully functional. @Greeko...not sure. I do know they're heavy and I've never cottoned to them much. I think Sigfrid got them from Tire Rack, but it's been so long I can't remember. Most of my car energy has been lavished on the RX7 this summer, but the Z has been running so well our neglect hasn't been an issue. We've spent a few weekends making minor tweaks and adjustments but haven't undertaken anything major until a few weeks ago when we decided to make doorpanels. Naturally, neither of us can sew and we have no real experience...so we made it up as we went along. We finally got the driver side finished enough to install (sorta): The overall look/feel is just what we wanted but we're still debating the final covering choices. We'll live with this for a while as the passenger side gets worked on (our process involved expandable insulating foam, fiberglass and spot putty) and see what we think. For the last year (basically, since the car became really usable) we've debated our drivetrain options and still can't decide. If nothing else, we need a five speed transmission...Sigfrid spends a lot of commute time on the highway and the overdrive would be less frenetic and better for fuel consumption. We sorta see the acquisition of a trans as a commitment to the stock engine and we're just not there yet. The decision will rest mostly with S. (because it's his money), so I've been tinkering with the idea of an electrical system revamp. Everything works but having done it once, I can see better ways to do it again and might make that a winter project. She's turning into a pretty sweet car though, I always look forward to seat time because it's so different from the Mazda.

Unscrew your brake light switch and see if it fits. Those things are like 2 bucks at Rock Auto.

Work has continued, albeit slowly. Installed a revamped gauge cluster- water and oil are VDOs under Miata dials and needles and to heighten the Christmassy effect, the small gauges got red needles... Fitted a BMW ebrake handle cover and snood...now the button needs attention: Finally fitted the Kia hatch release mechanism: And the headlight covers: She is functionally complete and runs beautifully. I'm in love.

The modded heater core was installed and is leak free, so my interior punchlist is down to three items. -Still need a hatch release lever/handle/knob/whatever. -Find a timed relay for the rear window defrost. Most of the wiring is in place (the Miata heater control panel has a switch for defrost), I just need the relay. -Get the turn signals to self cancel. For no particular reason, I started with #3. This will be the fifth attempt at the steering wheel>switchgear interface, which has proven to be far more finicky than expected. The problem is the geometry of the stock steering column...our shaft does not extend as far out of the column tube as the Lexus switchgear would like. It's difficult to explain but those two cancel pins must spin perfectly concentric to the steering column with only about 1.5mm clearance and the same tight confines in the switch cavity. If everything doesn't align properly, those pins either drag on the column or bind in the switch holder. The horn is easy and has always been functional. As Sigfrid resumes a normal work/family schedule, time for the car has become scarcer and we probably won't meet again till next weekend. Sad for the Z (which continues to run well in daily use) but good for me as my daily driver engine (1990 RX7 w/ 300k miles) finally decided to die. I have a backup engine about 60% ready to go, just need some more parts...and money.

Looks totally doable. Probably the simplest path is to start with an aftermarket adaptor hub (like a Momo). Depending on how you want the wheel to sit, you may use the new hub as is or if that puts the wheel too close, it may need modification (basically, removing the "crush zone" and using just the splined bottom section. Lathe access would be handy if that's the case. Don't see any reason the Lucas horn button couldn't be used.

As long as that center part unbolts, you're in pretty good shape. Can we see a pic of the wheel center with that part removed?

Thank you, the results exceed our expectations...which is nice because it was a lot of work to get here. We're now ironing out some details- little things like slightly reprofiling the shifter and swapping in a black faced gauge cluster...the kind of things you have to live with the car for a while before noticing. Mechanically, our only real issue is a front end shimmy that appears around 75mph. It's not terrible but we've been unable to eliminate it and are down to grasping at straws. Sigfrid's idea is hub centric wheel rings and I believe he has some ordered, so we'll see how that goes. In general though, she's a peach.

Need to see under the horn button to determine how the splined center is attached to the wheel spokes. If it's removeable, you have some options...if not, it's gonna be hella difficult.

