grantf

First off, They are patch panels meaning you should use only what you need from them, try to save as much of the original metal that you can. the extra metal is there because they are stamped out in a die, the edges are left long, there will be no need for a press break. get a run of the mill hammer and dolly set from HF or the auto body shop and practice, it is not difficult but takes a little patience and artistry. take you're time cutting (I used a simple angle grinder with cutoff wheels) and when you weld go sloooooooow and skip around the piece to tack it then sloooooowly stitch weld, heat will warp the work if care is not taken. hope this helps.

wow there are tons of parts I might need in the future. but for now I know I need door scuff plates for my 78 280z. PM me if you have them avalible

I welded repair panels on the front fenders of my Z. They did not have the bolt holes or notch, you will need to cut these out you're self. in addition there is extra metal on both the fender lip and the area that needs to be "skinned" (this will need to be hammer and dollied around the inner fender). They will produce a near perfect repair but you need to work them they are not simple bolt on pieces.

My car is a 280z so my concern is if kits designed for 240's are compatible.

need a weatherstripping kit, BD or MSA? I know the door seals might be junk.

Very nice! Sure it will cost you money to get it running and upkeep but a non running Z in that shape would sell fast anyhow. Start with the usual tests, spark , fuel and compression. That car will run again. Good luck.

Z is in the "paint booth" The car needs cleaning more sanding and more bits removed and touch up primed, the "paint booth" (loading dock). needs cleaning also. I am exited this is finally going to painted (yellow, not my first choice but it was the original color, thought I would stay true).

Do Fastwomans test, it is easy and will tell you for shure that it is not the ignition. I suspect fuel delivery, could be low fuel pressure or the injectors are not operating. my 3.141592....... cents. Do not give up sometimes these problems can be tricky to diagnose but it looks like you are on the right track, you will make that car run.

rust is no issue??

280s were not produced untill 1975.

No kidding, I am happy to still have the z, the air compressor was two feet from it when it was rolled away. Zs-Ondabrain gracefully donated his old compressor to me, that I am forever grate full to (thanks again man). My car is in primer epoxy and 2k wet sanded down to 600.

Who cares? Why did I read these stupid posts? Why am I writing this? I am going to work on 280z bits now.:stupid::stupid::stupid:

most if not all clutch kits come with the alignment tool. The transmissions on these cars are super easy to pull. last time I did this I sat under it pulled it out onto my chest. Install was the reverse. They do not weigh much.

Good news I have a place to paint my car. Nice warm loading dock! Most likely I will trailer the car sometime next week. And as a bonus I might have a professional body and paint guy on hand for help with gun setup and spraying! Probably going to go with PPG. Life is good.

I have not shortened mine, but I have repaired the splits in the same location using Bondo brand repair kit, I know it sounds hokey but it worked really good. I sanded the inside surface with 60 grit and slathered the stuff on thick from the inside then used the mesh provided as a reinforcement. I held the surfaces together with my hands until it started to set ( about 5 min). I then sanded the outside smooth down to 600 grit and polished it with "Mothers back to black". They are holding up so well I can pick the bumper up by one of the ends without it tearing and the repair is so hard to see that I have a hard time finding it. I will post pics when I get my camera back.

very very nice!!!

Strange, I find it funney that people can give advise on this without seeing the actual body panel. Really now, how do you know that the hinge area is even compromised? really!!! :stupid: is it just surface rust? rust through? can you show us a picture? can it be sandblasted, sanded out ect. If you bought a new hood you will still pay for not only paint to match but prep anyhow, why not prep and paint the hood you have and save $$$ unless of course the hood is rust through.

looking good. Where did you get the windshield rubber from?

gryt57, Interesting site but there there is little info on the make and composition of there paint, I really don't know what I am getting. Is it acrylic, urethane, lacquer?

Coyze, Wesco here in Seattle carries PPG, I bought my ppg epoxy primer from them, (close to $100 per quart!!). The problem is when I ask about buget brands or lines they sort of clam up.

so the time to shoot color on my car is drawing near. Problem is where to get the paint from. The local Wesco shop can get me paint but they seem to only want to sell me the most expensive brand ($400 or more just for the base coat, no reducer, hardener, just the base). They say they can order cheaper paint but they seem really tough to work with. So option 2: I have a coworker that says he has a connection that can get him paint at cost no other info than that. Option 3: there is an online seller called carpaintonline.com but info on brands is really spotty but there prices look reasonable, but I am suspect of this site as I can find no good or bad reviews of the company. I am looking for 1978 Datsun 280z yellow. any advice?

In my opinion you should really check the fuel pressure. You can get a gauge pretty cheap, attach it after the fuel filter and use good hose clamps (ones for fuel injected auto's). Be careful when removing the hoses as they could still be under pressure and you do not want a face full of gas, don't ask my how I know this. My car used to run great until it was under load when it would sputter with little or no HP. The culprit was clogged fuel lines from a tank with rust in the bottom. It also made the fuel pump sound strained at times.

not worth discussing in length

I did this to my dash as a temporary fix, I does look good. But I am seeing new cracks forming and the repairs do not look like they will last long. If you want you're car to look nice on a budget go with the full dash cap, If you whant it to be a show car send it in for repair and pay a $hit load of ca$h. My 2 cents (its all I have).

Strange......... Fuel??? but than again I always think it's a fuel delivery problem. test the fuel pressure.