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Here is my attempt at restoring the radio faceplate on my 1977 datsun 280z. I used this same process for the climate control bezel. Not perfect, but better than before. Items Needed: SEM 39863: Plastic Adhesion Promoter SEM 38353: Plastic Prep SEM 15013: Landau Black- Color Coat 3M Scuff Pad Chrome Paint Marker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B212M89Z?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details you can probably use any marker of this type, this one was just cheap and worked pretty well. Starting Peice. Chrome had faded, been scuffed off in areas. The sun had also caused fading in the black plastic and blotching as well. To Start I first washed the peice in the sink with dawn and scrubbed it. I then went at it with the 3M scuff pad and removed all the chrome, as well as roughed up the surface in preparation for SEM. I then washed it again. Next, I hung it outside and used the SEM plastic prep to clean it, and wiped it down again. After that just follow the directions for the SEM adhesion promoter, then I did about 3 coats of the Landau black with about 6mn in between each. Came out smooth and consistent. I then waiting a day for it to dry and came back at it with the chrome marker. Just spend your time going over the lines and it will turn out decent. The ink comes out a little fast though, so be careful to not hold it in one place too long. FInished Result I didn't clear coat the whole thing as it didn't occur to me until now. Would be nice to hopefully make the chrome paint a bit more durable for when you detail the car. Unfortunately the color coat is long past it's dry time so I am not sure if clear coat is an option now. If anyone has experience on this let me know.

No I never did get the SummitRacing ordered windshield I got lucky here, another Datsun guy that specialized in 510's worked out a deal with a US Pilkington rep years ago and was having batches of 10 windshields for Z's and 510 brought up to a local glass shop. He has moved on and I have now taken up that function. I still have about 5 of each in stock for local users. I'm getting really good at doing Z and 510 windshields now. His information was that virtually ALL auto glass is now made in one of two Chinese factories. I have seen differences in thickness, and one windshield was noticeably undersized when I installed it, but that's about it. The factory codes on all the glass show it made in the same specific factory in China. BTW And I have NEVER EVER broken a front or back glass while removing it. I remove the weather stripping face first with a HB olfa blade (flat to the glass) then just tap and push until it comes free. I've had cases where I've thrown old windshields and hatch glass in a dumpster hoping for the big crash and been disappointed as it just landed flat and intact. I'm sure it was laughing at me. I have not been brave enough to attempt a removal of a windshield whose weatherstripping is new and soft enough to flex and remove. I know that is a technique, it just never has come up enough that I had to learn it. Someday.

Modified the vintage aftermarket wheel to fit. Cut the hub from the original worn out wheel. The advantage of this is that it will sit further away from me. With my height, the stock wheel is too close to me when the seat is correctly placed for clutch pedal operation. This wheel is shallower. welded after this - forgot to take pics added JB weld to fill the minor gapage on the front side

It got plenty of those when I first picked it up in 1994! I remember a time just before I put it in the garage (1999?) for its long sleep when I was heading up Hwy 427 from the Gardiner Expressway. There was a guy right on my tail, so I dropped down a gear and floored it. It didn't impress him with its get up and go, but it caused him to wave his hand in front of his face to clear the smoke. It was soon "replaced" by an Infiniti J30. I had two young kids at the time, and the sedan made a lot more sense, but the engine was still fun. I'm looking forward to the first spirited drive of the car's new life next year. That will be you in the driver's seat, of course - I can do the boring break-in, if you want.

The polymer adhesive layer probably loses flexibility over time. That could change the forces on the two glass layers. And besides the visible chips the whole surface of the glass is probably etched to a certain degree after years of road debris and acid rain and washings. A vast array of stress risers. As a whole, an old windshield would/should be more prone to cracking than a new one. One more opinion. Did @zKars ever get his windshield? He said he would post back in that other thread.

Doh! Sorry, I'm looking at that faceplate and it clearly says tune but I'm thinking it is the antenna toggle switch from the earliest faceplates for the series 1.

And I checked my email archives to find the cancellation from Summit (5 years ago). It had the part number, so I looked it up.

This is the point of polishing it.

Windshield glass shouldn't be difficult to find. The question is, if you were paying someone to install it, and they broke it, why are you looking? It should fall on them to find another, at their expense.

