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HybridZ

A musician's therapist (The $300 Z)


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The center gauges are a bit larger then 5 inch, they will sit there fine if you secure it with a bracket, but to make a friction fit I had to wrap my 5 inch gauge a few times with electrical tape.

 

A 2 inch gauge will fit into a PVC pipe adapter and almost be a perfect fit in the center pods. 

 

Some fuel gauges have adjustable ranges.

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Thanks for the tips! I was aware of the adjustable ranges, but I don't think anything I've found in my budget is variable range :/

 

Are the 2-5/8" still a good fit for the center pods or would it be easier to go with the 2 inch with the PVC pipe adapter?

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My wideband only came in the 2 inch variety that easily adapted to fit. My fuel and oil gauges came in 2 1/4 I think and those were much much more difficult. I think the 2-5/8th would probably sit there very comfortably. 

 

I think my intellitronix gauge was 50$ came with the option to cut and splice some wires to get different ohm ranges, granted I went with a fuel cell so my fuel gauge range was pretty bog standard.

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Hmmm... I don't know about the intellitronix. I like them, but I was hoping for a mostly stock look. If I can use the Autometer ranges it'll work better for me I think. Plus slightly easier, since I don't have to splice anything to get the ohm range I need.

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I hear ya, they were cheap and my preference was for a digital readout, easier to grasp then trying to read a sweep gauge when you have to look over for me.

 

I think I just cut one of the looped wires and that was that. Just putting it out there that you can get different ranges affordably as a small correction. 

 

I think someone on the forum is also an autometer dealer if you are learning towards those. 

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Do you happen to remember who? I'd love to pm them if I can. 

 

Speedhut has the programmable ones that are cheaper than the programmable autometer (at least for the fuel gauge), but they're still much more pricey. Not sure I wanna be dropping that kinda money on a gauge right now haha

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  • 4 weeks later...

EDIT: Changed my mind as I was putting the autometer gauge in my cart. I think I'll be going with a Speedhut gauge where the clock is. Full programmable plus a more stock look I think. Long term it might be slightly pricier but I think if I continue this build eventually all the gauges will get upgraded to speedhut.

 

Also ordered door panel clips, interior plastic rivets, and a windshield washer bottle/motor from MSA and Black Dragon.

Edited by Zetsaz
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  • 1 month later...

Bought my airdam and a passenger fender repair panel yesterday. Will be getting home the 19th and hopefully finish up as much metal work as possible, so this summer I can focus on paint and cleaning things up so I can actually drive this thing.

 

Still indecisive on using POR15 or some sort of undercoat for under the floorboards once the bad dog frame rails are on and for the wheel wells.

 

More updates to come in a couple weeks :)

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I have used the POR15 a bit and it is an excellent product for rust protection but needs to be installed correctly or you may have some issues. Honestly, I'd do both. Give me a call or stop by and I'd be happy to help out, only 10 minutes away you know. I have welders and a sheet metal brake here if you need to tweak anything. I'd love to see those bad dog frame rails. I have debated using them but have pretty much settled on having IPACO bend some 4130 for me instead. My car needs the entire floors replaced as well as the frame rails/tie in and I might just keep on going with new front rails out of 4130 too.

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Looks like I'm sold on some POR15 haha. Thanks for the feedback.

 

 

I have used the POR15 a bit and it is an excellent product for rust protection but needs to be installed correctly or you may have some issues. Honestly, I'd do both. Give me a call or stop by and I'd be happy to help out, only 10 minutes away you know. I have welders and a sheet metal brake here if you need to tweak anything. I'd love to see those bad dog frame rails. I have debated using them but have pretty much settled on having IPACO bend some 4130 for me instead. My car needs the entire floors replaced as well as the frame rails/tie in and I might just keep on going with new front rails out of 4130 too.

 

I will DEFINITELY be taking you up on this. Especially when I'm trying to fix that fender. The other patches are definitely workable, but I feel like this one could be very noticeable if it doesn't turn out just right. That and I gotta stop buy and check out your project as well. 

I'm back in town on the 19th, I can drop by your place sometime the week after and show you what those rails are like.

