help on 280z
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Re: help on 280z
Hi Chris,
Color is mostly personal preference, but there are a few guidelines.
If you're restoring it, you gotta be using enamel, and you've got to use a stock color, and try to obtain the correct paint decal or match the one that's under the hood. Details on that are in Wick Humble's classic _How To Restore Your Datsun Z Car_.
If you're looking for the flat out most beautiful paint job ever and you don't care how much work is involved in getting it or maintaining it, get a few dozen hand rubbed coats of lacquer in your favorite color.
If you want a great look and great durability and don't care about authenticity, get a good two-part catalyzed urethane paint (e.g. DuPont Imron or whatever they're calling it now).
Color considerations: I would never pretend to know the best color for another's Z, but there are some considerations beyond the owner's preferences. Most agree that black looks awesome, but it also shows dirt, scratches, and flaws the most. It's a pain to maintain if you've got a sunny climate (quick fade), compared to other colors.
Red, of course, is a classic sports car color. It also really does attract the most attention from cops (no joke, real studies done on this). Of course, any car at double the posted limit will attract attention, so... And it fades badly in really sunny regions.
Some feel that a true sports car can only be red, black, silver/grey, brit race green, or yellow. You can use that either way, either to integrate to the track crowd or stand out. Up to you.
Whatever you do, either take your own sweet time doing it yourself or don't skimp on the body shop pay if looks are important. If it's primarily to be raced or if you don't trust yourself in resisting the temptation to speed on public streets, don't spend a lot of cash on paint that you plan on losing in various incidents.
If looks are important in your goals for your Z, then the more you take off the car in preparation for paint, the better off you'll be. At the extreme end of this, I want a perfect paint job on my '78, so the interior is now completely out, all bumpers and trim (including that rubber bump-strip stuff at door-ding height) and emblems are off, all lights are in foam-packed boxes, and the engine is due out in a week or two as I get to it. It will be just the unibody, no glass, and just the steering wheel and enough hardware to hold the wheels on so it can be rolled into the paint booth. Undercoating and it's color is usually done later.
At the other extreme is the Maaco cheapy job where you just tape everything in sight and don't worry about door-jambs, hatch-surround, etc.
Just make sure it's the color and purpose that suit you or you'll be out a lot of money and you'll be unhappy, neither of which is really the point of such a nice sports GT. Have fun.
Dave
Color is mostly personal preference, but there are a few guidelines.
If you're restoring it, you gotta be using enamel, and you've got to use a stock color, and try to obtain the correct paint decal or match the one that's under the hood. Details on that are in Wick Humble's classic _How To Restore Your Datsun Z Car_.
If you're looking for the flat out most beautiful paint job ever and you don't care how much work is involved in getting it or maintaining it, get a few dozen hand rubbed coats of lacquer in your favorite color.
If you want a great look and great durability and don't care about authenticity, get a good two-part catalyzed urethane paint (e.g. DuPont Imron or whatever they're calling it now).
Color considerations: I would never pretend to know the best color for another's Z, but there are some considerations beyond the owner's preferences. Most agree that black looks awesome, but it also shows dirt, scratches, and flaws the most. It's a pain to maintain if you've got a sunny climate (quick fade), compared to other colors.
Red, of course, is a classic sports car color. It also really does attract the most attention from cops (no joke, real studies done on this). Of course, any car at double the posted limit will attract attention, so... And it fades badly in really sunny regions.
Some feel that a true sports car can only be red, black, silver/grey, brit race green, or yellow. You can use that either way, either to integrate to the track crowd or stand out. Up to you.
Whatever you do, either take your own sweet time doing it yourself or don't skimp on the body shop pay if looks are important. If it's primarily to be raced or if you don't trust yourself in resisting the temptation to speed on public streets, don't spend a lot of cash on paint that you plan on losing in various incidents.
If looks are important in your goals for your Z, then the more you take off the car in preparation for paint, the better off you'll be. At the extreme end of this, I want a perfect paint job on my '78, so the interior is now completely out, all bumpers and trim (including that rubber bump-strip stuff at door-ding height) and emblems are off, all lights are in foam-packed boxes, and the engine is due out in a week or two as I get to it. It will be just the unibody, no glass, and just the steering wheel and enough hardware to hold the wheels on so it can be rolled into the paint booth. Undercoating and it's color is usually done later.
At the other extreme is the Maaco cheapy job where you just tape everything in sight and don't worry about door-jambs, hatch-surround, etc.
Just make sure it's the color and purpose that suit you or you'll be out a lot of money and you'll be unhappy, neither of which is really the point of such a nice sports GT. Have fun.
Dave
