zredbaron

gorgeous! (jealous of your engine bay!)

stage 17. deliverance! [the car is definitely NOT finished, but it has reached the point that both the shop and i would rather i just took the car and finished the details myself.] i can't believe the car is finally in my garage! i picked it up friday afternoon, and unfortunately i haven't had the time to play gearhead yet. i'm planning to after i finish my coffee and upload the pics from friday! tee hee! (i feel like a little kid!) [i can hear the bimbo girlfriend voice now: "like, why don't you ever get that excited to see ME!? it isn't FAIR!"] enough stalling, how about some pics! here's the rear end as is. fresh coat of black, candy appled tail lights, stainless steel trim around the tail lights has been restored. the left tail light is still stained a little darker than the right. damn. i wish i hadn't cleaned the inside of the right one, they might actually have been even! this also seems to be one of the angles that can capture the sharpened rear quarters on camera. here's a reference of what the rear end looked like back in '06: note the very stained left tail lens. also, the rear glass comes down lower in the hatch than i remember, so nevermind what i said earlier about the composite hatch. i think the illusion was the hood pins necessitating the datsun 240z emblems be shifted up, which cramps the vents. that's my story, and i'm stickin' to it. unrelated question: are forum pics displaying smaller by default for anyone else? they used to auto-size to your browser window's size, but now they default to small thumbnails that you you have to click on to expand. anyone know anything about this? things to fix: the top right hatch mounting point is quite low. sloppy. the right aluminum brace isn't the exact same bend / slope as the left one, so i'll have to tweak that. the hood pins are oriented at 45 degree angles which is the worst idea ever with a sloped deck lid. should be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the car. i also need to make a final determination on the rear vents. visually, i still don't like them, but my inclination to retain the original badging is a tad stronger than it was a few days ago, too. going to sleep on it for awhile, get used to the busy deck lid, see it on the road, etc. before making a final decision. i'll likely be using matching allen screws to fill the holes. i didn't even notice that they forgot to drill holes into the hood for the front emblem until i saw this pic. it's so obvious, but i was so damn excited to be hooking up my trailer that i wasn't looking to 'inspect' the car so much as i was just admiring its overall reflectivity. a proud team and an even more proud owner: the guy with the black collar is the only one that didn't really work on the car. this is the photo the painter wanted: the car leaving! haha! (this is the only one the painter was smiling in!) haha... and finally, all buttoned up back at home: i obviously bought a brand new car cover for the new paint job. indoor only, flannel underside. best car cover i've ever felt (MSA sells it but will try to talk you out of it to go for the all-weather cover [technalon or something? if anyone cares i can look up the exact models]). (i already have the all-weather one, also a fantastic cover, and that will cover the car while it's trailered, since my trailer likes to shed crap onto the car while its on the road.) i like how you can see the hood pins and aluminum braces under the car cover [looks serious!]: another angle: also, the flannel car cover's elastic edges are more springy than the all-weather cover, which keeps the cover more taut, which of course looks sexier. i love how the S30 covers only come with one ear for mirrors - left side only. i'm really glad i've elected to keep the single oem mirror. my favorite passerby question: "hey, did you know you only have one side mirror, dude?" really!? i NEVER noticed that before! [haha!]

this is something that i would really, really LOVE to be wrong about! by all means, if someone has the above setup in their car, and can verify that it works, then i'll be quite excited to go out and duplicate it! the quick summary is this: short of creating your own sender, i don't believe an accurate fuel indication can be attained in our S30s with an oem fuel tank and an autometer fuel gauge. the reason is that the autometer gauge, an american product, is designed to compensate for "dumb" fuel sending units. our sender, a japanese product, already does this compensation, sending a nearly perfectly linear signal, very much indicative of the actual fuel level. our oem gauge is "dumb" in that the needle's indication is directly proportional to the resistance it feels from the fuel sender's rheostat. the "smart" autometer gauge on the other hand, assumes the sender is dumb and therefore the needle's indication is NOT proportional to the resistance it feels from the fuel sender. in short, the problem is that the complete fuel circuit is double compensated and therefore inaccurate. this was verified through experimentation in an electrical engineering lab years ago in 2004 while i was still in college. we all agree that plugging the autometer gauge in "as is" isn't accurate. i came up with a similar solution (using resistors to alter the signal "felt" by the autometer gauge), but the best i could do was either a} have the level accurate at exactly two levels only (ie once at 3/4 and once at 1/4) or b} have it "pretty close to accurate" down to 1/4 tank, and after that, gauge indication was useless. i elected to have b} since my Z was a daily driver at the time, whereas a} would be more useful to me now that it's rarely driven (i'd rather know for sure when it's about to be empty, different resistances change at what points it is accurate). this would be a really long technical writeup. i have no problem writing it up and sharing my very, very extensive excel spreadsheet for all to see/critique, etc. it's also going off of the assumption that autometer isn't offering a new, "dumb" version of their fuel gauges (i installed my gauges in '04). god, i'd love to pay the $80 for a new gauge and be done with it! that said, not being a fan of fruitless labor and recognizing that it's certainly possible that i missed something and am just plain wrong, i'll wait for a reply to say "dude i have this in my car in it works" or "dude i have this in my car and you're right it doesn't work, what gives?" before publishing my dissertation on "why installing autometer fuel gauges in street-modded S30s is for cosmetic purposes only."

