When building a SHOP car...... what to do/what not to do

[Sparky]

Hey Z-tard,

 

I worked at a shop some time ago that built the CSX 4000 series Shelbys...both the leaf springed 289 versions and the 427 version. I dont think I've ever been so frustrated trying to put a car together!!!!

 

everything...and i mean EVERYTHING had to be modified on those things....why would you do that to me?

[Guest ON3GO]

Sparky.

i was thinking of a FJ20DET or a RB25DE with triple carbs...

[Sparky]

Sparky.

i was thinking of a FJ20DET or a RB25DE with triple carbs...

 

 

I think both those engines would be nice on a street car, reliable with enough pep to please most...BUT since this would be a shop car, nothing says balsy, skilled and confident like having built your own high compression carbed RB30. of course you would always put TWM induction on it and run standalone. im picture a mix of that white S30 with works from Japan along with the Super Z with the Gnose..but a little more high tech.

 

...If the S30 and 432 were to be made today by Nissan.

 

not the cheapest of routes im sure...

[Z-TARD]

Hey Z-tard' date='

 

I worked at a shop some time ago that built the CSX 4000 series Shelbys...both the leaf springed 289 versions and the 427 version. I dont think I've ever been so frustrated trying to put a car together!!!!

 

everything...and i mean EVERYTHING had to be modified on those things....why would you do that to me? [/quote']

 

I hear ya, for a while Shelby was getting all the CSX4000 series bodies and frames from Poland. The aluminum bodies on them were amazing, pounded out by the same guys that used to build MIG's for a living. The frames were another story entirely. I ground off and re-welded more brackets on those cars than I care to remember. They came with brake lines installed and routed as well, which of course had to be completely re-done. The frames were supposedly powdercoated, but it sanded off just like Krylon. I think that whole mess was why they decided to re design and build their own 289 FIA (CSX7000) chassis rather than use the imported ones.

 

One of my best memories from working there was leaning over the engine bay of my then original 240Z in the company parking lot, and listening to one of the "very knowlegable" guys that had worked there for several years tell me that there was no way a 350 Chevy was gonna fit in my Z.... Nothing to do in that situation but smile and nod

 

Back on topic: I was looking at Buell motorcycles the other day, just tagging along with a friend of mine. I never really noticed how clean those things look, I think the look would transfer very well to vintage Datsun cars. Some of the things that really set them off were the bright, simple colors used for paint, and the contrast of that against the flat black frame. There is very little chrome on them also, the only piece I noticed was the center nut for the front triple tree. Lots of brushed stainless and anodized aluminum, but not so much that it's overpowering. The mufflers were painted flat black too, which I though was very cool looking. De-chroming the entire car would go a long way towards creating a signature of sorts for your shop. It would be really cool to recess the rocker panels under the door, and run flat black muffler/sidepipes that were contoured to match the body lines. Picture the side pipes on the Daytona Cobra Coupe mating with the conformal under frame muffler from a Buell. Fender mirrors would be a must for classic Datsuns, but something other than the JDM fairlady mirrors would be noticed. Something like the old spun aluminum bullet racing mirrors would look nice.

 

Mike

[rubin]

I think you should build 2 cars, one for the import lovers and one for domestics.

 

I remember you were saying you wanted to build a turbo ls powered 240, and maybe an fj20'd roadster

[Guest ON3GO]

well been talking with a few people and i got some gears rolling.

 

heres the specs on whats gonna happen:

 

S30Z:

 

1975 280z (V8dats old car)

RB30DE w/ Triples

Custom header

ZG Work style Flares

Vented custom hood

G-nose

Euro Tails (have)

240ZG seats (need to find these!)

BMW HID's (have)

BRE spoiler (have)

Euro bumpers (240z)

RHD conversion

Work Equip 01 18x12, 18x9.5 (have)

AZC full suspension and brakes

etc etc

 

Datsun Fairlady Roadster

CA18DET

MSnS (have)

Tial wastegate (have)

full brakes and suspension (unknown as of yet)

Work Equip 01 15x8, 15x6.5 (ordered)

OMP seats Carbon Kevlar (ordered)

Blitz Gauges (have)

etc etc

 

both cars will be the same audi color i picked out.

i have a few other details i gotta work out but all i gotta say is thank GOD for sponsorship and good friends!

 

i still dont know if i wanna go RB30 as i wanted to do that to my green Z as thats the plan as of now with it, but i do wanna do a vintage carbed Z... so i dunno.

 

mike

[BringIt]

On the Z - I would have to Vote Turbo RB30 and No G-Nose.

 

I learned that when first starting a shop. It is best to not try to build a shop car. Its best to focus all your work on customer's cars and use thier vehicles to show off your work and skillz.

[phantaz]

I think im going to have to sign on the bandwagon here, definately keep it clean!! Flashy bling cars grab your attention then lose it just as quick... there is something about a really clean, well put together car that just speak volumes about the owner/builder...

One of my favorites Z's ive ever seen was sitting in a parking lot at a car show lol its was silver with black bolt on fender flares.. thats it. no spoiler, side skirts or even an airdam! the badging was gone, sidemarkers flushed window trim was blackout out and windows were very lightly tinted. It wasnt a monster road racer, street race car or dark and mean looking... instead it was like looking at silk in car form. Just smooth and tasteful.

