TomoHawk

On a 78 280Z- Does anybody have some good pictures of the way the vinyl and carpeting are applied to the floor & sides on a 280Z? I have the seats & front carpet out, and I'm going to see if I can do the carpets right this time: PO had the carpet wall-to-wall, and stuffed under the scuff plates. Also, it might help to have a pic of how the carpet lays under the seats. Mine were cut and just laid in between the seat rails. thx

What Will said--- In a country where people put value on things solely based on the price of the item (for example, a $5000 home A/V system, or my $2500 bicycle) you shoulda charged them a bundle. They might pay more attention to somebody's million-dollar opinion, as compared to a $100 one...

I think the "graphics" are dumb. And the same for the steering wheel- dumb.

Will- That's a new definition to Fugly: Frog-ugly

We have the same problem with scale boat & ship models: You can scale down the ship, but you can't sdcale down the water. In the same way, you can scale down a car, but the effects of the wind, air, etc., won't exactly be the same, so you'll probably have to exaggerate some things on the car.

Be carefull you guys don't turn the new Z into a tinfoil machine! :surprised Be realisatic in your weight goal, but remember you have safety standards and emmissions stuff to add a little weight. What's your price goal? iIf you do a bunch of things to lighten ( GRP/CF/kevlar floorpan, wheelwells, hood, doors, roof, hatch) you could be adding thousands to the price. Who'd be able to afford one then?

I already ordered a few of those. I guess I'll get a note or a phone call, sooner or later. So then I'll have to ocate some regular grommets to fit the hole.

If the car really is what I think it is, it also has a clutch & transmission. You'll need one soophisticated robot for that!

But since it's so small, too small to sit in or on, it'll only sit on the shelf. how would you operate it, hamster?

I always wondered if some guy could build "real Ferraris" in his home-made Factory, somewhere out in the country. Full-size cars; Actually casting & machining the engine block, pistons, Forming the body, everything. Just like Enzo's people did 50 yers ago.

The local dealer told me that part is NLA. I will try courtesy Nissan or nissanparts. thx

The 'teardrop' sryle headlights like on old Jag, or the newer Taurus would be fine. You could design those into the scoop- style headlight buckets and still keep the older lines of the nose.

Another reason why I'm thinking of using a (generic) switch is so I can use that one unused plate next to the hazard switch. Maybe there's a rocker switch that will fit in one of the outlines, like Enrique mentioned. Too bad Radio Shack doesn't cary them tho. Maybe some other place. Suggestion (style D or F): http://www.mouser.com/catalog/628/1350.PDF

I'm glad my ashtray cover is black paint... Caswell Pating sells a kit that comes with a fine-tipped plating wand. Maybe you could use that to 'fill in' scratches? Nickel plating kit eBay auction

I usually drive an Escort, with very little in terms of amenities: no leather, no A/C. And after driving a 'basic' car since the 80s, and my 280Z for three years, I'm used to having only the radio to play with, so I can comcentrate on my driving. Power door locks doesn't seem too much bling, and since it's only a 2-seater, you shouldn't need power windows either. Having the rear area more open is a perfect feature for a sports/touring car: you want room for your bag, and/or a tub of stuff. Maybe you could even move the battery & other stuff back there for better weight balance, a bigger fuel tank, and a full-size spare... thx

Get yourself a copy of the 280Z Fuel Injection Bible:]Click here It explains a lot of the stuff you might need to know about the fuel injection system

You are just too enthusiastic, Stephen. :cheeky:

Look at Page BE-74 in the FSM, where it shows details of the radio parts, as well as a diagram of the antenna switch connector and the connections the switch makes to operate the antenna. You will see that the switch is a SPDT type (momentary, of course.) Otherwise, how could you hook up a DPDT switch with only 3 wires? 240Z switch maybe? I would agree that you would need a DPDT switch to operate an ordinary semi-automatic type power antenna. thx

Is that accesible from the inside of the car?thx

I found another ground connection on my 280Z. It's under the passenger seat, next to the relay. Don't forget about the ones on the steering column for the headlights & the rheostat.

Mine needs to be a SPDT momentary like I've been saying.

It's good to repeat the explanation. Each time it gets refined even better. And it is very important to use a momentary SPDT switch. The only problem with getting one through eBay is that you don't know for sure if that's what it is, so I'm also looking at generic rocker switches through Mouser Eletronics (unless I decide to trek across town to the electronic surplus store.) I'm pretty sure that the 70s & 80s antenna switches were mostly the momentary type. It might even be possible to use the swich for a power window or door lock. I'm not up to that part yet, and it's not even December... thx

I don't suppose they can make those from HDPE or something that won't rust?

I was out at the car, and took the old antenna. I found out that the power connector on the antenna will plug into the switch connector under the dash, so if you want to fit a switch, you can get the connector off an oem antenna unit. So I just need to get a switch. What would you think about this one: Mercedes Benz W126 300 420 560 ANTENNA SWITCH thx

I've decided to hold off on this stuff until I get the rest of the winter stuff done. That way I can leave the car in the shop for a day or two. Otherwise I need to get it back into storage on the same day, in case it starts snowing.