the fuel indication problem is actually VERY complex, one that i believe has no current solution unless autometer lets us dictate the guts of their gauges (i even called them at one point to make such a request and was shot down). i'm in the middle of a reply on this very thought. to answer your question, though, yes, you can buy generic senders, and no it's not what you want to do. the problem with using non oem senders, in any application, is that generic senders are linear, and therefore to be accurate, the tank must be consumed linearly (ie a rectangular tank). no production car has a square tank, so you would essentially guarantee yourself an erroneous display. i was able to buy a new nissan sender about 5-6 yrs ago, no idea from where, though. good luck!

yes, autometer pressure gauges expect you to use their sender, which requires a pipe fitting adapter from metric to sae. very painless install, autometer will sell everything you need.

five years later... BUMP! haha. it's my understanding that iridium plugs / platinum / fancy coating x is more for longevity than ultimate performance. that is to say, that you would get more miles out of an iridium plug, but right out of the box, a "simple" plug such as the bosch super plus would perform the best (until xxxx miles, after which point the iridium plug would outperform). this is because they are more resistant to corrosion / carbon buildup, but straight copper conducts better. unfortunately copper loves corrosion... just look at pennies or the statue of liberty. similarly, cheap break pads will stop you in a shorter distance and are less prone to locking up than carbon / fancy material x pads (assuming NOT from high speed and NOT repeated braking, both of which will find heat fade with a quickness). not what you might think!

stage 16. hood pin alignment, front grill. the front grill repainted and installed: i've always loved how open the front end of the Z is. it just looks hungry for massive amounts of air. the painter and one of the body guys have been having a threesome with my Z all week... (lucky!) getting ready to drill the holes for the hood pin plates. drilling. the interior has been blown out with an air hose and casually wiped down as well. starting to look like her old self again finally. it's hard to capture the sharpened rear quarters on camera. ...which is a good thing. it's subtle, i definitely don't want any single aspect of the car to be too loud (where possible, of course). preview of how the hood pins will look: the driver side in this image is still a little high, part of the hood's subframe was contacting the nut that held the hood pin in place. just in case anyone hasn't heard the stern warnings of how hard it is to get custom hoods and hatches mounted properly, aligned so they clear all the hardware smoothly, etc, it's a freaking nightmare! they have spent countless hours on it, and i'm going to get it home and spend countless hours on it myself.

hopefully you're just kidding, but just in case, i must apologize, john, if any of my posts gave you the impression that i was surprised by the subframe coming out or if it sounded like i was disappointed in any way. let me be clear once and for all to the readers out there: i'm here to say that i absolutely have john's back with these parts, and i cannot stress enough how gleamingly proud i am of finding his parts. regarding aspects of the car i'm most proud of, these carbon fiber parts are second only to my engine. he was *extremely* clear up front that these are race parts and are not intended to be cosmetic in any way beyond having a good shape and fit, which as far as i can tell are truly flawless. when i was going around to shops, the ones with any composite experience marveled at the quality of the hood and hatch, and immediately lowered their estimate (they had built in labor in their mind to "fix" the crappy composite parts, something that is not necessary with john's parts) i got what i paid for AND what i wanted: a race part. i wanted an extremely light part that idealy has a perfect oem shape that was sturdy enough to last. that's what i have on the car, i've simply elected to go against the grain and try and shine it up as best as i can because, well, that's my thing. i knew that even if the painter made a perfect surface somehow, as soon as the hood encountered a race in the heat of summer, the subframe would come out again. i was warned by john and every painter i ever encountered. i was ok with that because my priority was performance, and appearance was secondary. this is well worth it to me because the discussions regarding them are filled with awe. "it's stupid light." "absurd." "i can't believe we haven't broken it." "this is hand made!?" in fact, i think the "flaws" add character. subtle reminders that despite the pretty appearance, the car isn't all show and no go; it's all go AND all show. in short, buying one of these parts is in my opinion akin to buying an apple computer. yeah, you could have paid less, you might catch some $h!t for your [correct] choice, but you will never, ever, EVER look back. i sure haven't. can't wait to feel the difference on the tarmac.

