madkaw

After getting the firewall set I could concentrate on the floor . I’d like to have a dollar for every time I pulled the floor out and refitted it . My goal was to butt weld the tunnel side .

I finally got brave enough to start welding the drivers side firewall . There are so many pieces that come together there that mock up took forever . The floor has to meet at the bottom and the floor rail and the inner fender and the front frame rail . I actually had trimmed too much off the bottom of the firewall and had to weld material back on - damn . Being that I am just using a MIG welder I worry about panel distortion also with such long welds . I also had to repair some of the material behind the firewall in the cowl .

Well I need to do an update . I see my last posts were about the firewall and floors. I stopped work on those while waiting for another passenger firewall panel hoping for a better fit . They ended up sending me 3 more and none of them did the upper bead line up . In disgust I moved on to the rear slam panel . I cut off what sections I needed from a rear clip I bought . The job was more challenging than I thought it would be - but they all are . Having to have all the holes line up for the taillight panels and the interior trim was fun . A buddy lent me a spot welder which came in really handy for this job . I wouldn’t have wanted to plug weld this super thin stuff .

I thought it would be prudent to assemble what I have so when I do the other side floors and such I have my gaps set on the drivers side already . The tunnel is pretty flimsy at this point . The passenger side just scares me as far apart as I have it .

The next thing to attack is the firewalls . I can’t finish the passenger upper frame because I need access to spot weld the firewall panel . The firewall is sandwiched between the inner fender wall and outer . I also have an issue with the passenger side firewall panel from KF . The drivers side worked out pretty sweet and I should be able to do a decent job welding it in . The biggest obstacle is that I wanted to preserve the vin# that’s stamped on the wall so I had to cut around it . The passenger side doesn’t line up right as you can see but the pics . They said they will send me a new one . I think the panel wasn’t square on their stamping machine . KF has been really good supporting their products . I’ll also add that their drivers firewall panel does not include the doubler for the inside

I didn’t make the larger pieces of upper frame rail. Same car I bought my roof from I also bought all his straight scrap pieces . It was enough of a challenge to make that 1” filler strip between the pieces he sent me - ha . I don’t have the tools to do that complex of bends and curves. The tool is just a right angle air grinder with a Roloc sanding discs . I use that tool more than most . I have cut- off wheel mandrel and scotch bright disc options . I actually have 3 of them with different mandrels on each .

The passenger side was exceptionally bad in this car relative to other sections . The car sat outside on a rotisserie for years on its side with the passenger side down . Probably gathered water from rain . When I finally dug into this I was grateful I had scrap pieces to do some of these repairs . Somehow I was missing a hunk that I had to make - but it’s was a small hunk . Removing the firewall and all its spot welds really tears up the kick panel . That and rust required some patching work to make the kick panel strong again . I probably will end up ordering the panel for under the battery tray from KF Vintage . I don’t think my skills are up to fabbing that panel .

About rust free section from a series 1 . Not using this so up for sale. Hard to find a clean section like this . I’ll ship anywhere 200$ Email Sfinnerty1018@gmail.com

Need a lot more info to help with this . Ignition set up ? Timing at WOT ? Still running vacuum advance ? What year head ? Was the camshaft degree’ed? Camshaft specs ? Engine compression ratio ?

And now he says - I’m out ! I had a hard time reading this guy but don’t think he was ever a serious Z owner/buyer . Good luck - I said Moving on

Now the gentleman has requested I find him a Z ! He says his budget is 35-45k . I should be able to find something nice enough in that range I believe .

He sold it yesterday for 1500$ He did good !

It didn’t even roll and I didn’t see enough to warrant the hassle . I told another z guy that it had a white interior and he should grab it . I don’t have room

I was contacted by a former client that a guy wanted me to look at his 72 that he’s owned since 73! I was glad to go look at it - especially being owned that long by the same guy . I was told he was ready to restore it . When I pulled up to his house I was like - holy $^!# that’s bad . The guy had it sitting in storage and needed to proceed with fixing it up since he was moving . He said a shop quoted him over the phone that it would take 1 year and 60k . I proceeded to let him down . He seemed indignant at first . I told him that sentimental value would be the only reason to even start on this car - and I didn’t think there could be any plausible reason to spend 60k . I also told him the reality that the car would sit at a body shop for 5 years . At the age of 72- he said he might be dead by then . I told him I couldn’t - in good conscience- tell him to invest any money in that car . I said with 60k budget you could buy two Z cars that were nice drivers . In the end he thanked me . He really had no clue about restoration and the reality of that adventure . It did have a crack free dash as best I could tell .

I plan on making a driving video just for the sound ! I installed these 75mm stacks from TTT. Their ad seemed humorous about scaring the guy in front of you at the track -BUT-these things sound glorious! Never driven a Datsun race car , but the only thing missing is an open header -lol. OMG they sound good. I hope a video will capture the sound correctly. About everyone I've taken a ride have been blown away.

You meant N47 =MN47

A 720 unit would be a 71B series which is not great . I would recommend finding a 71C from a 240sx .

Technics or tactics . They can be a MFers . I use the spot weld cutters you can buy cheaply anywhere . Predrill small hole for center pin and saw away . I did buy a pneumatic drill just for spot weld but it’s limited where it can be used . Finding the center of the spot weld helps to get all of the weld

I couldn’t close the gap but I could fill it . The reason I made the sleeves was to give me adjustment . Ideally it would have been the perfect gap for a bead of weld . Since the sleeves are close to 3” long I was able to weld it strongly and then cosmetically fill the gaps . I had left over A pillar material which I used to fill that .250” gap .

More pics

First project after getting the roof attached was the passenger front fender support . I had cut up two 240z’s years ago and had a whole front clip left. No easy way to do this either .I was tempted to buy the sections from KF so I wouldn’t have to disassemble the front clip . In the end it worked out .

More random pics after running the 911

I like the white face gauges . Where did you get the faces ?

Pretty much rust free pieces from a 70 . Drivers side A pillar section and B pillar section . I won’t need these for my project . 250$ shipped for both

Is it Charles ? My memory is short . I’d refer you to my thread on Hybridz . I managed to document a lot on there . I also have a thread on the Megasquirt install there . Ask away about anything you read HybridZ3.2 Build EFI N42 / MN47