Took the datsun out on track. New suspension feels great, felt like it could be really competitive if not for my lack of skill. Could definitely use an alignment I think. And some brakes (the fronts start smoking after like 5 laps of 5/10ths driving). Also this motor burns quite a bit of oil too, which I was aware of but track duty seems to emphasize it. I checked before going out first but on my last lap I noticed oil pressure dropping on hard right handles. Oil was just at the L mark. Yikes.
Glad I put in some autometer gauges in before the track day because I don't trust the stock stuff and don't think I would have noticed the oil pressure dropping with how slow the stock gauge is. Made some printed gauge adapters to fit the stock straps. The clock is a bit smaller so I need to modify it a bit but they fit pretty nice.
Might sell em but if any GRM Z owners wants some let me know.
Also
How much for a set of those gauge adapters? Do they come in black or are the paintable?
We have the same stereo in our cars, only mine is red. Nice!
In reply to birdmayne :
Gotta make some tweaks and check if it fits the center gauge spot but I could do 10$ + shipping for GRMers for a set of 3 in exchange for some R&D help
I'm down. PM when you have some more?
What's yoru plan for a grill on your Z?
In reply to birdmayne :
Yeah I just got some black filament so I'll get a few going.
For the grill I think I'm just going to paint everything upfront matte black and get some black mesh from a hardware store
papamilad said:
In reply to birdmayne :
Yeah I just got some black filament so I'll get a few going.
Just make sure it can withstand high temps. Had several friends print in PLA and get very disappointed when they came back to their car on a summer day and found their gauge pods had fallen out.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Oh yeah I've learned that lesson lol, I'm printing in PETG which is good for like 80C
Awesome to see the car out on track! Gauges look great as well - I'm happy to pay for a set of gauge adapters pending mine suck (probably normal), but may be a minute before I can help improve R&D.
I used a piece of gutter guard mesh on my zx for the grille
In reply to classicJackets (FS) :
Thanks man, r&d is mostly just for me to see if they fit in all years of Z car since I'm not sure on the dash differences. Also you'll probably get the ugly (but functional/needs finish work) ones while I dial my printer in lol.
Also would love to make them fit more gauges if people have dimensions I can run with.
Small update here but hopefully will have some bigger ones soon. Some very near future plans include a sound system, vintage air, a buttoned up interior, and a 5 speed out of a 280ZX (not the close ratio box unfortunately but an overdrive will definitely be welcome).
In the meantime, I did a fun little interior project. The dome lamp plastic disintegrated almost immediately upon touching it and used replacements go for around $200 so I figured I'd print my own!
Also shoutout to the GRM writers for a feature in the June 22 mag! The Need For Speed Underground loving child in me would be even more stoked than I am about it.
That lens looks amazing. And congratulations on the magazine feature, that's awesome!
Nice lens print. If that's SLA, you can polish it up using a headlight restoration kit following the same steps.
What printer did you use for the lens? That looks awesome.
I used a formlabs form 3 printer with clear resin. I sanded up to 320 grit and I like it that way, the right amount of hazy I think. If it was polished up I think the layer lines on the otherside would look weird.
Weekend project working on the interior and soundsystem. Ended up with 2 JBL 6.5s and 10" kicker sub. Running some cheap Blaupunkt bluetooth amp which works really well.
A little bummed the carpet kit the PO gave me is for a 77-78 so it doesn't fit very well but it'll do for now.
Sub and amp are hidden under the carpet in the spare tire well. Also ignore the E36 M3ty cut line on the speaker shelf I was like 10 beers deep when I started upholstering..
Might have to start ordering AC components soon...
Installed mirrors today (yes plural, finally have a passenger mirror). Just some cheapo plastic generic ones from zcardepot
papamilad said:
I used a formlabs form 3 printer with clear resin. I sanded up to 320 grit and I like it that way, the right amount of hazy I think. If it was polished up I think the layer lines on the otherside would look weird.
Hah, I didn't even realise they were layer lines, I assumed they were part of the lens shape for light diffusion
Some smaller updates here, finally putting more of the interior in. Center console and door cards did a lot to make the car feel more streetable.
Started out by using some 3mil painters sheeting from Lowes as a vapor barrior. Bought 3/4" wide butyl tape from Amazon (in hindsight a little too big). Cut a square oversized and trimmed later with a razor.
Also saved one of the original owners accoutrements as tribute
Regret not replacing the felt by the top while the cards were out but whatever. They made a huge difference to the feel of the car as like 95% of the rattles came from the window, lock stick, door handle etc. Feels great having things buttoned up.
Up next is a bit of a more involved project, little bit of a sneak preview.
Currently waiting on parts from SendCutSend (shout out superfastmatt for the discount code). Plan on making a detailed post outlining the process from scan to CAD to fab incase anyone can gleam some ideas from it.
I finally threw my 5 speed in! Its out of a 79 S130 so not the close-ratio box but having an overdrive makes highway driving much more doable (which will be nice for my trip up to Nashville next weekend).
Hit it with the rustoleum $6 trans rebuild kit real quick
Was planning on keeping the clutch/pressure plate that was in there since it felt fine but upon pulling the trans I saw it was absolutely toast. Looks like the original clutch to me, not quite sure how it wasn't slipping lol.
That held things up a bit while I waited for an exedy kit from rockauto. Also resurfaced the flywheel too but no pics. Did a rear main job too since there was about a quarter inch thick layer of oily grime around there. Super easy job, just drilled two pilot holes, screwed in some sheet metal screws and pulled it out. Rear main tool from kyusha speed also main reinstall trivial.
Was weirdly hard to stab the trans back into the engine but got it eventually. Works great and now I can cruise on the highway at 80 with around 3600rpms.
Test drive pic ft. my favorite co-pilot
Also did some paint work too. Went to a sherwin williams and got a chunk of painted bondo I kept matched to some exterior house paint and roller'd on the rear lol. Looks better than before and fine from 10 ft. GMT-800 for scale
I would be interested in buying a set of the gauge adapters from you. Just signed up for this site and need to find a way to get a hold of ya!
In reply to dcreech0 :
My printers been out of commission for a bit but I'm looking to fix it soonish!
In reply to papamilad :
Perfect. It still won't let me send you a pm. I definitely wanna buy a set from you. Could you possibly text me? I don't know any other way to get a hold of ya.
502-229-one three two seven
or send me the file and I could print them. I would be willing to donate to the R and D. Lol
How was shipping on that Kyusha tool? I have a rear main here I need to install, debating whether or not to get that,haha.
In reply to papamilad :
Is there a way I can get in touch with you about getting the files to print these?... would be awesome for my ls1 240z build.
