Zeta GT - 260Z 2+2 1977 T6

[OPTaiva]

Supporting tasks for the project - Garage V

 

 

I'm continuing still with garage related tasks. Next update will deal with patch panels I swear!

 

It seemed to me that the new work table area along with the drill press station was a little dim and this needed fixing.

 

Cue "China special" eBay LED-lights rated at 100w.

These units seemed rather nicely made and overall impression was nice. There has been some reviews in Youtube (link) where the ground wire has not been connected and therefore the light has been somewhat dangerous straight out of the box. This I checked first thing when I received the lights.

Fortunately this was not the case with mine as the ground wire was nicely connected to the chassis.

 

In either case I needed to open up the lights to wire them up to a single socket and to also see what they had "eaten".

 

The silicon seal was very nice and the led drivers were branded. The data sheet can be found in this link. One driver is driving half of the LED-chip and the second one the other half.

I tinned the leads and screwed some screw terminals on them and mounted the lights on top of the work table and drill press.

 

Here the lights are mounted and wired up.

I had to shorten the mounting hardware ("handle") that came with the lights so that I could mount them as close as possible to the shelf bottom. I ended up cutting almost half of them off and drilling new holes for the bolts.

Next when I'm at the garage, I will measure the temperature between the shelf and the lights as they do get quite hot.

 

Some light level comparison.

First up is the situation with LEDs' off and second one is LEDs' on. Pictures are taken in manual mode and all variables kept same. This means that the after picture is exposed correctly and the before picture is under exposed quite significantly.

 

Same situation demonstrated with light meter in the Galaxy S5.

Quite a difference and one might say that the difference is quite similar as night and day!

The light level with the LEDs' is suitable for very detailed work according to the Engineering Toolbox and the before situation was suitable mainly for warehouse operations.

 

 

I have also made one improvement for our welder set-up.

The filing cabinet is a second hand Ikea model and the cart is from Motonet. I riveted some hooks to it to hold the cables and mounted the gas bottle with a muffler mount from Biltema. Total cost was around 30 euros.

 

I still need to make a handle for the cart and put some tack welds on the corners of the cabinet. It is a little bit flimsy without them and the hooks did not take with the rivets, might need to weld those to it too.

Edited February 20, 2016 by OPTaiva

[OPTaiva]

Fabrication - Patch panels: Part IV

 

 

As I promised last time, this weekend I have done sheet metal work!

 

But first, lets do some background work for the garage.

 

I had noticed that the vise stand I made was not so sturdy as I had hoped.

Some rummaging later in the metal bin and I found profiles that slid inside each other and therefore I could make the system pictured here.

 

The receiver profile was a little big for the shaft, but fortunately I found a lock bolt and a matching nut in our parts bin.

I welded a 15mm wrench to the bolt and now when I lift the handle/wrench, the shaft locks in place and does not budge.

 

I also made handle for the welding cart.

Now the pistol lead and the earth wire does not get in the way of the drawers and I have a holster for the welding pistol. Might need to lengthen the holster as it's a bit short. Slight error in my part!

 

After these tasks, I started the patch panels again...

 

First up was the missing piece in the rear of the new upper rail.

These clamps truly are life savers, as they kept the part tightly in place and pulled the edges nicely on same level.

 

All welded up with the last edge piece, but still I need to make some additional panels to this section.

The panel that goes between the fender and the frame of the car still needs to be made and improved.

 

The forward most part of the car fell off...

 

So I made a new one!

I sketched the outlines of the box section on the sheet metal, transferred that on cardboard and then cut it from the sheet metal.

 

Box section in the making.

This is my high tech bending brake... 60x40 mm profile tightly clamped in a vise and a few clamps. Then comes vicious pounding with a hammer. The sheet bends more easily, if I score the bend lines with grinder before hand, FYI.

 

Box clamped up and test fitted.

Fitted nicely and all holes landed where they should had been. I also welded a new nut to one of the holes to make sure I have adequate room with the box section.

 

Box section all bent up and welded.

It's 10 mm high and the flanges are ca. 25 mm wide. Now the part that was like cheese, is much more nice to look at!

Still will need to dress up those welds, but I guess I will do all welds together after I have made the more urgent repairs, as in all other patch panels.

 

 

Bottom panel for the upper rail.

Fitted nicely on the first try so I tacked it in place and welded it solid as far as I had the time.

