My '76 280z project

[Dave_Brown]

Wow..all the right ingredients for a tasty zed....did they throw in the cat as well?

Weazel loves car parts, he always climbs into my van, have to make sure he's out before I go anywhere sometimes


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[Dave_Brown]

Very interested to see how that turns out Johnny, might be kicking myself for not going the carbon route when I see yours. Agreed, would've preferred a tin roof, more chance of finding a 16 year of Virgin in Barnsley tho


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[Rob Gaskin]

Dave you have some interesting parts there and your cat is cute even though I'm a 'dog' person really. I can appreciate the strengths of cats though because I'm an animal lover.

My thoughts re your fg panels:

Surely they will be thicker than steel so difficult to align with the adjoining panels? You may have to 'blend' the adjoining panels with filler.

The roof will not add much strength - are S30's reliant on the steel roof, some older cars are?

How are you going to attach the panels to the shell?

Not being negative but I did buy some complete doors and wings for my 'old' 240Z from FRP and I realised it would be a bigger task than I anticipated.

 

[pmac]

re S30's reliant on the steel roof, some older cars are?

The S30 is a "unitary body" or "monocoque" type car.
The inherent integrity and strength of such a shell is acieved by welding together all the individual smaller pieces. Every piece whether it is a small box section floor member or a curved side or top panel that is weldedin contributes to that overall strength.
Removal of any piece will have a negative effect on the overall strength of the shell.
Im not an engineer of any description lets alone a structural one but IMO removal of one of the largests panels and destruction of 50 odd welds plus some brazing/or lead bonding is going to have a huge negative effect..
Will a fibreglass panel stuck on with some tubes of Sikaflex reinstate that strength and integrity???
I dont have the answer but maybe you should have looked in to that before hand?
If you are building a race/track/rally/drag car with a full T45 multipoint fully welded in cage then I see no problem.

S30 doors are a little self contained "monocoque panel. The strength and integrity are dependent on a number of smaller steel panels welded together according to a skilled design.
Removal of one large panel from a door will weaken it. Once again im doubtful that replacing it with a fibreglass panel which will only be bonded on a very narrow(10mm) edge will replace that strength.
Have you considered the SIP implications?? Do your doors have substantial SIP bars already? Or are you planning on adding them.

I hope nobody on this forum is ever involved in a serious motoring collision/accident with their car but what would an accident investigator or insurance loss specialist make of a car with these mods?
And would you or any other owner contemplating doing the works advise the insurance company of the modifications.

I know i have droned on a bit but TBH Im personally worried by what you are proposing.

Value and aesthetics are also issies that deserve some thought.

 

[Dave_Brown]

A cage is a very strong possibility, and a well bonded on fibreglass panel is surely better than a rusty steel roof with a huge hole cut in it. I hear what you're saying but with no availability of a steel roof my options are limited. Will carry out some seam welding of the frame work under the roof skin before it goes on as the factory spot welds under there aren't all that. As for the doors, I may well take that suggestion of adding a bar or too if possible to add some extra safety.


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[vipergts]

Cutting out original metal always worries me too

I am guilty of cutting the mint arches off my car but had them rewelded and strengthened with extra metal to try and compensate for removing the curved part of the body

I still fancy a rear cage but can't seem to find much about them where the seat belt mounts where the cage needs to mount

 

[johnymd]

The early doors had very little SIP in comparison to the later ones. The early cars are the least safest when in a crash but some still drive them. The s30 got heavier as it evolved and this was all for safety reasons. The early cars are still desirable despite this.

 

[Dave_Brown]

Trimmed the excess bits off the roof panel and trial fitted today, the rear shouldn't be a problem, the top of the a pillars will of course need some blending in, overall though the got seems decent.

Removed scuttle panel and hoovered all the leaves out, a bit of surface rust but it's all solid scuttle panel itself will need some attention as has rusted through from the underneath where the 2 white pads were stuck


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[johnymd]

Fit looks good.

That rust is very common. Even on rust free cali cars.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

That scuttle surface rust just shows how much attention was paid to rust-proofing.

It might be worth just having a join-line roof to rear-quarter and covering it with some kind of trim? I'm thinking it will be hard to 'blend' it and also it will probably crack if filler is used - these shells flex.

 

[Dave_Brown]

I think I'm going to fit a roll cage, and tie that into the pillars and roof structure, before I bond the roof on. Having the roof skin off will allow plenty of access to do the job well. Hoping that will eliminate any flex that could crack the filler there? Prob brace the rear turrets to the cage also. Going to leave to final blending in of the skin to the body shop as I know they'll do a far better job of that than I can


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[Dave B]

Got a bit more stripping down done this weekend. All front end panels off, radiator, air con rad and pipes etc, dash out. Decided to do a full strip and get the shell blasted, do it right, seein as all the running gear/suspension etc will have to come off anyway for refurbin and upgrading. Also had my mate who will be painting the car look at the doors, he assures me it will be easier to repair couple of patches needed on the original skins than to fit the Frp ones, so they're now surplus.

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[Dave B]

New floor pans and rails here from Canada, obviously going to wait till she's been blasted now though as going to get a 'spit' to rotate the shell and make the job easier


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[Dave B]

Been a bit slower than I intended this year with Z, but, had a few afternoons on her. Engine, box, diff and driveshafts now all out. Rubbed down and por15 coated the win screen scuttle/heater intake area, and repaired the inner wing where it had rotted under the battery tray.
Also filled the side repeater holes as I don't like them, make the car look too cluttered
Drivers side floor pan cut out, and temporary put the new pan in with tek screws, will weld it when I've got a rotiserie.

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[Dave B]

Bit more done this week, obtained a 'roof chop' as Ross down in Reading has abandoned his project, so his loss is my gain i guess. Managed to remove the roof skin without damage, fits nice, or will do when welded on, so the fibreglass roof is out
Removed he rear control arms and shocks, and tackled the infamous spindle pin removal. The 1st took over an hour of hammering and the end was so mullered it wouldn't go through the hub in the end, so chopped the end off, drilled an 8mm hole and used a punch to remove it. Learnt with the 2nd one and drilled it before I f*cked the end up too much

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[Dave B]

Not having much luck cracking these ball joints


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[uk66fastback]

Tell me about it. I have just bent a Draper tool trying to do exactly the same ... those threads look a tad worn!

Both mine were the originals. One came out okay. The other one I cut off and took to a local garage who got it out on their hydraulic press.

Best of luck!

 

[johnymd]

Bit of heat on the steering knuckle should break its hold.

 

[uk66fastback]

I tried all that on mine - no go.

 

[Dave B]

That was a brand new splitter, just stripped the threads lol. I'll get another and try the heat method, failing that it'll the chop and ask a mate with a press to help then. The spindle pins were less grief


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