i'm definitely committed to the datsun 240z badging on the deck lid. although i agree that it would look *much* cleaner if the hatch was purpose built only (ie just the hood pins, braces and lexan hardware), the badging is what keeps the OEM inspired racer look. otherwise i'd just have a shiny racer (not necessarily a bad thing, just not what i'm going for.) [speaking of the datsun 240z emblems, does the datsun emblem look "funny" to anyone else? the cursive datsun looks off, but i can't put my finger on it (it's a new emblem, and i don't think i perfectly matches the one that came off of the old hatch).] it's this very principle (the oem inspired look) that has me wanting to keep the vents in the first place. it's an early 71, and the car came with the vents, so naturally i want to showcase the variant that the car actually is. that said, it *IS* too busy, so i'm having to choose between "less is more" visual appeal and retaining the original brandings present on the car. i don't like the choice, but such is life. i didn't either! glad that my life's purpose is to serve as a warning to others! haha! in all seriousness, i *think* that on cheaper (ie heavier, not hand-made) composite parts they can be smoothed out almost completely. i'm under the impression that the nomex core / subframe is "pulling" the shape out of the hood. (the painter has redone the hood at least twice trying to get it out. each time, it's smooth, but 2-3 weeks later it returns. my conclusion is that this the cost of a race part (strong and light), as opposed to a cosmetic part (crap, but sometimes cosmetic). perhaps john can chime in on how their construction causes this phenomena. checking on the car today, i'm running into a problem with the oem hinges having vertical play in them because the torsion springs are removed. it's causing problems as the hood is raised and lowered -- the play allows the hood to dip as it opens, and the front of the hood sometimes scrapes the front grill and/or the bumper overriders. john suggested i try using one of the springs, and is going to see if he can come up with another idea. anyone else have any ideas?

i meant to say "another" $50k. i haven't dared to total my folder of receipts. building up the engine alone three separate times isn't exactly efficient spending. would have been nice to "do it right the first time" like i thought i was... i'm not far off from keeping up on a straightaway (i imagine i'd keep up until fourth gear or so, no doubt that their top end would leave me in the dust!), but in the turns is another matter. could you hang with their tire patch at autocross events? i've never road raced, but i imagine that the difference in traction is more costly in autocross than it is in road racing, but perhaps i couldn't be more wrong? a very interesting statement, one that i'm definitely going to have to remember. coming from you, i take it as a compliment! and then i laughed out loud for a solid 20 seconds after reading about yielding to the inevitable scratch! hah! this was something that i had asked john when i was first placing the order. at the time, i envisioned using the oem latches and keeping a somewhat stock look by avoiding hood pins. to the point, when asked about weatherproofing the hatch i believe the direct quote was "you won't ever weather proof that hatch and lexan window." now that i see it in person, i don't want to. it's beautiful as is, and i'm actually looking forward to the extra sound and fumes in the cockpit. (i say that now...) but sure, you could always devise a way if you really wanted to. as more time passed tonight, i liked the idea of the vents less and less, and along with the unanimous consensus, i think i'm going to ditch them. not certain, yet, i want to see the car in it's final state first, but i'm leaning away from them. i doubt the painter will touch the holes (i wouldn't, if i were him at this point!), so that leaves the question of what to do with the holes? i could leave them alone completely, or put dummy aluminum allen screws in to hide the holes, or... (any other thoughts out there?) i decided to open up photoshop and play around a bit: both of the mock-up images are zoomed in slightly as well, to help with the detail. as you can see, on one side, i demo how the allen screws might look, and on the other, the holes. personally, i wish they were filled... in this second angle, i swapped which side the screws/holes were on, so you can see how busy the right side would be. sooo... any clever ideas out there for cosmetically filling the holes? holes vs. the allen screws? your thoughts are very much appreciated, gentelmen.

