Tony D Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Alza Paint... Having seen that "Chrome Mercedes" in person, that Alza Chrome paint works wonders. Thought it's not cheap! Vacuum Chrome Metalizing works just fine on any sort of plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ManyZs Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Well, I dunno how the fiberglass "trim" ring would work if you used the lenses patterned after the OEM cover since they don't sit inside the headlight bucket opening like the cheaper MSA units do. You'd have to make it pretty strong in order to get the lens to seal to the headlight bucket or you'd end up with fogging like the MSA covers are prone to. Possibly the easiest way to use the lenses from the MSA covers would be to take some thin gauge aluminum sheet (something easily bent and shaped) and cut out a trim ring using the lens as a pattern with maybe an inch overlap on the lense and the headlight bucket, then lay carbon fiber over the aluminum trim ring for a final dress up. Then you could always use some of the 2 part epoxy like they use in a body shop for attaching trim panels and mate the trim ring solidly to the lens. Then all you'd have to do is decide how you want to attach the trim ring to the headlight bucket and perhaps put some kind of thin rubber to seal the trim ring to the bucket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 You'd have to make it pretty strong in order to get the lens to seal to the headlight bucket or you'd end up with fogging like the MSA covers are prone to. You've never had real Nissan OEM headlight covers, have you? One popular Aftermarket fix for racing teams with Headlight Covers involved using a loop of copper tubing from the engine coolant system in the headlight buckets to keep them from fogging. If you think the OEM Covers were somehow hermetically sealed and impervious to fogging...well, I have this Bridge in Brooklyn to sell you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ManyZs Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 You're right Tony I did use the wrong word, instead of fogging I should have used flooding when talking about the MSA covers. But I still don't see where I stated that the OEM covers had any type of water tight seal, but compared to some of the MSA covers I've seen, anything would be an improvement. But as far as the rest of your reply, well, this isn't ZCar.com and this isn't some noob you can try to intimidate with insults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 But as far as the rest of your reply, well, this isn't ZCar.com and this isn't some noob you can try to intimidate with insults. I'm sorry if you took it as an insult, it wasn't! Both the short-nacelle and longer G-Nosed light covers from the factory are not watertight. There is this misconception out there that they are, and I was just pointing out that they are not. They do have a foam seal, but anybody who has owned them, and mistakenly tightened and tightened and tightened them after a rain trying to "keep the water from pouring in there and fogging up for hours afterwards" quickly finds that with the factory nutplates and fine M5 threads you can distort the metal ring and CRACK the plexiglass cover! The best you can do with the factory covers is lightly tighten them, and only to the point that the foam juuuuuust starts to compress. ANYTHING tighter and the foam overcompresses, and the leaks start. Most people have cars that have been overtightened, and the frames slightly distorted, and have little to no hope of sealing them from "splashed" water. The works rally teams as I said, ran loops of tubing in there with hot coolant to defog the lenses from splashed water. So let's not wag fingers here, or come with an attitude of confrontation. Both covers will flood the light area, the OEM units less so as long as the foam gaskets are intact and properly tightened. This is a few and far-between instance from what I have seen. Don't look for insults that aren't there. Try looking for a laugh sometimes, it really helps with your general disposition and outlook. I know it helps mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 As we all know Tony, you do have a way with words (in a good way). I think the main reason why all headlight covers leak is not the cover itself, but the fact that the headlight is not sealed to the headlight bucket. There is a small gap that allows for headlight adjustment. Also, the headlight attaches to the fender, not the bucket, so there is a leak there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 You got it! no matter how well the seal is on the nacelle, the splash from the tire eventually will spew up from behind... and if there is no way for the condensation to get out: Fogging. Still not home, but the MS units have been waiting my return since Saturday. heading home tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully will have a Friday to get to it before the weekend hits and "planned activities" take over again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank280zx Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Well a friend of mine has a works rallycar that has been butchered by adding a gnose ( sorry on a rally car it is) anyhow it seems a factory one. some of the Monte Carlo cars came to halland and where transformed into track cars, it seem adding the nose was the beginning of this project.. The have a very nifty feature for condesation! there are two hose running from the heater to the front of the bucket this way defogging the lens .. not a bad idea .. however i have not seen it put to the test . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 The works rally teams as I said, ran loops of tubing in there with hot coolant to defog the lenses from splashed water. Well a friend of mine has a works rallycar that has been butchered by adding a gnose ( sorry on a rally car it is) anyhow it seems a factory one. some of the Monte Carlo cars came to halland and where transformed into track cars' date=' it seem adding the nose was the beginning of this project.. The have a very nifty feature for condesation! there are two hose running from the heater to the front of the bucket this way defogging the lens .. not a bad idea .. however i have not seen it put to the test . .