tonycharger72 Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 WRX 2001-2003 front headlights might be a likely candiate for transplant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 In am not positively sure, but I think those have a larger diameter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Just finished tacking in some new steel at the front of the Z, the metal there was pretty bad, looks like someone tried to fill in all the holes with brass, it was everywhere !!! The old supports, which were retained! Made a cut-out and bent up some nice new pieces! Clamping the pieces in place before tacking them! Yay - guards still fit !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 Just finished welding up the new engine-bay chassis rails and was just wondering if I should join up the welds, I have heard about the reasoning about not joining the welds, just wondering if I am better of joining all of the welds? Can see in the pic I haven't joined the welds yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I don't think you will have to. those welds look clean and plenty strong from what I can see in the photo. If you are going to dress the welds, then I would finish them, but thats just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 That is some nice work there. I would not have put such a large radiator support beam in there. That can be really flimsy, it does not take much load at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 I don't think you will have to. those welds look clean and plenty strong from what I can see in the photo. If you are going to dress the welds, then I would finish them, but thats just me. They are mostly overlapping joins and I don't like the way it looks once dressed - if they were butted together I would dress them, but as they overlap I prefer to look at the welds! That is some nice work there. I would not have put such a large radiator support beam in there. That can be really flimsy, it does not take much load at all. Yeah I know , I welded it together on my work-bench, but was paying attention to the welds and getting it straight, not to what it looked like - so when it was complete I sort of stood back, had a good look at it and thought................"sh$t, that looks pretty thick" !!! The radiator I am going to use hangs down a bit, so I was thinking I might cut that section out and run some 65mmx35mmx2mm sections in there (same stuff that the crossmember is made out of) and angle the sides down - kinda like the stock piece! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack280 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Wow, that car looks awesome.............love that chopped top look, what did you do for those quarter vent windows? with the roof-line lowered? I came across some pics of a guy who cut out a triangle section in the C-Pillars and then re-joined the roof so it looked a lot like yours, the rear glass would still fit, but didn't show any pics of how he dealt with the rear quarter venter glass, Thanks for that Jack, didnt think of adding a brace there - think that would be a great idea coming down of the strut towers, I was just going to tack all around the strut supports on the inner fender's, but having it link up with the chassis seems like it would make that area a lot stronger, particulary as I will be hacking a nice hole into the chassis rails right there!!! I have decided to go with a smaller mouth opening for the crossmember bolt holes into the chassis rails - I will throw some pics up soon of what I have come up with!!! For the side windows i am using lexan in the modified windowsupport and the same for the rear quarters, because the lexan could be bent in the correct radius and cut easy for the shape. And the modified stainless steel window support will give the car it original classic look BUT in the shape like it should have had from the factory. The frond windscreen is still stock and the hoodlid has only a the vertical lip modified. I can still use the stock weather strips to keep the water outside. Greetings from Holland, Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 For the side windows i am using lexan in the modified windowsupport and the same for the rear quarters, because the lexan could be bent in the correct radius and cut easy for the shape. And the modified stainless steel window support will give the car it original classic look BUT in the shape like it should have had from the factory. The frond windscreen is still stock and the hoodlid has only a the vertical lip modified. I can still use the stock weather strips to keep the water outside. It does look very good mate, really love the look of the aggressively sloped roof! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thought I might throw up some pics of my, um, chassis straightening device - its high-tech stuff alright !!! The car seems to have had an accident on the passenger side, which buckled and bent that guard rail and body inwards, so had to straighten it so the bonnet to guards gaps would be suitable!!! & This is the wacky hood I am planning on using!