Edited by Zetsaz
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On new, clean metal the surface MUST be prepped. I blasted my frame (or rather had it blasted) and then spot blasted or really roughed up any clean metal. POR15 will NOT bite into new metal or existing paint, it must have a mechanical bond (blasted or rough surface) or some rust to bond to. There is a trick to top coating it too. I'll walk you through it, basically involves dusting it when it is tacky with a different product creating a "primer" coat. The lizard skin was awesome for that as it is water based and when coated at the proper time actually sped up both cures. It is not UV resistant and will go chalky if not top coated. All of mine has either Lizard Skin or an industrial urethane over it to protect from UV. It can't be beat for rust proofing if installed properly and is easy to touch up if you need to do a repair. Without either using the trick I'll show you or their product, you can't coat over it. It is almost like a ceramic when it cures out. It is by far the most difficult product I have ever used to try and remove after it cures. Oh, remember it is moisture cured. I would pull what you are going to use out of the can and immediately close it up. If even a drop of sweat hits that product and you close it up it will kick. S&B has it here in town but is a little pricy. I have a gallon out here if you want to try a spot first to know for sure if you want to go that route.

 

I got a smokin' deal on a new Miller 350P that I am excited to try using the pulser on the Z floors and panels. It should be much less apt to distort because of the lower heat input from the pulsed output. It will do spray arc transfer too but that isn't really useful on thin metals. I'll TIG the cage.

 

I have 1.5" .095 4130 tubing and a bender here that I am going to do the cage out of. Thinking about getting a roller to do the front header bar over the windshield. I think I might buy a sheet of 4130 in two thicknesses for the floors, supports, trans mount and scattershield (built into the trans tunnel instead of the heavy steel bellhousing) as well as some square or rectangular tubing to do the front rails. My brake is 50" and rated to 16ga but it struggles with that thickness full width for crisp bends. I think I will get better results having IPACO or Central Valley do the supports to tie the front to back. I'll have to look close at your Bad Dog parts but I have an idea of how to get that done efficiently.

 

I have parts for a rotisserie but not the time to get things organized and to that point. Kind of frustrating. We'll get there eventually.

 

I'll be interested to see how your gauge project turns out. I think I will be using Speedhut gauges (4-/2", 2-5/8" and then a single small voltage down by the heater controls) but that is a ways down the road.

Edited by jpndave
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Por -15 makes the products you need to use to make there top coat work ....just buy the kit it comes with every thing you need....surface prep and everything .

 

They sell a floor kit i think ...and just follow there instructions and use there metal prep and you will be fine.

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Por -15 makes the products you need to use to make there top coat work ....just buy the kit it comes with every thing you need....surface prep and everything .

 

They sell a floor kit i think ...and just follow there instructions and use there metal prep and you will be fine.

 

That is true, just more $ than how I did it. Once it's down, that is really your only choice. Your call.

 

BTW theatriks, I was up your way a few months ago and caught the Sound and Light Show on Parliament, super cool to see. I always wanted to visit Canada's capitol and picked up a 4 point blanket from The Bay too!

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By the way, if you have that rotisserie, I would totally want to use that haha. Would make undercoating and rails muuuuch easier. Plus I'm not experienced in that sort of thing. It'd be cool just to actually talk to someone in person who's done work like that before. I have lots to learn

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Need to assemble the rotisserie. No way am I doing all the floor work I have to do upside down. Undercoat wouldn't be horrible. Welding is doable but easier when gravity is your friend rather than fighting you. There might be a way around some of that. I have a couple of ideas that might work to help on the rails.

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Sounds like we should all put together sometime of a lunch meet and greet over the holiday break.  My project as far as body work for the moment is under a tarp out front, had to pull a bunch of stuff down of the garage shelves and it takes up about half the garage space :( Couldn't justify making my wife park outside when she has to drive the kids to school every morning a couple hours after I leave for work.

 

When you get those bad dog rails out I'd like to take a peak at them as well.

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Frame rails have been sitting around my garage since last September. I'm around the 19th-2nd. PM me anytime either of you are free. I'm also still debating just patching the floors or making my own pans, but I have no experience with that so it makes me kinda nervous. I'll let both of you take a look and give me your opinions when I'm around.

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