Gaijin Posted May 31, 2009 Author Posted May 31, 2009 Almost forgot about this thing down south after 3 weeks off. how very refreshing! Last time I talked to me man John, he said "we'll finish the metal work, then I want bills paid" Fair enough. Either that or some of the 40k odd persons following these threads globally start sending their cars to this guy...virtually immediatly Hence why the work finishes clearly where the metal stops. On the outside at least. Havent told him about a few minor things to chop later.... seat mounts, bonnet struts (eh Mike), holes Ive made in the engine bay etc etc..... All good so far. right side still ok, just needs the gas flap keyhole welded up Note that window chrome & SS into position. Had to move a couple mounting holes for the rear quarter glass windows, as cage fouled chances of getting a screw in......unles your hooked up? Save it. Few other issues at the rear.Did some costing of rear metal bar, take one dull but straight unit, de-chrome, weld up all exisitng holes and seams, straighten/smooth, re-chrome etc = $$$$ vs buy new glass bar and paint a colour and sell old dull bar. no contest. Plus minus many kgs, pity its the wrong end eh. I can break many glass bar before asking for mr dull chrome back. Chrome could always be thrown back on later if I have a spare wadss of cash. This pic is to note. What is going on here. Surley a clean body cant be painted with a skin looking like the close up of the moons surface? BEADBLAST approaching. A new step added to the build. Argh well....I might get back 1/20th of it upon sale price..... Not me talking Panle beating getting a flash boring, time to spice things up a little I reckon RSVP Quote
NZeder Posted May 31, 2009 Posted May 31, 2009 chin up big guy - the $$ put into the car might not come back if you sell it - so it is simple never sell it that is the way I look at it I should have an update soon on my car too Quote
Gaijin Posted May 31, 2009 Author Posted May 31, 2009 Eh like I say not me talking, look forward to your updates. Look forward to chasing you across highway 16 too... Quote
RB26DETT Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 top panel work there!!! makes me feel like dragin' gmy yellow car out and working on it again... Quote
Gaijin Posted July 13, 2009 Author Posted July 13, 2009 Phoarr, anymore waiting and Ill have forgotten about this thing. As mentioned, the chrome bumper has been axed in favour of a glass unit from japan. chopped for cheaper postage reasons. Still has bolts and seams molded into the glass version. Odd. They will be smoothed over. Hard to see, but I borrowed Glenn MArtins front spare gaurds and copied the rearward support for the glass gaurds on mine, as they lacked sufficient support close to the door. Feels solid on the car now. The front wupport looks way out, but a little shaping and urethane will sort it. I picked up a pair of racetech wide's in glass with Ally mounts from Mr Black in Chch, who has helped with a great price. Seats were fresh off the press and sent that day. They fit me well, but not the car well. We will remove all the exisiting seat mounts in the S30 chassis, and look to make a section of floor lower than the rest, so my head&helmet has clearance to the roof. Ill detail this next time. The steering wheel is close enough to me, probably not requiring movement rearward, or replacement with a dished wheel. A sliding rail will sit below the alloy side mounts to give some fore/aft adjustment. The front gaurds had no face to bolt the headlight buckets to, so a steel equivalent was made and joined to the gaurds, bogged over. This will allow me to run the stock lights, buckets, chrome rings for the factory look. The gaurds are on and shaping work started. They need more work around the lower edges, but generally there. What an effort tho, chopping up the steel units would have been easier. Need to move that front bumper edge away from the flare, its too close. Inspection flaps cut back in. We had placed an oil filter and washer bottle accessible under them, so thought Id better get the flaps back in. Cut/place. A new catch has been made - area in red in pic. New old stock chrome S30 mirrors from Japan. To avoid the bonnet pin crap look, aerocatch install planned. Since the bonnet has its structural rim on the underside that covers over where I was planning to put them, another catch will be made, similar to the inspection flaps closing mount. Thye are lockable, fit almost flush, and seem to look OK on other customs Ive looked at. The front requires some 'air giudance equipment'. i.e. make sure we get sufficient airflow across the desired areas, its a pity the bonnet swings back into it all when opened.... The front inner part of the nose has been strengthened up, as it wasnt able to support itself in the right shape. The numberplate mounts will go. Quote
