50 Shades of Grey

[datzenmike]

For max output your coil primary resistance should be 0.75 to 1.0 ohms. I don't do after market shiny things and find stock works the longest. It should match the stock resistance.

[FricFrac]

Been working steady on the 510.  The grey primer has been a bit of a concern with the rust popping through.  Taking it down to bare metal a panel at a time and treating with the KBS Rust Blast which is a zinc phosphate coating.  Once I had every body panel down everything got re-striped with 3M Scotchbright pads and zinc phosphate one last time and three coats of two part epoxy clear coat.  Took the wheels and painted with Duplicolor Charcoal wheel paint and polished the raised surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FricFrac]

Well it about time I posted again. I've been busy working on the 510 but I had a bit of an embarrassing accident and I didn't want to post anything up here until I got her back together again. She's all fixed up and better than before so let the posting commence!

 

So here is my sad little story…. Got up early and drove to work with the plan of going for a run before I started work. Was early but not really early enough to go for a full run so I decided to take the automatic shifter console apart because something was rattling around in there and give it a good clean while I had it apart. Went to work and came out after work hopped in the car, pulled the choke and tried to turn it over. Nothing. Not a click. I’m kinda ticked off because I’ve got this thing running great and now I can’t even start it. When I first got the car the ignition switch was bad so I replaced it with a used one. Maybe the ignition switch was bad again. Time to do some trouble shooting. I reach in the back seat and grab a screwdriver. Pop the hood and jump the starter. Car turns over. Hmm must be something between the starter and the ignition switch or the switch itself. Going over it in my mind I hit the starter again and it fires right up. Hmm… still thinking about it I’m about to go around to turn the ignition switch off as I mull over the problem at hand. At that moment the car that was in gear with the choke pulled out now has enough fluid running through the torque converter to start driving away with the hood up and a guy standing beside it with a screwdriver in his hand and a shocked look on his face. I don’t drive automatics – all my cars are standards. I never leave any of my cars in gear and if I had jumped it out with the starter it would have lurched forward the first time I hit the starter. I jumped in front of the car to stall it out but with the choke out it turns into Christine and tries to run me over. I know I should have pulled the ignition wire or some other more intelligent action but my brain was in panic mode and using my body to stop the car seemed like a good idea at the time. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I wasn’t going to win so I jumped out of the way just in time to turn around and watch the car crash into the SUV parked in the next row of cars in the parking lot. I was devastated. I’d been working constantly on my beloved 510 and now she was all smashed up. Although the unthankful wretch tried to run me over I was just as crushed as she was. After I sat in the car letting my mind settle down and try and figure out what just happened I realized the car was in gear and it wouldn’t turn over because the SAFETY switch prevents it from being started in gear. I bypassed the safety switch with my screwdrive and started the car in gear with the choke pulled all the way out giving her a decent amount of throttle. I called the Insurance company and said “you probably haven’t heard this one before”. The guy on the other end of the line laughs and says “oh I’ve heard pretty much everything”. I tell him my story and his reply is “you’re right – haven’t heard that one”. “Were the people in the other car OK?” to which I reply “there wasn’t anyone in the other car. There wasn’t anyone in my car.” We had a good (?) laugh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding a body shop that wanted to work on an old car was a challenge. Fortunately my neighbour a few blocks away is a body shop and one of the owners owns a beautiful 2d 510. I brought the car by and a few weeks later they had it in the shop. They installed the FutoFab front bumper, valance and fender after they pulled the headlight bucket back out. They did a fantastic job on it and fortunately there was no damage to the inner fender. I’ve just had her in to do an alignment and the tech calls me over. That’s not usually a good sign especially with a Datsun on the hoist. “Looks like your 510 is perfectly square – it’s out by 1/10th of an inch. I don’t see new cars this good”. HA! Finally some good news!

 

All back together again. Jacked up like a pickup truck but that will change….

 

 

 

[flatcat19]

Looking good.

[Lockleaf]

Pretty great recovery!

 

I was looking at a Jeep Grand Wagoneer to buy and a similar kind of thing happened. The guy showing it started it up and let it idle as we talked. Something caused it to slip from neutral into drive (like maybe neutral wasn't fully engaged). The wagoneer was pointed straight at the guys newer truck and started idling its way toward it. I tried to jump in and hit the brakes, but ended up falling out and tumbling in the dirt. It ended up tagging the guys truck right in the center of the bed. Smashed it pretty good. Dude was livid. He was actually not the owner, his son was and he was there when his son should have been. He blamed his son for the damage and sold me the wagoneer for cheap, since he was angry at his kid. Wagoneer only had some scuffs on the bumper :) . Still sad I had to sell that beast.

 

Keep at it. It's hard when it feels like you're taking steps backward, but it's looking great again.

[tr8er]

Bare metal since May?!! Get her covered! Looks like good work though

[Draker]

Woah.. and sweet!

[Stoney]

I see a parts car in the background of the second last photo!

 

Your story is just another reason why a manual conversion should be done, glad to hear it was a relatively easy fix in the end

[FricFrac]

Stoney I've got a 280ZX tranny and already have the DQ mounts made up ready to go in once the engine is built.

 

Trier she's been zinc phosphated and three coats of epoxy clear coat. If I left her bare metal for a day she'd be rust red around here lol.

[FricFrac]

Upgrading the suspension:

 

Up first - bigger sway bars.

 

 

.... including rear sway bars on stock springs and ride height. The surface rust makes me cringe every time I look at these pics. Its only surface but....

 

 

Seeking shelter from the rain.

 

[FricFrac]

Next up - coilovers! Running 280ZX front strut spindles and brakes on T3 coilover adjustable sleeves with bolt in camber plates. Rears are fully adjustable rear coilovers from T3 as well. Running with shaft collars on the front but not necessary.

 

 

Ready!

 

Go!

 

Prepping for camber plates.

 

And time for a little pinball action with the camber plates installed at Gord's Fords :)

 

Getting low.

 

First world problems.

 

Siblings.

[Draker]

Nice line up! 

 

Good height one the dime!

[banzai510(hainz)]

most like youry module failed because I saw a MSD coil in there and its a elelctronic coil with .7 ohms as the spec. YOu should have run a stock higher ohm coil also with eh balleast(which I saw).  Unilites have the same issue with modules poping cause it made for a stock system. No fancy coils or removing the ballast resistor.. I have 3 Pertronix and only falure is the magnet ring tape wears out the the magnets fall off stuck on the dist shaft.

[FricFrac]

I'd like to do a KA swap but she'll end up being a garage queen. I've got engine mounts for the 620 for a KA24DE swap so she'll be on the hoist for a while. I bought a 720 with a Z22 as a spare for the 2dr turbo car so an LZ22 it is!

 

[mattyhacks71]

Mmm 8 plugs..

Hey you wanna sell that 620 yet? ;)

[FricFrac]

More progress with the Suzuki GSXR 750 ITBS running full sequential staged injection

 

[FricFrac]

Car is pretty solid but the under carriage has surface rust over a significant portion. It's keeping me awake at nights so before it starts raining 24/7 it time to clean, treat and seal the under carriage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lets wrap this baby up and get filthy cleaning and prepping the under carriage.

 

Time to seal it up - KBS Coatings urethane paint - higher solids and better UV resistance than POR-15 at a lower cost. I've switched over.

 

[FricFrac]

Got the Suzuki GSXR ITBS running on the bench running full sequential fuel and staged injection - two injectors per ITBS