My Datsun 280Z "Rustoration"

[siteunseen]

 

Buddy Love

[CEgg11]

When my Z gets back from being welded up, I'll start a page with pics too. I've been inspired to keep going by this thread, and maybe I can pass that along. I'll be spending a lot more time and a lot less money. The quantity of the former is dictated by the lack of the latter.

[HaZmatt]

Glad I can help inspire you. Looking forward to seeing your thread!

[HaZmatt]

Update!

 

Got the car back from the body shop with the hood and fenders installed. Started on getting the rest of the front end put on. Access panels, headlight buckets, headlights, etc.

 

New hardware for the headlight assemblies from Autozone.

 

 

Freshly zinc plated buckets

 

 

New adjustment screw clips

 

 

 

Assembling buckets

 

 

All put together with headlights installed

 

 

Installed on car

 

 

 

 

Also got my Ramair foam filters from across the pond. They fit great. It will be interesting to see the difference with them on and off at the dyno.

 

 

 

 

I decided to use some new yellow zinc bolts for my inner fenders instead of the painted bolts because I hate when the paint chips off when you tighten them and I think it looks cool. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also dry fitted my front air dam to see how it looked. Its got the typical waves in it and fits like arse so it will take some work but its starting to look like a Z again!

 

I also combined my 280 grill and 240 grill to make it bolt up. Also a work in progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wheee!]

Great progress Matt! I'm surprised you didn't go with the HID headlight upgrade tho... After having them in my other cars I can't go back to halogen!

Sent from my iPizzle ringy dingy device....

[Captain Obvious]

I decided to use some new yellow zinc bolts for my inner fenders instead of the painted bolts because I hate when the paint chips off when you tighten them and I think it looks cool. 

 

Matt, be careful with those new bolts you used to attach the fenders. My PO did the same thing and they rub against the hood sometimes when the hood is closed. I've not done a lot of investigation into it, but I've got a tub of old used hardware that my PO took off and replaced and I believe I've identified the original bolts that held the fenders on and they are lower profile than "normal". Low profile head and no lock washers. (Maybe no flats as well, but don't remember for sure.)

 

Point is, It would suck for you to mess up your brand new paint because the heads on those bolts stick up too far. BTDT

[HaZmatt]

Yeah I did notice a couple of them rubbed a little bit after I added a larger diameter washer. I'll remove those. I may try and find some with a lower profile. Thanks for the heads up!

[HaZmatt]

Great progress Matt! I'm surprised you didn't go with the HID headlight upgrade tho... After having them in my other cars I can't go back to halogen!

Sent from my iPizzle ringy dingy device....

 

Thanks! 

 

Im not a huge fan of the HID projector housings. They seem like they just dont fit the car. These are brighter than stock but I would like to do the harness upgrade eventually. Hows your car coming along?

[wheee!]

It's running... But that's it. I just landed in New Brunswick for a month long course. The garage rebuild starts when I get back in May. Then the teardown!!!

Sent from my iPizzle ringy dingy device....

Edited April 13, 2015 by wheee!

[Captain Obvious]

Matt, One other thing about the bolts... I don't think mine rub all the time, but once the engine is running and the car is driving and flexing and the hood is rattling around up there, you may need more clearance than you think you do.

 

In other words, just because you can close the hood and there's no contact, that might not be good enough. That might be fine sitting still, but more clearance may be needed once things start vibrating and flexing.

 

Beautiful work as always!

[rcb280z]

Wont the rubber bushings keep the hood from moving around? I see you have 2 on each fender. Maybe add a couple more?

[Bonzi Lon]

You can check the clearance of the bolt heads by placing a small round dob of modeling clay, 'play-dough', window glass glazing putty, on the top of each bolt head, close the hood fully.  Open the hood and see how flat each dob is, change out the ones that have no or very little clearance.

 

Bonzi Lon