NZeder Posted July 13, 2009 Posted July 13, 2009 Gaps look good for FG excellent work by that man Quote
Gaijin Posted July 13, 2009 Author Posted July 13, 2009 He can be fussy, but far from ridiculous. It should be presentable, not much more. cheers Mike Quote
acf321 Posted July 13, 2009 Posted July 13, 2009 Hey Gaijin .. been watching this thing for a while and its completely insane ... will be an amazing car when finished. I am building 'the brown hornet' and after looking at the bead blasted panels I had done last week I can assure you its a good clean look and finish.. The body should be done in the coming weeks, so will post some picks of what it looks like afterwards .. They've got 11 coats of paint to remove from my car, so they'll have some work to get it done. Looking at your project certainly puts me at ease over my one !! Good luck with it, its looking awesome. Adam Quote
Gaijin Posted July 13, 2009 Author Posted July 13, 2009 Hey thanks Adam, Im looking forward to getting some paint on and some re-assembly happenin'! Quote
nuclear_z Posted July 15, 2009 Posted July 15, 2009 All I can say is - going to be a beast. Cant wait to see this car in the flesh... Quote
Gaijin Posted August 7, 2009 Author Posted August 7, 2009 A mate came round and showed me what he's been doing in his spare time, over a beer and grub. Its the intake pipe ( air filter to turbo intake) I wansnt 100% with, Im looking for the japan style many welds look It would do very little to airflow vs pressure drop over the original 'digital' version, 45 degree angle styles. Looks smooth, and is a mock up. Test fit it today and works ok. We might swing the air filter horizontal, rather than up/down, being the only change. Quote
Gaijin Posted August 9, 2009 Author Posted August 9, 2009 Let it be known that the reason that I went with the G-nose is that the misses reckons 'it looks classy' (compared to original front with spoiler). The g-nose looks like a frogs face, its long and the overhang over the front wheels can look too much. With chrome headlight rings/covers and mirrors I'm hoping it balances out a little. Ultimately I want someone who knows NOTHING about cars to look at it and say, 'beautiful car'. It'll happen more often with the G-nose, after some quick (mostly female) market research. No dodgy body kits eh, nothing stays the same eh! OLD NEW Bonnet is on and some cutting and repositioning of the frame has been done. It needs more work to straighten up the shut lines. Catches are next. G-nose hinges were part of the G-nose deal from Kapiti Mike. Hinges are single pivot, not double like the standard ones. Areas to further tidy up; Gaps; Some fat to trim, under front guard; Arches looking the part, kiwi style some more stuff to chop out, all the tabs gone please. Don't want a dirty numberplate hanging in the middle of my precious airflow. Where will you go? Hmm... Right side front arch to complete Time to get more help to fast forward to/through the next stage. - Rip out everything inside, dash,heater etc. Prepare for sandblasting the inside of the car smooth. - Rip out all drive train and review engine bay. Require some re-work, old harness clips removed, holes filled etc. - Cleanup of old colour paint around front wheel wells, some of it is flaking off after applying paint to tar under seal too soon. Better dust of the overalls Quote
Moderators Zedman240® Posted August 9, 2009 Moderators Posted August 9, 2009 Looking better each time! For the front number plate, popular thing to do is make a sticker version of your original plate and stick it on the front. Visible but not interupting the precious airflow! If it's legal that is.. Quote
RB30X Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Looking awesome mate. Do all fibreglass guards come that fat or are they special ones. I looked at some recently and they didn't look as wide. Quote
Gaijin Posted August 10, 2009 Author Posted August 10, 2009 I believe they are a mold off standard items, apart from the arch itself is forward by 75mm. Don't think they come out wider at all. Starting to look the part. Quote
NZeder Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Looking better each time! For the front number plate, popular thing to do is make a sticker version of your original plate and stick it on the front. Visible but not interupting the precious airflow! If it's legal that is.. Nice idea but it is illegal here in NZ to do this you must run the approved license plate Now having said that - Martin as you know I too have a G-Nose for my zed but my panelbeater tells me you can apply for a special dispensation to run a sticker version if you can proof that mounting in the factory location make it difficult to read/ie photo ops from the cops. I will be looking into this for my zed so who ever is closest to this point first should let the other know how the process goes Looking good by the way - my engine bay is due for the final treatment this week then I can install the suspension and under car stuff for good then off the rota it will come and paint the outside then home it will be for me to assemble. My target is xmas or before - how about you? Quote
