Dadson Racing: 2010 Revival

[Grandad]

Well here's a trial fit of the lights and I know it's personal but I really like this look.

 

Mark, I like your idea about slicing off the lettering so it will be done.  Thanks for the tip 

 

Dad

 

[Grandad]

That was easy enough but my enthusiasm deserted me when I got to the reflectors so will just have to make sure they're kept clean.

 

Couldn't find my blades so I used medium and fine file then compound with my buff on low speed.

 

Dad

 

 

[Whittie]

That is brilliant!!!

 

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

I'm enjoying fitting up the sexy external stuff but decided that while the rear lights are out I should sort out the fuel tank breather hoses while I have access through the rear panel, all was going well until I found that the main hose we have connecting the fuel inlet to the tank has gone hard and inflexible so won't fit through the opening in the body also the associated gasket is stuffed so new ones have been ordered today.

 

Before thinking about fitting the lights I tested the wiring and globes to ensure it's all working, with that done I fitted a new gasket that's been sitting around for a couple of years to a light body and started to realize why Zeds have such a reputation of exhaust intrusion into the cabin.

 

I put a ruler from point to point and measured the gap from the top of the retaining nuts of the mounting bolts to the body of the lights as ~5 mil, the gasket I measured at it's most expanded was ~6 mil (it was a bit hard to photograph), in a perfect world if the gasket can be compressed to 1 mil at the mounting point in thiery it will work but I'm not sure we live in a perfect world and after all this is a 70's DADSON.

 

 

 

 

 

Because I don't want to revisit this area I decided to add some extra insulation in the form of extra foam.

 

 

 

 

With the extra foam in place I fitted the lights, we'll let yo know if we still suffer the exhaust stink.  :-\

 

 

 

 

Hey Scoota G  I'm thinking that the extra weight of the foam might just about be off set by the weight reduction of shaving the lettering off the rear lights 

 

Dad

 

[Grandad]

I got a bit excited about fitting the rear window last week booked a fitter only to discover that we didn't have a new rubber so had to put it off until one arrived I had the polishing gear out ready to apply carnuba wax to the window but had to put that off so polished the car instead to protect it from dust and get into some places that will become unaccessible as it goes back together.

 

 

 

Window rubber has arrived so it's time to get stuck into the window

 

 

 

I think I realise now why the tinters told me window film can't be applied successfully to acrylic if it goes anything like this protective film it will look absolutely crap

 

 

 

Well that was interesting fitting acrylic into fiberglass both want to flex particularly the acrylic, I think the fitter would have been in a bit of strife doing it on his own.

 

 

 

The progress may be slow but at least it's progress

 

Dad

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

The engine builder has finally finished doing the motor and has delivered it to the mechanics workshop I've got a couple of little things to do in the engine bay then it can go in.

 

I retrieved the gearbox from the rear shed ready to take to the mechanic but decided to give it an phosphoric acid bath first so it's looks will be in keeping with the rest of the car.

 

Acid doing it's job

 

 

Finished and good to go

 

Dad

[Zedman240®]

Great to see some progress..

I'll have to do that to my gearbox next time it's out; makes it look new(ish)

[Retro Z]

I used spray on oven cleaner for mine..

[Grandad]

If you cant get Phosphoric acid an acid based mag wheel cleaner will do it you might need a bit extra elbow grease tho.

Dad

[Scoota G]

Those tail lights look very clean without the lettering hey? Borrowed that idea from Chip Foose.

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

Still making slow progress I have taken the last few bits to the powder coater and electro plater so I guess that's a milestone.

 

I tried to fit the fuel filler hose recently and had no luck at all it had gone rock hard with age so decided to order a new one but when it arrived even tho it was listed as being for 240-260Z it was the wrong part, Whittie's car was built late in the model run so with ongoing production up-grades many parts are not compatible with earlier models and this is one of them you can see it is significantly different and sadly it's out of production totally.

 

Another challenge!!!! Just what I need  :-\

 

 

 

I returned the new filler hose to our supplier and rather than rush into attempting to fit the old one decided to sleep on it for a while and wait for some inspiration. I thought about soaking it in a solvent such as gun wash to soften it but decided against that in case I damaged it irreparably I tested applying heat by soaking it in near boiling water and that softened it enough to make it at least slightly pliable so I decided heat was the way to go. 

