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Update on Progress

I havent posted much lately. Back in the first week of October, my wife fouond out she had breast cancer. She went through a lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation treatments. As you can imagine, my attention went from the Z to her. In between on good days I did manage to get the rad in and new hoses. Runs tons cooler and fun to drive. My wife is doing much better, her hair, fingernails and toenails are coming back, the cancer is gone and she has a few gene treatments left. Next weekend, for fun
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

New Rad is IN!

Put in the new three core radiator I picked up from ebay. Nice fit, nice part, and I drove the car hard an never saw the temp gauge move past center, this is totally different for my car! New hoses and new thermostat, and had already replaced water pump last fall. It is nice not to have to watch the gauge as much as the road!
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

2010 Parts and Plan

I have the new Champion three core alu. Rad to go into the car, along with the hoses. I think the old rad was done in fro 170,000 miles, flsushing worked for a while but began to heat up again. I used my Christmas money to get the rad and a brand new set of Z rotors for the front. They had been for sale here, but I got them on Ebay for half the price. I have new pads coming into the store today and will pick them up this evening. Now I need some decent weather. Need to take down the Christm
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

Total on the Floor and Front Frame Rail and Support

One propane canister, two scrappers, two four inch grinding wheels, three 4 inch abrasive wheels for the grinder, two abrasive wheels for the drill, three drill grinding stones conical (for those hard to reach places), 10 cut off wheels for air cut off tool, one hammer for the air nibbler (great tool), 3 cans brake clean, 30 inch sheet metal press, 8 sheet metal screws to hold in place (removed and hole welded), one 4x4ft sheet of 18ga, 1 and 1/3 spool of welding wire, assorted hand tools, two b
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

Floor and Frame Fixed Now Cooling System

Finally finished the Floors and Frame Rails all the way up to the T/C Boxes that were completely gone. Lots and lots of work, but the car is much more solid now. Drove it for a week and all it did was run scary hot. Waterpump, thermostat, overflow kit, full flush, and we will see if it helps. Pulled all the AC off the car and that helps a little as well. Will see how it goes after the thermostat housing comes in the mail.
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

More on Floors

Been very busy with other things, the Z has a layer of dust on it from sitting neglected. I got a 4x4 ft piece of 18ga sheet metal and bent the needed pieces today. I am not real happy with what I have come up with for replacing the section missing between the TC mount and the Bad Dog frame rail. With everything missing from the rust it is making it tough. I placed everything today and secured it with sheetmetal screws to pull it tight. I had some more trimming and hammering to fit contours
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

Update on floor and frame

Not much happening. We were out for a while as we had a wedding in Ft. Lauderdale last weekend and one this weekend as well. I am working on the templates and hope to have them to the metal bender this weekend early Satuday before the wedding. The bent metal will be added to the Bad Dog rails and welded into place for the T/C support. I will try and be nice enough to take some photos. Didnt get to work on the templates tonight, Monster in Law came over and bought dinner, so I had to visit.
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

Floors and Rails an Unhappy Update

Well the Bad Dog rails arrived late this afternoon and I picked up the freshly bent floor pans from the shop on the way home Friday. I got to work with the new air nibbler. If you dont have this tool and do some light body work and metal modification get one! I powered up the compressor and went to work. I got the passenger side floor cut. The rust was worse than I expected. Went further and left the metal thinner than I thought it would. After today, I am seriously wondering if this car
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

2

Progress!

