zbane

I used the RIT liquid dye to color the carpet inserts in the door panels and map pockets. Since I did all of this at work (yeah 3rd shift!), I didn't have access to a bathtub for soaking the large panels. I used a large bucket for mixing the dye and HOT water, and was able to place the map pockets in the brew. Periodically, I would turn them over and let them continue to steep. As this was going on, I used a cup to scoop and pour the dye down the carpeted lengths of the panels, catching the excess back in the bucket. This worked okay, but the end result was more of a very dark brown than black. So, after it had dried, I used a fresh mix of less diluted dye and poured it directly on the panels and let it sit there for a couple hours. I did this outside on the blacktop; I would not suggest doing this on plain asphalt, as it will show... I too, tend to rush the application of spray paint, and forced myself to go in light coverings. The good thing about this stuff is that you only need wait about 30 seconds before you apply the next coat. It is very sensitive to areas that are not 100% clean, and will not adhere to these areas. A little touch up with Prep-All is generally all that is needed. Just wipe down the area with a damp paper towel, let dry and reapply the stuff. Krylon sells a variety of finishes for there products. I chose the Satin finish because the others looked way too much like rattle can spray paint. An added bonus (to my eyes, anyway) of using the satin stuff is that on the textured areas, it looks like leather. The next step (after laying the final coats of burgundy) will be to mask off everything and apply the black. Hopefully that will go smoothly, and then I can add chrome color to certain areas.

Since I finally have a second vehicle to drive, I have been thinking about what I should do with the zx. My interior is complete, and in very good shape, with only a few cracks in the plastic (dash excluded, of course) but was faded noticeably in areas. Even though I think the tan and champagne colors work nicely, I have wanted to change it for some time. So I took the plunge and removed the bulk of the interior, cleaned with degreaser, wiped with clean strip, and sprayed with krylon fusion burgundy (satin). I know others have used the SEM products, but I couldn't find any in my area, so I went with what I had available. The interior is going to be a two tone burgundy/black with black carpeting. I am taking inspiration from the M Roadster (first pic), and am winging it from there. Spring break is coming up, so I will use one of those days to pull the dash (fun!) and try to repair it as others have (I've printed the directions from that thread, and am sourcing supplies). I will also try to repair my plastic quarter panel surrounds with the same method and will post results, be they good or bad. So far, I have solid base coats on most of the panels, I plan on double or triple coats for the most used areas. Once I am satisfied with the burgundy, I will apply the black (also satin, don't want too much glare from gloss). I have the headliner from a red parts car, I plan on using it once I clean it up, that way I won't have to worry about dyeing the headliner. The RIT dye worked well on the door panels, but I don't want to risk warping the headliner. Doing the seats will be an issue, but I will find a way to do them and the carpets... The coating is darker than appears in the photos, and applies pretty evenly- dries very quickly. I welcome any comments or suggestions...

But your Z is much more classy (I have nothing against Hondas, BTW).

There is an easy fix to this problem: Buy 2 Zs. His and Hers! I tell ya, it's a perfect plan!!

This sort of thing happens often. A friend of mine "rented" his house for some interior scenes for a documentary. When the film crew left, the house was somewhat damaged- the floors were scuffed and rutted to the point of needing to be replaced in areas, there were holes in the walls, the yard was full of ruts... It ended up taking a lawsuit with the help of the homeowners insurance company to get the damages repaired to pre-filming condition. Ironically, the documentary was on Victorian era homes and thier restoration. Would I lend my Z to a film? Only, as stated above, with a very comprehensive contract that would cover any damages done.

Mohamed, thanks for the track-it's great! Stephen you beat me with the translation, but that's ok.

I wish I could help you out, but Clayton's about 6 hours away. Perhaps someone near Raleigh will step in. I hope your son continues to get better. Is he taking any physical therapy for the injury?

Have you finished going through everything in your other thread? I would be willing to bet that your acceleration issues are directly related to the smoke... http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29533

Matthew, if you are thinking it is a problem with compression (perhaps from a blown head gasket) don't fret too much about it. I have limited mechanical experience, and tend to learn from watching and trying whatever procedure is at hand. This said, pulling the head isn't all that hard, though I did have some issues when doing mine that you won't have to worry as much about since you've got a carbie car. If you find that it is indeed a gasket issue, read up on what to do, and how to keep your timing chain in one place (you'll understand once you read up on it). Before you go and pull your head, check to make sure that all your head bolts are torqued to spec. The paint markings on you camgear are very similar to what I did with mine to keep everything in line. What I am getting at is this: If your engine has been rebuilt (which it appears to have been) then perhaps it wasn't completely torqued, or the gasket wasn't put in place correctly/became damaged when the head was put on. These are just base suggestions, but since you've gone through so many other options, this may be the direction you are going. Check torque and compression...

