A to Z

09-08-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: My rear hatch "glass" (polycarbonate) ordered from Plastics4Performance in England arrived today. As I have mentioned I had them use their template for Ferrari 458 rear window vents. Why? I like the look. Great for flow through ventilation. This is an open air Z anyway. No side windows, and mostly stripped out. I got the 3mm thick one, so thin, and VERY light. It looks cloudy as I haven't peeled off the protective layer of plastic yet. Now, as they told me, some sanding and fitting will be necessary, but I am happy to report it made it across the pond and to my garage! PICS:

09-06-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Ok, so I mounted my electric panel into the car and began wiring it up. The garage is SO HOT. I had to go inside and get a fan to blow in there on me (see pic). going pretty well! about 75% done. PICS

09-05-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Today was a light day for the car, with a few odds and ends, and getting ready to re-install the electric "panelboard" and begin tying all the wires in. Poured the antifreeze into the engine, I decided to use the DEX COOL as recommended by GM for their engines....A.I. also states it is better than regular old green antifreeze, so I went that route. I painted the cap on the radiator and put a Z sticker I had made for it, began the touch up on the hood, which....once hard, will be sanded with 2000 grit and polished smooth. I painted a couple Atlas Z brackets I had made earlier, and will install them in a day or so, and the last piece I needed for the panelboard, the batt power tie in arrived. Hopefully, I will separate the wires and begin wiring the car in tomorrow. PICS CompareCar Insurance

08-30-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Started the day with putting some cut leather on the upholstery sections that needed to be covered. Amazing my new seat covers, have managed to have a worn spot....but it's all better now. Working in tight quarters these things happen.:) Then I went ahead and bolted the seats down in then vacuumed it all up and installed the hidden toggle switch to turn on so the car will start, my theft deterrent, and wired in the brake light switch....just running the wires over to the passenger footwell.... labeled, so I can start on that soon. I finally managed to get the last piece of the end links on the steering rack off, and then wire wheeled them down really clean, and used anti-seize and installed the Moog end links for now...I will have to adjust when I am ready to align the front wheels, but for now, a lot of progress made! The whole car is about 75% done already and it's only been a year! PICS:

09-29-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: I mounted the plate I made to cover the hole on the side of the head with some stainless bolts I got, then I mounted up both front brake calipers, tied in the brake lines and zip tied the excess up. Then I went ahead and pulled the TC rods out, cleaned them up and painted them with some rustoleum gloss black, and wire wheeled up the washer plates and installed my new Urethane bushings. I normally would have gone with rubber, but the polys were half the price, so I will use them. While under there, I pulled out the cut off pieces that were the original sway bar end links, and installed the new ones I have had waiting. They are all rubber. Then I moved on to the drive shaft. Because of my trans layout, the factory e~brake tube going across the tunnel had to be cut out. This is fine, as the way I use the car I don't need it, and I can leave it in gear when parked. I suppose at a later date I could fashion up a cable to what is left on there to tie it back in.....I left a piece of the pipe about 1/2 long sticking out for just that. I then mounted up the drive shaft and got the bolts cinched down correctly. Then the problematic part of the day, the end links on the steering rack. Well they just didn't want to come off! It is obvious they haven't ever been adjusted, so I got one off and the other is soaking in PB Blaster! I have the end links I got from Z Car Depot ready to go, they are from MOOG. While under the car, I looked up and saw a world of polished piping so I took a pic! :D PICS:

08-25-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: I had a few minutes this morning, so I went ahead and prepped my new front brake calipers, by mounting the brake pads in and getting them ready for install. I got the calipers and pads from Z Car Depot.