Ordered the frame rails from baddog tonight, should have them by the end of the week. The weather is pretty sweet too, so I should be able to start making some progress and be back on the road again real soon. Floorboards are bent up and the nibbler is ready to take out the rust. Cant wait to get back on the road!
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

The Plan, Part Deux

OK, I bought the car to drive and enjoy and not have to do as much work as I had with my Z28 street strip car. That didnt happen. New plan for the car: Fix the floors and the frame. Redo suspension: new springs new struts new ball joints new steering boots update sway bar and mounts and redo the rear ujoints. Engine will need a rebuild. Not confident in doing the engine, I have never rebuilt an overhead cam head, so I will most likely look for a replacement long block and swap them out. The
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

3

Slow Progress

Progress is slooooowwww right now. Its been cold here in the St. Louis Metro area and my garage is not heated, unless I am down there with the kerosene heater on. Tools are coming together, got my new air nibbler from Ebay in late this week. I plan to use it to help cut out the floorboards to prep for replacement. Need a set of flanging pliers, you know the ones that make the lip on the edge of sheetmetal, dont know where to find one yet. Also got the welder back in house with a new spool
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

0

Floor Pan Rust Problems and Question got an Idea?

As I type all of this the car is sitting in the garage, up on ramps. After reading a lot of posts here and asking some questions that had been asked before (its hard for a new person to search the postings because they dont have the vocabulary for the car yet) I went down to check the passenger side floorboard and the floor support. You guessed it, rust. Big time. There really is no support rail and it is rusted right up to the Torsion Rod mounting point on the frame. Dug in and figured ou
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

4

The Z and Me

I decided it would be nice to put something together to track the life of this car. I have had a lot of different cars over the years from MGs to Lifted 4x4s. I sold my 1979 Z28 T-top Camaro with 435hp 445lbt/ft after I got a little bored with going in a straight line. I started looking around and found my Z. Its a 72 numbers matching car that I am 3rd owner from what I can tell so far. I should have found this site before I bought the car and I would have know more of what to look for. 4th
stevef1972z

stevef1972z

1


  • Blog Statistics

    • Total Blogs
      167
    • Total Entries
      251

  • Blog Comments

    • Jeff G 78
      280z Disc brake conversion

      By Jeff G 78 · Posted

      I'm still waiting on a hoist to free up before I can start bolting the new brake parts on my Z, but I did make the drill jig today.  I started with a 12mm thick Mustang wheel spacer with a pilot.  I then made a drawing to layout the holes needed.  I transfered the drawing onto the spacer and I drilled three new 1/8" holes through the jig (spacer) so I'd have the correct 4x114.3mm holes.  One hole is shared from the original 5 lug rotor.  I then bolted the jig onto the Mustang rotor and simply dr
    • One Way
      Looking for a 1978 280z Gas Tank

      By One Way · Posted

      Local radiator repair shops used to be plentiful but getting harder to find.  Some of them just specialize in big truck-heavy equipment radiators.  I will be needing to do the same for my project.  I have heard good reports on gas tank RENU but there are none of those franchises in my area.  Good luck, John-Lugoff, SC
    • Yarb
      280z Disc brake conversion

      By Yarb · Posted

      Decided to go with the 240sx conversion. Main reason is it’s strictly for the street and the parts were easy to source. What I didn’t realize was the 14” wheels won’t clear the caliper. Now looking for a set of 4 lug 15” rims and tires I can use during the build process. Can anyone recommend a temporary solution as far as make and model preferably a steel wheel that I can use until I’m ready to buy the wheel and tire combination at the end of the project? Thanks again for all the help out there.
    • Jeff G 78
      280z Disc brake conversion

      By Jeff G 78 · Posted

      There are several reasons to use the S197 rear brakes.  The rotors are larger diameter than the SVO rotors and they are vented.  The calipers have larger pistons to give them more power.  The big beef with the Maxima rears is that they don't offer as much stopping power as the stock drums.  The S197 rears allow the addition of an adjustable proportioning valve.  The Maxima rears cannot utilize an adjustable prop since the prop needs to be all the way open to get close to enough rear bias. 
    • the_tool_man
      280z Disc brake conversion

      By the_tool_man · Posted

      Any particular reason to use S197 Mustang 5-lug brakes?  The Fox body SVO Mustangs had rear discs with 4-lug.  It's a popular swap to use SVO or T-bird Turbo Coupe rear brakes to retrofit discs to other Fox body Mustangs.  These parts are still pretty common (probably available as a kit).  Might be worth checking to see if they'll fit.

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