dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) Having had the pleasure of owning a new 1977 280Z (Zap edition) as a sophomore in college and wanting to own another 280Z for the last 25 years I finally got what I wanted this April: a 1978 survivor 280Z in amazing shape (no rust whatsoever!, perfect maintenance records, few and well executed upgrades such as cams, header, exhaust, struts, wheels and tires. Paint and upholstery were totally original and in great shape (not perfect, but great). Now, I know purists will cringe (and that's why my write up is not on the Classic Z Forum) but I wanted to do to this Z what I would have done back in '77 to my first 280Z had I had the money: lower it, bigger and better wheels/tires, upgrade my upholstery, get a killer paint job and tweek my engine to get the most out of it without going turbo or swap. This was my starting point: Edited November 12, 2016 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) Rear brake disc conversion, upgraded rotors and calipers up front, larger MC, and Eibach lowering springs took my stance to where I wanted it. Edited October 31, 2015 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Carefully took out all the upholstery and confirmed that there was absolutely no rust anywhere . Applied Dynamat, updated the original seats with hi performance modern foam padding, freshly painted frames and rails, best available vinyl with a fresh new design that combines smooth black and textured graphite grey on the seats, door panels, roof liner and rear speaker box. Mercedes Benz black carpet will go on the floors soon (hopefully next week). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 New seats, door panels, arm rest and rear speaker box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) In the meantime the bodywork progressed removing the lower panels and trim molding and filling all 64 holes , smoothing out all imperfections, replacing lower valance with an MSA polyurethane airdam and rolling the fenders to fit new 16x7 Konigs and new rubber. Edited December 9, 2015 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Airdam install included fabricating a steel and aluminum frame. The steel rod fits right behind the airdam lower lip. The aluminum floor that's attached to the frame is intended to look like a continuation of the OEM underside protector, increase airflow through the radiator and reinforce the whole set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) All fenders got "rolled" by hammering: And the front fenders were pushed out about 1/2 inch to better line up with the shape of the airdam as well as create more clearance for the tires. Edited December 14, 2019 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Once the bodywork was completed, the epoxy primer was prepared with orange tint and applied, followed by a black guide coat. Hood Body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) Finally the 3 stage paint was applied. After much debate we decided to keep an orange color which had the same base as the original Datsun 110 code that was on the car. This coincided with a 2015 Lamborghini orange (Arancio Argos Pearl) used on the Aventador. In conclusion the new color is much like the original color BUT with a pearl final stage before the clear coat. The effect in sunlight is amazing. Just for fun, a vintage Tonka Toy Z was sprayed with the same 3 stage paint simultaneously: Hey, I figured if I can't play with the full size toy for a while.... Edited November 12, 2016 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Here she sits with doors attached once again. All the glass with new rubber seals goes in today. Upholstery continues on Monday. I'll update periodically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Forgot to include my headlight bucket "extensions" to fit the new LED bulbs. Not quite finished but worked well in the mock up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Huh, now that is an interesting idea. Does it clear the wheel well and such? I just hacked the rear of my buckets off for clearance and sealed them with tape to keep the water out, that seems a bit more elegant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 All the glass with new seals, rear hatch and tail light assembly with LED lighting went on today. Power door lock actuators are in as well. BTW, I'm sorry for the flipped pics but I can't figure out why this happens (they look right side up in my files). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 Seattlejester: The modified bucket actually contacts the inner fender liner and bulges it outward about a quarter inch. Not enough for clearance problems I think. Once I road test it I'll let you know. I will also post pics of the completed buckets. In the meantime I hooked up all my LED tail lights and the electronic flashers seem to have done the trick: all turn signals and hazard lights work perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob_racing Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) The rear deck carpeting, strut towers, speaker box and padded strut bar are all finished. Next up is the carpeting on the floor pans. We decided to cover the strut bar pad with the same perforated material that was used in the center section of the seats and on the speaker box. I think you'll have to zoom in on the pics to appreciate it. The Z logo on the carpet looks yellow in the pics but is in reality a bright orange much like the car's body color. Edited August 30, 2015 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 Upholstery is done. Great job from Shamrock Auto Trim in Miami, FL. They do top notch work including celebs' cars (Lenny Kravitz) and movie jobs for The Fast and The Furious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Gadsby Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Wow that looks amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 Thanks Jay! I wanted to capture the original feeling I got when I first drove my new 280Z back in '77, but since time smooths out all the imperfections, I had to go with similar but improved methods and materials on this restoration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 I'm stuck waiting on the paint shop to continue getting my hood, airdam and grill painted and I'm getting desperate! I've been promised some progress in the next 2 weeks and I will post new pics as soon as I have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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