Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

After storing a couple of cars for OPs for a few months, today two stalls opened up.
Topped off the zamboni and got to work!

I thought you were at SHEDD not cleaning your garage?

I finally got around to putting my grill and hood on this weekend. At the last minute I decided to take the grill apart, polish the chrome and repaint the rest. It's a little bent in a few places and there's some bubbling in places under the chrome, but it shines nicely now. And the paint disguised some kinda crooked parts on the metal grid behind it.

All I did was mask off the chrome areas and use a trapezoidal razor blade to cut out the shapes below. In retrospect, an Xacto knife would have made things a lot easier and cleaner. I painted it with some sort of spray laquer paint. Not sure how well it will last, but I intend to have the car painted eventually, and i'm sure it will get done again then.


Everything got a quick shine with an aluminum-based polish called Flitz that I've used since my airplane detailing days of high school. The secret is after you finish polishing, sprinkle flour (yes, like you'd use to make bread) on the chrome, and buff it with a soft cloth -- it takes off all the haze and makes it look like a mirror. Not sure why the flour works, but it's something I learned back in the day. Looks stupid, but effective.


And it's back on the car, after about 5 years of being in a box!


It will be on the road soon!

Looks Good! I've used Flitz before, but didn't know about the flour treatment.... looks Great! And I see you have the good style of carb balancer there on the hood.... so much easier than a unisyn.

I just received my M14x1.25 tap. I'm about to tempt fate and try chasing the threads in one of my spark plug holes. Figured I'd load it up with grease and carefully start it. Plan B is a nice steel helicoil in the aluminum head.

Mainer311 wrote:I just received my M14x1.25 tap. I'm about to tempt fate and try chasing the threads in one of my spark plug holes. Figured I'd load it up with grease and carefully start it. Plan B is a nice steel helicoil in the aluminum head.

I have done this before, some tips that worked well for me:
1) Make sure piston is all the way up.
2) I stuffed oil soaked foam, like a lawn mower air filter, rolled up tight so it expanded once in place, into the hole to capture the shavings
3) I used a vacuum cleaner while cutting the threads and of course afterwards.
4) Pull the foam out with tweezers/needle nose pliers, any little bits will get burned up in the first running.

If it were me, I would probably just go ahead with the Helicoil, as otherwise you have to do this process twice.

Not that I'm going this route...yet, but how do you break the tang off of the helicoil and not have it enter the cylinder?

Replaced my worn,always falling out tail light sockets with ones that have the full boot and actually stay in. No more checking the trunk before I get in it every time.

Mainer311 wrote:Not that I'm going this route...yet, but how do you break the tang off of the helicoil and not have it enter the cylinder?

I don't remember that being an issue, I think the insert tool takes care of that, but regardless, the foam trick would keep it from dropping into the engine

Got the new windshield in the rechromed frame, saved putting it on the car til tomorrow (took me a bit longer than I expected (: but looks good).
Michael

Mainer311 wrote:Not that I'm going this route...yet, but how do you break the tang off of the helicoil and not have it enter the cylinder?

Back in the olden days, breaking the tang meant that it was seated. IIRC the insertion tool actually gripped the tang.

Check this out:
http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... +plug+tool

Linda

Finally...Took my sr20 car in to get an alignment. After a month of niggling issues it's on the road. Killed a lot of bugs and tore up some asphalt on the 50 mile round trip. A few minor fixes yet, but I'm loving my ride!!!!! Pat

Congrats Pat, your car looks great. Post some pics on the Drive thread.

Linda

Good looking car Pat, bet its nice to be on the road!

I am working on it, but have a bit to go. Got the windshield on the body today - the tech wiki write up is correct, the bottom (under frame) weatherstrip - "It is a bugger to keep lined up", which wasn't exactly facilitated by the 1/4" soft rope of butyl putty I put under it. Then I started on the wing windows, getting the rubber in them also requires some work.

Also narrowing down my interior choices, slowly. My general plan is to do the "wear' surfaces in the tan (seat bottom and back, bottom half of the door panels, top of console storage, and the front of the headrests when I get to them (I am going to roll bar mount them), and the remainder in white or slightly off white.



The tan looks a little lighter in more light, the shop door was open, but the sun going down. I was mentally picturing a bit lighter tan, but haven't seen one that really grabs me, and I do like this one, 'restoration wicker', it has a polished, soft, slightly waxy feel.

Michael