should i fix my brakes, or just make my horn louder? hmm...

[gpdatsun]

Here's the long overdue final story of my Z car caliper conversion. My thanks to Al Gast who provided the all important brackets to hang the calipers. This is not a bolt on conversion; it does require some machining, but it is relatively simple and I will describe what it took to finally have front brakes on a GP/FP roadster.

The 2010 SCCA PCS now states that '77 -'78 Datsun 240/260/280z front rotors and calipers are permitted. As the Z rotor is slightly smaller and configured differently from the roadster rotor (see DBA website) I opted to stay with the roadster rotor and make that work. I picked up a pair of Cardone remanufactured Z calipers from Rock Auto (19255 and 19254) for $70 the pair. I also took up Al's offer of his brackets (modified stock brackets) for $75. But it's still not a bolt on yet....

1) My car is an early '65, so my caliper hanging bolts (and Al's brackets) were 1/2". The caliper ears are drilled for metric bolts and must be made slightly larger to accept the 1/2 bolt. I left that to my machinist, as all I have is a hand drill. Purchased new bolts as the reach is longer than the old stock bolts anyway.

2) The caliper brake hose adapter is an M 10 x 1.0 thread, so I purchased AN 3 to 10mm x 1.0 adapters and AN 3 braided line (12") from Speedway Motors. At the other end, I already had an adapter to the stock coupling; I just needed to go to dash 3, so I got some AN 3 to 1/8 NPT adapters from Summit.

3) I mocked up the fit of the caliper to the rotor on some spare R and L hub parts before I tore into my car. Doing this I could first see I had the bolt hole enlargement issue. It also became apparent that the caliper/rotor clearance would be an issue. After plucking up the nerve to split the caliper, I saw that there is ample meat in the caliper halves to grind enough off the center and outer ends (primarily) to clear the rotor without getting anywhere close to the internal fluid passage between the halves. You will be grinding just into the thread of the outer end bolts (so these must always stay in their respective holes) but you will not have to grind such that the caliper strength is compromised. I elected to relieve the caliper over massaging the OD of the disk because I could see that the pad fitment was perfect and I didn't want pad overhanging a reduced diameter rotor. Besides, I may change rotors down the road, but not calipers necessarily. Grinding of the caliper halves to clear the rotors and enlarging the bolt holes set me back $150.

4) Purchased some new Z pads from Pauric Inc. (KFP Magnum) KFP5076-P42 (gold compound).

Now you can bolt it all on....man, what a difference! The pads are roughly twice as big as stock, and that is all the difference you need. The caliper pistons are 2 and 1/8" (same as stock), so no change is needed to the master.

I think this is a great mod to any car (not just race) as calipers/pads are cheap and plentiful and there are more offerings in pad materials for the Z (I haven't begun to experiment). I contacted Design Products about making the brackets on a customer supplied core basis. Maybe with some more demand he or Dean (Fairlady) might do some, or someone else might want to get involved, but it would take some machining and welding using a jig skills (on seeing Al's).

Thanks Al, thanks JP (my machinist),

Bill

[sleepyzzz]

pictures of the brackets with dimensions would be great!!!!!!!!!

[dbrick]

Any info on the Z rotors also. A bit smaller means they may fit Volvo calipers, and if the hub and rotor fit the Roadster spindle/bearings Woo Hoo!

[Brad Lustig]

I just installed the brake brace that the PO never got around to installing. I thought the brakes were firm before (no flex in firewall that I could see), but there is a world of difference in the feel now! If you haven't done this upgrade yet, do it!

[Tomakze]

Just ordered the brake brace from Dean. I totally forgot about it!!! thanks for the reminder....

hopefully I will have an update on the brakes soon, im gathering the last couple parts before beginning the conversion!

[pebbles]

My car has come an extremely long way since i pulled it out of a field a year and a half ago, but it still has years of work ahead of it before it is even acceptable to me. a decade or more before it is "done". and frankly, thats exactly what i wanted. i love working on it, it is a serious stress relief for me. i decompress when i am under its hood. and of course, there is nothing like getting in when you are all finished and enjoying the fruits of your labor. "wow, it runs now!" or "holy crap, my steering works!" lol.

and just for those that dont know what my car looks like... (I haven't gotten around to updating my signature... or avatar for that matter!) here is some eye candy... (or at least i think so!)

A field,,,field of dreams!!! I like it! Who did the paint? It's very near to what I had planned.
My youngest daughter, 15, who I'd been having lunch with every Wednesday since she was 4, said to me this school year, "daddy you don't have to come for lunch anymore,"
So I'm on a " therapy rampage" too!!

[Tomakze]

Haha, well, I am glad you like it!!! I did the paint a few years ago... The paint job is awful, as it is just a rattlecan job! I did it mostly to stop some rust from getting worse, and spent a whopping $6 on the whole job, lol! I have a build tread on here, but haven't updated it in a while. This is much more current, if you are curious! http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21434 ... ntry493891 The car has a pretty interesting story attached to it!