Check your stickout. When I tack I keep it very short- 3/8" or less- for a little extra quick heat. I usually squeeze- count to 2- let go. For settings I use B 3.5 for 16 to 18 ga sheet metal on my Lincoln SP100T.
Well I'm equidistant from either, but honestly I'd prefer CT just because I anticipate a more pleasant drive- more backroads, fewer highways. Whatever you all decide keep me posted. And thanks to those who generously offered their properties for a meet, and Clive for being the organizer!
Thanks Dave. I bought a bunch of U bends and plan to make my own pipe... just for the experience I suppose. In the event I do a turbo swap I'll probably go the custom SS route. Thanks for the recommendation on that shop, the price sounds particularly easy to swallow... Phil280zxt was telling me at Limerock that he spent an unGodly sum on his custom exhaust.
Alissa- just went to your project page. Impressive work! That's a seriously ambitious project and I wish you all the best. Your welds look great! Are you going to paint it yourself? I think you should!
There are a couple of Zers in CT, Phil280zxt comes to mind. And plenty of us just over the border... Cygnusx1, EvilC...
Where in CT are you? Aldo's is in NY...
Aldo's Automotive Precision Machine Ltd
845-691-8222
3260 Route 9W
Highland, NY 12528
aldoapm@aol.com
A buddy at work had his L28 head rebuilt by Aldo and was pleased with the service. He said Aldo had done work on L series engines before. I can put you in touch if you wish.
I'm currently running a straight pipe on my 82 NA. Its not obnoxiously loud, but it does tend to drone on the highway. I really like how it sounds when I decelerate - popping - and open it up - she screams!
I am replacing the pipe from the cat back, and am considering adding a magnaflow or similar muffler to reduce some of the highway noise but keep it lively when I want to push it. I seek your opinions.
I put an ad in the "wanted" section but so far no bites. I did find this magnaflow on EBAY that should weld up without trouble. Link to ebay
Thank you in advance!
I think I'm in love KTM! Very tastefully done! I like the blacked out lighting and the drop- just makes the dark colored car look even more sleek. What are the window stickers? I'd buy a hybrid z sticker if it wasn't 2 square feet in size!
Dave, there's Aldo's machine shop a little north of you. A buddy at work recently had his Z head rebuilt there. Prices were similar to what your ebay link is asking.
Lower fenders, doglegs, lower quarters, rear wheel arches, floor by the seats and by the feet, subframe rails, battery tray, firewall, spare tire compartment...
I wish I could find that picture of the Z car with a big red circle "the rust is HERE"
82 280zx. I repaired the body, floor and subframe rust, painted it in my backyard, installed an interior from my parts car, and I'm working my way through mechanicals and upgrades now. Drive it every chance I get.
The paint is probably lacquer, which means its not very protective of the elements. You should remove that and sand down the area. You can apply several thin coats of bondo (ps, you don't need to buy a whole gallon...) and sand it smooth with 80, 120 and 240 grit paper. Then go to a real automotive paint store. They can match the color code of the car and give you an aerosol can with the paint pre-mixed inside. You'll have a few hours to a day to use it from the time they mix it. They'll also be able to sell you a compatible primer. Sand the primer with 400 grit wet, then spray your color. Its not cheap but its the right way to do things. If you take your time and you're careful, you won't be able to tell the car was repaired.
I used to live in Harrisburg about 15 years ago. Time flies. I heard its really changed since then. Its a good thing you're not in a hurry... things move very s l o w l y in the south.
Enjoy the BBQ and the races!
I chose single stage because I was doing a solid color. I read somewhere that black especially looked richer when done as single stage.
I also made the decision based on cost. However, I think next time I'll buy the acrylic urethane instead of enamel. I use the Omni AU on a different project after I painted the Z and it laid down oh-so-nicely. I buffed it just a few days later. The price jump wasn't terribly significant from AE to AU.
Bob: I waited because it was acrylic enamel, not because it was single stage. Actually they told me at the paint store that I could buff it quickly since I was using a hardener, but a buddy at work mentioned I should wait longer because it was acrylic. He said it should fully harden otherwise I could cause the finish to slip... he described sheets of paint moving around on top of one another.
That said, the only reason it was nine months was because of the winter in between! Plus I'm slow at putting up pictures! 30 days would have been fine, I believe. Perhaps Ernie will chime in.