proxlamus

Search for "tow hitch" or "trailer hitch" rather than tow bar. I recall seeing several threads over many years... some cool designs too with a fold down license plate to reveal the tow bar attachment point

Alright here's an update for anyone who searches and needs more information. For a 280z only... The final front strut tube casing measured from the bottom inside of the strut tube to the top of the threads is the following : 13.5" (originally 15" total) The final rear strut tube casing measured from the bottom inside of the strut tube to the top of the threads is the following : 16.75" (originally 18" total)

I'm running camber plates so unfortunately there's not a lot of options

Thanks for the help. I still have the pieces I sectioned from the tubes. I'll just make a cut and add the pieces back in. 1 cut and 2 welds. No biggie. Just a pain.

Alright well I'm in a bit of a pickle.. I followed the instructions on this link... http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/38589-strut-sectioning-faq/ to section my 280z struts to run Tokico Illumina strut inserts... BZ3099 in the front (from a Toyota MR2 rear) BZ3013 in the rear (which happen to have a 2-7/8" spacer pressed on the bottom) I made sure the final front strut tube casing measured the following : 13.5" I made sure the final rear strut tube casing measured the following : 15" I sectioned 1.25" off the front strut tubes to make the final measurement 13.5" I sectioned 2 7/8" off the rear strut tubes to make the final measurement 15" The strut tube inserts fit perfectly and the gland nuts can tighten down perfectly. Now in the rear I ended up knocking out the rear spacer to allow the strut insert to fit. Everything fits perfect and nice and snug. HOWEVER, after reading some threads about the car being too low (I can't test it because my car is on a rotisserie).. Im heavily concerned about something. I read the 280z strut towers in the rear are much higher up than the 240z. Which is why the rear rubber insulators that go on top of the 280z struts are so much thicker. Im 99% positive that I screwed up and cut too much off the rear and I should have cut 1.25" off the front AND the rear and simply trimmed down the spacer. So I need to know if I can run my struts as they are on my 280z, or if I have to go back, cut the tubes again and insert a piece of metal to make up the difference. I need to add 1.625" inches back into each strut tube, then compensate for each cut with a 1/8" blade thickness... so a 1.375" chunk back in the middle of the tubes. EDIT - I will be running camber plates

Im confused when you said you sectioned the struts per the instructions on this site... What was the final measurement from the inside of the strut tube to the top of the threads? The front should have the overall length of the strut tube (13.375" to 13.500") The rear should have the overall length of the strut tube (14.938" to 15")

Also.. change of plans.. I will NOT be running a VQ35. I stumbled on a killer deal on craigslist on a TON of RB parts from McKinney motorsports... check this out this little jackpot... Lots of goodies for cheap. Anyway.. I will be going with a RB25DET NEO, rather than the RB26.

Alright... Its been a while since I've updated. I finally had the balls to section my struts and install coil overs! I am running the Tokico Illumina BZ3099 and the BZ3015 inserts. Here's what the camber plates look like. The conical top hats are not required for camber plates. I did however buy the camber plate upper hat system from TechnoToyTuning for only the front. I need to get this car moving... and fast.. so I'll finish up the roll cage soon and place an order on the fuel cell so I can start priming the chassis and get ready for paint so I can finally assemble the damn car.

Thank you for taking the time to reply and the detailed information.. But I have to ask... DriveShaft Shop has this in the description.. "Datsun 510 / 240Z with R180 differential 108mm CV conversion kit with 108mm flanges and diff stubs. This set of axles replaces the factory u-joint style axle shaft with a CV type axle using 6-bolt Porsche style 108mm CV joints on both ends and our chromoly diff stub flanges. The kit includes 2 rear axles, 2 billet conversion plates to mount the 6-bolt CV to the factory 4-bolt flanges both diff stubs and all necessary mounting hardware." I must be missing something important? You mentioned DSS does not include the stub axle and companion flange... but I see it pictured and in the description? The conversion plate is essentially a conversion shaft ADAPTER correct? Wolf Creek Racing has the same setup for $900. Described as a complete bolt in? http://www.wolfcreekracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=61 Sorry if I'm dense.. but I still dont get it.

