Rainman

I've been planning to make the trip but the company changed my schedule... Will be away until the Monday after ZCON ends... A TOTAL BUMMER!!

Great update Brent, keep up the great work!! Will be looking forward to more photos...

I have one that came off a '73 240Z, it's in great shape and I'm sure we can come to an agreement on price. Send me a PM and I'll take some photos, measurements, etc. as necessary!

Received the dash for my 260Z from Just Dashes earlier this week. I'm happy with the way it turned out though I did call them to ask about the replacement of the old foam, as it was clear that all of the old foam was not removed from the metal skeleton of the dash. My peeve is simply that the videos and descriptions of the work displayed on the Just Dashes website leads one to believe that "all the old foam is removed" from the frame... When in reality, they remove 'some' of the old foam, keeping the overall shape of the piece, replacing the old with a 'good layer' of new foam closest to the vinyl covering, which they explained is most important anyway.. It will certainly be fine but I disagree with the way they advertise and market the service, that's all.. Enough about that... On to the important stuff... The photos...

I haven't gotten much work done on the 260Z thanks to being away at work for the past month.. I'm back on US soil now and back under the 260Z.. Got the fuel tank installed today. The bottom of the tank is painted the same color as the car and the tank straps are powder coated silver to match the suspension components. Thanks to Dave Palermo for supplying the replated gas cap. Still need to plumb the tank to the hard fuel lines and paint and install the expansion tank. More photos to follow in the coming days.. Stay tuned!

I decided to renew the wiring system of the 260Z after reading in another thread about a company called Isis Power.. I ordered the three cell kit in February. Received it while I was at work. Now I have my work cut out for me!! Wish me luck!!

I run a Center Force II clutch on my 3.1L Rebello and the left leg force required isn't any worse than a stock clutch. FWIW..

I chose Nissan Monterrey Blue for my 260Z... The 370Z comes in this color. I like the way the color looks different as the amount of light varies as you can see by the two photos. Thought I'd throw my 2 cents into the discussion..

Thanks Greg, your experience confirms the craftsmanship of Just Dashes. I found many stories like yours when I was looking for a place to have my dash restored. While considerably more expensive today, it will be worth it if my experience is as good as yours. Pictures to follow upon receipt of my restored dash...

Hey Arne.. Unfortunately I missed the shop you mentioned due to the lack of web presence. Hadn't heard of them before you posted the details. Like many others, I rely heavily on internet presence and search results. Just Dashes has a good website with lots of examples of their work and that was a big selling point. I'm presently away at work but will return soon. I think I'll go find this shop once I get home and see what they have to offer. I'll be happy to relay my experience and impression of the place to any who are interested but it's too late for my project.

The dash from my early '74 260Z has been with Just Dashes for just over a month now. Hope to have it back in the next couple weeks. Will be happy to share my experience along with photos.. Check out post #17 on this thread to see what the dash looked like to begin with. Two cracks as well but no dash cap. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?44850-Assembling-early-260Z&highlight=

I had fabrication shop weld the holes in my early 260Z before painting. I'm happy I did, it looks great..

Thanks Brubaker... I couldn't find a new e-brake cable for my 260Z anywhere so I ordered a '73 240Z reproduction e-brake cable from MSA.. I cut one of the swedge ends off both the old and the new inner cables allowing me to put the new inner cable into the original outer sheath that was on my car.. While the inner cable was out, I sandblasted and repainted the fittings at the ends of the outer sheathing as well as the spring section in the center. Lastly I fed the new cable into the my repainted outer sheaths, took the whole thing to a local motorcycle shop where they basically swedged and soldered the end of the inner cable, making it usable again. I think I used a bit of lacquer thinner on the rubber of the outer sheathing to make it nice and black.

There you have it!! Sorry for being slow on the uptake here!! Thanks...

I had the entire suspension of my 260Z powder coated while it was on the rotisserie. All the items you mention were coated with the exception of the brake calipers which were sand blasted and painted with high temp brake paint. I also had the springs and sway bars powder coated. The cost was closer to $1000 in the area of Oregon where I live. My powder coater is very particular which is why I used him. Be uses garnet to media blast all the parts, then finish sands each part by hand before coating, resulting in a fantastic finish. Here are some photos of the end result on the car..

NVH issues?? Not familiar, please clarify. Thanks!

Not off your rocker at all Newton.. I had a pair of Modern mesh style wheels restored late last year. I had the center areas powder coated and the rim polished. You'll have to talk to your powder coater and find out if it will adhere to a polished surface as it may not. Have the polishing done before you have any parts powder coated. Tom Attached are a 'before and after' of my wheels...

That big 'ole brake pedal will need to be replaced by a smaller, not-so-automatic brake pedal. I suppose you could trim down the big one?

Hey Ollie.. Thanks for weighing in on the services that Norm offers.. I'm glad I found him and will be looking forward to getting my restored parts from Norm.

So sorry to hear of your situation CA Joe.. I hope someone takes you up on this awesome offer! I'll put the word out to the members of the Z car club up here in Medford and see if there's any interest..

Spent some time on the dash tonight to prepare it for restoration. Wow it was NASTY back in there!! Not surprising considering the length of time between cleanings. I've got some serious cleaning to do as every single component, especially the air circulation hoses are just filthy dirty inside and out. You can see it one photo.. YIKES!! Here are the photos...

Thanks for following my progress Zdogg.. My 260Z has needed this kind of attention for over a decade. Here's a photo of it before I started (it wasn't even a forty footer by any measure)... I don't think Zeddsavers is overly pricey considering the level of specialization of the work that they do.. The resulting work is definitely first rate as you can see by the photos on Norm's website and as such I'm willing to pay a premium for said results. Disclaimer: Please realize this is strictly my rationale which may not fit anyone else's vision or budget for other projects... That said, the price quoted for restoring my tail lights is $500, horns (including repair and replating): $200, replating door latches (includes striker and complete assy inside doors, rods and all): $205, hatch hinge and hardware replating: $45, floor plan plugs: $40. From his last email he has many other rubber items as well, so send Norm an email if you need something.. He might have exactly what you're looking for.

Spent the afternoon cleaning parts in preparation for shipment to Zeddsaver in Canada for repair, restoration/replating. Tail lights, horns and door lock mechanism parts were all pretty nasty. Not any more. Here are some before and afters of the tail lights as well as the final product of the horns and door lock mechanisms...

Thanks Ollie.. I've read of your restoration in other threads.. Sounds like it's going well for you and I hope the photos help some. I installed the rear brake backing plates on the wrong strut tower and had to remove the stub axles a second time to switch them to the proper side.. That's my MO however: it's not right until I've done it twice or else wounded myself in the process (nothing more serious than a busted knuckle)!

Turned out great Casey... Nice work!!