A to Z

01-15-2026. PAINTJOB. Ok so it is painted now. there are a few spots I can later address and spot paint, but the major paint and bodywork is done. PICS:

01-14-2026. Prepped for more paint. I was able to get the body ready for more paint, and I will paint it, knowing I will see spots later that I can spot repair/fix if needed. this will get it to about 95% on being completely painted. Working on the body is such that you could spend a year and still find things to "fix".....and I think it's time to "push" it forward. After getting it ready for paint, I installed the radiator finger tight and the cut down radiator engine inlet I got from 42004U.com. I then grabbed the intercooler and put it in there to get some measurements for making brackets. I grabbed one of my 90's do this as well. TIME FOR MORE PAINT!

01-13-2026. Just a little something to keep my motivation going. New badge and antenna delete plug from Resurrected Classics and Z Car Depot. I know, the clear looks dull, it will just need to be sanded and buffed. I'm planning on using Poppy's Patina wipe on clear in the summer God willing.

01-11-2025. Pretty cold out today, so I stayed inside and started looking into some of my wiring questions I needed to solve. My combo switch and adapter plate from Race Wire solutions came in the other day, and I will be using that along with the 12 circuit rewiring kit I bought some time back from JEG's. I got Chat GPT to help me keep it straight in my mind and went about figuring out how to wire in my combo switch with what JEG'S sold me. it will be installed in the dash, as part of the dash center plate I got form Skillard, along with 2 gauges and a cool panel/bank of switches made by Allstar Performance I ordered from Summit. now to decide paint the4 panel or upholster.....

01-09-2026 UPDATE: several things coming together on my 260Z ATLAS Z 4.2 project. I picked up my fuel rail that I had modified so the hookup to my PTFE hose will be clean and how I want it, and the radiator I got back as well. You can see the crossovers are done.....now the radiator hookups match the engine, note the reinforcement plates he welded in to support the pip runs. I also picked up my seats from the upholsterer with the seat covers I found on eBay. Lets see......I picked up another batch from the powder coater, door handles, window frames and headlight frames.....which I have cleaned up and restored. The dash center panel came in from Skillard....and it is cool that he sent a new sticker and large pic of his Z car to hang up in the garage. Lastly, my header studs came in from Atlas Enterprises. It is VERY COLD out today, but I will try to get out to the garage this weekend and try to get most of the sanding done so the rest of the shell can go into paint. PICS:

01-07-2026. I got the sail panel on the drivers side painted, and the hatch jambs up to where it will change to black, the taillight surround....and the other sail panel then ran out of paint, so waiting for paint to arrive. I put filler on the spots on the doors and quarters that were still waiting to be done, and it hardened up so even though this weekend will be cold, and I can sand those down and get them done. I also painted the roll pan, and that exposed a little work needing to be done and I got some runs, so I will have some paint correction. Nevertheless, it gives a good idea what it will look like, and real progress was made in just a couple hours. you can really tell a difference in the blue before and after the clear coat! PICS.

01-04-2026. More time in the garage today. I got the radiator support area painted up and got the roof and sail panels coated in multiple coats of filler primer. I then went ahead and got some filler in around the top and sides of my rear roll pan, and after it was dry I got it all sanded out. I am now about 95% done with the tail. It's ready for final paint....but I need to do the cuts for the 240Z taillights and make sure the taillight panels fit the way I want them to. The filler primer made it possible to see the condition of the roof and sail panels much better, especially holding the light in one hand and looking across it. more work needed PICS:

01-03-2026. Ok so today i pulled the door handles, locks quarter windows and main window frames. they are going to the powdercoater. i got the rear roll pan installed right where inwanted it and sealed down, later inwill put a bit of filler (glaze) around it and the rear will be done. i got the roof and sailmpaels done. it will now get filler primer and a quick look over and get all the edges etc ready for sealer and paint. very productive day! pics:

I'm keeping it simple and easy to get done. not going to a mirror finish, just a factory level finish. I build drivers, Sir. I was going to use that dry guide coat until I realized you can't paint over it.....so it is ANOTHER step to get it off then put the mud when you took it off, then smooth it out then another guide coat then block. I just used black primer, mud the deepest bottoms, and use about 4-5 coats of the THICK primer filler made by duplicolor.....specially made for deep scratches. red oxide color. Not advocating any of this it's just experimentation and finding a way that works for me. It will go quick this way. Mud only where needed. when you cover the whole panel, 90% is sanded right off. Using glaze, it sands so easy, I can block it with 220 grit within about a hour and have it ready for filler primer....will it be razor straight? No....but it will look pretty nice.

thanks a lot. I added a bit more hardener and then no problem. I will post pics later, but I put a thin coat of black primer right on the steel and then blocked it this morning. Did the same with the sail panels. It worked great. I then wiped it down with rubbing alcohol and put pieces of blue tape in all the low spots that filler primer won't fill in. I will use glaze with a hardener now. I am well versed with it and it is so easy to work. I just want a decent job, I don't need a show car body. when all is said and done, if the clear doesn't "pop" enough, I will wipe on a coat of glossy Poppy's patina. Poppy's Patina - The Original Patina Clear Coat.

12-30-2025. The filler i had put on the roof of my 260Z never hardened up.....it just stayed "gooey", so this morning I went to it with a wire wheel attachment in my drill and got it all off. I then went ahead and sprayed some flat black primer on the roof and the sides a bit as well to go ahead and start blocking it out.

There was chatter at one point about the welds on CX racing stuff being a concern (particularly the exhaust turbo header).....so you will want to check the welds carefully prior to putting everything together. Front and rear strut tower braces, a roll bar, Apex front side structure supports, and maybe stiffen up the rails .......bad dog used to make thick steel rails that fit right over the originals and then have them welded on. 500 horsepower is an incredible amount of power in a Z car. 300 horsepower in a 280Z is a windowmaker. Good luck!

12-27-2025. Started the day by going over the dried filler with a DA and 40 grit and smoothed it up and shaped it. Next will be to start block sanding the main panels. Then I went ahead and installed the new powdercoated headlight buckets, the MSA Air Dam and the MSA fiberglass front bumper. Then went to the back and started the install of the Hot Rod Chop Suey rear roll pan. Still a bit more to do on that. As I mentioned before it is custom, had them fill the exhaust cutout. Lastly my intercooler came in and took a few pics. it's 18X12 and already polished. Pics follow. Cheers!

12-24-2025. Snuck out and got some more mud on the 260Z car today

I had the J pipe and down pipe cerakoted and then I wrapped them. Makes a huge difference in heat management.