Grandad

Hi All With the engine going in next week I've been checking the bolt on bits and turned my attention to the tuned length extractors we had custom made a few years ago, when new we had them ceramic coated inside and out and when first fitted they had a chrome look about them but with use and heat cycling they have dulled significantly and some surface rust has appeared so it's time to smarten them up with heat proof paint. These are such a work of art I should enter them in Sculpture By The Sea http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/image-gallery/cottesloe.aspx?Year=2013&Location=Outdoor Close inspection shows something has been touching I'm thinking it's the alternator so I will keep an eye on that in future. Good to go. Cheers Dad

Hi All The engine fit has been pushed back a week which is good, maybe it will have stopped raining here by then. I decided to fit out the doors and started with the window support brackets they are the 2+2 ones I cut down and had plated, they looked great when they came back from the platers but that's probably six months ago now so I've just had a stark reminder that not only is this car is 36 years old but once rust takes hold it doesn't let go easily, with the benefit of hindsight it's just as well I didn't fit the doors our as soon as the parts were plated because these brackets now have another date with acid. With doors off the agenda for a while I decided to do the final job under the back of the car and fit the electric fuel pump and primary filter so to be sure of exactly where tings should go I checked the pics Whittie took when the car was being dismantled. I have previously said what a pleasure it is working underneath this car, here's why. This is the fuel over flow hose that sits behind the removable inner guard as it was (this is typical of the entire car). As it is now. Cheers Dad

Hi MaygZ Thanks for your comments, I'm thinking you're enjoying following this re-build as much as we're enjoying doing it, with Whittie's recent engagement and likely career move to the US next year the Dadson competition future is uncertain this re-build could possibly go down as our last Father/Son collaboration so for my part I intend it will be the best it possibly can be. I respect your comment on it being too good to race and accept it as a compliment but if these cars weren't too good to race when new why should they be too good to race when restored to new condition. I don't consider we're breaking new ground with our project but rather joining a small dedicated group of enthusiasts who want to compete with their cars in the best possible condition regarding both engineering and presentation. It will be a fantastic result to end up with the best looking, best engineered and fastest non stroked N/A competition Zed when it's finished, time of course will tell and even if we don't achieve any of those goals I'm sure at the very least we have helped raise the bar just a little and maybe introduce others doing re-builds to the attention to detail that ultimately makes the difference between the end result being a good car or a great one. Cheers Dad

Hi All Well I really feel like I've had a big win and am enjoying a celebratory red as I write so you can expect some typos You know Whittie decided to go with a twin master cylinder brake system with a bias adjuster, well once fitted we realized we were left with a hole in the firewall and the manufacturer doesn't have a fix for it which is a major piss off. Here's the problem I've been thinking about this one for some time now my thinking was to adapt a gear lever boot, they used to be available everywhere but no one stocks them any more (yeah I know I'm showing my age) not being prepared to give up on the idea, I went to a shop that previously helped us out when we had to replace a split steering rack boot (you'd think the penny would have dropped with that but sadly not) at the counter I explained my problem and asked if they had a gear lever boot that might suit, the answer was no but I was led to their stock of miscellaneous steering rack boots (a touch of Deja Vu here) so as I went through the box of boots the Datsun Gods must have smiled on me because I found one that looked like it might do the job with a matching rack end piece that I thought I might be able to adapt, so $15.00 later I was on my way jumping in the air clicking my heals. When I got home to my surprise I found that the boot was an almost perfect fit with the pedal box. If you're wondering what the switch on the clutch pedal is, it's a secondary rev limiter on the MSD ignition effectively giving us launch control For reasons known only to Datsun the hole in the pedal box is elliptical so wanting to create a complete seal from fumes and noise I fashioned some rubber I had bought previously as a possible fix. Here it is ready to go, once fitted the boot will be held in place but I used glue initially to ensure it doesn't move during installation. The boot is a tight fit in the pedal box and is in constant contact with it on one side so I gave it a liberal coating of rubber grease. The end result good to go, I should sell the idea to the master cylinder manufacturer. Don't go there's more, I'm on a roll!!! We had decided to blank off the air vents that deliver air to the foot well because being a UK delivered car they do not have an exclusive air supply system from the front of the car but compete with the fan forced heater system for air at the bottom of the windscreen, we have found them to be rather ineffective so blanked them off using approx 1mm plastic sheet. When working on the pedal box I noticed that even though sealed with silicon the blanking material had warped and failed so I removed it and replaced with 0.5mm aluminium sheet which we plan to use as a heat shield for the exhaust so using my tin snips and the tail light resin I think I've fixed the problem and removal of the air vent knob has provided the perfect location for the brake bias adjuster. With the broken steering column mounting bolt drilled out, it's time for some steering. How's this for a cheat? I've been fitting new and shorter bolts everywhere but on the steering universal I couldn't remove the bolts and new shiny nuts on old crappy bolts just didn't cut it, so here's what I did, oh if you're thinking the rubber looks new it's just shoe polish, works a treat on tyres too. Ahh we have steering. Tuss is expecting the car next week to fit the engine so hopefully we're not far off finished now. I'm off for another red Cheers Dad

