Like a lot of things with this build, it takes me a long time to complete components but in the end I’m happy with the results and I feel it’s heading in the right direction. I first picked up the steering rack in July 2018. It has sat in one corner or another since early 2014. Months later it started to resemble a steering rack. I had a small issue with the pinion bushing which frustrated me to no end but all things considered it assembled well and operates very smoothly. The OEM rubber bushings for these racks are NLA …
Rear Drum Brakes
When I took on this project in 2014 I pictured myself assembling factory new parts in a lab like environment and everything worked just as it did in 1970. Reality rarely meets fantasy; it takes time and effort to achieve fantasies. Some of the brake hardware has been purchased over 2 years ago and the rest has just sat around waiting for its restoration. The biggest time waster is finding myself short of a nut or something trivial that needs to be plated which has a month turnaround. Even simple things like painting parts properly has to be executed with …
KONI Sport Adjustable Struts
The timing could not have been better! Just as I started to work on my suspension I received an email from MSA announcing the new KONI Sport Adjustable Gas Struts for standard strut assemblies of the S30 chassis (and later Z’s as well). MSA will be the sole distributor for these inserts; an indication that they were a driving force behind the product coming to market. They are a completely new product designed to fit the ’70-’83 Z strut assemblies. The cartridge inserts are a twin-tube low pressure gas-charged design and are externally rebound adjustable. They’re capable of close to …
Stepping Up From Rattlecans
Painting is effing hard! To do it right anyway. I’ve rattle canned my fair share and I can shake a can with the best of ’em. This time I thought I would invest in a spray gun and all the gear that goes along with it to get a hard wearing and lasting finish on the suspension gear. Upfront costs equate to paying someone else to do it but it’s an investment in my skills and it’ll pay for itself the second time I use it. The diff, axles, and fuel tank are all in need of a similar durable …
I’m Back… For a While
Starting to get back into it this week. I’ve disappeared into the garage each night and I don’t hear much complaining from my wife. I think she’s glad ‘that smelly thing on the couch’ is gone… I needed something simple to get started since I’ve been away for so long. The steering coupler and shaft seemed like a good place to begin so I knocked that out quickly and was on to the filthy rack next. I’m repeatedly reminded at how serviceable all of this old stuff is and the rack was no exception. Strip it, clean, inspect, new paint, …
The Tired Brain and the NLA Inner Tie Rod
One of these is not like the other… Murphy’s law dictates that the bent one must be the NLA tie rod while the dead straight one is readily available. Guess which one is which. I beat it with a hammer, torched it, pulled and pushed it with long bars until it cried out but it didn’t budge a millimetre. Also crying out must have been my annoyed neighbours as it was well past bedtime. Behind me a 20 ton press stood quietly, snickering at my madness. Why it didn’t speak out earlier I’ve no idea. I blame my tired brain …
Steelies, Hubcaps & Aquajets
I first contacted the owner in Dec 2016 and over 2 years later I have collected these wheels and hubcaps. The hubcaps have never been fitted but unfortunately some moisture got to them and they have surface rust. It’s mostly on the inside but the important thing is all four are straight. They’re not the early type but I’m happy to use them until I can find a correct set. As part of the deal there were seven hubcaps with three heavily rusted and only good as wall decorations. The Topy steelies are all in good condition and will scrub …
Hardlines… Tick!
Very pleased to have learned a new skill and I’m happy with the results. Let’s hope they don’t leak!
Datsun 240Z RH Door Mirror Disassembled
A few weeks ago a kind gentleman by the name of Ian gave me a right hand door mirror on a handshake and a promise for some form of payment down the road. I’ve been searching for one of these for 4 years now! They are rarer than rocking horse poo. So what’s the first thing you do with something so rare? Why, break it of course…! I’m sorry you had to see that… breaking it was hard, much like punching yourself in the face with the intent of splitting skin. The only way to get the stalk off the …
Datsun 240Z Door Mirrors
Last weekend I was presented with an opportunity to buy a right hand door mirror – otherwise known as unicorn poo. If you have tried to locate one you know how difficult they are to track down. It was the very first item I started searching for when I bought my car in 2014 and I thought I had finally cracked it! Sadly the listing was misleading and the mirror I bought was for the left hand side. It did teach me a bit about the differences in right hand and left had mirrors though and I’d like to share …