280zx digital clock in a 280z jeco quartz clock housing

[280Z-75]

Just got this thing to fit in my 280z clock housing. Thought some of you might be interested in how it looks. Still need to make the clear plastic covering for the front though.

[MJLamberson]

very cool

[FlatBlack]

x2

 

and maybe a little more reliable?

[MatMan]

Awesome! I motion for you to create a step-by-step tutorial with pics documenting the entire process!!

[280Z-75]

Will do. Right when i complete the clear lens portion, ill take it apart, and snap pics of it. Basically, i just made a metal adapter plate, and hacked up the clock so that it would fit. Then i found a 280z clock in the JY(junkyard) and chopped off the plug and hooked it up to the digital 280zx clock.

[DavyZ]

That's the first digital clock I have seen that actually looks good. I can't believe it! I'm so used to what my dad used to do: stick (tape?!) an extremely cheap $1 digital 'clock' to the face of the non-working timepiece. Very hokey and turned me off to digital subconsciously. This one I like very much---good work

 

Davy

[datsun723]

very nice! the clock in my 78 works just fine though...even keeps excellent time! but i know that the day will come....

[280Z-75]

Thanks for the comments guys. I haven't made the clear lens for the clock yet, but here is basically 99% of what you need to do to get the 280zx clock in your 280z (*not 240z).

 

What you need:

 

280z Clock housing

280zx Digital Clock

Dremel/Craftsman Rotary Tool

 

This is all you need from the 280z Clock Assembly MINUS the clear lens (because of that center adjustment knob).

 

First, I placed the 280zx clock on top of the 280z housing to see what areas i needed to cut off with my dremel tool.

 

Then after the 280zx clock was cut to fit within the 280z ring, I redrilled two of the screw holes( on the left side) making sure that the holes went into the metal framing of the 280zx clock like so( you'll see the metal frame when taking the 280zx clock faceplate off):

 

Then, using the 280z metal clock ring, I used it as a template to make this adapter plate out of aluminum bought from ebay using my dremel:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320315398721

 

 

Heres what the back looks like once mounted:

 

I still need to screw on the 280z stock mounting bracket, and make the clear lens using one of the spare 280zx lenses(*note: you CANNOT use the 280zx digital clock clear lense since the holes are off because of the angle it was originally mounted) However you can take the lenses from the 280zx battery or fuel gauge lenses and redrill the two holes for the clock:

 

 

As for wiring, i still have to figure that out. Maybe someone else can help me. Right now, i can get it to power on, but once i turn on my headlights, the clock resets. Let me know if the guide all makes sense. Hope someone else can use this.

[280Z-75]

Here's the clock, it's finished, but the wiring still needs to be figured out. I used the original lense, and just did some practice drilling to figure out where i needed to make the holes on the new lense i made.

 

[280Z-75]

Well, i know it's sorta late, but i finally got around to wiring up the digital clock.

 

280zx clock:

 

Blue/white strip: is for battery power

Black: Ground

Green /white stripe: Illumination

Blue/Red stripe: ACC (accessory power when key is turned to acc)

 

280z Clock:

 

Blue: Battery power

Red/blue stripe: only comes on when headlight switch is turned on

Green/white stripe:only comes on when headlight switch is turned on

Black: Ground

 

I cut off the female plug on the old 280z clock and connected it to my 280zx clock wiring.

I sourced an ACC wire from under the dash, and only connected the battery power and the ground wires in the old 280z clock harness.

 

The other 2 wires (red/blue stripe, and green/white stripe) i didn't use because those wires went into the light bulb on the old 280z clock.

 

Hope this helps anyone else trying to do the same thing.