Gary's Roadster Project

Things are winding down. The car is finished except for a top. I have around 500 miles on the car and really enjoy driving it. I have some fine tuning still on the Megasquirt fuel injection but it runs well as it sits. I finally figured out the power window problems I was having and went back to the original stock mechanism. The operation will improve as the window guides loosen up some. I ended up dinging the paint on the inside of the passenger door while working on the windows. So, I repainted those areas and installed the door panels. Several companies have been very instrumental in this project. R&B Collision, in Glendale, AZ, really put the icing on the cake with a fantastic paintjob. Superior Chrome in Houston, TX did a great job on my bumpers and windshield trim. Memphis Plating, in Memphis, TN handled alot of the small chrome items. I used many items from Dean at Datsunparts.com including: the vacuum formed dash, complete interior upholstery kit, carpet kit, and complete rubber kit. I also had great results with his gas cap repair kit. The Megasquirt EFI computer is working as advertised. I'm learning alot about fuel injection! Overall, I have learned a great deal from the expertise of the Roadster community. The information on www.311s.org and several other sites is priceless. Mark Sedlack's page has been a huge inspiration, as have several others! I've made other purchases from Rallye Enterprises, Sports Imports, Classic Datsun Motorsports, Datsun Sports, Rising Sun Racing, and Stan Chernoff. I have been very happy with the parts and services they have provided. Local businesses, H&H Auto, Tom Tucker Tire, Muffler Master, and Steve's Steel and Glass provided great service to me. Thanks to all. Enjoy!

I bought this car in 1994 and used it as a daily driver for a year or so. It was close to becoming a junker. The only paint on the frame was under layers of greasy crust while the body had 4 different coats of paint over some bad body work. It came with a hardtop, no softtop or frame, and was mostly stock. The engine was weak and overheated easily. I decided to take on a large project and do a frame off. I started with a grinder, wire brush, paint remover and putty knives. After most of the body was down to metal, I built a rack and separated the frame and body. A rented steam cleaner blasted the crud off the frame and a local Corvette restoration shop blasted and painted the disassembled frame components. Some of the changes made to the frame include a rebuilt rear axle from a 2000, re-arched rear springs, new axle u-bolts, new lowered front springs, new rear brake components, steering box conversion, comp sway bar, KYB shocks, rebuilt upper A-arms, urethane bushings and dual traction bars. The car sat in the garage and collected more dust and junk for a few years and then endured a house move. I gradually developed an idea on the finished product. I decided to do a few custom things and various mods. The biggest being the VG30E Nissan V6 and 5-speed from an '85 300ZX I purchased. I bought the car wrecked, took what I needed and sold as many parts as I could, finally sending the remainder to a scrap yard. The engine has been gone through locally and I later purchased a rebuilt tranny to replace the original one from the 300ZX. Other changes...Volvo brake caliper conversion, dual master cylinder, slotted rotors, multi-shaft steering setup similar to Mark Sedlack's design on his website, shaved door handles, custom door panels, custom center console and power windows.