Progress !!!!!

[ZHead]

At long last Dominic's car is moving on apace and mine is getting done aswell now Nigel Brook's has left the workshop.

I was staggered at the bulkhead swap, superbly done, suffice to say I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat and very impressed. The floors have been replaced now, the wheel well has gone totally and been plated over, The structural rigidity work is well under way with longer, thicker chassis rails any day now and lots of sneaky race tricks going on to aid rigidity and reduce weight.

The next stage is to agree whether to have a hoop behind the seats and between the rear strut towers or a full cage. I like the idea of a full cage but it will mess up what I want as interior trim. Compromise - as much reinforcement as I can get without buggering up the interior I have planned.

The 65 litre tank will go right across the car behind the seats so underneath the back will be totally open to show the adjustable control arms, AP Racing calipers and discs, billet aluminium moustache bar and twin exhausts although that is a fair way off yet.

Having second thoughts on colour - I LOVE Lambo orange but every one is going for it this year, focus st, fiat, chrysler, mclaren etc - am wondering if it will be a fashion colour this year but a fashion disaster next year (remember the electric blue escorts ?)

Whoever owns the white US car on the ramp having a bulkhead swap, you have a seriously nice car there ! Will say no more but it is a cracker - if you get fed up and want shot of it please give me first refusal That is no joke !!!

 

[SeanDezart]

Having second thoughts on colour - I LOVE Lambo orange but every one is going for it this year, focus st, fiat, chrysler, mclaren etc - am wondering if it will be a fashion colour this year but a fashion disaster next year (remember the electric blue escorts ?)

Crikey, you sound like a Britney Spears fan ! If you like a coulour - go for it - who cares what 'fashion' says !

And anyway - photos please of this phantom car !

 

[VERTEMATIDOG]

This is going to be one serius bit of kit when its done, I agree with Sean, photos please!

 

[moggy240]

Zhead
sometimes the most simple looking colours can make a car look just as good if not better than a fancy colour.you only have to think about the older cars that you like and what they would have been painted in.colour is like fashion, some look good for a couple of years and then look really old and dated and some just never go out of fashion.the way i look at colour is ....black is nice but a pain to keep clean,white is good but does not suit every car,silver is a good colour but the prep work work must be mint and is not always easy to spray depending on which silver you like,mercedes silver 744 would be my choice if i had not painted mine yellow,red is very classic but everyone seems to have red car.a good example of how a colour can work well on a car is DATSUN DAVE'S car ,simple but it does suit the car very well and i think it looks great.but like everthing it is personal choice at the end of the day.
you can always buy some models and get them painted in what colour you fancy just to see what it will look like or to give you a better idea.

 

[zedhead260]

Whoever owns the white US car on the ramp having a bulkhead swap, you have a seriously nice car there ! Will say no more but it is a cracker

Andy Shaw's car - the "other" RB car.

See readers rides in this months Retro Magazine.

 

[ZHead]

photos please of this phantom car !

FAR from phantom Sean, very real indeed. Are we going to see photos of your three year project ?

The shell is almost done then comes the plating and the build although the speed of the build will be dictated by the speed at which I am able to pay for things ! The next stage will be building the suspension and Laurence has told me to do the job right I need to find about 9 grand - mental amount of money but serious suspension - this is what I hope will make the biggest difference to the way the car drives.

Moggy - Thanks for your thoughts, I know you are a top painter so I take them onboard wholeheartedly. I love the Lambo orange and am tempted to take the attitude "that's what I want, that's what I will have" but want to shy away from a fashion colour that orange seems to be right now. The idea of models is a good one, don't suppose you know anyone who might volunteer to spray up a few models for me do you please ? In your opinion (you have sprayed lots of Zs, I have not) how would the very bright Lambo orange work with chrome or even colour matched or black brightwork ?

The interior is planned as a mixture of black leather, matching orange alcantara and a black alcantara head lining done in the style of the Murcielago, black dash top, orange underneath the dash, orange centre console, black seats with orange centres. Whatever colour goes on outside, the inside will be black with the alcantara matching the paint.

Will go back up next week and take some pics to post but as Laurence does the bulkhead swap differently to everyone else he may not want pictures of the swap publicly posted. Can post pics of lots of other stuff waiting in boxes to go on.

 

[ZHead]

Andy Shaw's car - the "other" RB car..

I was not going to mention the RB part - this is a lovely car in great condition, personally I would have kept an example as good as this with an L Series powerplant but it is a great place to start a Hybrid, straight, clean bodywork, no major damage anywhere underneath.