Hi Gareth It's not particularly radical but seems to work well it's a L28 with 20thou over size bore with flat top pistons it has a hi comp P20 head which has larger valves and has been ported I don't remember the cam grind but it's not radical it has triple 45mm webers and hi flow tuned extractors the inlet and exhaust manifolds have been port matched, I expect the new harmonic balancer and light flywheel to make a difference, it also has MSD digital ignition which made a significant difference to performance and drive-ability when it was fitted. Previously it was making ~ 200 rwhp so I expect it will be somewhere round that again. Cheers Dad

Hi All I get a bit frustrated when I have to do jobs twice but if it means the job ends up being done right then I guess it's worthwhile. Recently we sent the car off to have brake lines made and because the master cylinder set up is different and the old lines were pretty stuffed we simply had the mounting brackets in place to show where the lines should run, anyway the guy decided we must be wrong and did it his way with the result that the lines on the front rails looked very pretty and uniformly ran on the edge of the rail which I admit looks good but it puts the passenger side line far too close to our tuned length extractors and increases the risk of heat build up and the possibility of boiling the fluid particularly during race track competition in hot conditions so I had to drain the system, remove the incorrect line which was remade and reinstall it, I now just need to refill the system and bleed it then we're done. As it was. As it is now. Cheers Dad

Unfortunately I don't think so, Whittie has a lot on his plate early next year and I'm pushing for the Philip Island Historics in March. Cheers Dad

Thanks benny that's a big help. Cheers Dad

Hi benny Can you guide us on where to find a maxifuse block, do you have some pics by any chance? Cheers Dad

Hi All The removable rear inner guard section that allows access to the fuel filler hose was bent and rusty so I decided to get another and to my surprise it is the only rear body part that fits coupe and 2+2 old new off to the platers We have had some issues with the voltage regulator in the past so Whittie has taken this opportunity to upgrade the alternator to a late model spec unit with built in regulator so we should be able to remove the ugly black box and fuseable links. We're reaching the business end of the rebuild and it's time to focus on some go-fast bits like this one that's ready to go, the cam cover used to be black so I will need to re polish and paint it but that can wait until it's been fitted to the car. These motors have a long history of harmonic balance problems, we previously ran a BMW one that worked well without any problems but Whittie decided that this is a perfect opportunity to go with a hi-tech unit. Here's a comparison of old and new. No point lightening the front end of the motor only so here's what's going on the back. That of course requires a trick clutch. Whittie assures me it' not a full blown button clutch but close to it. Installation is booked for the week after next so looks like things are moving again. Cheers dad

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

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

Hi Alan Innards will be fine, sadly I can't help with the centre gauges. You have pm Cheers Dad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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