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And to tag on to what @AydinZ71 said...you really don't need to replicate the exact shape of the original sheetmetal for that area. Any repair that enables you to maintain the original mounting point for the seat belt assembly will be fine. However, please pay particular attention to that mounting point! Ensure that its strength and integrity has not been compromised by the rust, or by whatever repairs you implement.

That's the "pocket" for the floor mounting of the seat belt system. I can't say that I've seen any suppliers for a replacement panel of that particular piece. You may want to search for owners parting out their car, and pay them to cut that piece out for you....very common practice. Or you could just fab your own replacement piece, as you mentioned. IIRC, it's a thicker gauge sheetmetal there than the surrounding areas. Good luck with it!

@73 datsun 1600, you might have more luck if you post your question in a forum that is oriented towards the Datsun Roadster (or any forum geared towards 4 banger Datsuns.) This is a Z car forum.

Following! Thx, Bart.

@Ben280, Pm’ed you. Thx.

Excellent…good luck with your resto!!

Will these work for you? https://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978 Also, if you need the FSM....they can be downloaded free for all years at: http://www.xenonzcar.com/s30/fsm.html

Cool stuff! Thx for putting the effort in to produce these. Wouldn’t be surprised if vendors like MSA and ZCarDepot wanted to carry these as stock items. (And at the risk of stating the obvious, don’t forget to advertise them on the Datsun FB pages! 😜).

Yes. If you have the stock 240 strut isolators in the rear, you can swap them out for the taller 280-style rear isolators (which were approx 1-1.5” taller than the shorter 240-style rear isolators, IIRC). Looking at your pictures, I’m wondering if your exhaust can be tucked up higher yogi e you more ground clearance. What’s the ride height of your rocker sections?

So the air dam and splitter will have a shared/combined metal support framework, and that framework will tie into the stock bumper mounting points? Looks pretty solid, but the front crossmember can provide additional hard mounting points should you need it. Nice work!

Nice! What kind of mounting points/configuration/hardware do you plan to use? I have a similar concept in mind, but am not as far along as you are.

Yep, the slotted mags have been a very popular (and good-looking) choice on the Zs for a long time. As you mentioned, 13” and 14” were historically the most common, but 15” are certainly available. You will need to do some digging, and it may take some time to locate; as I honestly can’t recall seeing any new in a long time. Keep an eye on eBay, the Datsun forums (e.g. Ratsun.net), and all the Datsun pages on FB. Also…FYI, old Triumphs use the same 4x4.5” lug pattern as the Z uses. Good luck in your search!

I’m assuming that you’re aware of these as a 5-lug option. As I recall, T3 and Silvermine are two of the (few) vendors that produce these. https://www.silverminemotors.com/products/5-lug-conversion-front-hub-for-240z-260z-280z-cnc-aluminum

Yeah, I can see having two different lug patterns would be a real pain. There are a couple of easy swaps to convert the fronts to 5-lug…or just use some 4- to 5-lug adapter/spacers.

What transmission are you tuning? And again, what’s the intended application for the car? Anything with hard power application (auto-x, drag) would benefit from the biggest tire you can fit. (Road course usage could get away with smaller rears, and it’s nice having a square tire setup from a rotation perspective.) If mainly street driving, the 245 may be perfectly fine. There are lots of extreme performance tires at 200-30tw that give very nice, predictable performance.

@SuperDan, @tube80z…need some help here pls. Thx!

Ah yes…that’s it. I think I just wasn’t mentally picturing it correctly after reading the original post. Should be a nice setup!

Jon, what about reworking that lower bracket in your photo (the red bracket) to tuck up inside the pocket next to the hatch mounting surface? Finish the top of the red bracket with a nice big flat surface (maybe 2" x 8"?) that buttes up against the inside of the stock sheetmetal. You can then shape the wing's outer mounting strut panels to use that flat reinforced area as mounting points. I'm probably not explaining myself very well -- I'll try to sketch something and PM it to you. This concept would likely provide a stronger overall design, and *maybe* less in the way of taking the hatch on & off.

Thx, @AydinZ71! Yes, I’ve been watching the sked for this year and was happy to see VIR on the calendar. Planning to be there if my sked allows it. Thx for the tag, and please let me know if you’re going to be there! 😊

Not at all, Aydin! Like you, most guys like have committed to full race car don’t mind cutting/welding their strut towers…but there’s a whole bunch of folks that don’t want to go that route, so the bolt-in units are a nice option. (And I’ve actually seen quite a few race Zs with bolt-in plates, as well). What I really like about these units (and the old EMI pieces) is the camber AND caster adjustability. But that may not be important to others based on the rest of their setup. Cheers, buddy!

I've always liked the design and quality of construction of the KMAC hardware....I'm just too damn cheap to spring the $ for it. These latest units look nice and offer a lot of adjustability; just keep in mind that it *appears* that they will impose a bit of a LIMFAC on suspension travel and/or ride height, as compared to other, "shorter" camber plates on the market. (Just a guess on my part, based on the appearance of the design....one would want to check actual H/W dimensions to know for sure.) But for bolt-in pieces that give caster and camber adjustment, they look hard to beat! It's a shame the old EMI plates are NLA.

I believe there are a few discussions on this topic, but this should get you started:

Where did you happen to find those front ZX calipers, if you don't mind my asking? Maybe I just happened to be looking during a supply shortage?? I ended up with 4 piston Wilwoods that have been working well for my setup.

Good thing you've decided against the S130 calipers, Aydin. I had looked into that option a couple years ago (along the lines of what Terry Oxendale did with his car), and I swear those calipers were NLA anywhere! New, used, reman, etc....I looked for a couple months and found nothing available. You might have had better luck this year, on the west coast, but it appears to be a moot point for you now. I think you'll be much happier overall with the Wilwoods. I like your custom front air dam! Looks very IMSA-like. Put a thick rubber skirt along the bottom edge to give a good seal with track surface and still be flexible/survivable. Making the unit yourself means you won't have to spend the $ to replace it when you inevitably destroy it in the future. (Speaking from personal experience, of course). 😜

Yes, I liked that option, too....eliminated the need for separate side axles if you were swapping in a Subie LSD R180 IIRC (which I had done). Glad to see some other vendors offering different options.