Shiny Bits – Page 3 – the DAILY DATSUN

March 21, 2012

New Seats: 25% done

I finally found some time this morning and re-upholstered the seat back…yes, just the back.
Previously I purchased 1976 styled 280z seat covers for my 1977 (my year had the plastic “basketweave” styled backrest, ugh), and now it’s time to put them on.

Check it:

And I’ve got to say, my forearms burn like i just went rock climbing!

Here’s some of my feedback on the process. If you’re looking at recovering you’re own seats, here’s what I did, and it may help you.

1) Take off of the old covers – I paid special attention to how the old covers were put on, and it made a difference. My 1977 280z “basketweave” seat covers were held down by metal prongs / tangs, and two sets of metal rods for reinforcement. The front face of the seat cover is under the back face. And the prongs pierce through the vinyl.

What was interesting was this seat arm “pocket” on a single side of the seats – none of them had been used! The arms were attached on top of the pockets instead of inside of them (though the original fit looks intentional).

There were metal reinforcement rods along the edges that will need to be removed and reused for the new seat covers.
Always remember to label just in case!

Like taking off a shirt, there’s two ways of taking off an old seat cover: 1) starting from the headrest, 2) starting from the bottom and rolling up.
There is a flap of extra material that hold down the seat cover snug to the seat between the headrest and the back.
If this flap has disintegrated like mine has, then you can just shimmy off the old cover like a shirt (method 1).
If the flap is still intact, then you’ll have to roll up the cover from the bottom (method 2), undo the hog rings, and then take off the cover.

Very surprising – the back wasn’t foam material at all! The seat back padding is this straw-like material that is semi-dense and springy. With the vinyl, i’m sure it’s provides a good amount of breathing for the back.

You can also see the disintegrated cotton flap that previously help hold the seat cover taught. The new 1976 seat covers have vinyl flaps to hold the material down.

On to the new seat cover! Here you can see the flap that lays between the headrest and seat back, and the hog rings that keep it there. There’s also a metal rod through the flap to help reinforcement it.
I ended up getting new hog rings at home depot (chain link fencing aisle), as well as hog ring pliers. HOG RING PLIERS AREN’T REALLY NECESSARY. It takes a touch of finesse, but I was able to manage with just needle nose pliers.

“Put the cover on like a condom”. That’s actually pro advice from a friend who used to work summers at this father’s upholstery shop. And he was right. Invert the cover first. Then starting with the headrest put the cover on, rolling back on the rest of the cover on to the seat. When you get to flap between the headrest and the back, hog ring it down to the metal rod that’s between the two paddings. And continue to roll down. Putting on seat covers work best when the vinyl is warm.

Inserting the metal rod at the end of the seat cover.

Work the vinyl downwards starting from the headrest on down to the bottom – almost like massaging it down. This will really help you be able to pull the covers tight, and get the ends around the prongs.

Cut holes for the seat arms.

Installed

Seat re-covering takes quite a lot of patience and arm muscle – but certainly more of the first. You need to be patient and work the vinyl from the top down, continuously. This will help with the fit, and certainly when you need to secure the seat cover ends to the seat back frame / prongs.

Additionally, i should probably re-do this one after the passenger seat gets done – there’s excesses material in the upper bolsters that should be mounted down and lie flat on the chair. To do this, my friend suggested that i use spray glue / mounting adhesive. I’m sure this technique will require some practice to be good at it, as drying time, and allowing for stretch are major factors.

I wish I could pass down where these came from, but the previous owner can’t remember where / whom he’d bought them from. I’d give them about an 8/10 – good quality, decent fit (could be a touch better).

1.5 seats more to go.

March 7, 2012

Pimp-my-office-chair

My new 1976 Datsun 280z seat covers came in yesterday. Purchased last week, they came pretty quick (thanks Mark!)

My co-worker just HAD to ask how to put them on :]

and on his chair

gonna be a fun weekend.

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.

January 27, 2012

These boots are made for…wiping

…and that’s just what they’ll do! It’s inherent that a 35 year old car will have some some parts that will need replacing – especially the rubber parts. Rubber after all is a natural material and will break down after a while if not cared for. All of the seals, boots, gaskets and the like should be inspected and replaced as needed. Today’s adventure: wiper boots!