I watched it, and I've got to say it wasn't all that bad, but it wasn't all that good either. I was pleased that they kept the original theme music, but updated it a bit with some screaming guitar riffs, healthy bass, and a touch of electronica. Still, the feel of the original was still there. Story wise, there was a mention of the original Michael Knight and the Trans Am, and there was even a cameo appearance of "the Hoff." Alas, there was no showing the original KITT. As would be expected, the show featured several Ford vehicles besides the Cobra (and there were many glory/hero shots of that one). The new driver of KITT is the son of the original Knight. Stereotypical "hottie" female scientist/computer geek. Stereotypical comedic sidekick/computer geek. Not stereotypical is the female FBI agent that teams up the the Knight Foundation. We first meet her as she is entering her beach house and has a brief conversation with a sweet young lady (still in bed). To paraphrase the conversation: FBI: I have to go to work. Young Lady: Don't you want to have lunch? FBI: It's an emergency. Feel free to eat something then let yourself out. Young Lady: Don't you feel uncomfortable leaving someone you just met alone in your house? FBI: Yes.

The price is not really something we can help you determine. You need to find a shop that deals with Z cars (or has experience with them) and ask them. Depending on your mechanical skills, you might be able to do some of the top end work yourself, but to swap cylinder rings you will need to pop out the entire engine. There are several places for you to shop for the parts you might need. I am posting these pages as an example. Shop around, you may find better deals. These are pages from www.blackdragonauto.com , though as I said, there are other places to order from.

I found the FSM for the I 30 online and downloaded it, know how helpful having one is. I figured I would just go ahead and print it out (at work for free) to keep at the house just in case. So I started printing on both sides and holy $hit is it a monstrous tome. I am not kidding you, this is the entire fsm for the Infiniti, and it is printed on both sides... Where am I going to find a binder that big... (actually, I will divide the thing up into individual sections or parts thereof).

Lance, you will need a car to get to your location south of the Texas border. Keep the Z, sell the BMW. Though if you must sell the Z, keep your eyes open for Bluebirds once you get to your retirement location. They are there, abundant, and many of them are very well preserved (even though they will have quite a few kilometers on the odo).

Hands down! You could say he had his finger on the pulse of the thread.

There is also www.z31.com. You might want to poke around their forums for what to look out for. Have you considered looking around for an old Toyota Corolla?

I searched for Cobra Clubmans, and I really don't think that they look all that nice. Seems to me that getting around that support tube every time you get in or out of the car would get real old, real quick (especially if this is a daily driver). Now, if this is to be a once in a while driver or track car, that might not be an issue. If you are looking for seats that have more support, I suppose they would do, but I would look for seats that have more of a stock look. I might suggest finding Acura seats or Miata seats, as these tend to have excellent bolstering and lumbar support (lumbar depends on the year/trim level of the donor car).

Now this is teamwork...

Well congratulations are in order, I must say! Looks to be a great starter, though looks can be deceiving as we all know. I look forward to seeing how this one progresses! Congrats again.

I agree with the sentiments and opinions posted above, though if you do get yourself a Z car (regardless of year) you will need to swap your vehicles. Take the Blazer back up north, and keep the Z for SLO. Trust me, you will love the drive up Highway One (you will never take 101 or I-5 ever again, as long as you have the Z... You mentioned speed. I am not going to say our cars are slow, because they aren't. However, speed is not their winning grace. Besides a gorgeous profile and relatively easy repairability (given the proper tools/time), our cars excel in the twisties, and it is on the twisted road that we can leave other, newer cars in the proverbial dust. You will also have an easier time finding a suitable car in central/southern California than you would in other parts of the country (though great starters can be found, if you look hard enough or get lucky).

Funny Jason, funny. I was also considering a '72 510, but thanks to Brian (BRE-240Z) is nixed that one, but here are the pics anyway. Perhaps the 510 will make it into my driveway in the future (if the owner lowers the price-this car has some serious issues). Of course, if I do get it, I'll have to upload a photo of East Bay Ray (there's only one Biafra) as my profile photo... What would you think of that, Mr. King?

Thank you all for the kind words, I'm sure I'll be happy with the I30. Re: Minivans- There are only two that I would ever consider: the Honda Odyssey or Nissan Quest. Will, I had the Mitsubishi so full of misc stuff it surprised me. I won't be doing that again (until I visit your house that is).

After serving me on a daily basis so very well for the last two years, I figured I should give my S130 a break. Alas, in order to do this, I needed to find myself a car to drive on a daily basis (and to replace my gas-hog, semi-blown engine Montero). Craigslist to the rescue. I found a dealer in Greensboro, NC who was willing to do a swap, and he was willing to drive the 4.5 hours for my Mitsu sight unseen. I suggested a trade, and after hearing what he had on the lot, I chose the 2001 Infiniti I 30. I know there are several members on the site who have one, and if there are any issues that I should look into, please let me know. Anyway, this car is much less a Valentine's day gift to myself; it is really for the Datsun. Now, I can get down to repairing some things that take more that a day to do, like the frame rails for starters...

Over the past two years, I have found all sorts of little squeaks and rattles. One that was persistent in its re-occurance has been the door hinge return spring. I would clean it and lubricate it every 3 months or so. So, I just got some lithium grease for my window tracks, and figured I would apply it to the door joints as well. Just as I open the door to do this, it binds and I hear a snap... Are these posts replaceable, or do I need a new lower door hinge?

Two hours ago...

Juan purchased a variety that had the flakes in it. Krylon makes several different types of the fusion product. Some are textured, some are matte, some glossy, some red, orange, gray... I've seen the stuff at walmart, you would just need to choose the one that appealed to you the most.