my 1971 240 z in silver

[Stubby]

Love the flares. I also went to the old school. Beautiful car.

[Darkstar]

Looks stunning! The flares look quite like the ones from Samuri race cars, just get a set of Minilites or Panasports.

[26th-Z]

Looks like everyone loves the new suit of clothes for your queen, C David. Congrats.

[c david]

soda blasting is by far the best of the best for stripping anything. i have used a soda blaster to remove 20 years worth of chattahochee sealer on my patio when i lived in fort lauderdale.

sodium bicarbinate is a cyrstaline substance and therefore explodes on impact making for far greater efficiency of air and material. the versatility is very wide rangeing as the movie demonstrates. the "soda blast guy" got a feel for the resistance and decided to straf the top layer then return for the bulk of the paint and finished the stubborn spots with a detailed focus. this method allows for the filler or bondo to be saved and or removed. you can take off bondo on top of fiberglass or put a hole through both at the same time. the best reference is that it is soft like a sandstorm from a distance or will burn like a laser when at point blank. all variations in between and be created by angle of attack and lbs per hour.

baking soda as sold for this purpose is dirt cheap.

you can push your car into a field and blast without needing to clean up or recover the media.

a zcar loves this method as it does not use friction to remove the paint, ie the exploding crystals (in all directions btw). the lack of friction saves the terminal realization that your sand blasted car paint removal also warp every panel on the car (due to the heat from the friction) and you have no reasonable way to get your now heavly fatigued metal back into shape.

to answer your question. i payed $600 for 4 hours of work at $175 per hour.

most of these guys quickly learn that it's far moe profitable to do yachts on a dry dock for three 8 hours days a week rather than 5 car in 5 different locals and all the drama.... so it may be hard to find an upstart soda blaster within 100 miles of a marina.

i suggest doing a search for the related equipment and call them to ask who they sell to in your area, always a great way to secure a well trusted tradesman.

cdavid

[Jeff G 78]

Thanks for the info. $600 sounds like a great deal. My car has a rust-free body, but does have several layers of paint and some filler from a minor rear end hit at some point in its life, so I wasn't sure whether to strip my car, or fill and smooth the chipped areas and paint over top. This looks like a much better solution. Can it be done on a car that is together, or does it have to be more shell-like? My engine bay has already been painted and the car is all together. Can the engine bay be taped off, or is the soda too intrusive? I'm not ready for paint yet (money), but it would be nice to know what I'm in for if I choose to go this route.

[=Enigma=]

Is that air dam metal or glass? In either case you did a nice job blending it. It almost looks factory.

[Victor Laury]

Silver Z Looks awesome. My tastes are Silver Nissans must have red interiors!

[Zrush]

So very zweet cdavid. Flairs are awesome with some nicely tucked fattys under the rear. A very intimidating look for a Z imo.

Vicky

[Carl Beck]

Looking Great cdavid... still planning on the rear mounted A/C? How about filling us in on some of the other "up-grades" you have planned!!

regards,

Carl B.

[c david]

i want to thank you again carl for introducing me to bobby pratt, it was later infered he would not have taken the job had i not been your friend.

thanks vicky, if we plan a brainstorm meeting with chris about the 07 convention i'll drive it so you and scott can see it.

to answer your question carl, i have a long list of ideas but only a few are as interesting as the a/c. after talking with you about the frame rails i wisely took your advice and decided to put the evaporator in the spare wheel well. it will be attached to the underside of a board cut to conform to the shape of the hatch floor but end and be straight where the strut towers are closest. this unit is a 1.5 ton after market conversion van fan/heater and evaporator from the "gold mine" i mean junk yard. i bought it for $20.00. if the force is with me i will later have that board raise up to a 30-35 degree angle with some type of electric device. and then lower when the a/c is turned off. turning the a/c off may never happen; have you seen an inconvienient truth? (insert politics here).

i have wanted to swap my key fob (ignition) to an 1985 or newer so that i may use a nismo enthusiast key. i think it is a cool way to go.

and last, i will likely put on an electric water pump from csr.

but just to get it back on the road. i have a 18 circuit wiring harness from painless and new weather strip of course...

and the best part of the paint and body mods was shaving the cowl. it's not the best picture online but when the hood goes on it will come to life and i'll show it here...

cheers

cdave

almost forgot. the front spoiler is the msa "no vent" part num 50-1401.