stage 15. buffing complete, rear hatch fully assembled! [omfg! i feel like a 12 year old boy that's next in line to get in the front seat of a roller coaster... the anticipation is KILLING me! haha.] well, i'll be damned... the shop is still on pace to deliver the car tomorrow! all of the marker lamps have been installed. still waiting for the hood to be lined up and the hood pins to be installed. closeup hood shot: this is an attempt to show the imperfect shape of the hood. you really need to move your head around to truly see the subframe (which you can, if you're looking for it. if you aren't looking for it, then you might simply notice that it isn't a perfect reflection like the top and sides of the car). you can also see some imperfections where the fender and headlight lens meet. it's from the DA (don't remember what it stands for, but it's a blocking/sanding tool) and he'll spot-wetsand it in the morning and buff it out no problem. and the image we've been waiting for, the rear hatch: really looking sharp! when i get it home i'll have time to be anal and bend the right aluminum brace to match the angle of the left one (at the top, just under the mount point). i'll polish them slightly, too. i don't think i want it to be *too* shiny, just a little less course. like the stainless trim around the windshield, side windows and the OEM mirror. has to match the theme! another view of the rear hatch area: the rubber is slighly bowing out the carbon fiber. i'm not sure i'm willing to "wait" for the rubber to settle as it bows my prized hatch. it may not ever settle, as it isn't as rigid as the steel hatch. i'll probably take some of the weatherstripping out once i get the car back to the house. any experience out there? i'm not sure i'm a fan of the vents or not, it's pretty busy, and they seem high since it looks like the lexan comes further down the hatch than the stock glass did. plus, you can see the red behind it, as they are completely cosmetic. what do you guys think? i'd very much like to hear some votes as to whether the vents belong with the OEM inspired race car look or not... closeup of the lexan assembly: this also happens to showcase the difference in how light reflects off of the composite parts versus the metal parts. the square vents in the reflection really show how they go from straight to distorted as the cross into the hatch. as you can see, this isn't even CLOSE to being weather proof. it's not remotely hose proof, so it will be rather tricky to bathe. on the plus side, the sound will also penetrate the cabin (through the thin carbon fiber and lexan, as well as sneaking between the lexan and the hatch itself), and i imagine the exhaust fumes will, too. hopefully the VP fuel won't burn my eyes... i imagine it won't, as it's MUCH softer on the nose than pump gas. standing by for installation: the painter retouched the black on the grille and rear panel, and looks like the silver trim is touched up, too. i took the tail lamps home and spent hours detailing them (40 years of soot in the left one). the left one is still stained a little darker (shown on the right). damn unobtainium. the painter has some tricks up his sleeves yet... he's going to candy apple the red portion (it's transparent) and then clear coat the whole lens after that. who knows, it might not be so noticeable once it's installed on the car. then again, with any luck, the rest of the car will draw the eyes away from the rear lamps. and i simply had to share this last pic: i was hoping to capture the shiny, sharpened rear quarter, but it didn't come out since the light was all wrong. what's interesting about this pic is if you look in the reflection of the paint you'll see a proud painter grinning with his arms crossed. haha, cool!

stage 14. buffing commences. these aren't particularly revealing, but we all love pics, so here are a couple from today: taken under fluorescent light without a flash, the picture isn't quite the same as in person, but you can still get a decent idea. that said, it's still pretty damn cool. i'm looking forward to the final finish and holding up a piece of white paper with fine print... too bad the composite hood and rear hatch will be somewhat warped / wavy. worth it, but too bad. evidently buffing is more of an ordeal than i had imagined. these pics were taken after the first stage of buffing (using rubbing compound), but before the 2nd stage (using a polish), and the 3rd stage (using some kind of micro polish), and the final stage with liquid wax. it was raining today, so he couldn't do it outside like he wanted to. funny, i was imagining this very thing today at the shop. i'm very much looking forward to seeing the look of the rear hatch. i've been questioning my choice to install the early Z's rear hatch vents for some time now -- i'm slightly concerned that it will look too cluttered back there with all the emblems, the vents, the hood pins, the aluminum braces, and the 50 machine screws (or however many) in the lexan. but hey, it might look great, who knows... time will tell!

