A to Z

07-09-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Installed the intake piping. You can see the inspection door covers on the car from ZOCIETY, still just laying there I haven't bonded them down yet. Time to finish caulking in the carbon panels and then clear coat over the blue patina paint. PICS:

07-08-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. I picked up my intake pipe and MAF Meter cover plate from my polisher, J&S Polishing here in Colorado Springs today. int he pics, I just laid it in place, not installed yet. His ability to take my cobbled together crap and make it look fantastic is true magic. PICS:

07-07-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: I picked up a set of carbon fiber covers for the hood inspection doors from ZOCIETY. Many ways to attach them, I will try silicone first. Since my inspection doors are powder coated, I will do a light scuff and then bond them on with pure silicone, taped down overnight. By the way, they are TOP QUALITY. $360 bucks.

07-05-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: I finished feathering out the remaining blue paint, got it nice and smooth, then blew the car off and taped up the front fender and went ahead and caulked the seams. 260Z Fender Badge placement on the fenders looks good. Poppy's Patina Gloss arrives tomorrow, so we continue on! PICS:

07-04-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! I removed the front bumper and traced out and cut some spots in the carbon fiber to allow it to fit properly and re-installed the bumper. The edges will be hidden under a thin line of black silicone caulk. I also cut some aluminum stock I had and placed it under the intercooler and Tek screwed it down. it is basically just helping to support the weight. The 260Z fender emblems are on, taped to sit overnight and let the silicone cure. The rest of the day was spent fixing the other Z car I have. PICS:

07-01-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Well in between working on my other Z, I am still working on this Z car. I went ahead and started working on getting the blue painted portions of the body ready for clear coating, and caulking the border of the carbon fiber pieces. Initially I had planned to paint on a fresh coat of factory blue before clear, but I think I may go with the patina finish that is left after smoothing out the paint and getting it ready for the next step. Using "Poppy's Patina" in a high gloss finish....2 coats.....apply and then the next day apply again for 2 coats is the plan for now. This car is meant to just have fun with. It's the project car while I have the other Z anyway. my 240Z is giving me some timing issues to contend with so I have plenty to do. Also put my water meth pump on some steel to start getting the ideas flowing. PICS:

06-28-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. The amount of work done today was hampered by work I needed to start on my 240Z, but I then made time to knock out a few things on the ATLAS Z today. The way my MAF meter sits in the piping is functional, but looks bad. I decided to take some left over 4" tubing, and cut it in half and form it to fit over that area, which will make it look like one solid piece, I will get it polished along with the last piece which is finished (I jsut need to go pick up and then drop off at the polishers). I then did the hood pin for my "window frame" hood. I am using one hood pin, and I bought it off of amazon, with the striker plate in black versus chrome. I then took the number decals I ordered for the car and lightly taped them on there to see what I think. They are supposed to be adhesive, but they have a weird clear coating over them I have to figure out. PICS:

06-24-20226 ATLAS Z UPDATE. Yesterday I picked up my rear spoiler, cowl and front bumper from getting wrapped in dry carbon fiber vinyl. Today I mounted them. PICS:

06-23-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. Cut and fit the 4" pipe for the intake. Using a 45 degree bend, and the 90, I cut turn/twist, cut on angles, and as you can see in the pics, trim off pie cuts to get the angles going where I want them to. This requires drawing a line where the pipes have to meet and welded in just that spot. It's exactly what I did with the other pipes. After welding, the welds are sanded down smooth and then my polisher does his part to make it look like a seamless one piece unit. I also used the new air cleaner and marked where further cutting on the hood was necessary and then cleaned up those edges. later, I will spray gloss black into the cap and use some q tips to paint the cut edge and it will blend right in. I also got the call to go pick up my 3 parts I had wrapped in black DRY carbon fiber....the cowl, rear spoiler and front bumper. PICS:

06-21-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. I started with installing my side view mirrors, and then poured in the engine oil....then decided it was time to get the R200 differential and swap pieces done and out of the way. I first had to clean up the gasket surfaces, then I installed a factory NISSAN gasket, and then filled it with 75W140 Synthetic gear oil. Then I masked off and painted the rear cover with silver engine block paint and then a coat of clear. Tthe case itself I wire wheeled clean,t hen wiped it down and gave it a coat of clear. After that, I painted up the 280Z mustache bar in gloss black and then after cleaning and wire wheeling it clean, I painted the front differential mount in gloss black as well, and then put all of it in the corner out of the way. Quite a bit of work to get it all ready for install. I will remove my existing R180 diff and then clean up the entire area like this before installing the rear end. I also have some TT3 Techno Toy Tuning axle shafts with the Porsche 930 CV joints to put in. PICS:

06-20-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. I wired the firewall forward body wiring today. I managed to get it all done except for the fans. I also installed the turn signal surrounds and upper and lower grill. In doing this, I also started the run of braided line back to the water methanol tank from the nozzle up front. The electricals for the Boost switch was also wired today into the passenger footwell of the cockpit. I don't have a horn picked out yet, but I now have wiring ready for it. PICS:

you cant see it well, but no, it is cut out so it clears as the hood sweeps up.

06-19-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. I picked up my gas pedal from the fab shop today. I got it home and wiped it down, masked it off and gave it a couple coats of Rustoleum 2x gloss black paint. Should be ready for install tomorrow. PICS:

06-18-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Well, after having people tell me about the intake and issues I will have with the MAF meter, and then researching on it, I decided to just redo the intake from the MAF sensor forward. I ordered some 4" pipe, a coupling and clamps and dug in. I did a layout and then cut the hood to start the process of making additional room for a smooth long radius 90 in 4" along with a vortex air cleaner to give the MAF Meter what it needs. In just a couple hours tonight I got a good start on it.....but I will have to do a notch in the radiator support to get the pipe to where it isn't being forced up over it. I am still waiting on the Air cleaner, but the job is well under way PICS:

06-14-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: I started the day by cutting and prepping a new throttle to be welded up, keeping the angles for leverage, but removing and bends to make it straight. the one I did before did not work. It needs the bends to create leverage, and a spring mounted throttle foot pad to work correctly. the factory one is bent, so pie cuts were used to straighten it, then chopping and shortening it was required. It now heads to Wagner Fabrication to be welded up and then I will paint and install later. Then I Mounted my dual catch cans. I then mounted up my front blinkers and then went back to the catch cans....tying all the lines in, One line is black braided, and as you can see, I masked off a portion of it and painted it with silver engine block paint to help it match the others. Better than not at all! I also wiped down my forward metal dash piece and set it in then and then touched up some fittings in silver to get away from too much black. I then took my blinker surrounds that have been repaired and sitting in primer forever and sanded them up smooth with some 320 grit sandpaper, and painted them with gloss black rustoleum 2X, and then a few coats of Krylon clear. Also of note, I did cut and place a PCV valve in the breather line coming from the intake back to the catch can. So....a lot of little things today, to include tying it all up and cleand up under there. Definite steps forward today! PICS: