1976 280Z Restoration Project

[zKars]

1 hour ago, lordkarma88 said:

A working antenna! I hear those are hard to come by...

Working???  I should have tested that one...  What can go wrong....

[wheee!]

... as he reaches into his bucket of 46 other power antennas...

[wheee!]

Thought I’d tackle the exhaust system tonight. I bought the Eastwood internal header coating and some 2000 degree header paint.
Sandblasted the header and sprayed it down with the outer coating, then sprayed down the insides with the Eastwood product. Hung it up to bake and cure a bit. Otherwise it stays soft and scratches. This should make it last a while in the shop till I can mount it.

[wheee!]

The products:

[wheee!]

I don’t think I’ll re-wrap the headers. Two very different camps on this I know, but I’m okay with the bare look.

[zKars]

11 hours ago, wheee! said:

I don’t think I’ll re-wrap the headers. Two very different camps on this I know, but I’m okay with the bare look.

I don't like to wrap headers due to the rust issues, but I was trying anything and everything to quiet down the exhaust noise. The wrapping made a lot of difference. I've even wrapped my muffler and piping in the rear on the 510 now to help with noise. That didn't help as much as I'd hoped, though its better. 

[wheee!]

4 minutes ago, zKars said:

I don't like to wrap headers due to the rust issues, but I was trying anything and everything to quiet down the exhaust noise. The wrapping made a lot of difference. I've even wrapped my muffler and piping in the rear on the 510 now to help with noise. That didn't help as much as I'd hoped, though its better. 

Do you have a sound clip of the engine running with this exhaust?

[zKars]

Unfortunately no. The sound is forever entombed in my brain though. It is like no other Z I have ever driven. Deeper, richer, more inviting to make more of it at every chance. 

Spend some time ensuring the flanges are flat and in line. There was a bit of exhaust leak on #5 as evidenced by a bit of black soot above the port on the gasket, and you'll notice the support bar between 5 and 6 has been cut to also 6 to lay flat. I couldn't hear it under the hood, but it was clearly there.

[wheee!]

3 minutes ago, zKars said:

Unfortunately no. The sound is forever entombed in my brain though. It is like no other Z I have ever driven. Deeper, richer, more inviting to make more of it at every chance. 

Spend some time ensuring the flanges are flat and in line. There was a bit of exhaust leak on #5 as evidenced by a bit of black soot above the port on the gasket, and you'll notice the support bar between 5 and 6 has been cut to also 6 to lay flat. I couldn't hear it under the hood, but it was clearly there.

I saw that. There was a distinct exhaust image around 5 & 6 that were mounted a little low perhaps (the exhaust image was sitting a quarter of an inch higher than the opening). I should be able to spend a little time getting them lined up higher at the back end. The cut doesn't concern me as long as it lines up and seals properly. Looking forward to hearing this beast in a year or two... ?

[wheee!]

Well, a sad day today as I discovered the 370Z seats I had lined up for the 280 are not going to fit. They will, however, fit a 240Z but not a 280 with the catalytic convertor hump beside the driver. At least 3” too narrow in the seat rail area to do this without bashing or cutting out the hump. And as many of you remember, the bottom of the car is painted and clearcoated.... [emoji20]
Back to plan A, restoring the stock seats. Now to find new seat foams, for less than the cost of aftermarket race seats!

[w3wilkes]

I got the foam from MSA

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic08f04/40-2691

less than $130 US for the foam. Bought some 77 seats so I could have the seat back adjustment that allows the seats to flip forward. I also did the leather from interior innovations with matching shift boot and ebrake boot. I figure with all of that I'm still under the cost of a pair of aftermarket race seats and still has a mostly stock look in my 240

 

[wheee!]

$130 US per seat is $400 Cdn... I have the seat covers already, but the foam plus shipping, duty, and taxes will be close to $500 Cdn..... eBay aftermarket race seats come in around $450 cdn.

Edited October 14, 2018 by wheee!