thanks, owen / rturbo 930. that's what i love about hybridz... it's always been a forum that fosters everyone's unique style, no matter what it is or isn't. cosmetically, over the years i've envisioned different directions with the car, but in the end, when it came time to actually upgrade or restore an aspect of the car, i didn't have the heart to stray too far from the look i fell in love with. there were points where i fancied huge fenders, fog lamps, headlight covers, side skirts, spoilers, even a dark metallic teal paint job. luckily it was years before i was in a position to upgrade the car, and by that point my taste had fortunately evolved to subtly highlight and modernize the original design datsun created (plus the mandatory air dam, of course!) performance-wise, i always wanted a no kidding race car. naturally, as a punk kid with no influence other than his own passion, my definition of a race car was simply naive. by the time i showed up to my first autocross, what i really had, was a very pretty red datsun in excellent condition on the mid to high end of street performance. this put me in a class with modified Z06 corvettes, supercharged miatas, etc, and i was overwhelmingly outgunned. through hybridz's knowledge base, i've upped the car's competitive aptitude considerably. after i built my race engine, i expected to close the gap, but the gap grew larger because [a] my suspension couldn't keep up with the torque transients coming from my ATB diff the driver needed a whole new level of finesse and most influentially [c] my tires were only 2/3 the width of my competitors and my engine just pissed them the bleep off. [c] was discovered after i was shocked at how much faster the Z06 was than my z, so i requested a ride-along with a very competitive SS Z06. he absolutely had tons of power, but his acceleration was only noticeably better when he was in lower rpms where my z chokes (no replacement for displacement...). and then came the sweeping turn. i thought for sure he was going to spin out HARD, and he just stayed on the power. i couldn't BELIEVE the grip. and then the max performance into-the-ABS braking into the hairpin turn. his grip was incredible. he had 385s in the back, 355s up front. i have 225s all around, same DOT slick as his. i was quite disheartened. i realized on that day, that i could put $50k into my z, and it will never beat that car. my competitive side entertained the idea of moving on from the Z one day (i can't cut this car), perhaps to the out-of- the-box Z06 or perhaps the absurd Ariel Atom. (i WILL drive one someday!) i went on deployment, and i happily realized that no other car will "be me" like the 240Z. i took pride in the fact that it was the only z at my events, and it was in an extreme condition to be driven that hard. many people think it's a crime to not garage it, but i think it's a crime to not let it loose. talking to many of the true racers on hybridz, in an attempt to be more competitive, one thing i've always been advised is that i need to decide whether the car is a street car, a show car, or a race car. you can't truly have more than one. right as they are, i sure as heck can have a blast trying to push the envelope. the car is absolutely competitive in the big picture, with raw times that i can be proud of, just not in my own class (SM2 / SSM). and now, after the carbon fiber / repaint, there's no way i'm ever looking back. i'll squeak up to 245s, but that's it. it will be finesse. it's manual as it can be, and as volatile a ride as it can be, making the ride as challenging and fun as can be. it won't ever be truly competitive, but i can get out there and drive the hell out of (in my opinion) the sexiest car at the event, the legendary Datsun 240Z. (don't get beat by the 40 yr old datsun! haha) man, that was an unsolicited monologue if i've ever seen one! haha. what i meant to say is, thank you, i'm glad that i'm not the only one that appreciates the OEM inspired efforts. it's less subtle now with the hood pins and hatch bars, but the body is still the original beautiful little 240 with subtle hints of aggression.

thanks! i continue to be impressed by, and proud of, the painter's skill and attention to detail. yes and yes. according to john coffey, not all of his customers elected to use the oem hinges as i have, but it isn't a problem to do so. that said, if you used the oem latches, the vibrational stress would inevitably defeat the [brittle] carbon fiber at the latch point. same for both the front and rear, so yes, 2 hood pins will be used on both the hood and hatch. i elected to install all of the oem emblems, including the rear hatch vents, which will be completely cosmetic. i hope the rear deck lid won't look too cluttered!

