Plans – Page 2 – the DAILY DATSUN

March 2, 2012

Seat Covers Coming In!

Pop open the door, what’s the first thing you see? Yes, the seats. Or in the 280z’s case, torn up seats :]

Looks like a cat got to it as normal tearing would’ve probably gone width-wise.

These original seats for the late Datsun 280z are called ‘Basketweave” and replacement covers sell for about $299 on BlackDragon Auto. Yikes.

Initially I wanted the 240z version with the horizonal “jelly rolls”(as i like to call them). They just scream, ‘classic’.
But even those are $200/piece (w/ replacement foam) from Les at Classic Datsun Motorsports – and sad to say, after two emails and almost a week later for a price quote, I haven’t heard back from them.

In the end, I guess it has worked out. I just picked up some great looking ’76 seats covers from Mark D over from the All Datsun Classifieds / ClassicZCar forums.
He was selling them for a great deal: $150, and I’ll reuse my current foam. Although they’re not my first pic, the look has really grown on me. Can’t beat that they were at a great price… and they have the vent holes. love those.

When then come in, i’ll be sure to post how I’ll put them on, and perhaps make a helpful video for it.

February 29, 2012

Bumper time!

One of the visual drawback to the 280z, in my opinion, are the bumpers.

They’re big, thick, and heavy. We have rising safety standards of the late 70’s to thank for that.
A very popular change up is to put on the thinner, more attractive 240z / early 260z bumpers.

There are a few options here:
1) Fiberglass / Carbon fiber bumper (new) – For those who like bright and shiny, there are several options in materials you can get for a brand new bumper. Motorsport Auto has replacement bumpers in both fiberglass and carbon fiber – $160 – $300. Fiberglass / carbon fiber is great, because it’s lightweight, but unfortunately not that strong in case of a crash. Like most modern cars, fiberglass is used as just a cover to look nice. Unlike modern cars, there’s nothing underneath here: no bar, no frame, nothing.

2) Stainless steel bumper (new) – Hop on eBay and you’ll find a company selling stainless steel reproductions of the thin 240z / 260z bumper. They’re supposedly exact matches to the original, and since it’s stainless, it’ll be at its best for corrosion protection. But not without costing a pretty penny: at $1000 – $1400, is it really worth it?

3) Original steel bumper (used) – Every now and again people are selling their original steel bumpers from the 240z / 260z, $130 – $200 a piece. Whether on Craigslist or eBay, this is truly the best option in my opinion. Not only will you be using something more durable / original than fiberglass or carbon fiber, but also re-using instead of helping the cycle of re-producing.

So i picked me up a used steel front bumper!

Straight outta Fremont, and guy was selling his slightly dented 240z bumper for $80. A sweet grab on Craigslist if i may say so. Actually it was originally $120 if I remember correctly, and it dropped down during the course of the week. Snagged!

Safety / Mounting – These two topics go hand in hand, and rightfully deserve a new post, but i’d like to just briefly touch on the topic. Of course the Datsun 240z / 260z bumper won’t mount directly to the 280z without some modifications. Long story short, I’d like to maximize safety (and reduce extra cost) by utilizing the current bumper shocks on the car. Many people would opt to go for aftermarket brackets, but those just hold the bumper in place and offer minimal safety.

Enough talk, time to pound it out!

there’s a slight bend on the left side, where supposedly an old lady back into it

the resulting gash / dent needs to be pounded out

February 7, 2012February 7, 2012

Got Issues? Nothing new…

Everyone’s been waiting for it – yes, the Datsun 280z has issues. But at almost 35 yrs old (come this April), who doesn’t? Isn’t that like 65+ in car years? :] Let’s go over a few…

1) Coolant Drooling – had to re-top off the coolant this weekend… there appears to be a small leak on top of the radiator. It slowly leaks, steams up against the hood, and there’s a small green pool forming on the top of the radiator. Appears to be coming from the cap itself (which would be a good problem to have). Interestingly enough, no matter how irregular the coolant is refilled, it always goes back to minimum.

2) Acceleration Hesitation – this has got to be priority #1. Randomly, when the throttle is pushed down, the car hesitates as if it’s gasping for air, and RPMs drop. I’ve yet to figure this one out. Sometimes it happens on a cold morning, sometimes when warmed and humming down the freeway in 4th gear. It can happen when the fuel is low or when the fuel is full. It can happen when the 280z barrels out of a deep turn, or driving straight. Interestingly, it’s happened twice in the same spot on 101 flying by the 880N on ramp). Here’s what we’re looking at in terms of the priority cue:

Replace fuel filter ~$13
Clean gas tank ~$60 (muratic acid / chain / POR-15 method)
Air Flow Meter (AFM) ~$100 (after core exchange)
Replace fuel pump (previous owner replaced it already, i presume he had the same issue…)
Replace injectors ~$400

Now just so the readers aren’t worried, it’s NOT a frequent problem – but concerning none the less.