 

[STEVE BURNS]

can not someone think it was blackbug do a thingy simular to the one they did for the wheels on my car so you can change it to any cokour you want

 

[SeanDezart]

You mean Corel Draw or photoshop - easy enough Andy !

With that planned interior, why are you bothering with a Z at all - go for a Daytona or a Muira (and don't tell me you can't afford one at £9k for a suspension job - have you costed that out btw, I mean, seen a detailed estimate.....crazy

It all sounds a bit like a tuning explosion and I think your 'misgivings' on the fashion of the exterior colour are more pertinent to the interior - are you sure, 3 years later, you're gonna enjoy seeing day-glo orange (or whatever) inside instead of plain ageless black ?

Looking forward to see photos of the car AND some parts ! No photos leads credence to the phantom And how many ways can a bulkhead be converted - are you sure that after all the conversions done over the years, Lawrence comes along and does it 'completely different' ???

Don't take it badly, I'm almost as eager as you to see the progress on ya belle, tho. less eager than seeing similar on mine

 

[SeanDezart]

Of course, stories on yours and Wynns' and Steves' cars are ideal for a hybridz section in the club mag.........Skiddy, where are you..............?

 

[ZHead]

are you sure that after all the conversions done over the years, Lawrence comes along and does it 'completely different' ???

This is the first time Laurence has done it this way - took days of thinking about and I am seriously impressed with the result. Does not really matter how it was done, the fact is it has been and the customer is happy !

 

[SeanDezart]

This is the first time Laurence has done it this way

How many has he done then ?

And you're right, if the customer is happy that's all that counts !

But pros. like our chappies often know better than the customers and we have to trust 'em - right ?

 

[Nigel Brook]

Just thought I'd throw my two pence worth in here.

My car has had a fairly long "association" with Laurences's workshop during which time it has had every panel forward of the bulkhead replaced, the boot floor replaced complete with suspension towers and tool boxes, new floors with roll cage mounts, new rear quarters, new rear valance, various stengthening plates and full seam welding. The result is a car I wouldn't hesitate to do the Safari Rally with as the shell is now 90% Safari spec. I have learn't a lot about 240's/260's in that time including bulk-head swops [ mine was RH drive to start with]. Laurence knows what he's talking about and if he's doing something a different way it's because that's the way to do it. If it doesn't work out right then he will do it again until it is right. The word perfectionist springs to mind

ps. Don't ask me for the secrets of bulkhead swops

 

[ZHead]

Laurence knows what he's talking about and if he's doing something a different way it's because that's the way to do it. If it doesn't work out right then he will do it again until it is right. The word perfectionist springs to mind

ps. Don't ask me for the secrets of bulkhead swops

Absolutely - A LOT of time has gone into thinking and planning HOW to do the job so that it comes out right, sure it takes time but as Nigel says about his car it is worth the wait. I saw Nigel's car throughout it's shell work and have to say that the outcome is terrific when you look at where the shell started from.

We had discussions this week about just how far to go in order to make the shell as rigid as possible and came to a compromise - there comes a point where my driving skill or lack of it would not notice the last bit of difference because I am not a good enough driver. Case in point, the car will have a hoop behind the seats and strut bracing with triangulation to stiffen up the centre section. A full cage would interfere with trim, add weight and the extra consistency it would add in terms of handling would be wasted on me, so....... half cage instead of a full one.

Again, discussions have been had with the trimmer (D Class at Woking will be doing it eventually) to see the best way to get the cage in and still allow space for it to be trimmed properly.

Sean - you baulk at the suspension cost but a serious engine costs that and more from the best in the country (yours MUST be there or there abouts, probably more). Surely you can see the logic that the three major areas are shell, engine and suspension ?

Having one or two without doing all three will leave deficincies - I had a Samuri engine in a car with standard brakes and suspension in the 80s. I bent it because it did not go round corners or stop in a manner befitting the way it went in a straight line.

Anyway, will get some pics to post next week.

 

[SeanDezart]

Sean - you baulk at the suspension cost but a serious engine costs that and more from the best in the country (yours MUST be there or there abouts, probably more). Surely you can see the logic that the three major areas are shell, engine and suspension ?

Anyway, will get some pics to post next week.

I would have said that £1000 per corner for suspension was ample for a road car, more than twice that and I would ask the question 'am I paying for something I don't need ?'

My suspension is...adequate - thanks !

Without knowing more about Lawrences' work, I'd imagine that his bulkhead swaps are just that - a complete swap, unlike many LHD-RHD converters who just cut and change certain parts. Complete bulkhead swaps were, I believe begun and perfected by Duncan at The Z Farm and together with Lawrence, ther are only three people who've done it. Ask yourselves why ?