Driver side didn’t even have one and the passenger side was hard, cracked and worn.

Pick them up from BlackDragonAuto (Part 59-170, $0.59)

new and old wiper boots – ew!

Very easy install:
1) unscrew the 14mm nut
2) pull off the wiper arm
3) pull off old boot, inspect wiper motor arm, clean
4) fit on new boot – i used a micro dab of lithium grease because it was a tight fit
5) reassemble!

Wiper components and the morning dew…

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

November 27, 2011

Scuff and rubber

Any natural material or substance has a tendency to crack and wear over time – rubber and glue is no exception.

So yesterday’s gorgeous morning resulted in replacing the rubber hood bumpers on both the top and sides of the engine bay…

As well as attacking the scuff plates – all the glue was cracked / too old, and the vinyl covering was just peeling off. And just check out all that rust!

Now don’t get alarmed – the rust is localized to the scuff plate only. There seems to have been a white plastic barrier placed in between the carpet and scuff plate.. though, not really sure of the logic in that.

Kris and i figured out a great method for removing the old vinyl covering from the scuff plates – a heat gun! At 450F, that’s hot enough to soften the glue, but unfortunately also hot enough to melt the vinyl. So the trick is to heat the scuff plate from the BACK side, and slowly peel off the vinyl.

And as a minor addition, got a replacement escutcheon (door handle well) cover for the driver side door handle from Black Dragon Automotive. Quality is adequate – looks the same as original, feels a bit lighter and cheaper plastic-like, but fit is only “okay”. It doesn’t sit square with the metal escutcheon, but though there’s a slight angle to it, it not really noticeable.

November 8, 2011

Ready for the road!

The first chapter in this Datsun 280z’s story is all about getting this thing back on the road where it belongs! Seriously, when driving it, I feel like I want to take it on every road I’ve ever driven! But can’t do that without getting it from non-op to registered at the DMV. And can’t do that without passing smog. Which can’t be done till that EGR valve is replaced. So let’s get to it!

This past weekend I replaced the EGR valve (exhaust gas re-circulation valve) which basically puts hot exhaust gas back into the intake air mix in an effort to help reduce emissions. If you saw the previous post about failing that portion of the smog test, you’ll notice that the EGR valve area was rusty / corroded like crazy. I can’t imagine what i’m going to find inside. Since there was a significant amount of rust around the bolts, I let some WD-40 penetrate the nut before trying to crank that thing off. Once i got the old EGR valve off, i can see why it failed – a ton of carbon build up like arteries from a fast-food-obsessed!

Interestingly, there seems to be an EGR manifold between the intake manifold and the EGR valve… Not sure what this does but help distance the valve from the manifold, as no re-circulating parts connect to it. It DID allow collection of carbon build up to happen along it’s walls as opposed to the valve itself (though the valve was pretty far gone). Also strange that the manual doesn’t have this part in it.. just shows EGR valve placed onto the intake manifold.

I decided to leave the EGR manifold and cleaned it out vigorously with a wirebrush, toothbrush and a vacuum. The manual says while cleaning off the old gasket NOT to let any pieces fall back in or it may clog the re-circulation system. I assume same goes for the carbon build up on the manifold walls. Wouldn’t want the 280z to have a heart attack! Just take a look at that thick black ring in the left picture – it looked like a black hose. So with the vacuum just above the manifold, i picked / brushed / cleaned out the build up.

EGR Valve – Since i’m new the parts scene, I’ve been trying the gambit of distributors. This time it’s Rock Auto. They had a good selection of EGR valves and good range of pricing. I’m a firm believer in ‘you get what you pay for’, so I went with the cheapest. Why? Because it’s a 1977, and according to the CA DMV this car should be smog exempt the next retest in a few years. EGR valve kit came with valve, gasket, and orifice washers to further optimize the valve opening. Only thing is that the picture shown on RockAuto had a heavy orange tint, making the silver valve look brass-ish (which is what i would’ve wanted.. but hey, at only $26, can’t complain. According to the instructions, there’s a parts reference chart to which you match your existing EGR valve manufacturer number with the orifice washer number… After much searching, there seems to be two EGR valve part numbers for the ’77 280z (early and later year), however both part numbers pointed to the same washer #34. BECK/ARNLEY Part # 0460065

8:30AM – Rolled into Smog Test Station 1 to see Zack. He seemed excited and chipper to see the 280z back in to re-test. PASSED!