well, i have to say, i'm getting rather aggravated. i feel bad because of my rapport with the shop, but i had to be firm again today. last friday, i went in to start my car for the first time in 6 months (edit -- the painter didn't allow me to because the race fuel's fumes supposedly would've destroyed the paint in the primered and/or sanded stages before the final clear coat). if you're at all familiar with my engine (last 2-3 pages of the L6 NA 3.1 sticky), not starting it has been killing me (way too much $$$ in there for it to corrode from the inside out! hell no!). the race engine is so new that it's *only* oil change (ever) was the initial 30-min break-in. the engine was completed in fall of 2008, i went on deployment for 6 months, then i came back and put my car in the body shop immediately. that was 9 f---ing months ago. i digress. i went to start the car, and it never started. tried a couple times, but it just sputtered and died. i suspected fouled plugs, but after asking my crew chief, he asked how old my race fuel was. oh, $#!t, i didn't even think of that! the shelf life of this volatile fuel (VP109, 105 r+m/2) is obviously shorter than gas, which is already fairly short. my 50 gal transfer tank in my trailer is about half full, and i believe the car is mostly full. roughly 35 gals in total at $16 a gallon. what a waste of the most refined liquid i've ever bought/smelled. well, save for single malt scotch. not to mention the cost of continuing to insure the car for 9 months while it's collected dust in the shop. long story short, i was promised the car by next wednesday at 4pm and would be cut a check for half the cost of my insurance/fuel. god, i don't want to play hard ball. please, just finish the job that was paid for in full up front. i'm still planning on giving the painter a hefty tip, he truly deserves it, but the management... make your guys finish the damn job! as i drove home, a fear dawned on me. no doubt this shop will never agree to such a project again. i remember when i went around, i had several shops tell me straight up they don't do anything older than 10-15 yrs old. (it's not as profitable -- too much detail.) combine that fear with the green direction of the world, and i wonder if i'll even be allowed to buy VP109 in the year 2025. perhaps you guys have had similar concerns? please, world. please don't take our Zs from us...

now we're talking! i'm very much a fan of where you're going with this! and now the anxious waiting game begins, cheers on such a beautiful job. what ignition are you going with? i'm a fan of electromotive, myself.

nothing's new, but i did arrive to see a very clean and still wet little red 240 outside. the hood and hatch are still at an in-between stage of wet-sanding from weeks ago, and therefore appear a different shade of red. looks like a real car, though. you know, one that you can get in and drive and stuff. and then we get a little closer and see the finish... as i was admiring it, rich, my painter, bragged something to the effect of "it's not even shiny yet it still hasn't been wet-sanded with 3000 grit or had the final buff." say again?

the song "tempted by the fruit of another...." played in my head as i read this post. fantastic manifold and supercharger presentation. also, i *really admire* your camber plate cutouts in the shock tower. meticulously cut shape, truly beautiful work. my cutouts are crude in comparison, hidden by my plates being on top, which of course is structurally inferior to your installation as well. tremendous! i'm curious...is that holley specifically designed for use with a supercharger? is it special in any way? not knowing anything about carburetors under boosted conditions, i would think that a NA engineered holley carb is a major kink in terms of uninhibited flow...

stage 13. window seals, door assembly and rear hatch attached. finally getting somewhere again! after a hiatus, the shop has put my Z back on the front burner. the windshield guy came by and redid the seal with the new stainless trim he was supposed to use last time. the caked dust just has to be shared: good luck making all that junk look like an interior again, guys. before (fresh coat of elbow grease admittedly): after (elbow grease would be an epic fail): it's hard to look and realize that it never would have gotten dirty like this had it not been in the shop for 8.5 months at this point. looking at the before pics and going in and seeing my Z like this feels like witnessing a crime against humanity. the rear quarter panels are reinstalled with the new rubber. pretty damn good fit, i'd say. everything's 40 years old, after all. looking like a real car again. finally. the hatch still blows my mind. my pinky lifts it as if it were a pencil: the hatch without the lexan window weighs in at a mere 2 lb, 3 oz., with the pivot point holding up the "weight." unreal. god, i think i'm going to love the subtle, hot rod fender lips. and by lips i mean lack thereof. visually, the ride height needs to be raised just a touch though. hopefully the suspension geometry agrees. seems to me i was a tad on the low side and needed to adjust anyway. if it wasn't nearly a year ago i might remember...

stage 12, aka stage 9.5 revisited. [man, is it me or did HybridZ change? can't quite put my finger on it...] i came in one day while waiting on the door handles to come back from the chrome shop and found this: i love this picture. the lines are highlighted by the paper and tape... it just accentuates how sexy the curves of datsun's original design of this car were. i'm not sure what he saw that wanted to redo, but obviously 99% of the work was taping off the car. incredible how much labor this was for the slightest amount of touchup. there's hardly any overspray at all, showing how little red was actually resprayed. surprising, huh? i keep meaning to ask him what he did, but i keep forgetting.

