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SQC's 280zx Build


sq_creations

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Oct 08: I picked up this 280zx. I had been looking a Datsun 240z's for a while and as luck would have it I have received a 280zx for phree hundred dollars from my Brotherinlaw. Free is a good thing. The car doesn't run currently and its not exactly what I was looking for but Im super psyched!! I have a lot of ideas for the car. Im think a caddy 472 v8 swap but will see what I come accross. The body is in pretty good shape. There is some surface rust here and there but nothing to bad. I think theres some bondo cracking on the hood and a small dent under the driverside tail light. Im thinking of painting it either semi gloss black or like the lemans edition of the C5 ZO6. Here are some pictures.

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I got the car running. I put a starter and a fresh set of spark plugs in it and it starts now. It had a pretty nasty miss when I drove it around the block. Im just happy it moves under its own power now. It needs a alternator, and a good tune up. Im just not sure how much I want to put in to the motor because I plan on yanking it. My neighbor donated some satin black paint to the project. I started to do a little body work to it last night. This is my first attempt at doing body and paint. Well see how it goes. lol. I also made some pretty good progress pulling out alot of the nasty rotten interior from the back of the car. It got eaten by the battery acid that spilled in the back. Theres some rust that im going to have to deal with back there.

 

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Nov 08: I started to vacuum the car and found a colony of dead maggots. This on top of the patches of battery acid holes made the decision easy to pull the front carpet out. The car needs some new seats for sure too.

 

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I also got some body work done. Istill have along way to go. I welded a patch in the antenna hole and the rear wiper hole. I then started banging out the dent below the driverside tail light. I used fiberglass bond to fill in where I needed it. Its coming along but it needs alot more sanding.

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I got some time to work on the interior this weekend. I got 12ft carpet from Home Depot for 50.00 and a some bed padding from target for a little under 10. I used the old carpet to cut patterns where I could. Then I used the carpet from one footwell to mirror the cuts to the other side carpet. It worked very well. I have not glued it down yet because I have to weld the ebrake bracket back to the car. I'm also considering a roll bar. This has really turned into a father son project. Chase loves to help.

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Its the middle of nov. 08 and the sun goes down before I get home after work. That makes it a little harder and colder to work on the car. I did get the rust in the trunk sorted out. I used a stripping pad on a grinder to get rid of as much as I could and then coated it in a rust treatment paint. The angle grinder pictured was used to cut out the rotting tie down brackets.

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I Removed the bumpers in prep for painting. Then just for fun I thought I would see what my jdm integra bumper would look like on the front of the car. Amazingly its about the right size. In realty I plan on using a MSA bumper when funds are available for it.

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The weekend I have been waiting for. I finally had time to prep and paint the car. I spent all day Saturday sanding down the car. I could spend year trying to make this thing perfect and I may one day but for now I just after a quick paint job.

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Then I masked off everything that I didn't want painted.

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Now were ready to prime the car. This was awesome the whole family wanted to help. My awesome wife joined in on the priming too.

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Now its time for some paint. This was first time spraying with a gun. It could have been betterbut not bad for a noob with out a booth. The car looks so much better in black.

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I still need to paint the bumpers and mirrors. That is next.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanksgiving Weekend I pulled the headliner and recovered it in satin oriental bamboo print cloth. I was looking for something different and this jumped out at me in the fabric store. I also made it out to the local U Pull It yard and found some side marker lamps and nice set of black Maxima seats. The will need some custom brackets for mounting and I will have to cut of the plastic seat belt guide of the side. I think they will fit after that. I think they look good in the car though.

headliner1.jpg headliner2.jpg maximaseats1.jpg maximaseats2.jpg

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