So I need some advise. I need to do the vinyl roof trim and the A pillar trim in the car. If I had been thinking, I would have done this while it was on the rotisserie, but I wasn't! I did the headliner this way. I don't know why I didn't do the rest then... So which order do the pieces go in? Sides first, then windshield header? Any pictures of how the ends are folded or detailed? What is the best way to go about it? Foam onto the vinyl first or foam on the car first? Glue applied to the vinyl or onto the car? Spray glue or yellow contact cement? I have been procrastinating on this but it's time to get it done. Thanks for any help C

All the valves are out and clean, they are in very good shape, this the worst exhaust valve seat and I think I can lap that little bit of roughness out. I will take the head to my local machinist and have his skim the surface and remove a couple of broken studs for the exhaust manifold, I'm sure you all know which ones I'm taking about, either end of the manifold. Once I get it back I'll drill and tap those holes to M10. I big box of goodies from Rockauto showed up today.

Painter's feedback pre removal was that glass gets brittle over time and "We are going to try to remove it, but given the age and a small chip its likely it may break. I will not warranty the glass so its up to you if you want to do it yourself or have us do it." It came out smoothly but didn't go back in as well. He is going to comp the labor for removal and install, but I am covering the materials.

I'll try to remember to provide the tools I use when I get home.

Sorry, but no. I never looked into a purchasable tool to release those Yazaki contacts from the shell. I made one on the lathe. I'm travelling right now, but will take some pics when I get home in a couple days (if you haven't figured out an alternative by then). I also think I have a sketch from when I was designing my tool. That might help identify something on the market that would work. I think/thought @SteveJ may have turned up a tool on the market for that? Maybe?

Well, the good news -- maybe -- is that Pilkington (Britain-based, with manufacturing operations in several countries worldwide) has been owned by Nippon Sheet Glass in 2006 and now operates as a NSG subsidiary. Pilkington's website describes their automotive business as follows: " Operating as a single global organization serving the Original Equipment (OE) and Local Automotive Glass Replacement (AGR) Aftermarket sectors... The North American aftermarket operations supply laminated and tempered glass for the automotive glass replacement market. All products meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Products are shipped from its distribution centers in Columbus, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona to external retailers and wholesale customers and its network of company-owned wholesale service centers throughout the US... Windshields, sidelites, backlites, accessories and specialty AGR products are included in the customer offering of Pilkington North America AGR". The British Pilkington website includes 'Pilkington Classics' products and lists hundreds of replacement items for older cars. That list includes both a 240Z windshield and backlight. It looks like they operate on a custom-order basis and no prices are shown. I suspect they wouldn't be interested in filling single-unit orders, but would be amenable to an order for 20+ from someone like MSA.

Yes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JS8OU9M

A PO must have installed the early radio and face plate, have a look on ebay what those early radio & faceplates are going for, you could install an entire sound system for what they are worth.

You might get away with it but Landau black is pretty tough stuff all by itself. A77/280Z? That face plate is from one of the very early cars.

This engine was in desperate need of an Italian tune up.

Ewwwww. That all sounds messy. Hope anyone who was innocently caught up in that comes out OK. And I hope anyone not innocent is held accountable.

Most states have laws against possession of stolen goods. Sounds like they didn't want to mess with him.

I should have one of those, Clayton. I'll have a look in the hoard and send pic's if I find it.

I bought the MSA one for my deer impact replacement. It was thicker than most of the satellite type glass places I've seen. It is made by a company called XXX glass out of Canada. It was about $500 drop shipped to the bodyshop. No tint band on top.

Imagine having your z car stolen, and then seeing it on BaT a few months later! What a story played out in the comments! And some people just kept bidding. I had a motorcycle stolen years ago. I eventually got it back when I saw it in the back of a guy's truck. NOTHING ever happened to the thief as he claimed he bought from "some Mexican".

My '72 had that J shaped heat riser coming off the exhaust manifold to the filter box. I put a msa header on and deleted the heat riser. It didn't actually connect to an exhaust manifold "hole" just rode of the manifold heat. I asked the forum what to with the air filter box opening and was advised to to leave it open as rodents storing nuts wouldn't be able to. They couldn't get over the hole to my carbs. Unless you're going to a car show I would leave the bottom hole open on the filter and Summer flap open. As stated above our carbs don't need any more heat than necessary. My carbs with the ceramic coated header are close to frosting in the winter and cool to the touch in summer.