77 280z Restoration

[Barefootdan]

Gorgeous!!! Love the ride height as well. Where are you in terms of stiffness on the Konis? i.e. how many turns out?

[Av8ferg]

Gorgeous!!! Love the ride height as well. Where are you in terms of stiffness on the Konis? i.e. how many turns out?

Dan, thanks! Right now it set where they came from the factory. I don’t have enough miles to make a determination of what I like. The ride is smooth, not rough like many would expect with a lower configuration. Some install issues with the Koni’s I discovered is that the strict spins inside the strut when trying to tighten the top nut, not the gland no but the one at the very top. Can’t really set a torque either so this may account for the small knock. Don’t happen on big bumps and can’t repeat it but pushing down the body. Happens at a higher frequency smaller bumps . I might call MSA and ask.


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[Barefootdan]

2 hours ago, Av8ferg said:

Dan, thanks! Right now it set where they came from the factory. I don’t have enough miles to make a determination of what I like. The ride is smooth, not rough like many would expect with a lower configuration. Some install issues with the Koni’s I discovered is that the strict spins inside the strut when trying to tighten the top nut, not the gland no but the one at the very top. Can’t really set a torque either so this may account for the small knock. Don’t happen on big bumps and can’t repeat it but pushing down the body. Happens at a higher frequency smaller bumps . I might call MSA and ask.


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Same issue here during my install. The strut rod would spin as soon as any meaningful amount of torque was applied to the top nut. I ended up using a make shift strap wrench to get it tightened down more, but definitely not to the Koni specs still. I believe you can buy a socket with a cutout that will let you slide in a wrench to hold the strut...but who has time for that! 😂

[BoldUlysses]

That ride height looks amazing, and perfect.  As does the rest of the car!  Is that the MSA Type 1 ducted air dam, or another?

Re:the top nut for the struts, in the past I've just blasted them on with an impact wrench, but I'll have to be more careful with the Konis as I believe it voids the warranty if you do that with them...

[Av8ferg]

Thanks, I think the height is right on. Yes, it is a Xenon 3125 air dam. That’s a story in itself. Mine was pretty warped and it took some time to get it right. It’s still not 100% but Xenon seems the think it’s an acceptable deviation. I know others have had a similar issue, and get the cold shoulder from Xenon. In the end it worked out just took some time to work it out. I’m in the process of building a back reinforcement bracket to reduce the flexibility at higher speed. I’ll post that once complete.
My issue with the Koni’s is poor instructions. They come with the 1” metal washer of some sort. Didn’t show in the instructions where it went so I placed it (in the logical location) just under the plate that holds the spring. I think this os the rattle I’m hearing. Without an impact wrench I think this install is not possible. The instructions show a place to hold the shock but it’s not on the actual shock. I hate when companies do this crap. I’m going to call MSA and talk to Joe and see what he says.


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[Av8ferg]

Here are the crappy instructions for the Koni’s 
 

[BoldUlysses]

Is the air dam urethane or fiberglass?

My old BMW 635's urethane air dam was warped at the bottom, and I had a couple of guys from the shop at work take a length of 1" aluminum angle, notch a V in it, bend it, and rivet it to the inside lip of the air dam to straighten it out.

Before:

After:

 

I hear you about the Koni instructions.  Those are TERRIBLE.  I put a set of Koni Yellows in my old 6-speed 540, and I think I remember having to work around those awful instructions as well...

[Av8ferg]

Is the air dam urethane or fiberglass?
My old BMW 635's urethane air dam was warped at the bottom, and I had a couple of guys from the shop at work take a length of 1" aluminum angle, notch a V in it, bend it, and rivet it to the inside lip of the air dam to straighten it out.
Before:

After:

 
I hear you about the Koni instructions.  Those are TERRIBLE.  I put a set of Koni Yellows in my old 6-speed 540, and I think I remember having to work around those awful instructions as well...

I will need to do a similar fix on my air dam as you did on the BMW. Mine is urethane too.. I had another forum member message me a few months back about the terrible customer service he was having with his Xenon. He said the rep was not sympathetic.


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[Patcon]

4 hours ago, BoldUlysses said:

my old 6-speed 540

Thats fun. I drove one of those one time. Fast and fun even for a sedan 😎

[BoldUlysses]

1 hour ago, Patcon said:

Thats fun. I drove one of those one time. Fast and fun even for a sedan 😎

It was a lot of fun.  Miss that car.  A real German hot rod, sort of a proto E39 M5.

http://www.spannerhead.com/2013/05/26/the-new-daily-1995-bmw-540i-6-speed/
http://www.spannerhead.com/2013/07/07/doctor-540i-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-v8/

/threadjack

[Av8ferg]

Thanks to S30driver I’ve got operational headlights and brake lights.   He recommend these LED headlights from Vintage Car LEDs.  They’re beautiful and we’re plug and play. I had some gremlins in my fuse box that he helped me with also .  All I have left to fix in the lighting department is the turn and hazards.  I think I know the problem there.  
I got 120 miles on the car now.   Running smooth still.  

[280Zrewind]

Congratulations on this great looking ride.  Very good inspiration for me!  I used these same headlights on another 70’s vintage car and I was also very pleased with the result.