 

From inside the boot the hose would not fit through the opening in the body because of the ribbing so I decided it had to go from underneath even tho that meant compressing the large end of the hose, I tested that theory using my heat gun and it worked with that I applied a slight film of grease to the inside of the hose to provide lubrication to allow final positioning once in place.

 

 

Once in place through the body there was no way I could get it onto the tank it simply didn't line up, when I fitted the fuel tank I wondered why the driver side hanger bolt is double the length of the other one (given our pursuit of weight saving I have a replacement short bolt at the platers) I realized a long time ago that with the possible exception of Italian manufacturers, vehicle designers and their engineers don't do things without good reason and I have discovered the reason for the seemingly senseless over length bolt, when fully unwound the tank dropped to a level where the filler hose lined up perfectly so after the appropriate amount of grunting, groaning and occasional swearing brought on by burned hands, it was on and the tank hanger bolts re-tightened so I could attend to the inside which fortunately was much easier to fit.

 

 

The inside was relatively easy once the filler neck was on it was a simple matter of getting it in position and fitting the ancillary hoses, the collar had to be fitted from underneath which created it's fair share of grunting and groaning but finally complied, the rubber gasket is sufficiently degraded that it will need extra filling so I will now consider what to use because it needs to be a barrier to fumes, dust and moisture.

 

 

 

 

I'm also working on cleaning up all the door internals ready to fit so hopefully will be able to post regular progress soon.

 

Dad

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

This build thread has been going way longer than intended when Whittie first started it and it has drifted off topic a few times but seams to eventually get back on track, well here's another deviation

 

Whittie has achieved some significant milestones in his life lately, today he celebrates his 25th birthday and in doing so has successfully completed his first 1/4 century also recently he announced his engagement to the love of his life Krista which is wonderful news so I guess in time we'll see whether that union requires more ponies, Zed cars or both.

 

Happy birthday Tom and congratulations Tom and Krista.

 

Dad & Mum

[Riceburner]

Happy bday and Congrats guys, The zed would make an excellent wedding car! A totally unbiased view ofcourse. Ha.

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

There's been a little bit happen on the car, the fuel lines are all connected and sealed also all the screw holes that won't be used such as those for the luggage straps have been plugged to keep fumes out, a couple of wonky wheel studs have been replaced and the rear disks machined and heat proof painted just need to fit the electric fuel pump an filter then the back end under side is done ready for wheels on from there once steering goes in we're ready to have the engine fitted

 

 

 

I couldn't help myself with the sticker on the rear window, even tho the car is totally different to it's previous self this event is part of the history of the car.

 

 

Cheers

Dad

[gav240z]

Hey mate,

Where did you get the phosphoric acid from? I have been using engine degreaser to try and get gunk off alloy parts but I still need to scrub with wire brush and even then it still seems to have grease on the surface.

 

Is there any other precautions you should use when working with phosphoric acid?

 

By the way I can't believe how clean this build is, are you doing a restoration for concourse or are you building a race car? Perhaps both? Simply stunning and thanks for sharing all your skills, I for 1 really appreciate builds like this because I learn so much.

[Grandad]

Hi Gavin

 

Thanks for your interest in our rebuild, Whittie initially just wanted to tidy the old girl up a bit, remove the rust give it a new coat of paint and get rid of some weight in the process, apart from new wheels, some brake, suspension and engine components, that is pretty much all we've done but rather than throw it back together using old dirty parts everything has been thoroughly cleaned and re-plated or powder coated also where possible old nuts and bolts have been replaced with shorter, lighter ones, the end result we expect to be a new 1977 260Z concourse condition competition car that will last 30 to 40 years+ without needing to be done again.

 

We are expecting the car to be rather spectacular when it's first completed and Whittie wants to have it featured in some car mags, we're realistic that once it hits the track it will no longer be a concourse winner but we're hopefull it will remain a good looking car for a long time.

 

I spent quite a few years running a mobile car detailing service with up to 38 guys on the road and personally tested all products we used and quickly realized that there's a lot of crap product on the market (polishes in particular).

 

With regard to cleaning alloy metals, de-greaser will not cut it you will need acid to remove oxidation from the alloy, there are a number of acidic mag wheel cleaning products that will do the job but they are becoming a bit hard to find because with modern clear coated wheels if there are any chips or scrapes on the wheel they will be magnified by the exposed area being dulled so non acidic cleaners dominate the market but they will not do what you're after.