1PM – Rolled into the CA DMV off Flora Vista – in and out – REGISTERED!

Ready to tear up the street!

Thanks to my cousin Nick, who gave me that sweet vacuum for Christmas a few years back! Super handy for all of our car / motorcycle projects we’ve had! Not to mention, the use on the EGR valve. I’d highly recommend: ShopVac.

November 6, 2011November 6, 2011

Battery tray!

This is the battery compartment – definitely has seen better days! Rusted wall (the most rust on the body), old tray, and just check out that orange bungee strap holding it place! So part of thursday’s daily datsun restoration also included taking care of the battery compartment mess. Let’s pop this battery out and see what we’ve got!

These progression shots show the battery area from original to prep’ed. Supposedly Z cars are notorious for having major rust around that battery area – this 280z isn’t an exception. Not the best job of scraping and sanding down the rough patches as i would have liked, but it’ll do for now. Someday i’ll be painting the whole engine bay.

Got the battery kit from Motorsport Auto – pretty good. Came with battery tray, tray mat, battery frame, and necessary bolts. The complete kit was only $50, and will replace the bungee cord nicely. My only compliant would be the sizing of the battery frame (as seen below); it’s just too big and not fit for a modern battery.

November 5, 2011November 27, 2011

Manual and EGR arrive

Datsun Z car Haynes manual finally arrived – took a while but ~~can’t beat the $11 deal from a 3rd party on Amazon~~. (11/8/11 edit – dammit, the manual says 240z / 260z.. NOT the same as it’s picture – crap, i’ll have to check to see if ti’s still applicable… no wonder i didn’t see the EGR manifold in there… 11/27/11 – looks like the 280z stuff is added to the back of the manual as a supplement – okay.. good enough). Luckily still in good shape and only a few greasy finger prints! EGR valve came in too – got it from Rock Auto for ~$30. Time to get this smogged and registered!

“First Rain” post follow up – good and bad: GOOD – replaced wiper fuse, wipers work! BAD – took a left turn and water ~~dripped~~ pee’d onto the carpet from under the dash… Uh, that’s not suppose to happen! Although it was only a small amount, it’s bit worrisome!

November 2, 2011November 27, 2011

Smog-tastic

About 8:15am, rolled into Smog Tech (Test Only Station No. 1) in downtown SJ, warmfully greeted by technician Zack – very helpful, very knowledgeable – exactly what I wanted from this visit.. and passing would be nice. Wild Bill, who sold me the car, danced around the smog question, said it might need a new catalytic converter as the original is still on there, so don’t get your hopes up when you smog it. And guess what, Zack said no different – “not in your favor”. Fingers crossed, probes everywhere like an alien caught by scientists – Well what do you know, it passed emissions! I was jumpin’ up and down, happy, fist pumpin’, but then he said, ‘But you didn’t pass smog’. Doh, failed the EGR test. Haha! Already had the phone out, on the web looking for an EGR valve :]

~$25 – $60 part, and it should pass, ready for the street.

Fusible Links – Put the correct fusible links on, w/ their brand new fusible link covers. Looking from the passenger side toward the oil filter, clockwise starting from top right it goes, RED, BLACK, RED, RED. They look funny because the rest of the engine is still in it’s crusty state. I imagine as the car progresses this is just going to be the way of things till things get polished up! Cover, Nissan#B4021-N4200

Air Filter to ACM – Cracked hoses aren’t good; luckily this one is just for air, but still a vital part of engine efficiency. Popped off the old one, brush cleaned the wire clamps, and put the new one on – easy. Mounting Rubber, Nissan#16577-N4201

Blog update – you’ll notice i’ve put part no.’s after the adds. I saw on a forum people asking for such, so hopefully this’ll make it easier for people (and myself) for ordering things.

Smog Tech. Love that logo.