Looking forward to the photos

 

[ZHead]

I would have said that £1000 per corner for suspension was ample for a road car, more than twice that and I would ask the question 'am I paying for something I don't need ?'

You may be right, the suspension may be total overkill but it will arguably be the single thing to make the car ride and handle properly. Worth having a go at getting the optimal setup at least ! It also depends what you want your road car to be, how you want it to behave. A Kia is a road car but so is a Ferrari remember. I bet there is more than twice the cost difference between their suspension setups. In fact I would think the Ferrari suspension costs more than the entire Kia Picanto would.

Complete bulkhead swaps were, I believe begun and perfected by Duncan at The Z Farm (You think so ?) and together with Lawrence, ther are only three people who've done it. Ask yourselves why ?

I saw bulkhead swaps back in the 80s done by Will Galliers' boys. Most people "cut'n'shut" ie cut a hole and weld the required section in, then plate over the hole that is no longer required. In order to actually remove and replace the bulkhead you are risking the structural integrity of the car if it is not done right. Bear in mind that you would effectively be cutting the car in half. Laurence has done the job in such a way that structural integrity has been retained, everything lined up beautifully and went back together way better than I expected.

Looking forward to the photos

Yours too - have seen precious few so far

.

Let's not have another nah nah nah thread, they achieve nothing and just piss people off. All I was commenting on was how pleased I am with the work Laurence is doing and that things are moving forward

 

[zedhead260]

All I was commenting on was how pleased I am with the work Laurence is doing and that things are moving forward

............and by the way my suspension is going to cost nine grand.

Things only seem expensive if you can't afford them - so you go for it Andy, spend away to your hearts content.

 

[SeanDezart]

Andy,

If you post here, you know to expect comments and you relish 'em so.....

Anyway, I'm bored so either you reply or you ignore me

nah nah nah threads do work - look at the drag challenge and TB V. carbs !
But that's not what I want either

"but it will arguably be the single thing to make the car ride and handle properly. Worth having a go at getting the optimal setup at least "

Here is where we may agree to disagree - the fact of spending A LOT on the suspension doesn't gaurantee the handling - you're the driver ! Spending THAT much is definitely overkill or maybe your V8 warrants it ?

What begins to get me Andy is that you've picked the brains of a lot of people (you have your quest and I understand why) but all the info is going one way ! All this secrecy stuff and exclusive 'this and that, never done before, ultimate' and no photos is not what this forum is about ! You want to share your project, then share it 'cos we'd all really, truly, (and I'm serious here) love to know and see more about it.

But if all you can answer is, I don't have the right to discuss trade secrets then keep this thread closed and present the world with your car when it's done as a 'fait accompli' - please !

And don't ask about my photos until we've seen yours and I don't just mean your parts bin !

Look at every project going on and you'll see that people put photos up at each stage, they're proud and are also keen to hear others' comments !

 

[Albrecht]

Complete bulkhead swaps were, I believe begun and perfected by Duncan at The Z Farm and together with Lawrence, ther are only three people who've done it. Ask yourselves why ?

Sean, there are other territories in the world where LHD-to-RHD conversions on S30-series Z 'shells have been performed over the years. Australia and New Zealand come to mind, as well as a country called....... 'Japan'.

Rumour has it that some of these S30-series Z cars we like so much might even have been built in 'Japan' a long time ago - but this theory has not been definitively proved yet......






Just a thought, but would the DVLA be 'interested' to read this thread? I'm wondering what their attitude to re-assignation of vehicle identity would be in relation to complete bulkhead swaps ( ie - complete with RHD VIN number )?

 

[zedhead260]

nah nah nah threads do work - look at the drag challenge and TB V. carbs !
But that's not what I want either

You're kidding me - you love it !!!!! (actually I kind of liked those two despite drifting off on occasion)

Here is where we may agree to disagree - the fact of spending A LOT on the suspension doesn't gaurantee the handling - you're the driver ! Spending THAT much is definitely overkill or maybe your V8 warrants it ?

Well Sean, I struggle to see how you get £1000 / corner - or does that include a labour charge ??

But it does beg the question about "V8's having better weight distribution" if "it will arguably be the single thing to make the car ride and handle properly". Andy, I'm sure if you put my suspension on your car it would still handle and ride properly. But I'm also sure that if I had £9k burning a hole on my pocket, I'd be doing the same as you with my Z's suspension (but not the the detriment of it ever hitting the streets)

And don't ask about my photos until we've seen yours and I don't just mean your parts bin !

LOL