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckolander Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 That is a very nice chassis straightening device, I must have 10 of those layin in my shed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalThrashingMad Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 This is the kind of thing I like to see! A true do-it-yourselfer and it looks like its coming out very nicely. What gauge steel did you use for the pans and the rails you fabricated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 I used 1.2mm for the floors (maybe should have used 1.6mm) black mild steel, For the rails underneath the car I used 65x35x3mm box section, covered in weldable paint, was going to use Gal, but didn't fancy grinding it all off or soaking up all that Zinc ! For the engine bay rails, I used 65x65x3mm box section, except at the front where the Radiator is housed, for that area I used 65x35x3mm box section and a gusset! Still working on my RX7 crossmember and should have some pics to show soon ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLaDyZ Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 this build is awesome i just bought a z where a shop installed new floor pans but they didn't install the rails that go under the floor, this gives me the motivation, but trying to get my hands on a welder is the hard part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 this build is awesome i just bought a z where a shop installed new floor pans but they didn't install the rails that go under the floor,this gives me the motivation, but trying to get my hands on a welder is the hard part I have been using an old Cemont 170 Mig, got it from a friend - it has certainly had a long life, but has done the trick - just when I weld thicker than 5-6mm plate it starts to struggle and the wire feed sometimes stays on, I really want to purchase a WIA 175 Mig, tiny little thing but sure packs a punch !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 I wasn't really sure where to post this, it sort of covers a few things - Subaru PS conversion, 1UZ engine fitting, and my brand new RX7 Crossmember, with some small modifications !!! This was a lot of effort................. I am planning on using a mid 90's Subaru PS rack, so I wanted to keep the distance between the LCA mounts to 630mm, this meant I had to remove approximately 100mm out of the RX7 Crossmember, This is the S4/5 Crossmember that I purchased with the guide I made to keep everything true before I started hacking it to pieces! Plugged a few holes! & needed to make the RX7 Crossmember slightly wider at the top to suit the Z chassis rails - I hacked the ends of the Z crossmember and attached them to the RX7 Crossmember and then put a plate over the top, so it looks nice and neat ! There was a bit of a gap that needed plugging at the back, approximately 20mm! I couldn't find any 20mm box section wider than 50mm, so I joined two! Then glued it alltogether! Now for the engine mounts - I used R32 Skyline Engine Mounts, I had them kicking around and makes it so much easier to install the engine than using bolt-through-bush style mounts!!! Finally the RX7 Crossmember in the car with the Subaru Rack!!! & This is the 1UZ stuffed in place!!! Now just have to make the Gearbox Crossmember and Gearbox support within the transmission tunnel! Lots of work ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkgts1 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Looks good, great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 Finished the gearbox crossmember and mounts, I removed the stock transmission tunnel reinforcement and installed a new one a few inches back so I would have better gearbox clearance, enjoy!!! What was there before! The new gearbox crossmember! Eye-links, some suspension component from some car! Tried to find it in rubber but came as one solid piece! This is before I did some trimming and mounts and supports were just tacked in place - when I tried to drop the gearbox it wouldn't come out because the gearbox mounts were to wide , spent a few couple of hours cutting and grinding it down so the gearbox could be installed!!! Back onto the Rotisserie and lots of welding to do !!! Then all done!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckolander Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I would just like to say again,"Holy crap dude, nice job." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 Thanks mate, it certainly was a lot of work, but quite relieving - this is really the 3rd time I have installed the engine, but just didn't like the way the engine sit in before and the way in which it was held in place, I used suspension bushes and bolts to mount the engine and decided I would ditch the idea, figured it wouldn't have been much fun for a street driven car and also the installation and removal was a nightmare, literally had to drop the front crossmember - wasn't fun ! Also, the Power Steering, wowzers that has been a b#tch! With the engine, getting the rack in a suitable position has been like threading the eye of a needle, instead the thread is a 300kg engine and gearbox ! Now just have to work out the suspension so I can get the thing rolling again so I can start on the bodywork properly! Still haven't decided if I am going to run the RX7 S4/5 stuff up front or what I am going to do with the rears! My plan was to try and increase the track a lot, so I can run high offset wheels, like 40-45p, which gives me a lot more choice, at much cheaper prices locally!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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