As it turns out, I ended up selling the wheel to you, 75280z...hope you like it. Sigfrid was to begin his new job on Feb. 18th, so we went into overdrive to prepare the Z for daily use...basically, we wanted Stage 1 of the build to be complete. The main project was the interior and that had to start with sound mitigation. S. investigated various options/strategies and chose a two part option. This first layer is a heavy, foil backed sheet (NOT roof stuff from Home Depot) that is selectively (and from the pics, apparently randomly) placed on panels to dampen booming and vibration. You apply a piece, rap on the panel, then apply more till the panel is acoustically "dead"...it seems capricious but actually works amazingly well. Then the entire interior is covered with a thin black foam layer (also adhesive backed). You can see some of the foam just under the front glass at the firewall top. (The wiring was cleaned up and rerouted quite a bit after this pic. We wanted to use a Miata center console and to get it aligned with the dash centerstack the dash had to move a bit, which meant the entire HVAC system had to move a little bit and in the process, the electrical moved a lot. Along the way we refined the bracketry/hardware and the dash is very nicely solid now...no creaks nor rattles.) We changed the seats for some different model Prelude chairs, which we painted black. We consider these seats temporary and the risk of paint was outweighed by the visual payoff, so we did it. Actually turned out much better than I'd expected- coverage was good and although the nap is stiffer, it's not really objectionable and time seems to soften it a bit. We'll see. Along the way we added some finishing touches... And we finished up here: There are still some aesthetic issues to address- the door cards need recovering to match the interior better and we don't know what to do about the rear strut towers yet but the interior is almost 100% functionally complete. I consider it a complete success, the cabin is (nearly) Lexus level quiet and comfortable. Certainly better than you'd expect from a 40 year old car. The suspension and brakes are great but we discovered a shimmy at highway speeds that was finally cured by rebalancing the wheels and replacing the front wheel bearings. Not sure which fixed it, but who cares, she steers with one finger now. Sigfrid's commute (about 25 miles each way) is mostly highway and that has exposed our four speed transmissions big flaw...no overdrive. A five speed has moved to the top of our "must have" list. Along the way, we've been incrementally tweaking the Holley carb and engine driveability has improved a lot. Still a ways to go but absolutely fine most of the time. Now that she's being used and the speedo is working (although we're still creeping up on the calibration), we'll finally get an idea of fuel consumption, which till now has been a mystery. We need to get a wideband on her, I think we're still way rich. I still have a few loose ends to tie up- the rear hatch release and getting the turn signals to self cancel and we need to get the windows tinted (for heat control as well as looks). Sigfrid has also decided that AC is a non-negotiable must, a fairly major addition at this late date but you'll have that from time to time. Like most project cars, I doubt Ratchet will ever be "finished" but after three years, she presents as a complete car instead of a pile of parts and that alone is something to be proud of. Which we are.

Jeez, lighten up and take some credit- you brought a half dead project car back to life and drive it...that's no small feat. There are infinite paths to take when building up a car and none are inherently superior. You set goals and then make whatever compromises necessary to get there. I promise that you could chose the most "perfect" Z you've ever seen and the owner could pick out flaws...there just is no such thing as "finished" when it comes to this level of involvement. An avid junkyard denizen myself, I'm particularly appreciative of the variety of donor cars you employed. Before I stopped counting, I'd pulled from twenty different donors for our car and it almost became a point of pride that no original Datsun parts were used. You could expound a little on the biggest, most obvious bodywork project- the rear end. Not sure I'm a fan but it must have been a lot of work.

And the parade of piddly shit begins. Our first float features the heater core: This is our replacement heater core, I have no idea where Sigfrid got it, so I don't know if it's OEM or not. At any rate, the original was brass with permanently mounted bungs, this one's aluminum and the bungs are removable. Just like the brass, these alloy tubes are too flimsy and misshapen to do much with, so I made new ones out of some scrap Delrin I had. Didn't have a very large piece, which dictated the length, but they'll be fine. This situation pops up when you start mixing/matching parts...I'm sure those aluminum foil spaghetti arms make perfect sense in the Miata but for us they were a nightmare. Situation handled, hopefully. But just the first of many no doubt, I already know of two more projects to finish- figure out a turn signal cancel device (probably going to try the clockspring next) and fit some sort of handle to our hatch release cable. We deleted the stock Datsun hatch lock/pushbutton and fit the cable release latch from an Accord. Now the interior is basically done, we can figure out the best place for a release. The center console is one option, perhaps use the ashtray location or maybe even the recess for the handbrake (which is opposite the Z location)...make it look like there's a reason for it to be there. A second option is on the driver side b-pillar, just below the quarter window. You could open the door and reach the handle without bending over or reaching for the console...an old guys mod. Tomorrow ends the first full week of Sigfrid commuting, about 25 miles each way, I think. I'm sure he'll have a whole litany of complaints but I'm happy she hasn't burned to the ground and everything seems to be working fine. I'll hear all about it Saturday when next we meet.