08-23-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. Today was another tough one. 4+ hours in getting the clutch master cylinder rod screwed in to the custom clevis on the pedal arm and then everything bolted back up, adjusted and set up. VERY hard for me to get in there, and I am old, so it is a ball breaker. I knew it would be and put it off for months, today I did it. I managed to get the trim piece I mentioned yesterday painted silver and then after the clutch, I tackled the next issue. I don't know how, but there is no bar from the brake pedal arm to the switch so the brake lights will come on and go off. So, I simply took some sheet metal, bent and hammered a 90 and then with a sharpie and my angle grinder cut and formed a piece that I am bolting to he brake arm, that will stick out and push the brake light switch closed when the pedal is released. I drilled 2 holes through the arm and this sheet metal bracket It's hanging up painted and will be install with 2 1/4X20 bolts and nuts. After it was done it was time to relax a bit with a couple Coors and look around, I taped one of my atlas emblems to the front corner of the hood. I don't know If I will use it there or not, I can either paint it flat black to contrast on the gloss powder coat, paint it datsun metallic blue like the engine compartment, or I don't know, any ideas?

08-22-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Work The Punchlist. Decided to switch it up a bit today and work a punch list of little things I just let pile up working on the bigger ticket items. Started with getting the horn installed, wiring my dual fans in, finished the clutch master cylinder in the engine compartment, topped off the transmission with some redline MT90, then finished the intake pipe, getting the air filter on the end and getting it in there good....ended up having to trim a tad more on the hood, but went pretty easy. Installed the new modified gas pedal finally, and yep....had to mod the corner of the pedal surface a tad but this time it works...Installed my combo turn signal stalk/headlights/horn and got the wires ran over to the other side to terminate later....and started on a small sheet metal cover to cover an ugly spot on the side of the head. PICS:

08-19-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: I got my intake tubing back from the polisher today. I like it. PICS:

well, you could look it all up on their website plstics4performance. The hatch glass actually isn't flat, it has a crown to it. It isn't just plexiglass. it is Polycarbonate, with a special hardened coating, and the vents and everything are a custom deal. I wanted it professionally done. I waited for you to volunteer to do it for me, but you never did, so.... Yes it is made in England. Cheers.

08-15-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. I went ahead and "restored" or rather just rebuilt the rear brakes with parts from Z Car Depot, and then installed my Techno Toy Tuning (TT3) axle shafts. As all these cars settle and move in the 50 odd years they have been around, I had to do some grinding / clearancing. I also grabbed the new rubber sway bar end link bushings I had and mounted them on the sway bar, and did so, so there is clearance from these BIG axle shafts. Inside these beautiful alloy pieces are Porsche 930 Turbo CV joints which will take more horsepower than I will ever throw at them. Dirty work, but surprisingly fun day. Progress is happening. PICS.

08-14-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE/. Plastics 4 Performance has sent the final draft for my polycarbonate rear hatch "glass" for my approval. It is ready for production! The vents are to give the car an even more open air feel, which is what I want with this build. should look pretty cool. 8/32 bolts will be around the edge with a thin rubber layer between it and the lip on the hatch. Ferrari uses the vents for engine heat.....I used them because I like the look and as I said the open air feel.......no glass at all looks too unfinished to my eye. PICS:

I didn't like where the intake was sitting so I did what I wanted with it. It's not for cold air, my intercooler and water/methanol injection provide plenty of cool. The entire build is done the way I want it......no thought has gone into doing what other guys would do honestly. If someone wants me to do something a certain way, that can be done, via monetary donation.

Someone mentioned steering shaft clearance? I can't see how....tiny engine in a big bay.......

08-09-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Ok, so I was able to get the wheel bearings in the hubs, and decided to just finish up the front wheel bearings today. I didn't have enough grease, so a quick trip to O'Reilley's and I got a tube of Valvoline Hi-Temp "Red" grease. It worked very well! The Lisle wheel bearing packer I grabbed off of Amazon for about 15 bucks did its job as well, and the back seals, I found went pretty well with a coat of grease on them. I lightly used a screwdriver to get it past the inner lip, then used a socket and tapped it with my hammer to make sure it was down and flush. Then in tightening them down I simply found the sweet spot where the play was gone and the nut keeper was aligned for the cotter pin then dropped them in and bent them up. I then quickly threw the front wheel spacers on and held the wheel on to get an idea. I think I am going to have to take a few measurements and have the spacers milled to get them exactly right for my application.:) Cheers! PICS: