My "new" car/project.

[C3L1CA]

Awesome progress!

[bramagedained]

Another update.

I needed to get something done today.

So, I got the LEDs in the dash.

Size of the LEDs:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0442_zpsjogmq0s7.jpg

Mounted:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0445_zpsclcw7xbg.jpg

Turn signals lit up, the light level is perfect. They're clearly visible with all the lights in the room, and, not too bright when it's completely dark with all the lights off.

I had to hook them up to a battery to see what it looked like.

Even with the camera flash on:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0443_zpsaf7vro6p.jpg

[turbotalon1g]

Are those your turn signals and high beam?

[bramagedained]

Yeah.

It was annoying not having them as they were a part of the OEM Tach/Speedo.

[bramagedained]

I now have 6 pages of notes on which wires connect to which Datsun thing.

It was cheap enough that I ordered a 2W 10K Ohm pot from amazon which is shipping along with a distribution block that I'm going to use to split off the ground/power for all the gauges. They should both be here tomorrow.

My goal is to have the car wired to the point that I can start it and check light functions by Sunday night. I'm not cutting wires or permanently attaching them, yet. I'm still planning on just using wire nuts at all the connections to test.

Once everything checks out, I'll take it all apart, fish the wires through the body and cut to length/solder all the connections.

My wheels and tires came in yesterday and today I threw them on the car.

It looks weird but they are both 17's:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0447_zpsfuhu9kca.jpg

255/40 Front and 275/40 Rear.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0446_zpsdh2hpj65.jpg

Old vs New(front):
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0449_zpsseczzbin.jpg

I didn't take a picture of the old tires vs the 275s in the rear.
Stockers on the front:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0448_zps7wdscn2y.jpg

New:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0450_zpsxl2cqrtw.jpg

They don't actually stick out much, but, they do hit the front of the opening without being turned much. This gets cut out when flares go on:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0451_zpsifm5pn6e.jpg

That's due to both the new tires being a slightly bigger overall diameter and a change to the scrub radius because of the negative offset. -10mm vs +6mm

The rear sticks out quite a bit more than the front:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0453_zpsbcintjd1.jpg

Farther away showing both:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0452_zpsjzb1sab8.jpg

Ignore the positive camber. It's adjustable to -2° or so at the upright before I would have to weld in camber plates. When I put the suspension back together I just bolted it up without checking where it was or even making sure it was even side to side. I'll probably pick up a set of adjustable control arms so that I can adjust toe, which is currently fixed.

The rear is actual coilovers and I can adjust ride height. I don't actually plan on lowering it much, if at all. Much lower and the exhaust would hit all speed bumps instead of just some of them. Function>Form.

I need to get under it and actually check, but, the fronts do clear the stock diameter springs, which was a concern of mine. It's by very little, the tire doesn't rub, but, I can't fit my finger between the tire and the spring either.

I can go the cheap route of buying a set of Chevette(lol.) springs and just cutting down to the correct length if the tires stay clear of them. Thy are like $40 a pair, so even if it doesn't work out when things are loaded when cornering it's not a big loss. Otherwise I might try some small(5mm or so) spacers up front.

The more labor and/or expensive option is to either convert the front to coilovers or buy a drop in set. Drop in is ~$900 and to convert is ~$600 in parts and a full weekend of labor.

Either way, I'm not messing with the fender flares or front suspension/brakes at all until the wiring is done.

On another note, poking around the RHDJapan website where I will probably get the flares from they sell front fenders, hood, rear hatch, doors, and rear quarters all in FRP. They also sell acrylic windows to go with all that if for some reason I decide on full BECAUSERACECAR and need it as light as possible. Those along with the carbon fiber console/dash/door panels the guy in NY makes I could have a lightweight car that still looks like a full body/full interior.

[A//// Guy]

New wheels look good, nice progress on the wiring, that cant be fun.

That thing is monster truck high though, or at least looks like it with those new wheels.

[turbotalon1g]

What tires did you get?

[bramagedained]

New wheels look good, nice progress on the wiring, that cant be fun.

That thing is monster truck high though, or at least looks like it with those new wheels.


It will get lowered maybe an inch. I want to be able to easily clear speed bumps and such. The exhaust routing becomes a problem lower than that as there is just no where in the tunnel to route it where the trans sits, which is the lowest point would be.


Aaron- Continental Extreme Contact DW.

[turbotalon1g]

Nice, I had DWS on my 330i and I liked them although they didn't like some of the rougher auto-x courses.

[bramagedained]

Nice, I had DWS on my 330i and I liked them although they didn't like some of the rougher auto-x courses.

DWS is an all-season and DW is a summer. I'll see how they work out, mostly they were cheap, decently reviewed and came in the sizes I wanted.

The other options for something in a 275 on a 17 inch wheel and 255 in a 17 were significantly more expensive.


I started the wiring project today. Right not it looks like a rats nest of wiring held together with wire nuts.

The tail/brake/rear turn/reverse lights all check out.

The ignition checks out by multimeter, and by passing a switched 12v, which is how the turn signals were tested.

I ran into an issue with my notes, though. The front right turn signal is exactly what it should be, same with the running light that shares the same spot.

However, for some reason I didn't track down the correct wires for either side marker or either light of the combo for the front left. According to the wiring diagram from the factory service manual it should have worked.

But, I've been working on this since about 11AM and had enough.

Hopefully with a clean start in the morning I'll find I just missed something simple. I'm guessing the ground for that side is in the bundle I cut out.

I'm still hoping to fire it up by tomorrow night, which I'm sure the neighbors will love since it has no exhaust right now.