We finished the install of the sound mitigation material in the hatch area and for the first time ever, put all the interior panels in. I know it's been at least 10 years, and perhaps longer, since she's been this complete. We're missing the two lower b-pillar pieces and the cover plate for the hatch, we'll probably make them from abs sheet covered in something suitable. The two primary aesthetic issues are the door panels and the strut towers and right now, we have no idea. Many thoughts but no firm direction yet. We consider the Prelude seats to be temporary and thus were willing to risk painting them to better match the rest of the cabin. Used Duplicolor Flat black vinyl & fabric paint which worked as advertised...we're pretty happy. The fabric does feel rougher but not objectionally so, and some folks say that the effect lessens over time but really, we just wanted the color to match better and it does, so thanks Duplicolor. Tonight a snow storm moves in which could drop as much as 16" by Sunday night. Monday morning the Z begins life as a daily driver. Should be interesting.

This is the first full "final" install of the dash. Everything is in place and (mostly) functional...we've never had her this complete before today. We ordered a Miata center console on a whim and a prayer and it bolted up as though custom made. We had to drill one hole in the floor of the console to match a stock Datsun console mount point but the front mated to the dash centerstack perfectly. The shifter is in reverse in some of the pics and shows the worst case scenario for boot fit. We thought that at best the Miata part would be a good place to begin with loads of work required but instead, 20 minutes and done! Tomorrow the rear hatch area gets sound treated and the panels/carpet installed. There will be some aesthetic issues to deal with- we have no idea how to approach the strut tower finishing and our seat belt retractor reels need some attention visually. We very well may paint the seats also.

It's from a NB, so 2000-2005(?). We never planned on using the stock dash- once it was out it never went back in and I never really looked at it to see how it might mate with the Miata parts. Given how easily the Miata HVAC went in to the Z (bear in mind that "easily" is a relative term), I'd guess it could be integrated with the Z dash. If you did so, you'd certainly want the Miata control panel (w/ cables) to operate it as it's a completely different approach than Datsun used. There is no water valve, for instance- the core sees full flow all the time and air is diverted around/through the core depending on the temp you want. The cables clip into place (no tools!), the whole thing is simple to install. Were you to swap the entire system in, I'd bet you'd save 15-20 lbs.

Defrost vents finally installed and believe it or not, it took almost eight hours. Actually mounting the eyeball vents was fraught with danger, the dash vinyl skin is very thin and very brittle...even an exacto blade would chip, rather than slice through it. There are a few booboos but we're not done with the dash top yet and it should all come good later. We bought a Miata center console on spec, didn't have any idea how it might fit but figured it was the logical starting point at least. Much to our surprise, it almost dropped right into place. Shifter boot was perfect and despite the lack of a relief in the side, the ebrake handle clears. We started jiggering with the position of the dash to close the gap between center stack bottom and the console and got it very close...as I said, we had no clue if it would even work and suddenly, we're almost done! All this unforeseen goodness had a downside though... the ducting manifolds in the dash no longer matched up with the outlet manifold on the heater box. So we had to reposition (like, 1/2") the heater box...which meant the AC box and ultimately, the blower motor had to move also. THAT is what took so long. All done now though and it's still a one man job to install the dash...takes about 15 minutes to do the whole hook up. I tried getting pics through the windshield to show the vents and the dash/firewall gap but sunlight washed them out. Basically, we can't trim the dash front any further than it now is, you can see the somewhat raggedy edge in the pics. It fits the profile of the Z firewall very closely but leaves a crescent gap in the middle- maybe 15" long and 5/8" wide at the center. We always knew we'd need to make a garnish plate to finish this intersection but needed the dash to be final installed before figuring that part out. Well, we're there now. A few more hours to finalize wiring and the whole dash will be complete...I'm very excited.

The wiper motor and steering column switchgear is from a 1999 ES300. The switches are made by Niles and used by other manufacturers, in fact, Mazda uses slightly less "deluxe" versions (they typically lack a fog light switch or have less fancy wiper delay options) that look identical. I actually had switches from a Protege but when I saw how perfect the Lexus wiper motor was, I decided the wiper circuit got simpler if I used the motor and switches from the same car.