SHADY280

On A Stock Wheel You Shouldnt Have To Remove The Plates Should You?, I Never Have, Just A 21mm Socket And A Good Hard Pull, Unless Its An Aftermarket Wheel


for those photos just use photobucket.com

jfairladyz

You might be right. See the socket I use to remove the steering wheel I only have in 1/2" drive and I dont have a 1/2" extension. So in order for me to get my socket onto the nut I have to remove those plates. I guess if I had an extension or a deeper socket I wouldn't have to remove those.

Lost Vegaz

Okay so I'll put those bolts back in and pull and pull. I all ready had the wheel apart, so I'll put it back together and pull

jfairladyz

Just make sure you push the seat back as far as it can go and watch your face. Gave myself a fat lip when I was changing out speedos

RodMoyes

Yeah, the first time you remove it, it's gonna be on there good and not want to budge. It gets much easier the next time.

Rod.

jfairladyz

^ I second that. My wheel just pops off now. But that first time. OUCH

skittle

i'd help ya if i was back home. I've taken my whole dash out almost 10 times doing one thing or another like we all do. quick question though did you disconect the battery before you took apart your steering wheel? I forgot the first time and i think i might have lost some hearing from the horn while trying to disconect the battery... well good luck to ya. and when i get back i will be parting out my 79 with black interior so i might have some things for ya.

Lost Vegaz

Skittle, mine never had a battery in it. I've never even been able to start either of my ZX's. They were both in pieces when I got em. But for 270 bucks and I got 2 of em, you can't expect perfection. And yeah when you strip your 79 let me know, I'd definatly be interested in seeing what parts you got laying around. LaterZ

Lost Vegaz

Took the whole dash apart tonight. I need a new speedo, the needle on mine was broke, it was fun pulling out the cluster and shaking all the dust out. Put a smile on my face. The gauges too were half way filled. I wonder if they still work. We will find out later. One thing I noticed though was even though I have no rear windshield washer there is still a **** for it by the dimmer. It was not plugged in and had no connection for it. I could not find away to get that plate out that holds that and the dimmer on, so I just broke it out. I'll make a new plate and just put the dimmer there. When I removed the padded top part from the metal part, the padded part litterally split in 2. It was so rotted that my fingers were flaking away the top of it. You can see exactly where my fingers were. I put it loosely back on the frame with a couple of the screws and resin coated it. So hopefully tommorow when I take it back off it will hold it's shape and not just fall apart. I never fiberglassed a dash before so hopefully I'll get a case of beginner's luck.

J any and all suggestions would be helpful.

Opinion time, How do you think it would look if I fiberglassed the vents that go on the ends off the dash?? I mean make them smooth with no vents. So they would just be like end caps, same shape, just no vents. Would that look good or goofy??

jfairladyz

Are you just covering the dash in fiberglass? If so then I would recommend leaving it on the metal frame. The reason being is that the resin will shrink as it cures, especially if there is no fiberglass in it. If you do a lot of really thin layers then this isn't so much of a problem, but dont go piling layers on. Wait atleast until the previous layer has gelled. And DO NOT let any of the layers fully cure before proceding unless you're using epoxy. If you're using polyester resin then the layers wont bond very well and will seperate down the road. If you let a layer cure then just make sure to scuff it up real good and hope that the next layer bonds well enough. Polyester resin is such a poor adhesive that I can pull fiberglass parts made with polyester resin from a mold without having used any mold release at all. And be ready to do plenty of sanding once you're finished.

And I think it would look good to cover the side vents. If I knew for sure I wasn't going to need them I'd do the same.

RodMoyes

Now is probably a good time for someone to tell Lost VegaZ how insanely HOT it can get inside a 280ZX... Since he lives in a place that can see temps of 120 degrees+ at times.