 

I also seam welded the upper portion of the rail and used a pattern of 5/5 cm (welded/not welded).

The long top seam is also welded thoroughly and I will grind it the same time I do all other welds. Then I will lay a 5/5 cm pattern on that seam to make sure it will hold and to make registration officer happy.

 

The whole beauty.

It has taken some time, but I have now (almost) repaired one sixths of the car's rust.

 

Next up finish welding the lower portion of the upper rail and then... the drivers side floor and runner with added rigidity!

 

Again... still a long way to go!

Edited February 20, 2016 by OPTaiva

[Sirpent]

Love your work and your engine choice

[OPTaiva]

Love your work and your engine choice

 

Thanks!

 

This means quite a lot as I've been following your build here and on Viczcar.

Your engine choice is quite interesting and the frame work you are doing should be plenty stout! Really looking

forward the results you achieve!

 

Regarding my engine choice, there is quite a big scene of high power Volvo engines here in Finland so knowledge is

readily available. Of course a big reason was also that they are quite a lot cheaper than comparable BMW, Nissan

or Toyota engines and also quite compact packages.

 

-Olli

[OPTaiva]

This update deals about what happened few (or four) weekends ago.

 

I continued with the upper frame by drilling 8mm holes for plug welds and then welding them up.

 

Holes drilled...

 

... and welded up!

 

Few pictures to show what I have accomplished and how the rail turned out.

Looks rather good, if I say so myself!

 

I wasn't fully happy to the rail so I ground all seams flat to prepare them to be stitch welded.

 

I also needed to make relief for the fender, as it did not sit properly in this area.

I cut few dents to the appropriate spots and filled them up with sheet metal bits and welds.

 

Rail all ground and stitch welded.

I'm not a professional in this field, but it looks all right and I really hope that it holds for the rest of this cars life!

 

The lines one can see in the firewall are markings for the firewall mod.

600mm wide and 200-250mm deep indentation in the firewall, so I can move the motor as far back as I can.

This of course means installing a pedal box and as I'm going to make it adjustable for different drivers, it will be with

a DBW throttle so I can ditch the throttle cable and of course DBW opens the door for all kinds of trickery in the

engine management side...

 

Mod should look a lot like this when finished apart for the transmission and Viper V10 that is installed in the model car!

Hopefully there will be still room for a wiper motor on the center as the Finnish summer is short, not so snowy but with lots of rains...

 

Next up some words about my new (to me) differential!

[OPTaiva]

As stated in the last post, I acquired a new to me diff.

 

I came across a really cheap (80 euros) Z32TT R230 differential in England and could not resist so I bought it and had it shipped to me. 

I also bought two pairs of CV-shafts so now I only need the correct length drive shafts and adapters and my set up is complete (for the time being).

 

 

 

 

The diff is "a bit" rusty, but it's only on the outside.

Rust was so thick that I used a welders hammer to chip the layer off!

 

Inside bits look really nice!

No metal shavings and oil was in really good condition. Also the VLSD seems to be working quite nicely... well if it is not when the car is drivable, there is always Quaife.

 

 

The ratio is the correct one for Z32TT.

48:13 or 3.69 is a bit too short for me with the ZF, but at least the Z will accelerate like crazy... if I can get the tires to hook up! Armada 2.9 would be better gearing choice, but that means opening a whole different can of worms!

 

 

Cleaned up quite nicely with the welders hammer!

 

I mounted the diff on my second engine stand for easier dismantling.

I'm going to take the whole diff apart and send it to my friend to be media blasted, then of to the powder coaters!

 

I'm thinking that all underside parts will be white or some other light colour as I would like to see the leaking oils as fast as I can (because there will be those!). Same goes for the motor and engine compartment.

 

Keen eyed reader might see some parts that are not OEM, at least according to my FSM.

There are bungs installed for oil cooler pick up and return. Might be nice to use them when the time comes!

 

 

In the next instalment, I'm going to upgrade my worktable and the carosserie pick up points.

[OPTaiva]

I'm on a roll with these updates...

 

 

My just refurbished worktable needed a new surface so I picked two 50mm thick surplus desktops from my work and added 3mm sheet metal on top.

Does not buckle under a load and the sheet metal is fastened to the wood with countersunk screws. Should be adequate for welding and for any other heavy work that I can think!

 

When I picked up the surplus tabletops, I also got the accompanying drawers.

