General Chat
Q:
Hi folks,
I still have a little way to go on the install but thought this was a good place to post. Hope you enjoy.
I decided to build rings to accent the rear speaker and to add more wood in the interior so the front speakers did not stick out so much. This was the piece I started with.
This was the tool I invented to draw a line around the speaker. Go ahead and laugh, but it is a handy little gizmo.
A quick trim.
There they are.
While I had some time on my hands I made a bracket to fit a fire extinguisher to the rear strut housing. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it there but there it is for the time being and yes I can reach it.
Here are some shots of the pretty much finished job. I still have two 6.5 inch speakers I'm waiting on for behind the seats. I don't think I'll do and trim work on those as I want them to disappear.
And of course the tweeters. Sorry about this picture. It was taken after I pushed the Z back into the garage.
So that is it. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I like it but for the time being it's in there. Hope you enjoyed this.
John
77280Z (Spooky), 83ZXT (Garage Queen), 86ZXT (Bulldog).
Proud owner of 10/03 Z car of the month.
Post Edited (Aug 28, 6:28pm)
A:
i like it, but the rear view mirror and that datsun logo on the dash are a no no in my opnion
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High Performance NA L28 engine, Performance Suspension, Full Interior, 2500lbs, and room for 3 HOT girls in the car!
shift_2+2
13.9 @102.7 on 205mm street tires and 110 octane :-)
A:
The wood on the dash logo needs to be thinned down. Currently it is too thick. I have to find someone with woodworking tools to shave it down. I have one with the correct thickness but the grain went the wrong way. Still a short way to go yet with all the little details.
John
77280Z (Spooky), 83ZXT (Garage Queen), 86ZXT (Bulldog).
Proud owner of 10/03 Z car of the month.
A:
Send the piece to me and I will plane it to any thickness you want. I have two planers in my shop, great tools to build cabinets and shelves with.
1983 280ZX N/A: 98% rust free, 118,000 actual miles.
1982 280ZX Turbo. $250 Parts car that was better than the rustbucket.
1983 280ZX Turbo. Hopeless rust case. The more I fixed, the more I found.
A:
Possum25,
Well thank you very much. I'll get someone here to do it but thanks again. I had this bright idea to use the router to shave one test piece down. I still don't know where it landed!!! Oh well, right job--right tool. It really does look nice when it is the correct thickness. I just threw it on to cover up the hole in the dash. It's all the small details that make the difference but if you build cabinets then I'm preaching to the choir. Thanks again for the offer.
John
77280Z (Spooky), 83ZXT (Garage Queen), 86ZXT (Bulldog).
Proud owner of 10/03 Z car of the month.
A:
that looks awesome! i did the same thing in my 79 280zx i used to have but i just made the speakers nearly flush with the top of the storage compartments. i didn't bother with detail or trim i just put the carpet over it :P
82 280zx turbo 5 speed
86 300zx NA 5 spd
A:
If you'll notice from the interior pics, he's got a roll bar with helmet padding. Usually only done by people that wear helmets in their car.
About the only time you would wear a helmet in your car is if you're required to.
About the only time you're required to wear a helmet is if you're driving on a race track.
About the only time you need a mirror like that is if you're on a race track.
Following that logic, I'm gonna guess he gets track time in his car.
If you're on the track, a wide angle or panoramic mirror is a must.
Ahhh! The sound of logical deductive reasoning is truly beautiful to behold! ;)
bubbleguinea wrote:
> i like it, but the rear view mirror and that datsun logo on the
> dash are a no no in my opnion
72 WooHoo!! In good shape too...
72 Rolling Chassis (RB or LS1?)
80 NA SCCA ST2/CP (Car + Tree = Dead)
82 NA 3.0L the rust monster got it
82 ZXT 3.1L, 25psi! Hit in the right rear. ;(
83 parts car
92 TT Sold! ;(
02 Looking for an '03 made in '02
A:
I don't know what your abilities are, but chuck the original dash emblem and just copy the plastic peice in wood. I've got a mini die grinder that could probably do it.
The rest is pretty darn cool! Very nice man!
Ray @ DMS
"I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Please check out Thanks!
"You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant, excepting Alice"
A:
That wood in the rear really helps! (hahah! that sounds gross) Great finishing touch.
A:
Hi folks,
I'll see how the dash emblem looks with the wood at the proper thickness. There are a few seasonal celebration events coming up in Tulsa that usually have some craftsmen working with wood (Octoberfest). These guys are usually very good and can do fine, detailed work. I thought I'd have them make something with the Z logo to go there. As you might have figured out that is a dash cover. Overall, it fits like glove but that was the one area that I wasn't pleased with and came up with the wooden cover. When I get it shaved down I'll post a picture. I'm amazed at the difference something so subtle as the thickness of the wood can make on the finished appearance.
As far as the mirror goes, I think that was the best car accessory ever invented whether it is for the track or street use. No blind spot!
Well, other than finishing a few loose ends this project is about over. On to the next one. Oh yea, it actually sounds pretty good too. Thanks again.
John
77280Z (Spooky), 83ZXT (Garage Queen), 86ZXT (Bulldog).
Proud owner of 10/03 Z car of the month.
A:
Pretty sweet setup, and that wood ring looks like a toilet seat!
1976 280Z
Draw-Through Turbo, 10 PSI, 4 Bbl Holley, E88, L28 (Flat), 10:1 CR, 5 Spd
1974 Corvette Stingray:
350, 400 Automatic, T-Tops, 8.5:1 CR, 78,000 Miles
1994 Acura Integra:
1.8L, 5 Spd, 189,000 and Counting!
A:
Yo, John....
....when I stopped by this weekend (Bobbie said you'd gone to Lowe's) I saw those rings and thought you were making new house numbers---couldn't figure out why you needed zeroes!
Lookin' great, but that fire extinguisher needs to be hugger orange!
Jim
JR in Tulsa (4EVER Z)
73 240Z - L28, Triple Miks, 5 speed, 3.9.
83 stock 280ZX
Chaos, panic, and disorder---my work here is done!
A:
Looks great!!
Best way to thin that peice down would be a band saw. It is too short for a planer. It would eat it right up.
Set up a fence for the bandsaw the thickness you want then use a longer peice than what you need to push through part of the way. then just cut off the split end the length you need. Take your final peice to a belt sander and sand the saw marks smooth.
Or you could just take the peice you have and use another peice of wood to push it through. Either way should work.
Good Luck!!
I refuse to tip toe through life, only to arrive safely at death.
A:
BURLEIGH,
Thanks for the suggestion. What I ended up doing was to sandwich the piece between two other pieces of wood and then locked it down on my 12" chop saw. I wish I would have taken some pictures because it was the best (worst) example of "wood butchering" you could ever hope to see. On the other hand, it worked perfectly!!!! AND, I did a finger count and they're all still there. The emblem looks much better. I'll drop a picture by later on. Thanks again.
John
77280Z (Spooky), 83ZXT (Garage Queen), 86ZXT (Bulldog).
Proud owner of 10/03 Z car of the month.
A:
Yeah,
My dad is a carpenter and his moto is "If at the end of the day you can still count to ten on your hands, then it was a good day!!"
Glad to hear you got it done. Looking good.
I refuse to tip toe through life, only to arrive safely at death.