It would look cool to cover the vents, but these cars have very poor ventilation as it is and I wouldn't want to do anything that restricts it even further... In fact, I hope you plan on keeping the A/C in that car

Rod.

jfairladyz

Yeah the one part of my car I REALLY wish I hadn't thrown away was the A/C components. I was regretting that this summer I got another compressor with my turbo car but i still need to get a condensor and all the lines, reciever drier, and assorted pressure switches and what not. I think I'm going to hold off and retrofit a smaller Honda compressor though. It'll give me a little more room down there and it doesnt weigh nearly as much as the ZX's nor does it require as much HP to drive. All +'s. I'm just about fed up with not having A/C though.

NismoPick

All you poor saps in the 2seaters! My side windows open for more air flow. Just gotta throw that up there for all the 2+2 haters.

RodMoyes

Sorry, but the minimal amount of additional airflow you might get beacuse of those big *** rear windows opening an inch doesn't make up for the ugly factor... ...Sorry, had to do it

Even ugly cars need love. hahahahahahahahaha

Rod.

Lost Vegaz

Is that the only place the A/C blows from? Are those side vents only for the A/C?? I've only driven in 1 car with A/C, most of my life, and that is my wife's Civic and my new Civic. I was born here so anything less than 70 and I am wearing a jacket and a beanie. I can stand the heat better than the cold. But A/C is definatly nice to have. My wifes car, I make sure it blows ice cold, my cars are usually turbo'd and stripped. But since the 79 has A/C I would like to keep it. I am not trying to race the Z, just restore it and enhance it both mechanically and visually.

Besides my racing days are over for me I think. I all most killed myself and another driver tonight.

jfairladyz

No the AC blows from more than just those side vents.

Lost Vegaz

@#$%^^^#@@$$ I all most had the front windshield out of the 80. I was able to get a razor all the way around it. I went to start to slowly lift it out and the sob was coming out fine till I hit a small piece of still connected rubber and it cracked. ****. I got so mad, all that time and I was so careful to not put any pressure on it. And it cracked. I was so mad I just slamed it back down. Then threw a 10 pound sledge at it. GREAT, So now I have a broken windshield with a sledge sticking of it. I need to go to the junk yard and try to get a good one out without cracking it. Some people all ready told me that old windows are very fragile and hard to get out in 1 piece. I guess they were right. So anyone done this?? Any tips?? Vey frustrated

jfairladyz

It only cost me a $110 when I had mine replaced a few months ago. I figured for that price it wasn't worth going through the trouble of trying to do it myself. So I guess thats 3 things I dont do to my car now: Alignments, tires, and windshields.

Lost Vegaz

Okay, from where?? Call a glass shop or what??

jfairladyz

Yeah just call around to windshield repair shops. That price included the glass and install. I took it to the same place for my Prizm when I had it and it ran $150 for that car. When I was in VA for mother in laws birthday I got her windshield fixed on her car and it only ran me like $125 and they even came out to the house and did it! So just call around. Everywhere I was calling was up in the mid to high $200 range and some even in the $300 range to come out and do it. Then I found that place and WOW. My Z and the Prizm were from the last time I lived out here in CA.

Lost Vegaz

Progress report!!!!

Called a glass repair place today. 139 installed. Coming out tomorrow. I also got the steering wheel off the 80 tonight. That bitch was on tight. A good half hour of pulling and yanking and rocking and alot of swearing, and hitting it with my hand. And it finally came off. Now I can continue swapping all the parts onto the 79. Having a windshield will help greatly. I can put in the headliner and door seals and the windshield trim and everything else. That's all for now. More to come as I can get more work done over the next few days. The next few days should be really productive.

Lost Vegaz

I got a windshield. This thing in my driveway actually looks like a car.

WildmaN

Congrats man, always a good start, when your Z actually starts looking like a car. LOL. Anyway, I told you to keep at it, keep us informed, and don't you dare think of quitting. I am glad everybody on here, kept me going. Because I would get frustrated, and mad. But you will get there bro', and I am behind you all the way.

hoov100

whats all this i hear about not having A/C?? i pulled the A/C outa my car the first week i got it and i live in a desert, not to mention im going to be in death valley this summer with my z. just roll down the windows and carry some water.

NismoPick

Some of us like to ride in comfort.... and any female passengers are bound to complain.