They found their place in my "Leaning Tower of Compressors".

 

I noticed that Zeta had shifted a bit on the rotisserie during my repairs and as there is no end in sight for the repairs, I decided to upgrade the rotisserie pick up points. This was also needed for me to gain access for the door sills so I could begin to work on them.

 

 

Main components are 40x40x4mm profile and M24 threaded rod with double nuts and washers on every corner.

When I bolt the rotisserie to the floor, I will be able to level the car perfectly and also pull the car straight if need be. Now the car is level to a sound of few degrees.

Fortunately the cross measurement of the car was spot on... at least the car is not fully crooked!

 

 

 

 

Rear pick up points and levelling system.

Unfortunately I need to lift the car with engine crane to be able to adjust the threaded rods, but that's quite easy! Just lift the car, check levelling and adjust the bottom nuts to correct height. Lower the car and tighten top nuts.

Same for the front and rear!

 

 

On next update work resumes with patch panels and more precisely rocker panels!

[OPTaiva]

Well... this update is a bit more gloomier as I have realized how much there is work to be done

and how much I need to learn when I'm doing this stuff.

 

Might have picked an easier first project!

 

I cut the front part of the rocker panel cleanly off as it was long gone... all battered and rusty.

 

 

 

After I had pondered the situation for quite a while, I decided that there is no other way to repair the rocker panel than to cut it out all together and make a new one from scratch.

For this I welded additional structure to the door opening to keep the parts in place and got on cutting.

Unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of the cut rocker panel as my cut off wheels ran out and I could not finish the work...

 

 

 

... but I do have pictures of the damaged areas and pictures of the areas that are marked to be cut out.

All parts of the panels that are beneath the black line, are to be cut out and new pieces to be fabricated from sheet metal.

There is no other way to say this, but this car is quite a job s(h)ite!

 

There is a company, that sells quite a lot of rust repair parts for the Z, but it's quite unheartening to see the supply... all pieces are for the coupé version and none for the 2+2.

So I will do the pieces from flat metal and see how far that gets me!

 

Not to finish on so dark feelings, here is a screenshot from a National Geographic documentary called Nissan Datsun Z Fairlady Z - History, that caught my eye.

The sign hanged in the Datsun factory where they made the Z-cars.

Quite a good documentary and quite a good idiom.

 

Will keep this in mind when I'm soldiering on with these rust spots and with this project.

 

 

I have been thinking a name or some kind of a "punch line" for the car... with the rust problems and amount of work, I think I'm going with:

Fruit of labour or Doryoku no Seika

Might need to commission my friends advert company to do something based on that.

 

 

"On that bombshell it's time to finish!"

Edited April 4, 2016 by OPTaiva

[1969honda]

Very nice work!

[OPTaiva]

Very nice work!

 

Thanks 1969honda! Your project is also looking a really nice one! Not too easy I would guess? What throttle bodies are

those that you are using?

 

 

I'm doing my best with this project and I really have learnt a lot with this it... just hoping that the rocker panel turns OK, as it

might be a turning point in this project.

 

If it goes tits up, I might just "cut my losses" and do the rust repairs not so precisely. Leave the welded seams visible and

just clear coat the car. Might get a look similar to WWII fighter planes!

 

 

-Olli

[ZROSSA]

Wow.. Nice work Olli!

 

Makes me want to go do some work on mine! Great to see another 2+2.

 

Douglas

[Sirpent]

Thanks!

 

This means quite a lot as I've been following your build here and on Viczcar.

Your engine choice is quite interesting and the frame work you are doing should be plenty stout! Really looking

forward the results you achieve!

 

Regarding my engine choice, there is quite a big scene of high power Volvo engines here in Finland so knowledge is

readily available. Of course a big reason was also that they are quite a lot cheaper than comparable BMW, Nissan

or Toyota engines and also quite compact packages.

 

-Olli

Thanks Olli

 

But mine looks industrial at the moment compared to your fine work.

 

I think its a great engine choice you have there, in keeping with the DOHC S20 L6 in the 432 240Z.

 

It would be interesting to try and have the cam cover restyled so to read Nissan 2000. I know that sounds cheesy but it would confuse a lot of people at first glance

[OPTaiva]

Thanks Olli

 

But mine looks industrial at the moment compared to your fine work.

 

I think its a great engine choice you have there, in keeping with the DOHC S20 L6 in the 432 240Z.

