Ok it’s been far to long since I provided any sort of update.
Quick summary:
I bought another 240Z which I’ll start a separate thread for.
I planned on selling the red 240Z, as having 2 is just greedy, right? (also it was part of the agreement with my wife to be
)
My intention was to get car #2 ready for our wedding, but that isn’t looking feasible for a number of reasons, so….
I’ve decided to pick up the pace on car #1 and get it in good working order.
I’m also using it to prototype some of the bits for car #2
A quick list of all the updates, in a vague timeline
Following a scare at the petrol station which resulted in half a tank on the forecourt, I’ve replaced the buckled O-ring and ensured the jubilee clips around the filler neck are on tightly. I have since filled it up to 1/2 tank with no issues
I replaced the clutch slave as this had died. I tried to bleed the old one but the bleed screw sheered off! When doing this job I thought it was an opportune time to change the clutch master too. I’ve had a lot of fun getting the clutch to engage properly, and have been experimenting with differing lengths of rod from the slave cylinder to the fork. After a lot of trial an error, the clutch is in a much better place.
I decided to change some of the bushes, which ended up being most of them! Steering rack, all the front (except one tension rod bush which was replaced with rubber) and most of the rear bushes were done. I’ve left the diff mount bushes as they looked a pain to reach, and the spindle pin ones for obvious reasons.
At this point I also decided to check the shocks.
ALL of them had died! I used this opportunity to replace them all, clean up the cups which were full of many years of crud (I wasn’t aware they had drain holes in until I poked through all the crap which had hardened over time!) and respray them. I also cleaned all of the strut bellows and springs and re greased the strut bearings too.
I changed the tie rods, and ball joints as on inspection the old ones seemed to grind
I changed the rear brake hoses (as a precaution more than anything).
I bought some fuel and brake line clips from ebay, and mounted them with rivnuts at relevant spots. The lines are much more sturdy now. I’ve shaped them a little more so they don’t hang as low down as they had done previously, and I’m much more comfortable with their positioning.
I’ve carved up some door seals I had lying around from a Vauxhall combo to trial fit on the doors. Not too promising but better than the old ones which had deteriorated completely
Fitted gearstick bushes (I didn’t have any)
Greased the throttle linkage mechanism – my pedal doesn’t stick now!
I built a separate harness section to accommodate the popular relay conversion mod for the headlights
Fitted a removable battery isolator switch as well as a proper battery hold-down bracket
I’ve relocated the washer bottle to its natural habitat (under the inspection panel)
I’ve fitted the wiper arms and, in the absence of the proper retaining nuts (which are eye-wateringly expensive), I’ve created my own using sleeve nuts, spaced out with washers. They look pretty good
A bit of wiring re-routing to neaten up the engine bay
I've fitted silly exhaust extensions, largely because of exhaust fumes being pulled into the cabin. This was surprisingly effective!
I greased the wiper linkage which was dry as a bone. It runs A LOT smoother now, and got tested out on a brief run earlier where it rained
I didn’t like the old lap belts that came with my car, so I’ve replaced these with Securon 3 point belts with reels. With the help of a friend, we welded in plates to the shock towers along with a captive nut to lower the angle of the belts so they don’t cut into your neck (there’s quite a high mounting point on the car which causes this issue).
Other things to do…
Interior still needs work. I have some composite sheet I might use to make kick plate covers. I’m thinking to bond some perforated PU leather to the inner roof as the current tan coloured liner looks awful and doesn’t match the rest of the car.
ECU needs mounting properly
I’d like to reinstate the heater, but I need to get the whole system out of the car first
I have a knock from the diff area which I think is caused by a dead mount. I’m in the process of teaching myself how to weld, and building a version of the commonly used RT mount to try and stop the nose lifting up on acceleration.
Considering fitting LED headlight units however since the relay upgrade, the lights are significantly brighter and I prefer the look of the “traditional” sealed beams
I’d like to fit a basic Bluetooth radio and speakers, but haven’t decided on the best solution yet
I have a set of MX5 leather seats which I’m tempted to fit, as my current seats are worn and not very nice
Running lights, rear lights and instrument cluster lights don’t turn on with the headlights. I disconnected my front runners a while ago which might be causing the issue.
And anything else I've forgotten!