Gaijin Posted August 10, 2009 Author Posted August 10, 2009 Yeah illegal that's my understanding. Dispensation, I need plenty of that! Ill give that a go. Once the mounting tabs are gone, its open to interpretation as to the fitment 'position' = opportunity to argue position/need for sticker type plate. Xmas, yeah see how everything pans out. Panel beater could still eat up a few months at this rate....c'mon already... Quote
zedevan Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 looks awesome! hopefully your not left waiting to much longer before you get to see it with some colour on it! Do all fibreglass guards come that fat or are they special ones if by guards you mean flares, then i'm pretty sure the rear ones are wider than stock Quote
Gaijin Posted August 10, 2009 Author Posted August 10, 2009 Ah yeah sure, the flares are wider than standard zg's. These Super ZGs are approx. 3 5/8" wide flat on the ground laid out, compared to the normal rear ZG version of approx. 2 1/4” flare. That’s 1 3/8" more width. Quote
Gaijin Posted September 23, 2009 Author Posted September 23, 2009 Both front and rear zg flares on this car are wider than typical off the shelf items. bullet proofing the headlight to gaurd area bonnet shut lines looking better attach gaurd to inner support, more bullet proofing. Imagine this dodgy body kit peeling off on the motorway.... Bonnet looking smooth to the rest now to fix the gaps at the end of the flares, we had to break a few eggs to bake the cake Bonnet catches in welting in for the front gaurd, looks kinda overkill, might look at some smaller profile stuff rear bumper in one peice and shaved of its lumps and bumps the panelbeater has finished the body now, the seat mounting is left, and a quick beating of frame rails under the floors and we are painting. I will probably pull the engine out soon and get the engine bay tidied, since its had a lot of work done around there. Quote
Zeddophile Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 welting in for the front gaurd, looks kinda overkill, might look at some smaller profile stuff I think you'll probably find that looks much better once the colour coat has gone on the car - primer kind of makes it stand out a lot. Quote
Gaijin Posted September 29, 2009 Author Posted September 29, 2009 Spent a few hours tidying up the inside of the car, removing the 'not that old' sound deadening and foam stuff, so that the sandblaster can do its thing soon. Gives us a chan ce to fill the multitudes of holes throught the firewall, tunnell, floors that have been made, and many not required. the next step for me is to get the engine and box out for a final fling at the engine bay, which requried some work, harness tabs, holes, weld splatter, its all there and needs to be sorted. The stock seat mounts fouled the proposed seating rails, mounts and seat itself, so have been drilled out, leaving a smooth floor on the drivers side. Im still sitting too high, so along the outside chassis section, there is a 45 degree angled floor section that joins the floor to the inner sill. The outside mount fouls this, so by dropping the 45, we can gain 3cm maybe. Ill try that, and if its not enough, the whole floor drops under the seat, to gain the head room for me - 191cm, + helmet, which is hitting the cage & hoop. The handbrake also requires re-positioning, since the seats are wider than usual. On top of the tunnell, mounted further rearward will do fine. Could go for a floor mounted by the pedals, but a quick acting, accessible handbrake is important. Bonnet catches are in, with mounts securely welded to the front cage bar. Catches are lockable, sit above bonnet just a touch, after a paint should blend in enough. Now here is something that could kill the project.... I know there is talk of recession, even more recently talk of 0.1% growth in the economy. Im betting for great growth in my business, so In this majikal plan of growth and earnings, Ill need somewhere to throw a portion of this wedge. Dont stress, the car will continue as is, but with a small backroom project to gather necesary parts to make it happen later IF majikal plans come together. Quote
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