 

It would be interesting to try and have the cam cover restyled so to read Nissan 2000. I know that sounds cheesy but it would confuse a lot of people at first glance

 

Yes there are similarities with the DOHC S20 L6 and the Volvo B6284T or Tin Six.

At least they look quite similar, but unfortunately I haven't studied the S20 engine very thoroughly! Would be nice

to compare it to the T6 with a FSM.

The T6 was developed with Porsche so that might explain the similarities with a Nissan race engine!

 

Thanks for the compliments John, but I don't see your work as industrial.

It's purposeful and very nifty that you can just undo few bolts and the drivetrain drops out. I'm aiming for the

same with the diff cradle.

 

This is my first project and I have learnt to weld and to do sheet metal work during it so at least I know I'm doing

something right when fellow builders chime in!

 

I will be doing a different cam cover for the engine so the "Nissan 2000" text could be doable... Might be that "Nissan 2800"

would be even better and throw people off even more!

 

 

-Olli

Edited April 4, 2016 by OPTaiva

[OPTaiva]

Yes there are similarities with the DOHC S20 L6 and the Volvo B6284T or Tin Six.

At least they look quite similar, but unfortunately I haven't studied the S20 engine very thoroughly! Would be nice

The T6 was developed with Porsche so that might explain the similarities with a Nissan race engine!

 

Thanks for the compliments John, but I don't see your work as industrial.

It's purposeful and very nifty that you can just undo few bolts and the drivetrain drops out. I'm aiming for the

same with the diff cradle.

 

This is my first project and I have learnt to weld and to do sheet metal work during it so at least I know I'm doing

something right when fellow builders chime in!

 

I will be doing a different cam cover for the engine so the "Nissan 2000" text could be doable... Might be that "Nissan 2800"

would be even better and throw people off even more!

 

 

-Olli

 

Now that I have compared the blown S20 engine to the Volvo engine, they are really similar! Looks are cunningly

the same... Nice catch John!

Pictures here: S20 Engine Rebuild

 

-Olli

[Sirpent]

Like your style Ollie

 

Shame there is such a distance between us, think we could have a few laughs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OPTaiva]

Wow.. Nice work Olli!

 

Makes me want to go do some work on mine! Great to see another 2+2.

 

Douglas

 

Thanks Douglas!

 

I admire your engine choice!

My daily driver was a 2007 Audi A3 3.2 and I really liked the R32 engine. Responsive and nice to drive.

Fortunately I sold it to my future brother-in-law and I retained first buyers right to it when he's selling it.

My dream is to twin turbo it and make it a stripped racing car with beefed up transmission and Quattro.

 

The 2+2 models are few and far between, but we have Tonis' one here in Finland with a 1000 hp 2JZ.

I really like the forms of the 2+2... might be that even more than the coupés'! At least there is more room

in the cabin and therefore room for the back shifted T6.

 

 

-Olli

[Sirpent]

P.S.

 

I am having the rear fully adjustable - all 4 points - (On car) lower control arms made soon, once you see how I have set it up with the new diff cradle I have built, I think it will give you some idea's.

[Boben]

That rust repair requires some mad fabrication skills but luckily you seem to have just what it takes!

Very interesting reading and footage. Good luck with the build.

 

How is the transmission tunnel height altered by this mod? When I did mine (definitely not finished yet!) I was also thinking of cutting into the transmission tunnel and raising it, but then finally opted for mounting the powertrain as low as possible without sacrificing the ground clearance too much.

[Sirpent]

Ollie

 

As you love Turbo L6's

 

Thought I would point you to this Australian 4-0L L6 engine, one of the guys here in Australia who passed away a few years ago shoe horned this motor into his 240Z, The car was never finished but was running at the time he passed away.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Barra_engine

 

Barra 325T FGX Sprint

The final variant of the 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine featured in the FGX XR6 Turbo Sprint. The engine employs an over-boost feature for 10 seconds when optimal atmospheric conditions are met when under full throttle, boosting power & torque to an almighty 370kW and 650Nm.

Power: 325 kW (436 hp) @ 6000 rpm Torque: 576 N·m (425 lb·ft) @ 2750 rpm

[1969honda]

Olli- The throttle bodies are some Bing units from a BMW 1100RT motorcycle. Not sure if they will get used at this point however, really wanting to go supercharged. Project is pretty slow moving at the moment however do to weather and funds.