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Hello From California, Early S30 Restore


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The angle is to box in the end of the extended rail and support it onto the cross sub frame. Basically attempting to replace what has to be cut out without fouling the sway bar. Not to support the sway bar in anyway. 
 

Jeff

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On 8/1/2020 at 9:27 PM, dom said:

I’m going to see the car in person tomorrow morning, if it’s ok with you I would love to get your eyes on some details before it gets primer applied. I have so many questions/details to figure out, I’m doing my reading but I hope I won’t be a bother asking some questions here pretty soon.

Happy to help if I can, as - I am sure - are others here. Always good to see a Japanese market car getting some TLC, and especially so for a proper 1969 build.

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Thanks guys, I'm trying to do right by this car. In regards to the rear sway bar, should I be surprised to see rear brackets on an early S30? My understanding is those brackets started showing up on 73s but even those didn't always have a rear sway bar installed from the factory. Of course, a previous owner could have modified the car, but looking at some other Zs on Tea Valley's I noticed a 70 with the brackets in the same position as my car.

One of my most pressing items to figure out is how the accelerator bracket mounts to the firewall. My car did not have one when I acquired it, I searched for a long while and finally came across one in Japan. I see the three mounting holes, but in all the photos I see of these brackets they don't appear to be bolted on, rather they seem to be spot welded? I'd like that detail to appear as factory as possible, so if anyone has insight on the correct way to handle that bracket I would be grateful.

Reference photo from Tea Valley:

DSC_8425.jpg.e2eb6fbedcecbca5a9ff7df0dda032fa.jpg

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30 minutes ago, dom said:

Thanks guys, I'm trying to do right by this car. In regards to the rear sway bar, should I be surprised to see rear brackets on an early S30? My understanding is those brackets started showing up on 73s but even those didn't always have a rear sway bar installed from the factory. Of course, a previous owner could have modified the car, but looking at some other Zs on Tea Valley's I noticed a 70 with the brackets in the same position as my car.

One of my most pressing items to figure out is how the accelerator bracket mounts to the firewall. My car did not have one when I acquired it, I searched for a long while and finally came across one in Japan. I see the three mounting holes, but in all the photos I see of these brackets they don't appear to be bolted on, rather they seem to be spot welded? I'd like that detail to appear as factory as possible, so if anyone has insight on the correct way to handle that bracket I would be grateful.

Reference photo from Tea Valley:

DSC_8425.jpg.e2eb6fbedcecbca5a9ff7df0dda032fa.jpg

Two points here: First of all, your car is a 'Fairlady Z-L' model. Nissan called it a 'Deluxe' model and in their internal shorthand for parts reference a 'ZDx' and/or just 'ZL'. This model had the rear anti roll bar as stock equipment from the beginning of production in 1969, so the mounts on your car are correct.

Second point: Please take care when looking at references. Yes, your car is a Fairlady Z-L so it already has some unique features not seen on RHD Export models, but equally importantly it is EARLY production, and that means it has some quirks peculiar to early production.

The above photo is an example of misleading reference material. Its a much later car than yours.

I'll see if I can find a better reference photo for the bolt-on accelerator linkage pivot that your car should have. Stand by.

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20 minutes ago, dom said:

Some photos of the progress:

1201E096-6139-4E56-A72B-17EE14606852.jpeg

 

 

Are the original floor pan sections still at hand? Reason I ask is that they might have had the passenger foot rest doubler mounts spotwelded to the passenger floor. Being an early production car it might not have had them (initially they were an extra cost showroom option) but it is worth checking if they might have been missed.

 

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Wow, great tip on the accelerator bracket, the version I found in Japan has the bolt holes so maybe I got super lucky there? I'll send some shots of it a little later, struggling to find photos at the moment.

Unfortunately the floors were in very rough shape when I got the car, it kills me that the footrest indentations/holes weren't there to save. I'm looking to find the factory location for where the footrest mounts. I do have one (somewhere in the garage) but I'm not 100% sure it came with my car, it's also in quite poor shape so I'll need to find another one most likely.

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I asked the shop to take a photo of the bracket, here’s the back:

image.thumb.jpeg.7a5ca093ffa67f71b364dacc47522452.jpeg

I’m missing most of the linkage components and a lot of the pedal assembly parts as well. Not the end of the world, but certainly an additional hurdle.

