Sunbaked '76 Cali 280z

Robotsan

Club Member
View attachment 54639
It’s a funny shape when laid out flat.

Thanks! Looks like you've skinned a weirdly shaped anemic crocodile 😂

That's actually really useful though, as I can see where the little cuts are for the flanges to stick it down to the floor etc.

I don't suppose you could give me the overall length and width could you? No worries if this is an old photo or something.
 

Robotsan

Club Member
Thanks Mike, that's really useful!

Does anything go here behind the sears, in the bit I've coloured green? Like a little carpet or anything? Surely its not just left like that?

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Robotsan

Club Member
The rear carpets go there, over the original furry under-carpet sound deadener (loose), in my case.

Ah right I thought so but could've sworn Romas said I only needed 3 carpets - 2 floors and the rear deck. I'll double check with him.

*Edit* He actually told me he'd supply 5 carpets for me, so ignore the above.
 
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Robotsan

Club Member
Been a while since I ventured out to the garage, and for some reason I chose tonight of all nights, a delightful -3°c. Fully clad in thermals, scarf, and fingerless gloves (plus all the usual clothing I hasten to add), I was actually ok in there with the little fan heater and the patio heater for occasional hand warm-ups.

I went out was to test fit the riser trim I'd cut out a couple of weeks ago. I used double sided tape to stick it in place, and was flabbergasted to see it's a perfect fit around the trans tunnel:

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With my car being a 280 I didn't have any existing vinyl to use as a template, so I'm working out how things fold and what goes on top of what from various photos I'm finding online.

E.g. I *think* the curved bit around the trans tunnel from factory on the 240s must have been stitched to give a nice finished edge (is that a hem?!) - but I don't have a sewing machine so I just folded it, snipped into it so that the folded back pieces laid flat and didn't overlap, and then glued the little folds back. Seems to have done the job!

And from what I can tell, the trans tunnel trim needs to be glued down first, and that will have 'flaps' glued up onto the riser? Then this riser trim goes over that to cover them, and finally the carpets cover the remaining visible flaps of the riser along the bottom. Bosh.
 

Robotsan

Club Member
I'm planning on doing the trans tunnel trim in the bit between Christmas and New Year. Then it'll be time to fit the new centre console, and do the vinyl on the door sills, and probably those bits of trim on the sides just in front of the rear arches.

After that I think the seats will be next in line, which looks like a tricky job.

Once that's done, in order to hit my target of having a safe, drivable car with a new interior by April I just need to ..

1. Change the rear lights to UK spec
2. Change the rear brakes & make handbrake work
3. Drop the fuel tank, change old hoses & install a fuel filter
4. Change all other fuel hoses
5. Change various senders on the thermostat
6. Change clutch slave
7. Replace the driver's door latch
8. Replace the passenger door handle
9. Fix the window winding mechanisms
10. Install the wing mirrors
11. Install the door cards
12. Attach number plates

Quite an intimidating list now I've written it out .. and I can see myself doing the more fun stuff like installing the new Skillard front grill, 240z indicators and the air dam before I finish that list above! 😂
 

Robotsan

Club Member
Just did one of those rare heaven-sent jobs that is both easy to do and makes a real difference - installed new shifter bushings!

See the quantity of slop I was dealing with:


The old bushings just weren't even there - must have split apart and fallen off the car.

So all I had to do was put the 2 little plastic bushings into the gear stick, pop the pin back through and get the c clip back on (by far the trickiest bit). I gave the inner rubber boot a good clean - pretty much the only intact bit of rubber on the whole car - and also installed a new outer rubber boot as the old one was split..

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And now, behold - she's as tight as she was in '76 (oo-er)!:

 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Just did one of those rare heaven-sent jobs that is both easy to do and makes a real difference - installed new shifter bushings!

See the quantity of slop I was dealing with:


The old bushings just weren't even there - must have split apart and fallen off the car.

So all I had to do was put the 2 little plastic bushings into the gear stick, pop the pin back through and get the c clip back on (by far the trickiest bit). I gave the inner rubber boot a good clean - pretty much the only intact bit of rubber on the whole car - and also installed a new outer rubber boot as the old one was split..

View attachment 54987


And now, behold - she's as tight as she was in '76 (oo-er)!:

Yep done that, what a difference. You can imagine an 'Arthur Daley' charging £350 for a gearbox rebuild!
 

Robotsan

Club Member
After being struck down with Christmas flu and fearing all of my days off between Christmas and New Year would be wasted, I've made a recovery Jesus himself would've been proud of today! So it was off to the garage to have a bash at the trans tunnel vinyl.

Firstly I glued the vinyl to the 3mm scrim foam, then cut out the basic shape needed. I chose to keep the two sides connected at the back behind the console instead of stitching them together later (mostly because I don't know how to sew!)..

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And then used double sided tape to stick it in position at the back, and then worked my way towards the front, cutting out the various shapes for the seat rests etc. Pretty chuffed with how it's gone so far. I've run out of juice now though so will finish it tomorrow!

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Robotsan

Club Member
Bah. The Screwfix 'no nonsense' spray impact adhesive I'd used to stick the vinyl to the foam was in fact, nonsense, as I found the two layers peeling apart today. So had to take it all out of the car and re-stick it using an entire tin of Evo Stik impact adhesive just brushed on.

Anyone recommend anything better than that to glue the scrim foam to the closed cell foam I've put on the trans tunnel?

While waiting for that to dry I stripped the old paint and rust off the shifter boot holder thing..

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And made an impromptu spray booth..

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Managed a couple of coats but will do more tomorrow..

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In-between coats I decided to remove the seatbelts and brackets etc as I'll be stripping and painting the metal parts next.

I also tore the horrific shagpile/brown leather trim off the left wheel arch/strut tower. Regretted that instantly as it made me realise I should've done them at the same time as the rest of the interior.. as now I'm going to get all of that nice new stuff covered in shite when I strip the glue and bits of fluff off..

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