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.