grannyknot

Just nocticing the panel fitment on your red Z, looks perfect.

Too bad there isn't a self leveling agent you can add to the resin, are you going to use the SEM Landau black spray as your final finish? It looks really good.

DJ, I got Bruno's 'How To' from you and him at the same time, do you think he would mind if we included it in this thread? I know the Saturn ECU box is removable but I'm hesitant to do it unless I can attach it to some other good chunk of metal to act as a heat sink. I think I will be able to use the stock Datsun steering shaft with a section out of the middle for the Saturn motor. The heater/blower fits in just fine with no interference.

I tried taking the brain box off the unit but noticed the white heat transfer grease, I'm assuming that the control box is using the gear housing as a heat sink to keep the electronics cool, those are 10ga wires coming and going from the unit.

So I pulled a electric assist steering motor from the wreckers yesterday, this one is out of a Chev Equinox but lets just call it the Saturn Vue motor, $50 so no complaints there, looks like a very well made unit, nothing cheesy about it. It weighs 14lbs and with a u joint and some additional bracing to hold it in place probably 16lbs, so far so good but there is a reason Zpowersteering didn't use this unit, it is bulky. The only configuration I could find to accommodate it and keep it out of the way involves cutting into the pedal/steering support box. It won't be difficult to fab up a brace to reinforce the pedal box and support the new steering assist unit but it sure isn't plug n play. With some scouring of ebayUK I'm sure I could have come up with the motor from the GM Opel that ZPS is using but ebay Bruno's inexpensive control box won't control the Opel unit...so. I think I can make this one work well but I may end up having some interference with the corner of the heater/blower unit. I'll have to pull it down and put it in place before I rig up the new bracing. Here is a close up of the mod to the pedal/steering support box. The support box is still quite strong even with this big chunk cut out of it but it will be reinforced regardless.

I did check into those small powerful batteries but none of them are recommended for daily or even weekend driven cars. The battery I did go with is a type 75D which is quite a bit smaller then the type 24 that Datsun used and half the size of the one bmw used. Form follows function grasshopper. I'm sure I was one of the last hold outs for the Beta Max, superior in every way except sales.

Started work on the getting the radiator installed, had to cut a notch out of the P/S frame but will reinforce it when it gets back from the chemical dip. I'm going to leave all the holes and modifications open so there will be good flow of acid through all the nooks and crannys. With some mods to the original air filter box I think I can re use it, A little air conditioning anyone? There is enough weight up front in the engine bay so I will re locate the battery to behind the passenger seat, just have to build a box to seal it in and also it will help reinforce the arch. There is a surprising amount of room above the rear A arms.

That's quite a job, did you take any pics of the wheel with no wood on it?

They have a big order from me and Namerow at the moment waiting for back ordered stuff the come in.

That's terrific, hard to tell but it looks like it has a straight six out of a tractor trailer, torque monster!

$1300 for that 280z, I'd jump on that if it weren't on the other side of the continent.

BaT will want to put a very low reserve on your car to ensure a sale, that's why I went the ebay route and got a sale price I was happy with, but ebay can be a very abrasive experience. Also, BaT lists a lot of 240-280z's, some say their market is saturated resulting in an lower average price for the Z's they sell. I'm not slamming them, they are a good service and convenient. There are lots of good buyers in Europe that have deep pockets.

Everyone here knows what a brilliant build you did on that car, I hope you get a LOT money, you couldn't buy a better turn key hotrod Z. Good luck. What's the new business, car restoration?

Put me on that list too.

I just stumbled across these guys, http://retrospec-datsun.blogspot.ca/ I hadn't heard of them before but their range of products looks impressive, anyone purchased from them?

I have been throwing around the idea of doing this for a while and since my car is in pieces at the moment now would be the time. Just ordered the control box from Bruno on ebay. These guys, http://zpowersteering.com/photos/ have had this kit going for a few yrs now and looks pretty slick, I just can't get past the price, especially if I can build almost the same thing for a 1/10th the cost. I think their kit uses the GM Opel electric steering motor that seems to be a bit smaller then the Saturn Vue's. I have sent a question to Bruno ask if his control box will also control the Opel motor if I can get my hands on one. Here are a couple links to other threads on the subject, http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/125428-electric-power-steering-100-1500/?hl=zpowersteering#entry1172875 http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/124067-power-steering/?hl=zpowersteering#entry1159692 Maybe this thread could become the 'How To' if we pool our pics here.

I think I have that covered but we'll see. I got the skid plate for the oil pan done today and Ben finally stopped by and welded up the crack in the head, I sort of thought that he would just be filling the crack and the V I cut into it but he did a structural weld including the crack on the bottom of the head surface. I just need to do some light grinding to clean it up a bit before I seal the engine back up.

I can't quite make out what car he says it comes from, Saturn ______ 2002-2007 Anyone know, also what is the name of the 'ebay guy' ?

Some guys go with 17's but it is really pushing it and you would have to have stretched tires. There is some very good info in this thread on 16's,

The #1 setting on the Illuminas is just a bit firm, but good, IMHO the brace bars do make the car feel stiffer and using a triangulated bar in the back helped a lot with the squeaking interior plastic panels.

Oh I looked into the dry sump and wet sump with a remote pump, very expensive! But just today I 95% finished the engine and tranny mounts and I have 1/2" between the oil pan and steering rack and 1/2" between the air box and the hood and could probably tweak another 1/4" if I tried. So, it fits! I could always slice the top front corner off the cast aluminum air box which would give me lots of room to play with but now I don't think I will have to. I shimmed the hood up to where I want it and can just get my pinky between it and the air box.

That means in 10 yrs Harbor Freight will have the cheapo version for $99 bucks!

Woody, I've had the Illumia shocks/Eibach springs for a few years now and really like them, like Zboy says #1 isn't all that soft. The car handles well, a better seat and tall tires would help if more comfort was wanted. I also added the sway bar pair and triangulated brace bars, you have probably read about combo a few times in your research, it works.

thank you, that is using the Millermatic 211, great machine.

Had to extend the D/S crossmember engine support and shave some from the P/S, also got the motor mounts roughed in today, I know they are way over built but if I get bored over the winter I'll drill some of the weight out of them. On the P/S I'll have to install some kind of heat baffle to keep the rubber mount from melting with the header right above it. I'll stay with this clearance until I get the hood on again, I may be able to give myself a bit more room between the oil pan and steering rack. This is a cool little device that I picked up over the winter to help get the lathe leveled but it's turning out to be fantastic for working out the driveline angles. It's a digital inclinometer, it will filp the reading if it is upside down and you can zero it at any angle which makes really simple to know which way to adjust the shims. Not bad for $30 on ebay. I think I will have to lower the front of the diff. a few degrees and shift the alignment of the transmission over to the P/S so it better lines up with the diff.