4/75 Datsun 280Z; Leaf Green, CA market, 250K miles, Long Term Project 03/2023-

[HusseinHolland]

Had to get several things squared away on the truck - it's annual state inspection is due. Main thing was the tail lamp connections - since I drove it for a year with no covers over the back of the tail lights, the sockets had all got crud on them, and sometimes the indicators would come on through the brake light circuit and so forth. All indications of bad grounds. I have several new bulb sockets, so I dug those out and cleaned up the connections on the tail light circuit boards. Besides that it was just odds and ends that they would look at as part of the safety check. I got it inspected this evening, no problems there thankfully.

Since I didn't have a lot of time, I focused on making a rack to store the wood that I had outside - the tarp I was using seen better days, and wasn't keeping the water off the wood. So I had to clean and dry them all . Figured it would be safe it to store them indoors.

I used pieces of tubing from the canopy I had used to cover the X1/9 when I painted it back in 2018, and set those in the angle iron with six of the longer Fiat head bolts (welded in place)

Edited April 24 by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Put the painted Xenon front spoiler back on - that was a pita - either the thing shrunk in paint, or something - I had a hell of a time getting the holes to align. 

There is a wave in the left lower that wasn't there previously, I'm going to have to heat the crap out of it & see if I can relax that . Happy with the color match at least 

The rear spoiler is a $^!# show - it's completely deformed, in this picture I'm pressing it in place to get it even close. And the left and right are not the same. It doesn't come with specific fit instructions, that would indicate which surface to align with. As a result I don't know how deep the top is supposed to be? Whether it's supposed to be tucked right under the lock or further back from it no way to tell for sure because nothing aligns. This is problematic as it is supposed to be installed with double-sided tape. That doesn't work very well if you have to maneuver the spoiler at the same time as sticking it in place, in fact it's not going to work. 

Xenon has no pictures of one installed on their website.

Edited April 27 by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Plenty of sun today, so I clamped the rear spoiler to the hatch along the back edge & let it bake awhile. That actually resolved much of the misshapen issues, added a clamp on top which pushed the wave that was present on the right out. Had to address the paint under the emblem also

After paint repair 

The directions say to drill & use two sheet metal screws in the forward outer region, after the spoiler is taped in olace. I used the existing inner "280Z" emblem mount hole, drilled out for an M4 riv-nut, and did one on the other side to match approx 5" in & 3" up from hatch lip, prior to adhering the spolier. Those helped me align the spoiler and adhere the back edge to the hatch lip knowing that the placement was correct in relation to the lock.

I added closed cell foam to the outer fender overhangs as per the instructions (although not provided )

Need to add the 280Z back 

Also heated & shaped the lower spoiler edge to minimize the wave that was present

[HusseinHolland]

Been going around in circles (feels like endlessly) with the garage wiring. Initially, I just wanted to replace the existing old wiring with new, keeping the basic circuit as it was, then adding new circuits for the outlets and lighting I want to expand with. However, it's going to be better to run all the circuits now, so I know the conduit will fit where it needs to go, even if I don't have the new mains supply in place. My normal car-related method of  some planning & some winging it really isn't going to work with the garage. I need to write this all down, as it's just going round & round in my head.

1) I can't find online what the code is for placement of the underground rated 6/3 UF-B I bought (to allow for 240v outlets), in terms of termination at the supply (house) and at the garage. From what I can ascertain, where the wire enters the structure, it needs to be joined in a junction box (code for specific height off the ground?, don't know), rather than feed continuously through the structure wall. I'm going with 2' burial depth based on online info, then where it needs to come up & enter the basement and garage, I can fit it in 1 1/4" PVC sched 40 conduit. Can't be smaller as the 6/3 cable is too rigid to roll or squeeze to reduce width.  I don't think conduit is required by code, however it will be where the cable comes above ground, so it seems to make more sense just to have conduit from start to finish.

 reference for appropriate receptacle wiring

YT video

  - they don't use conduit in the "raceway" (?) - they poured concrete though. I think I'll just get conduit.

Edit  found this regarding connections at either end (link😞

 

So, I could just run the 6/3 all the way to the main panel, where I will have a mains breaker to disconnect the entire garage.

Or, if joining outside, use split lugs in the appropriate 6AWG would seem to be OK for this junction, either sealed versions or wrapped. It looks like I need 2 x 8' grounding rods at the garage. can't figure out if there is a code for how the grounding cable is supposed to exit the garage & attach to the closer rod.

2) For inside, I bought NM-B wiring; 10/3 for (30a) 240v outlets, 12/2 for (20a) 120v outlets, 14/2 for lighting circuits, 14/3 for the one 3 way circuit that governs all the existing lighting. I'm using online guides for load rating.

As far as I can determine online, NM-B does not need to be in conduit placed over 7'6" - up in the rafters & top plates, basically, which was one reson for buying it. However, since this is the garage & not a basement, I want to make sure all the wiring is protected from potential harm, and I can't figure out if there is a local code requirement at play - that info is not made public, I don't know why - besides the fact that they only want electricians doing all the new wiring. In any event, I really want to make sure I'm meeting potential code requirements, even though I don't know what they are 

I started running 1/2" PVC sched. 40 conduit to replace the old  (MC?) cable, routing it along the existing path, but adding some junctions to allow for some flexibility.  Separating the new outlets & light into a new circuit. For the south wall receptacles, I am running 3/4" PVC conduit (to make sure there is not a fill issue) for the 10/3 and 12/2 combined - from the north wall, over the west wall, to the south wall. I'm going to have the outlets approx 4' off the floor, in conduit going to exposed boxes. The single 240V receptacles will be in a 4" square box adjacent to the  4" double duplex 120v receptacles, that way I don't have 2 separate conduit runs along the middle of the south wall, and over the west wall coming from the mains panel on the north wall.