So i started with the cheapest option first: the fuel filter. Since I didn’t know when it was last replaced (replace every 24k miles), might has well start there.

new and old filters

Two worm gear clamps, a tightening screw, and the replace was easy. Word of note, make sure you have a bucket to catch the fuel left in the filter (and dispose of it properly).

After the change, even though it’s been running well, I’ll always have to keep an eye on the issues.

Rained again lastnight… forgot about the leak in the windshield. If you do see a 280z rolling around, i’m the one with the orange bandanna in the corner soaking up the water hahaha

February 1, 2012July 21, 2012

“New Shirt” Poll Results!

The results are in! The results are in!

Since the beginning of the year, I had a poll out for the new color of the 280z. Which one will it be: a mean looking Datsun in Gunmetal Grey? A stunning White 280z? Or that Classic Gold yellow/orange (Datsun paint code #920) that keeps the 280z in it’s time? Click on the results to find out!

<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/5809302/”>NEW SHIRT: what color should the 280z be painted?</a> (<a href=”http://www.polldaddy.com”>polls</a>) And the winner is GOLD POLY! LOoooooove that yellow color – like sunrise or sunset. Well it was a super close one! With a total of 15 votes: 6 went to Gold, 5 went to White, and 4 went to Grey! It really just says that all these colors are fabulous!

Speaking of which there’s actually a gold/yellow ’76 280z on Craigslist right now!
Looks to be of good running order with a nice amount of fixes / upgrades (5-speed, new fuel pump, Magnaflow exhaust..). Best of all though it presumably has LOW miles: 51k! And a good price too… hmm…. Even with it’s “bad” issues (some rust, gas gauge off, no interior) i would’ve have hesitated: $1700 for the color I want equates to nothing if i sell my current 280z… If only it had the old school blue CA plates!

And get this: he was going to paint it primer black because he didn’t like the yellow! Imagine that…

[Edit, 07.21.12: Colbydc5 used to own the 240z pictured above, and noted a link to the original post. Thanks!]

January 11, 2012January 11, 2012

New Digs – Part 2: New Shoes

Well as they say, New Shirt… New Shoes!

You may have seen the “New Shirt” poll for the 280z’s new paint (which will finish at the end of the month), but with a new paint job, how can you not have new rims?! right?… right?

Current situation:
Tires: Front tires are worn, cracking, need to be replaced. Rear tires are new, excellent tread.
Wheels: Original Nissan “Iron Cross” wheels, 14×6, zero offset, 4×114.3 bolt pattern

I could rock those for a bit… or taste these!

Rota RB-R, 16×8, +4mm offset, Matte Black

They’ve got great style like the retro Panasport or Watanabe wheels without the cost. And off an 1″ more width than the Konig Rewinds. Yep you read my mind: Bad Ass.

As for the right rubber, I’ll probably be running 205/55-16 to help keep the overall tire diameter / circumference the same (wouldn’t want my mileage / speed to be off).

It’s been interesting to read all the forums and learn about what wheels sizes to choose and what offset means.
Here’s a few good resources for that: Wheel Calculator, Wheel Offset

January 3, 2012January 3, 2012

New Digs – Part 1: New Shirt

First wash of the new years. After getting back from vacation, the 280z was slathered w/ dirt, berries, and other mess like a well frosted cupcake. Seriously as if we lived next door to Angry Birds. Amazing what a fresh wash can do!

Scrubbing the car down also gave me a chance to really assess the paint situation panel by panel. As mentioned before, some are in horrid condition (the repaint is just peeling off w/ ease), and other sections seemed well bonded. Either way, it’s really leaving me no choice but to sand and re-paint it all.

Here are a few *amazing* examples:

Don’t forget to wipe up the drool!

January 1, 2012January 3, 2012

Happy Datsun New Years!

*breaths in* … Jan 1st!

Smells like a new year! With only a few months on, the 280z’s path is becoming clearer. This year is going to be a wonderful challenge as both time and $$ are great factors – wedding, life, you know, the usual!

Let me tell you straight up, i love Jetblue – that DirectTV is great… especially when you’ve got the Speed channel replaying the last Barrett-Jackson auctions! Dad and I started watching in the morning, then I continued all throughout the flight, and it wrapped up as we landed. **salivating** Every car across that stage is amazing – so much to gawk at: Malibus, 442s, 350s, Stingrays, shiny and matte finishes, wood, metal – incredible. What’s great too are all the ideas you get for restoring / modifying your car! Yep, the Datsun’s definitely got something to aspire to.

This year, the goal is to get both the exterior and interior done up:
EXTERIOR – 920 Gold Poly; black undercarridge
INTERIOR – 240z reminiscent w/ a strong ode to the Vox amps of the 50’s/60’s

… or Black with the Fender tweed interior (as it’d be much more recognizable.. oy!

Well just a short post today – Happy New Years
Can’t wait to work on some mock ups for this – it’s gonna be great!