Edited by dom
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8 hours ago, Bleach said:

I don't know if this is needed, but I have some pictures of the car from the early days before the orange paint job.

This is great, thanks Bleach. When you disassembled the car, do you recall what happened to the many bits like the original throttle bracket? Did those items go with the car when you sold it?

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Sadly I left the engine removal and throttle cable removal to my body and paint guy. He did rust repair to the extent he was able to (and I could afford) and also the orange paint job. I received all the parts in boxes so it is very likely he just lost items and I had no idea they were gone. I never put the engine back in, and I included all the parts I had when I sold the car.

I even included those brand new fender mirrors I bought from Nissan back in 2003. I was trying to be nice but now I wish I had kept them! :) 

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Going through this process, I can totally see how things can get mixed up super easily. When I got the car, Mike provided an L20A but it's my understanding that's not the original motor?

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Japan used the 1998cc L20 engine where as the USA got the L24. From what I know it should be the correct engine. The only other engine variant would be in the Z432

I also had a very rare early 5-speed. (3 piece) that was supposed to be the original. Did you get the 3-piece transmission and a standard 280Z 5-speed transmission when you bought the car?

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Oh for sure, I wish it was an S20 but then I think the price tag would have been (significantly) higher.

I have the 71A and will be rebuilding it, a very vital part of the project in my eyes. It's also my understanding that installing a later model 5-speed requires tunnel/shifter console work which I am totally opposed to.

I haven't decided if I want to run the L20 or build out an 3+ liter out of an N42 long block. I already set aside a Spirit Garage header + exhaust which would be overkill on a 2 liter...but first I have to get through all the bodywork.

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Something else the car does not have is the inner fender guards / splash covers. Are there any variance in these for the earlier S30s?

These are the panels I'm referring to:

i-img1080x810-1595725189z3i2mc1352401.thumb.jpg.c8161cc3ef940562fa0299d1f98eaad1.jpg

Edited by dom
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16 hours ago, dom said:

have the 71A and will be rebuilding it, a very vital part of the project in my eyes. It's also my understanding that installing a later model 5-speed requires tunnel/shifter console work which I am totally opposed to.

Is it the 71a 5 speed box? I know that Fairlady Z-S likely got a 4 speed box where as Z-L probsbly got the early 71a 5 speed like AU market cars.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Work continues. Spoiler mounted and frame rails adjusted to make room for sway bar.

Next up is figuring out the exact locations for where to drill on the rear inner deck lid panel, for mounting the taillight panel and license plate lamp. I don’t suppose anyone is aware of measurements/templates for that. Trying to be as close to factory as I can.

C1BE6A2A-3063-4793-8EBA-343FEDF639A5.jpeg

7BC40ED8-E7B5-4827-9F0A-8F59124A3B68.jpeg

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  • 4 months later...

Nearing primer, but a spare piece of the body (perhaps?) remains and I'm not sure where it belongs, if at all. Does this look familiar to anyone?

 

EDIT - Looks like this is for mounting the washer reservoir, which my car at one point had two (as pointed out by Alan previously) and that has since been addressed, so this piece most likely came from the left side mount that was removed.

IMG_0323.JPG

IMG_0322.JPG

Edited by dom
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  • 2 weeks later...

Apologies for the delay in responding, thank you Alan for confirming the location of that bracket.

Curious if there are any photos I can reference for how to refinish the underside of the rear spoiler. I have an early ribbed spoiler (PZR I believe it is referred to as) that I purchased from Japan. To my understanding (read: hope) it is a factory piece.

From what I've seen on other cars, it looks like the underside is meant to be left open, instead of having a flat plane/base? Here's a photo of the underside, I can get more from the bodyshop as needed. 

IMG_0350.JPG

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FWIW, on mine the underside of the bobtail is open each end, bare fibreglass with some body colour overspray (I should tidy that). It doesn't overhang as much as yours looks to. You might be able to see it in my avatar.

And mine isn't bolted on like yours, rather there are two flat sections inside with a single bolt each and they bolt down on to the hatch above where the two large holes are in the frame beneath, which are I presume for that purpose; the holes have large blanking grommets in them.

Edited by gilltech
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