260Z Hybrid Restomod

Mark N

Club Member
I like the alloy hubs, the wheels stud's look really long though

T3 do an option of longer studs which I went for as I am planning to run around 5mm spacers to push the wheels out to the edge of the arches.
The extended wheel nuts that I am using easily cover the studs without the spacers and I like the way they look too!

 

uk66fastback

Club Member
There are a lot of people who do this for a living who wouldn't give the owner of a car a schematic like that!

Level of thoroughness is to be commended!
 

Mark N

Club Member
Level of thoroughness is to be commended!

I probably get that from working in the offshore drilling industry for almost 29 years where individual downhole tools are measured to the millimetre even though their combined length can be well over 5km. ;)
 

Mark N

Club Member
Bit of an update, I’ve not managed to get a great deal done due to the arrival my 280Z (thanks Chris) and getting it started on the registration process as well as getting it ready for paint!

However, I’ve managed to get most of the 260’s rear end done.



I have run into an issue with the drop mounts for the rear LCAs.
When I bought the bulk of my suspension from T3 they didn’t do the drop mount/dog bone combo so I went for the AZC option.
Unfortunately (for me), there is a clash between the AZC dog bone and the T3 moustache bar as the upper bolt hole for the dog bone is too close to the bar to allow it to be fitted.
It's a chance you take when mixing non-OEM components from different manufacturers!
This photo shows the dog bone bolted through the lower hole only (to keep everything stable).



T3 now do the drop mount/dog bone combo so that has been ordered.

The diff was removed and stripped, cleaned, painted and rebuilt with all new bearings and seals.





I fitted a Quaife LSD then checked the backlash and contact which, thankfully, were both good as I didn’t fancy the ball ache of re-shimming it.



I’m going to try a solid front mount for now.



I'm still not 100% decided on drive shafts but I'm leaning towards these:

http://www.maddat.com.au/differential/datsun-r200-1600-510-billet-drive-shaft-axels

Has anyone had any experience with them or any better suggestions?
 
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Mark N

Club Member
Since I'm still waiting for a few bits and pieces to turn up to finish the rear suspension, I've been working on getting the dash ready for the Trimmer as well as making a start on the 280Z.

I'm using a fibreglass dash from FRP Automotive mounted onto the original dash frame.
I went with this option as I was originally planning to laminate part of it with CF and also because the OEM foam dash had a small crack in it.
I changed my mind about the carbon and will be having it trimmed in leather (upper) and Alcantara (lower) to match the seats. Unfortunately my Trimmer has a large queue of jobs in front of me and won't be able to start for a couple of months.
The dash was basically a blank with no holes which made mounting the gauges and vents pretty straight forward. I bonded spacers to the inside of the dash to align it and I will still have to do some fine tuning once it is trimmed. I'm using Speedhut gauges with a GPS speedometer which has the facility to record 0-60mph and 1/4 mile times. The OEM side vents have been replaced with a modern swivel type.
There were a few areas that needed filled and leveled as is often the case with fibreglass parts but wasn't too much work.

Test fit of the gauges, glove lid and heater panel.



The cigarette lighter is making way for the EZ Power Steering knob.



I will wait until the seats, dash and steering wheel are installed before deciding on the final position for the speedo and tach. The CEL in between them will get a light coat of taillight tint to help it blend in when it is off and hopefully I won't ever see it lit! ;)



I just need to sand the whole lot smooth now and fill a couple of small marks before I send it off!

Apart from the two Datsuns, I also spent a bit of time on the R34 which I had received a new set of wheels for.
They are a limited edition Nismo LMGT4 Omori Factory spec wheels in gloss black which are now discontinued!





It took almost a day to fit the wheels due to having to cut off the bolt-on hubcentric spacers that refused to be removed. There was a very short hex profile on the nuts and almost every one rounded. I ended up using a hole saw, with the guide bit removed, to run over each problem nut. :(
 

moggy240

Insurance Valuations Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Does the speedo have any direction flashing indicators on it for when you use your indicators.
 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Looks like its making nice progress albeit maybe not as quickly as you would have liked.

The R34 looks fantastic though, loving the colour and the wheel combo though :)
 

Mark N

Club Member
Does the speedo have any direction flashing indicators on it for when you use your indicators.

Yes, it has left, right and full beam LEDs.
I chose the GPS version for ease of set up but I'll have to exercise care in tunnels, which will not be easy! ;)
 

Moriarty

Well-Known Forum User
I have the speed hut gauges in my dash, really good value, the fuel gauge is programable (as are the other gauges) I used the hard wired speedo rather than the GPS speedo as I have a speed sensor on the 71C gearbox
 

Moriarty

Well-Known Forum User
Oh and I hasten to add they are cheaper and look and function much better than the chavvy white autometer units people tend to fit
 

Mark N

Club Member
Oh and I hasten to add they are cheaper and look and function much better than the chavvy white autometer units people tend to fit

Yeah, they have much better features plus so many options for tailoring the look!
They also seem to carry more metric options than Autometer, if prefer pressure in bar and temperature in deg C.
 

Mark N

Club Member
Looks like its making nice progress albeit maybe not as quickly as you would have liked.

The R34 looks fantastic though, loving the colour and the wheel combo though :)

It is going a bit slower than I would have liked but I juggling three projects at the minute, the 260Z, a 380hp jet ski and the 280Z plus bits and pieces on the others!
I've also got to contend with (in the ascending order of difficulty) the 30+°C weather, a 16 month old daughter and keeping the missus happy!
 
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