280Z - Miscellaneous Upgrades

WazzaJB

Club Member
Quite a few updates as the car is being sent off for bodywork and paint on Saturday :)

The guys managed to convert the existing 280Z AC to RHD by switching the intake side round I believe? Really happy about this as the AC in the car was ridiculously good.

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Sealed and raptor painted the interior:

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Started getting the sound deadening in:

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Whilst the body is in for paint they're going to send subframes and suspension etc off for powder coating and then mounting the T3 Wilwood kit, I think I am basically going full resto at this point?
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Not much of an update, unfortunately, but it did get loaded up and sent off to paint! Prep has now started, no doubt this stage will take a while...

The guys are sorting out the powder coating of subframes etc, then fitting up the Wilwoods.

Have ordered a heated windscreen and new chrome trim for the windscreen as the original was sadly damaged in removal.

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WazzaJB

Club Member
Hey all :)

Paint is a bit slower than I had hoped, but I'm pretty pleased with the progress so I figured it's better to be patient. Pictures below of it now filled and epoxied, it's coming on nicely. Few tweaks here and there before paint goes on. Scuttle panel is being a right pain in the arse apparently, the RHD one I sourced had seen better days.

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Subframes are back from powder coating along with freshly zinced bolts.

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Fingers crossed it can start going back together soon...
 

Pondo

Club Member
Why not use the rhd scuttle as a template and just move the holes on the lhd one to the right place….. works a treat.
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Why not use the rhd scuttle as a template and just move the holes on the lhd one to the right place….. works a treat.
The LHD panel was in worse condition, otherwise I would agree. I'm unsure which would have been quicker in fairness; the RHD one was like bumpy and seemed warped whereas the LHD had a few big nasty dents with one in the middle of the vents I would have imagined would be difficult to resolve.

I'm sure the work now done on the RHD panel will be fine! Otherwise it's a fairly simple part to replace.
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Paint is going super slow so the guys are just chipping away at a few bits. Subframes all came back and have been bolted together, suspension and brakes together. Amazingly they squeezed them inside the 15" but of course, the rear hand brake won't work. Need to figure out what 16" wheels I want.

New hub bearings too, so again all fresh.

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WazzaJB

Club Member
I've done a terrible job of keeping this thread up to date, guess life kinda just gets in the way of these things.

Progress has been slow for the last year, but we're determined to get it on the road for summer. Here's some pictures of the shell when we got that back late last year.

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WazzaJB

Club Member
This was it as of yesterday.

Don't even know where to start in terms of listing what's happened, very much just been leaving the guys to it... Off the top of my head:

- Alarm system and remote locking system installed, rear hatch solenoid fitted for popping the boot
- Jenvey ITBs all fitted up
- SR20(?) 5 speed box all modified and mated up, short shifter fitted too and it all feels very nice!
- Brake systems all fitted (Wilwood big brake kit from T3) and operational
- Chrome all painted satin black
- AC refitted and heated seats wired in
- New seals fitted to doors, hatch, etc
- Engine has gone through a bit of a refresh, new gaskets etc

Still undecided on the headlight covers... I do like them but won't ask them to fit them until I'm 100% happy with the decision.

Being without it now for over 2 years and so much going on in my life at the minute, seeing it like this brought me a lot of joy. I can't wait to get out in it and carry on enjoying it.

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WazzaJB

Club Member
It's been another slow year on the Z. Painful as I'm pretty desperate to get in it now. I've basically said to the team just get what is left back together so we can get it on the road and anything else we can do as we go.

Dropped the ECU Master Classic off to them last week and took some pictures. Dashboard and center console has been trimmed and installed with orange stitching, looks absolutely fantastic and new carpet too. Door cards will no doubt let it down when installed but easy enough to sort in the future.

Most of the electronics are in now with exception of ECU and battery permanent location.

Need new chrome trims for the front and rear glass, does anyone know the best/most cost effective place to acquire these?

Can't seem to upload images anymore, compressed them but still saying too big so they'll have to come after sorry!
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Hi I bought plastic (chrome looking) trim. It looked good apart from a little wringling in the corners.

It was East Kent Trim.
 
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SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Need new chrome trims for the front and rear glass, does anyone know the best/most cost effective place to acquire these?
Good job ! I sell the corners and lower straight joints.
 

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WazzaJB

Club Member
Hi I bought plastic (chrome looking) trim. It looked good apart from a little wringling in the corners.

It was East Kent Trim.
Would be plastidipped anyway so presume this would be fine!



Guess I'll need those and then all the joints?

Good job ! I sell the corners and lower straight joints.
That's really useful, thanks Sean. I have messaged the guys to see exactly what I need. I imagine they didn't manage to ruin every piece of chrome... we'll see :)
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
That's really useful, thanks Sean. I have messaged the guys to see exactly what I need. I imagine they didn't manage to ruin every piece of chrome... we'll see :)
They're not chrome but stainless-steel and they more frequently get lost than damaged. :)
 
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