Just one of those moments when you see a car and say "yep" thats what i want. =)

I think i took more pics of that car in the parking lot than i did at the whole car show!

 

i really like the idea of a modern power plant in the z with efi and turbo.. that shows your up with todays tech.. and something like triple's in the roadster shows your enthusiasm, and respect for the old school ways that started all this in the first place =)

[HS30-H]

ZG Work style Flares

 

I've seen you write this quite often now. I think you actually mean 'Works' - which usually refers to Factory or manufacturer-run race teams, and the parts that they used. To be even more 'correct', you might be better describing such parts as 'Works-style' or 'Works replica', unless you are 100% sure that the parts you have are genuine 'Works' sourced parts rather than Nissan 'Sports Option' or 'Race Option' items.

 

240ZG seats (need to find these!)

 

No such thing as "240ZG seats".

Seats in the genuine factory-built 'HS30-H' model Fairlady 240ZG were the same as in any other S30-series Z model made in the same period.

 

I think you probably mean the 'U0175' part-numbered 'Datsun Bucket' seat - which was offered as a Sports and Race Option for a number of Nissan models from 1968 right up to the early 1980s.

 

Euro bumpers (240z)

 

With a G-Nose?

How will the front one fit?

 

RHD conversion

 

I feel sure that you probably don't appreciate quite how big of a task this is without a donor RHD car of the same approximate build date. You could fudge it without the donor - but what would the end result be?

 

We carry out a lot of LHD to RHD S30-series Z conversions here in the UK, and the general concensus is that a donor car is a must-have. In fact, you'd be better off sourcing a good RHD car as the base car in the first place.

 

Alan T.

[jdizzy204]

Sparky.

i was thinking of a FJ20DET or a RB25DE with triple carbs...

theres no such thing as a fj20Det, there was only a sohc fj20et. this is a solid motor but also difficult to find and often pricey. the rb30det hybrid motor would be an awesome motor if u could source the parts from an aussie owner. best of luck in ur endeavors, sounds like it will be quite an adventure:D

[Guest ON3GO]

there is a engine called the FJ20DET.. see.

http://turbovan.com/datnet/1040487img.jpg

 

Alan..

 

the works style flares ive always been told are the wider style ZG flares, not the crazy wide bolt on ones but ones that look very much like the factory ZG over fender flares but just wider.

 

Euro bumers - i still want to run the euro rear bumper on the G-nose car, the front ill just put on my blue Z.

 

the seats i dont know very much about, i just always see them in ZG cars, doesnt your ZG have them? i didnt want to post a picture of yours to show them to everybody. ive been asking and looking for those seats for years now... no luck.

 

i had a real RHD fairlady Z, the car was just too rusty and the dash was beyond cracked.

i already have a line on a RHD dash from my friend vince, he will be doing a few "nicer" mods to the dash before it gets in my hands.

ive done a RHD conversion on a honda before, yes it was hard but i can do metal work and body work so i trust my skills.

if i could find a nice rhd S30 Z here in the states for a good price i would buy it, but we arent very lucky in that aspect.

 

mike

[jdizzy204]

i apologize(just went on wikipedia and u are correct). i think a clean rhd s30z with zg flares and a clean interior would really attract attention. attention to detail is what attracts me to a car.

[HS30-H]

the works style flares ive always been told are the wider style ZG flares, not the crazy wide bolt on ones but ones that look very much like the factory ZG over fender flares but just wider.

 

We have to be careful not to mix up the correct terminology with colloquialisms. The earliest factory-supplied S30-series Z overfenders were actually made, homologated and sold as a Sports/Race option for the 432-R. These were a subtly different shape to those that were seen on the factory 240ZG model in late 1971, and those seen on the very first Group 4 bodykitted factory race cars. But all three of those types could - and have been - described as 'Works' parts.....

 

In my experience, the super-wide 'Type A' and 'Type B' aero kit overfenders as fitted to the Works Group 4 & Group 5 race cars around 1972~1973 are what are most commonly referred to as the full "Works"-spec overfenders. However, it sounds like you want something that looks like the ZG overfenders, but is a little wider. Muroran Shokai up in Hokkaido still make these.

 

the seats i dont know very much about, i just always see them in ZG cars, doesnt your ZG have them? i didnt want to post a picture of yours to show them to everybody. ive been asking and looking for those seats for years now... no luck.

 

Here's the interior of my car:

 

 

...and here's one of the seats on its own:

 

 

They are known as the 'Datsun Bucket' seat in Japan, and they were originally offered as a Sports Option for the S30-series Z using the part number 87000-U0175 ( but were Sports Option parts for many other Nissan models too ).

Good condition originals are expensive and collectable, but both Kameari Engine Works and City Autos in Japan make very nice replicas - and your Japanese contact should be able to get hold of these quite easily if you ask for the right thing.

 

if i could find a nice rhd S30 Z here in the states for a good price i would buy it, but we arent very lucky in that aspect.

 

Why not import a car from Japan? Ones needing work ( which you are ready to do ) can still be picked up fairly reasonably - you might be surprised at what you can find if you have some good contacts. If you really want an RHD car I can assure you that one that left the factory that way is always going to be better than any conversion you could perform on an LHD car.

 

Alan T.

[MrFurious]

Scratch that