dmoralesbello Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Great build!! I'm amazed at the condition you got that Z in! Quick question: Did you need to roll the rear fenders to get those 16x8's to fit without rubbing? Thanks Kev! The Konig wheels I'm using are actually 16x7 with Goodyear Eagle Sport 225/55/16 rubber. and they did rub slightly both front and rear therefore front and rear fenders got rolled professionally. Edited March 26, 2017 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) While still in the wait for final assembly (very probably will be complete by the end of this weekend) I installed Performance Pedals. Great product though on the costly side. Edited October 12, 2016 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Got creative today with the air filter box and decided to paint it dark metallic grey with raised lettering and stripes in body color orange. The same color scheme will go on the valve cover soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 (edited) Finished off the dash including a Retrosound radio with chrome accents on the trim plate to simulate the look of the original radio set up, refreshed instrument cluster and a Momo Nero wheel. Edited December 18, 2015 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatnow123 Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Wow, the car is awesome!! Love the details!Where did you get the petal "overlays" for the gas/brake/clutch? Do you like them and are they prone to slip off or anything? I love the look and want to do this to my car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 Wow, the car is awesome!! Love the details! Where did you get the petal "overlays" for the gas/brake/clutch? Do you like them and are they prone to slip off or anything? I love the look and want to do this to my car! You can see the pedals at PerfromancePedals.com. It takes about a month to get them once ordered but I love the way they look and feel. No slipping at all. I hope they hold up in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 (edited) So we've finally fitted the hood and airdam back on the car for the final time. All the gaps are set and it all lined up very well. So here's a question to you all: Since we had two sets of front parking/turn signal lenses we experimented with the OEM amber color and did another set in medium smoke: Which look do you prefer? OEM amber or smoked? Edited April 5, 2017 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red76z Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Go the smoked set.very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 24, 2015 Author Share Posted December 24, 2015 So we pulled yet another all nighter and completed the build. All systems were OK except for the passenger side door lock which gets stuck even though the actuator clicks (probably just a clearance issue) and there seems to be no power to the electric ZPower steering unit. I'll be checking those issues soon. Only drove it around the block but I'm happy to report no tire clearance issues so far regarding the fenders or the liners which bulged out toward the tires about 3/4" after the headlight bucket mod. Needs a good wash and detail but here are are a few crappy cell phone pics. Better pics with a real camera coming soon. It's gonna be a very merry Christmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCchris Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 Man, that turned out beautiful! I wish I could see it in person in the sunlight! Hate to think what your restoration must have cost in both dollars and elbo grease but, the result is well worth it! Good job! chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuD 91gt Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 Just picked up a retrosound system myself. Did you get the chrome trim plate through retrosound, or did you somehow do it yourself? They only offered me the black version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 Man, that turned out beautiful! I wish I could see it in person in the sunlight! Hate to think what your restoration must have cost in both dollars and elbo grease but, the result is well worth it! Good job! chris Thanks Chris. I really don't want to add up the costs because the whole idea of the build was to get back what I had in '77. It's not meant to be sold but instead to be handed down to my 13 year old son who was actually pretty involved in the build so monetary value is (at this time) unimportant to me. The elbow grease was definitely considerable, as was the mental work in deciding the direction we should go in and the parts to replace. The fun factor has been immense and I'm hoping it will continue as (as you all know better than me) the build is never really over. Thanks for the appreciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 (edited) Just picked up a retrosound system myself. Did you get the chrome trim plate through retrosound, or did you somehow do it yourself? They only offered me the black version. The trim plate you get from Retrosound is the simple flat plastic plate that you must cut down to the correct shape using their markings. I used that plate, trimmed it carefully, beveled the edges and applied 1/8" chrome pinstriping tape in the same pattern as the OEM plate. Make sure you degrease the plate well so the pinstriping tape sticks and make your angled cuts with a fresh X-acto knife. I also decided to use the Blaupunkt style front knobs (from Retrosound) and kept the black rear knobs that I got in the original kit. The chrome trim on the new front knobs picks up on the chrome accents on the trim plate and makes for the final vintage look. Edited October 12, 2016 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuD 91gt Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Great job on the trim then! I'm impressed, and dissapointed this isn't an option that retrosound offers! Looks like I may have to attempt something simar to what you've done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 (edited) Update on the Zpower steering kit: So it turns out that all I had to do was check the rheostat that controls how much assist you get from the unit. I had turned it all the way counterclockwise which in fact turns the unit off. I played with it today as I went for a 40 mile drive and ended up setting it at the highest assist level (fully clockwise). At this setting parking is a breeze and you just have to adapt to the new feel at highway speeds. Not a big deal really. I do feel a small amount of play in the steering but I'm not sure what to attribute it to. In conclusion it is an important improvement if the car is not meant for racing or autocross but for cruising instead. Edited October 12, 2016 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 (edited) As I said before, my son and I took the Z out on it's maiden run to Ocean Drive in South Beach where competition with exotic supercars like Ferraris, Lambos, Mercs, RRs etc. is rampant. The reaction from passersby to the Z was incredible. Many people gave thumbs up while others pointed and took pics and videos. I really never expected this much attention and it seems my 13 year old boy now believes this is a pretty cool car. Edited April 5, 2017 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Gadsby Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Absolutely gorgeous, great attention to detail and the fit and finish is beautiful. Thanks again for sharing and making us all drool in our loafers. I am hoping my two boys (much younger) will want to do these sorts of things with ole dad. Take care and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCchris Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 my son and I took the Z out on it's maiden run to Ocean Drive in South Beach where competition with exotic supercars like Ferraris, Lambos, Mercs, RRs etc. Bet the guys driving the supercars had no clue what you and your son were rollin, much less the dedication required to (re)build and maintain the Z! As I said earlier, good job! chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmoralesbello Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) Drove it to my daughter's house today (around 100 miles round trip). Biggest surprise difference from before the restoration was that the shimmy in the front end at about 70 MPH is totally gone. I had not been able to get rid of that shaking in spite of balancing the front tires and having the front end tightened and aligned a couple of times. No additional work was done on the front end so I think the only probable cure to the shimmy is the presence of the new front air dam. Quite the pleasant surprise. [ Edited December 14, 2019 by dmoralesbello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizle Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Love it! Keep up the great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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