Hi everyone!
It's been a long time since I've posted on here. The new Initial D 5th stage brought me back to the site and figured I should update where my 280z has come in the past couple years.
You can find my previous thread on the progress of the car when I first got it here:
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?showtopic=72073![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/n42902345_31488933_8513-Copy.jpg)
Back story: Got the car driving about a year after high school. Drove it as a daily driver since 2007 up to 2010, when it was parked for needing a new clutch and tires, tried to find the time but she ended up under a tarp from about April until January of this year when I finally got it in the garage and began work.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_0539.jpg)
Took a wire wheel to the floor boards and sprayed a few coats of Rustoleum.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/S7000080.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/S7000076.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/S7000084.jpg)
Then did the same to the rear wheel wells and hatch area.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_0506.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_0512.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_0524.jpg)
I've taken the transmission out a couple different times, each on my back on the floor. Didn't feel like doing that again, so I pulled the whole assembly. All it needed really was a clutch. This was the beginning of the "While I'm at it" syndrome.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1458.jpg)
Time lapse video taking the engine out!
http://youtu.be/kHXzf8KcVq4With the engine out, I figured I might as well clean it up a bit. Found some rust under the battery tray so thought I should make sure there wasn't more else where.
The beginning:
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1495.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/DSC_0031-1.jpg)
Dashboard out
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/GOPR3460.jpg)
Passenger firewall
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1488.jpg)
Ground down
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/DSC_0026.jpg)
Removing the rubber undercoating with a pneumatic air hammer. Made quick work of it
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/GOPR4092.jpg)
Cleaned up from the outside. You can clearly see the rusted out area. I could use some advice of where to cut since that corner of the battery box needs to be replaced as well.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1520.jpg)
Driver side cleaned up as well.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/DSC_0044.jpg)
At this point I decided that since the car was already up on jacks and the front suspension was out, I might as well take out the rear and clean that area up as well.
Rear diff and fuel tank out
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/GOPR5734.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/GOPR6117.jpg)
Cleaning up rear wheel wells
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/GOPR5351.jpg)
I bought a sandblasting pressure pot from the used/open box items at Harbor Freight. Took it home and it works great.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1607.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1595.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1597.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1627.jpg)
Not having a rotisserie was quite the test of patience. I found out I don't have any..lol Lying on my back trying to shoot up at the car, my mask would fog up after only a few seconds. I ended up using a set of ski goggles which worked great, but got scuffed up pretty quickly.
Worked out in the end
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1670.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1679.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1676.jpg)
Driveline, suspension, mounts, and fuel/brake lines laid out to be cleaned or sandblasted as well.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/IMG_1661.jpg)
Now for some teasers of what's to come:
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/DSC_0029-1.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/DSC_00461.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/180422_10150391591640287_501470286_17076602_4579468_n.jpg)
Sandblasted some parts.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/photo23.jpg)
This is from January to May 2012. At this point the progress pretty much stopped as I geared up to move to North Dakota to finish my studies. I'll be in Grand Forks, ND for about another year or so.
Over the fall, the car went to a body shop to have some rust in the rear quarter panels fixed. The project took a bit of a turn when the shop engaged 'search-and-destroy' mode and completely stripped down the body. I delivered the car to them with a sandblasted front end and engine bay. They took it a step further by finding and fixing every ounce of rust possible, and sprayed something that looks like POR-15 (I need to clarify exactly what product was used) on the entire undercarriage and engine bay. I plan to paint the engine bay body color eventually.
Battery tray and firewall rust cut out & replaced.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0009_zps0aa49365.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0001_zpsdcdce0c5.jpg)
Hand made a replacement for the rear quarter panel area.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0013_zps68b65002.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0012_zpsf9fd4218.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0011_zps9124fb33.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0010_zps2e3d37af.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0004_zps1144ea90.jpg)
Imperfections in the roof area from the last paint job caused them to take the roof down to metal and re do the area.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0005_zps04aa93a9.jpg)
The rest of the body taken down to metal and re worked.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0007_zps0a6541f3.jpg)
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/scan0008_zpsce1c720c.jpg)
At a friend's shop to have S13 coilover adapters installed.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/46427_10151604192354199_74848846_n_zpsa3ae3940.jpg)
Coilover adapter sleeve installed vs stock strut assembly on the right.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/481230_10151655615169199_1243744304_n_zps5650150b.jpg)
S13 Megan Coilover setup completed.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/393159_10151655615684199_1797667571_n_zps8b49a034.jpg)
Front camber plates fitted flush to the strut tower.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/DSC_0235_zpsf58630e8.jpg)
Welded in from above and below, and blended into the tower.
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/71504_10151655614954199_1550376978_n_zps246209da.jpg)
This thing will be LOW!
![user posted image](http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/CanadianFlyBoy/Z%20car/63704_10151655615599199_1545041493_n_zps619160b5.jpg)
I won't have much more to update until I get some time to travel home again, but I'm excited for where this project is going. Also not picuted is the 4 point roll bar which has been installed (bolt in). A future possibility involves extending the roll bar to develop a simple roll cage.
I'll keep you all updated as the project moves forward, thanks for looking!!
This post has been edited by Globerunner513 on Jan 14 2013, 10:14 PM