 

Phosphoric and Hydrofluric acid will do the job for you, ppe dictates for using both those are head to toe cover including a quality mask, I know not everyone follows ppe recommendations but these are potentially dangerous chemicals.

 

One trade supplier we used to get it from is Auto Smart, they are a UK based company exporting world wide so might be worth a google search.

 

Cheers

Dad

[Retro Z]

Might sound stupid but try heavy duty oven cleaner in the aerosol can (from any supermarket). Its main ingedient is Phosphoric acid along with a few other cutting agents. Made short work of the thick layer of grime and grease on my gearbox and diff and only costs like $4

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

Last post I showed this pic of the fuel filler lines in place and was a bit proud of myself for working out where they all went fortunately when Whittie was striping the car he took pics of everything and the other day I was checking them out looking for something and found one of the fuel filler hoses so decided to check I had everything correct, that was a good move because I was way off..

 

Here's how I had it

 

 

Here's how it was

 

 

Here's how it is now

 

 

I spotted some molded mud flaps on a car on the forum some time ago and eventually tracked down the owner but he couldn't help with where to buy them so I went searching and eventually found them at The Z Store http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/SG so ordered them and it seamed to take an eternity for them to arrive, when they finally did I had a quick look at them and everything seamed to be in order they were pre drilled and had fitting instructions just like OEM ones I have fitted to other cars so off they went to Will for him to squirt some colour onto them, that as I was to discover later was a mistake.

 

Here they are ready to fit or so I thought

 

 

When I got them back from Will I set about fitting them that's when I realized they are Reproduction not OEM and while they are a close fit they are definitely not perfect and do not perfectly follow the contour of the body so I got into them with a half round file and a rats tail one it's not dificult to do I just have to be extremely careful so not to gouge the new paint, clearly this job is best done before painting.

 

 

Here's how they're going to look

 

 

This is a trial fit using vice grips to hold it in place and allow for correct positioning, it looks like the pre drilled holes don't line up but the guards have been flared slightly so that might account for it, anyway I will make them fit as close to perfectly as I can, personally I love the look and they should stop some gravel rash.

 

Cheers

Dad

[Whittie]

I love this car

 

 

 

 

Ps, hydroflouric acid melts calcium and is also adsorbed through the skin. Ie, it melts bones. Don't use it without a thorough going over of the MSDS (material safety data sheet) and using the appropriate protective gear!

[Grandad]

Hi all

 

Due to the extent of this re build and the fact that much of the car is now new or at the very least least reconditioned I have decided to reset the odometer to zero but have run into a slight problem.

 

Because the car was sold new in the UK the speedo originally read MPH not KPH although the dial has been changed to now read in KPH the odometer still records miles so needs to be changed, I'm just wondering if anyone has a spare unwanted 260Z speedo lying around that we might have.

 

Cheers

Dad

[nizm0zed]

Do you need the whole housing? or would just the innards be fine?

I can send mine over if you want, but i need to keep the surrounds for my new Speedhut gauges.

Edit: If you have 3 centre gauges (housings) that you dont want maybe we can negotiate a trade?

[Grandad]

Hi Alan

 

Innards will be fine, sadly I can't help with the centre gauges.

 

You have pm

 

Cheers

Dad

[Grandad]

Hi All

 

Slowly getting a little more done have sent a few last bits to the platers in preparation for the engine and gearbox to go in, did a trial fit of the steering column and broke off a mounting bolt, fortunately it's not hi tensile so shouldn't pose too much of a problem to get out.

 

With the first mud flap fitted I wound the suspension down to about where it will sit on the road and put a wheel to see what it will look like, it's currently sitting at legal ride height but with some extra weight in the car and settlement with use I expect it to sit a bit lower.

 

I recon it looks alright

 

 

Cheers

Dad

[RB26DETT]

Car is coming along great!! Who did you get to rebuild your engine?

[Grandad]

Hi RB26DETT

 

Tuss at Osborne Park Service Centre did it for us last time we got four years out of it double entered with it regularly on the rev limiter at events including Bathurst, Eastern Creek, Oran Park, Phillip Island, Wanneroo, Collie and the Motorplex so we recon that was pretty damn good, Tuss did it again this time but for machining it went to an engine builder in Wanneroo, we have a light flywheel and hi tech harmonic balancer to go on it this time, I'll take some pics of them and post them up when I can.

 

Cheers

Dad