Goat's Datsun 240z.

[Goat]

I am pretty useless. But not that useless.

Have still been working on this.

 

I have had these fine pieces of kit in my possession for a couple of months but have been too scared to fit them for fear of me stuffing it up as once i start, there is no return:

 

However, i managed to man up and just get into it. Lots of measuring, marking and remeasuring:

 

Drilling some holes:

 

Drilling some bigger holes. The point of no return:

 

Cutting some stuff:

 

Filing some stuff:

 

Rough mockup to see if stuff actually fits. Its looking good.:

 

Properly mounting some stuff:

 

Job done. Both sides. What a relief. Didn't go as badly as i had expected:

 

Managed to gain that elusive 20mm with these new strut tops. Yay.

 

Big ups to Kicker for yarns, helping hand, and motivational support.

 

 

 

Now to sort the rear camber control. Will probably be looking at adjustable bottom arms for that as i cannot run camber plates as my roll cage bolts to the top of the rear struts.

And the other option of ecentric bushes seems a little make shift for my liking. And probably won't get enough adjustment.

[Goat]

Update time!

 

After getting the coilovers in, it looked good, but didn't tick all boxes. Still was a bit high in the front and i couldn't wind the front down anymore without springs becoming uncaptive. Keeper springs were a must!

 

I have been hoarding bits for this since hawkes boes last year. Getting some goodies.

Got some techno toy tuning suspension arms and castor arms. I mainly got the rear arms to allow the negative camber to be adjusted out. . I couldnt fit camber plates in the back. And it has too much negative camber for cert. Plus they look pretty and are 13234234 times more solid than the factory pressed steel bottom arms.

 

Just need some T3 bottom front arms to complete it then everything will be new and quite a bit more substantial than factory.

 

 

After having parked this in the shed after nats and having not even looked at it since, I though it best that i actually did some work on it and get it closer to being back on the road.

Had gathered a nice fine layer of dust over the whole thing. And some lush as alloy corrosion on the gear knob.

 

Here be some pics:

 

Bum up with the rear being pulled out:

 

Keeper springs and holders. Had to go this way as i really wasn't happy with the way the car was sitting. And i couldnt get it any lower on the front as the springs were bordering on being uncaptive. This whould fix that. And now i can get the exact height i want.

 

T3 Bottom arms. These things are super solid. Feel SO much more substantial than the factory ones.

 

T3 adjustable castor arms. Yummy:

 

T3 RCAs and some new balljoints and tierods.

 

Poly bushings for T3 rear arms:

 

Full poly bushing kit. Has everything on the car.

 

Keeper spring fitted. Already under loads of compression. But meh, had to do it to get the final 15mm drop.

 

Both Rear struts with keeper springs fitted:

 

 

Now to put these back in along with the bottom arms. Then its time to tackle the front. Will hopefully have T3 bottom arms for the front by then too.

 

Once suspension is all done, it will be time for a wheel alignment, then a new "low profile" exhaust, as i had completely pancaked the current one at nats.

 

Then cert time.

 

Fingeres crossed it will be done by hanmer /maby not but hawkes boes or bust!

 

Dope.

[Goat]

Oh Yea, Nats,

 

Went down a week before nats to do a "Tour of Love" with Manu, Laura, KK and Sherie. Went all over the south island. Such an awesome trip with such awesome people!

Only had 2 issues with the Z. One was when a plug lead fell off heading out of blenheim. I though it had munched a stone as it doesn't have any filters. The other was the well into the 4 digit fuel bill.

 

Did about 2400 or something ear plug wearing, exhaust fume sniffing, pothole swerving ks by the time it rolled back into the garage. Was very glad to park it up. Was a thoroughly enjoyable ordeal.

 

A few pics stolen from nats thread too:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do like this car alot.

[Goat]

Have been chipping away at this for last couple of weekends.

Got all my new, shiny bits to pop in. Have been piecing it all together. Looks delish!

Next step is exhaust. Had a hard time after nats trip:

Will be pretty much as it was, but a bit lower, and now that i have keeper springs etc, i should be able to get that elusive 30mm drop in the front to make it level.

Can see the drop required at the front in this pic. Pretty happy with the back tbh.

Finish fitting suspension

Fit my new brakes

Fit my replica datsun race seats

Exhaust

Wheel Alignment

Cert

Am actually getting close.

Nats is the goal. So hope to have it all legal by feb. Fizzing.

No life like low life!

[Goat]

So yeah,

Long time, no update. Have driven this a lot since 2014 nats. Got it certed at the start of 2015. And have put hundreds and hundreds of litres of 95 through the carbs.

Has been sitting since April, knowing that it needed a new exhaust, tie rod end, and tyres for its next wof. Sudden burst of motivation this weekend just gone and I:

• Built a new exhaust, with a flexi straight off the extractors, so no more tweaked manifold gasket (would do this within 20 mins of replacing it), as exhaust takes a severe beating.
• Added an unbolt-able, easily replaceable section for under the diff. A sacrificial exhaust annode.
• Remade the driveshaft loop, as this sat down ~20mm below the floor, and would catch on everything, had started to bend the floor back. Made this flat so lowest point it the rails now. - Probably have one more wof in the current rails, they have taken a beating too.

My TODO list is as follows. I have everything but the tyres:

• Replace inner rack end and alignment
• Weld up cracks in extractors and add an oxy bung
• New manifold gasket
• New Tyres
• Oil change
• Polish up wheels (get rid of that clear coat and machine marks)
• Janurary WOF
• Hammer it through the gears!

Such a sexy looking 45 year old.