New lines replacing the original single circuit switched lighting and (3) duplex outlet boxes. Loose MC cable for attic lights will join the junction box shown. May have made sense to use 3/4" conduit & reduce the number of runs. Shouldn't matter here, as I'm not going to run any additional wiring on the center beam. I don't want to run any wiring over the north wall at this time, as that is where I want to make the 14' bump out.

Need 120v outlet and 3 way lighting switch at the garage door (old layout) and I want a (30a) 240v receptacle below it - 10/3 will be added in a conduit & pass though to lower 4" box. I have exposed work 4" metal covers to house the switch & receptacles

14/3 for the 3 way, 14/2 is for the 15a outlet just used for lead lights & battery chargers (edit - probably going to pull the 14/2 & replace with 12/2 so I can use the 20a outlet here)

More to follow

Edited May 1 by HusseinHolland
typo

[Patcon]

It is not strictly legal to run NM cable in conduit and it doesn't become legal if you strip the jacket. MC cable is a good option if you're gonna run conduit.

For your feed. It really needs to be 6/3 plus a ground. I would pull it as THHN in a 2 or 2½ conduit continuous. Because the garage is a subpanel, I'm assuming, it needs a separate neutral and ground. I believe the ground can be derated to something smaller.

Needs disconnects on both ends.

You could alternatively go with aluminum direct burial cable but you will have to upsize to go to AL.

I'm not sure I covered everything.

30A is 10ga

20A is 12ga

15A is 14ga

Edited May 1 by Patcon

[HusseinHolland]

Thank you for your input Patcon (Dave?)

The 6/3 I bought has a ground wire - did you mean an additional ground to run along with? Or are you referring to the grounding for the sub panel? 

The sub panel is a 12 circuit, and I added the mains breaker to kill the entire garage.

Do I still need an external junction with something like the split bolts to connect the buried line to the line that would then pass inside & connect to the breaker?

Since it is a sub panel, the ground requirements may be less than the 2 8' rods? It's still a separate structure, which is why I assumed the 2 grounding rods 

Running the 10/3 and 12/2 cables

For those circuits, what I'm intending are joined boxes , with one carrying the 10/3, and the upper the 12/2 and 120v receptacles. I would only have 3 240v in total on the side, the 120v I would add more.

Vertical placement on the post here, horizontal when it runs along the south wall at approx 4' off the floor

EDIT - ordered 10AWG solid copper THHN in red, black & white to run in the 3/4" conduit with the 12/2

Edited Thursday at 05:15 PM by HusseinHolland

[Patcon]

Your 6/3 should be fine. I would run it all the way to the panel. I don't know if that's totally proper but the extra joint just gives a place for higher resistance, corrosion or problems

I would run 2 gnd rods. They sell a clamp that attached the ground wire to the rods

It's a shame you are so far ahead of me. I really think your going to be overfilled on that conduit size...

Will it matter? Probably not. Would it pass? I doubt it

 

[HusseinHolland]

9 hours ago, Patcon said:

Your 6/3 should be fine. I would run it all the way to the panel. I don't know if that's totally proper but the extra joint just gives a place for higher resistance, corrosion or problems

I would run 2 gnd rods. They sell a clamp that attached the ground wire to the rods

It's a shame you are so far ahead of me. I really think your going to be overfilled on that conduit size...

Will it matter? Probably not. Would it pass? I doubt it

 

Thanks - when you say overfilled - you mean using 1.25" conduit for the 6/3 feed? I don't want to risk it not passing, since the building inspector will see it when they look at the addition work I am proposing. It does look like more than 40% fill, if you count the width of the cable as the circumference for fill. 

I will need to find out what AWG to use if I have to also run a ground back to the Mains ground at the house.

I was looking at this article - but it's from 2022, and another Fiat guy said the new NEC calls for ground at sub panel to run back to mains

Edited May 2 by HusseinHolland

[Patcon]

I was more concerned about the fill levels in all the branch circuits. One piece of 12/2 "fills" a ½" conduit I believe. The NEC isn't my forte'

[HusseinHolland]

31 minutes ago, Patcon said:

I was more concerned about the fill levels in all the branch circuits. One piece of 12/2 "fills" a ½" conduit I believe. The NEC isn't my forte'

Got it - I am going to either remove the 14/3 currently run with the 12/2 from the 1/2" conduit visible in the above pics & run it in a separate 1/2" conduit, or replace that section with 3/4" conduit. I  will also remove one of the three 12/2's from the short 3/4" conduit run, and put that in a separate 1/2" conduit.

Edited Thursday at 01:12 PM by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Had an hour after work before Pilates class with the Mrs, so I started tidying up the branches at the panel & end wall, and began wiring the branch grounds and then the neutrals 

 

Edited Thursday at 11:23 PM by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Details on the Xenon rear spoiler install. The way it's designed, the end caps press against the rear quarters. The issue there is that the pressure causes the spoiler to pull away from the hatch along the top, and on the back edge. To counter that, I added two more M3 SS machine screws to the outer edge of the hatch, and to the vertical outer edge. 

screw heads are visible from the outside, however I'm OK with that.