In all seriousness.. I am not entirely familiar with CV conversions and this thread actually sparked my interest in going CV's when I finish my build. So maybe in layman's terms can you explain why there is a big price difference from your setup versus the DSS .. other than the R180 vs R200 setup?

$1200 for the Driveshaft Shop and $3200 from Modern Motorsports? What am I missing here... why the massive price difference

Oh, what are you using to fill the rear fender gap between the stock body and the YZ flares?

Car looks great man

Finally built up the courage to start the cage. Got the main hoop in and the rear supports. Feels good to learn how to cut and bend tubing!

Since I cut so much out of the inner fender well, the sectioning cuts were pretty big to fill with just weld. So I cut lots of tiny strips and filled in the fender well. The bottom of the car is complete with stitch/seam welding. Moving to the inside next and then the cage begins.

I would like to follow Bill Coffey's beautiful build. I talked to him and it looks like he extended the front bumper and had to stretch the lower valence. But I love this look so so much.

I remember! You helped me out so so much! I couldn't of done the engine swap and turbo conversion without your help! I'm still into aviation but I'm a Air Traffic Controller now for Denver center!

At this point, here are my plans 280YZ body additions VQ37VHR single front mount turbo Ground Control Coil overs with Tokico shocks R180 LSD Subaru STi (might have to change this due to the power) Full roll cage CCW 16x12 wheels or 15's cant decide yet Vented 4x4 front brakes 240sx rear brakes I would like to do an Epoxy primer and paint the car white, top and bottom and wrap the car in vinyl so I can change up the colors over the years. White is always clean and classy.

I never did use the manifold, its still sitting on my shelf collecting dust =(

Making progress on the seam welding or stitch welding, whatever you want to call it. You can see the Bad Dog subframe connectors installed. Oh yeah, I had a sunroof and I didnt want it anymore. I drilled out all the spot welds and popped that sucker off.

[/url][/url] Time to cut the flares for my 280YZ kit! Damn, the fuel door on the YZ kit hits the old fuel filler. Time to cut that out [/url] A brief look at the 280YZ and how itll look.

Then I did something stupid. Very Very stupid, I had some rust repair I had to do... so I took the car apart and began the rust repair. This turned into a WHILE IM AT IT fiasco. This was farrr too much and I hated grinding under neath the car to install the Bad Dog frame rails.. time to go onto a rotisserie. First step was to try Soda blasting.. which is a huge waste of time and money.. I bought Nickel slag and a eastwood sandblaster and life was much better. At this point, the blast pattern was about the size of a quarter and took multiple passes. I had better luck with a wire wheel and flap disc.

Part 2.. Over the years I gathered parts and spent time on the car.. this was the last photo shoot I had with the car before she went down. [/url] I had a huge build planned. L28 with 9mm rods, 88mm Ross pistons (3.0L), 8.5:1 CR, Schneider Stage II cam, Holset HY35W, Megasquirt, Suzuki GSXR ITB's and home made intake plenum, Z32 transmission, Fidanza aluminum flywheel, ACT stage II clutch and pressure plate, coil-overs, vented 4x4 front brakes, 240sx rear brakes, Corbeau FX1 Pro seat Some of you may remember by build thread for my ITB's... [/url]

Well, I never put one of these together.. some of you may know me by "proxlamus©" but after the last major board update, it lost all my information so I had to create a new account. I bought the 1978 Datsun 280z when I was 16 years old. I bought some polished iron cross wheels and she looked slick! Then my ex girlfriend saw me driving in the snow and thought there was another girl in the car.. so she crashed into me and wrecked my baby. Soo I rebuilt her and not long after, I began to swap in a L28ET, which my parents would not let me use the garage, so I did it in the street.