[/quote'] Sorry, but I'm going to have to come over all "historian-like" and dispute this hot coolant tube for the headlamp covers as being a true 'works' modification. I know the car you are both talking about, and I can tell you that the copper tube was a later addition performed after the G-Nose was fitted to the car ( ie - a good time after its Works career had finished ). This was not a factory Works rally team mod, and is not seen on any period pictures of that particular car - or another other factory Z car come to that. Works-fitted headlamp-glass mounted rotary wash / wipe units I can show you, copper headlamp cover defogger tubes I can not. The system was most likely fitted by the previous owner that converted the car for road use, and whom added other 'accessories' like the external ( aircraft ) fuel tap and rear hatch fan thing ( !! ) and the rear tow hitch. Not forgetting the overhead console affixed to the headlining and the auxiliary gauge pod on the trans tunnel. The door arm rest attached to the dash is another interesting non-Works addition....... The car had an 'interesting' life after its race career ended - but we who consider ourselves interested in the history of such cars need to be careful to understand the differences between their original Works spec and later mods / additions. Everybody who is not interested in "History" on the other hand can ignore such insignificant minutiae and get on with their lives. Alan T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Sorry, but I'm going to have to come over all "historian-like" and dispute this hot coolant tube for the headlamp covers as being a true 'works' modification. I know the car you are both talking about, and I can tell you that the copper tube was a later addition performed after the G-Nose was fitted to the car ( ie - a good time after its Works career had finished ). This was not a factory Works rally team mod, and is not seen on any period pictures of that particular car - or another other factory Z car come to that. Works-fitted headlamp-glass mounted rotary wash / wipe units I can show you, copper headlamp cover defogger tubes I can not. The system was most likely fitted by the previous owner that converted the car for road use, and whom added other 'accessories' like the external ( aircraft ) fuel tap and rear hatch fan thing ( !! ) and the rear tow hitch. Not forgetting the overhead console affixed to the headlining and the auxiliary gauge pod on the trans tunnel. The door arm rest attached to the dash is another interesting non-Works addition....... The car had an 'interesting' life after its race career ended - but we who consider ourselves interested in the history of such cars need to be careful to understand the differences between their original Works spec and later mods / additions. Everybody who is not interested in "History" on the other hand can ignore such insignificant minutiae and get on with their lives. Alan T. any pictures of the headliner mounted console? i'm thinkign of putting my guages in an interesting place, and I'm thinking up there, like that addon for the 280zx a while back. the StarCraft or whatever it was called. =/ except not as buttony, and flashy, and homosexual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTORHEAD427 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Back to the headlight covers. I would like a set please... And here`s a question: Whenever I need a part for my car I go to MSA. What do people in Japan do? Where do they go? Does anyone know?... ERIC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscott@red3 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Nissan Japan, various shops that stock the old parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I was in Japan several months ago and saw these headlight covers with the chrome trims on one of the Z I saw. I asked the owner where he got them from and he said they are no longer available. My friend from Japan been searching for them for me and he couldn't find them either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTORHEAD427 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Nissan Japan, various shops that stock the old parts. Dear Mr dscott@shouri I know that much. And I know this is what you do for a living. But since you never replied to my PM and e-mail from a few weeks ago I`ll have to find out about these "shops" myself. So: Does anybody else know any shops in Japan? All help is much appreciated. ERIC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscott@red3 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Dear Mr dscott@shouriI know that much. And I know this is what you do for a living. But since you never replied to my PM and e-mail from a few weeks ago I`ll have to find out about these "shops" myself. So: Does anybody else know any shops in Japan? All help is much appreciated. ERIC I have gone over my PM's as far back as a month. I havent gotten your message. Send me another PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 My earlier post has been revised to correctly reflect the status of the heater loops... I have a set of the G-Nose Covers arriving shortly. They were posted on a Japanese Website, and I got them for the asking price of 32,800 Yen. Yes, I choked, as when I was last in Japan (1989) they were selling for 30,000! For this guy to only add 2,800 yen in all this time, I wasn't letting them go away. With brokerage fees and postage, total cost was $419 for the set. I'm not complaining, the set we bought for the Bonneville Car in 1999 ran us $745 from Nissan Motorsports in Gardena! And I had to drive there to pick them up, for $300 less, these will be delivered to my door, Japan Express Mail! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I'll take a set for the G and a set for the regular z! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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