hey, fancy meeting you here, russell! yeah, the update is that my koni struts and stiffer springs have been in my garage since last summer, still waiting to be installed. [car has been in the body shop for over 7 months now being repainted...] but thanks for the reminder that i still need to follow up on this thread once i'm finally able to.

stage 11. [still.] just once in my life, i'd like a car project to come within 25% of the projected timeline. just once... sigh... here, it waits. only this time, it's my fault. see, the way it happened was, when I came and saw all the re-assembly parts laid out, that's when i noticed that the door handles and gas panel knob would stand out like sore thumbs on this shiny new restored exterior. i took them off to be rechromed, delaying reassembly about 3 weeks. or so i think and hope. in other news, the rear hatch and front hood have both been completely resurfaced *again.* and no, not by my request. painter wasn't happy with how they turned out. i really didn't mind that much this time since i had already caused a concurrent delay. but damn, it's only been what, 7.5 months now that the shop has had my car?

stage 11. wet sanding begins, hood is repainted, air dam is painted, windshield installed. after a gentle nudge with the general manager of the shop, the painter has been directed to work on my Z every day until it's out of the shop. had an initial twitch that hoped he would still be just as meticulous, but after seeing his progress after a few days the concern was put to rest. this air dam already looks 10x better than how it did before. his paint looks better before sanding and buffing than many shops' final product. hood was sanded down and resurfaced, then repainted. i suspect it's only a matter of time before the sub frame is visible again. composite part, after all. windshield was installed. unfortunately, it wasn't noticed that i supplied them with a brand new set of OEM windshield trim. the glass man will have to come pull it all out again and use the new trim instead of the 39 year old trim. it happens. also, you can't really tell in this pic, but the driver door and rear left fender have been wetsanded down to 3000. hasn't been thoroughly buffed out yet. i walked in on him wet-sanding the passenger door panel and rear quarter. he was at the 2000 grit stage. this next part is pretty damn cool. i was quite pleasantly surprised. at one point i walked in on him blocking the car (in the primered stage). he demonstrated to me how he slightly "sharpened" all of the car's lines. i was fascinated, of course. the rear quarter's sharpened lines really caught my eye: this angle particularly exaggerates this sharpened line. in person it isn't quite so loud. this one is more natural: many Z owners might not even notice that the lines have been sharpened. it will hopefully simply be a sharp looking car that doesn't dare you to analyze why. see? looks normal in this view. it's subtle, but sharp, depending on your eye and your viewing angle. if you scroll up and look at the wet sanded panels again, the non-reflective texture lets you see the sharp line easily. i'm also particularly pleased with this pic. notice anything missing? antenna, perhaps? i can't even tell that the panel's hole had a plate welded over it.

stage 10. RED!!! i returned from a holiday family visit to CA fully expecting to see a shiny red datsun, and i did! the lighting is obviously way off, but you can at least get the basic idea here. i assure you it isn't a dark red like these pics show; it's brighter once it's out of the fluorescents (chrysler's radiant fire red). the non-flash pics show the texture / reflectiveness off a bit more. i really admire the subtle difference that cutting the fender lips has had on the purpose-built appearance aspect. it's subtly aggressive, and i like. these are still in the "crude" curing stage. there are numerous imperfections waiting to be buffed out. the wet-sanding will be in 3 more stages: 1000 grit, 2000 grit, then 3000 grit. you can't really tell in this pic, but the hood needs to be redone. the fwd left area didn't quite block out all the way (you can see the support framing). if you look for it, you can tell that the hood is carbon fiber. i was warned, but luckily my painter claims he can make it smooth, at least until it gets hot and re-settles again. sigh. if it's this reflective *before* the wet-sanding/buffing/first wax, then man, am i in for a surprise! perhaps it will be worth the 6 month wait after all...

stage 9. blocking. not much to see. been rather disappointed with the lack of progress over the last month. all that's really happened was some blocking and a bit of sanding. most attention was obviously given to the composite hood. the structural support requires some resurfacing. hopefully the first summer heat won't warp it too much... side note: i find this image reminds me of the 240z road racer look, with the front end and headlights closed off.