What to do with old stock

[EstebanLoco]

Hello and best regards all...

It's been about 3 years since I've been able to apply Exacto to styrene and as I ease back into the hobby I realize just how much I have missed it. I hope you all give me a 'hall pass' while I adjust.

As part of my readjustment therapy (and with heavy influence from my better half) it has been suggested that I build some of the numerous kits I have acquired over the years. The choice was clear.

So, over the next few months I'll be posting updates on a few 1:12 builds and I hope to draw on any experience and knowledge my fellow members my have to assist me.

Of the many 1:12 kits I have in inventory I'd like to focus first on the Tamiya Datsun 240Z. I bought a partial build about 15 years ago that the guy did minimal damage before giving up. Not knowing if there were parts missing (which there were) I bough a new (old stock) kit at a cheap price (about $80) on eBay.

In he meantime I discovered out that Tamiya updated the 40+ year kit with new high performance upgrades like RS Watanabe wheels and Mikuni tri carb setup. They also included the factory option rear spoiler and other cool parts. So I bought one of those too.

I've built Tamiya 1:12 kits before and the are pretty straight-forward. However, I know there are issues that a first time builder will come across.

So...does anyone have experience with this kit? Can you give me any insight as to what I should look out for?

Of course, as with most or all Tamiya kits, there is the ability to super-detail which I expect to do.

Thanks in advance for any help or insight you guys can give.

Steve

[Don Garrett]

Not much I can offer in the way of what to look out for with the Z car Steve as I've never built one, although I did give a pal a hand swapping a SBC into a full size 240. You will find that while you've been away from the hobby (or art as I prefer to call it) much more has become available as far as aftermarket parts go. Now that 3-D printing has come on the scene many of the goodies that were on our wish list are now available.

I will definitely be following your 240 Z build when it hits the workbench.

[EstebanLoco]

Thanks Don. I'm using the partial kit as a prototype. So far I've opened up the fuel filler door and the air inlet vents on the cowl. Pretty straightforward. I also found the 3-piece bumpers to be a challenge. One is chrome and it is impossible to assemble it without showing some ugly seams. So, obviously you must strip, assemble, sand & detail, fill, primer , etc. and then re-chrome when done. I also built a new rear hatch 'stay' (the gas-filled tubes) out of telescoping aluminum tube. I plan to use 1mm bolt and nut to secure the stay on both the hatch & body.

This kit must not have been that popular but to Tamiya 's credit they reissued it with modern parts. I wish they would have offered it with left-hand drive. It would seem with all the advances in CAD and tooling that it would be simple enough to do. Oh well, it's not a deal breaker for me.

A SBC in a 240Z sounds interesting.

[EstebanLoco]

I was checking out TDR 's SBC and it looks like the TPI intake might just fit under the Z's hood. Any thoughts?

[Don Garrett]

Sounds like a fairly easy swap Steve, as you can see in the photo the SBC Chevy with a four barrel and air cleaner fits without altering the hood.
You'd need to make motor mounts, new cross member & headers, but I don't think the TPI intake would be much taller that the carb and air cleaner set-up?



Here's one with a later SBC



Here's some interesting reading: (scroll down to the Excerpt from the introduction)

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html

[EstebanLoco]

Okay. Six days until TKR surgery. I've been keeping busy playing with the 240Z. Here is the bracket for the rear hatch gas damper. I removed the middle portion where you are supposed to snap the lower half of the 2-piece damper into place. That needed some improvement. I made my own damper out of telescoping aluminum rod, squeezing the ends flat and drilling them out to accept 1mm bolt, nut & washer. Much stronger and easier to install. I'm finding the 1mm bolt very useful in 1/12 scale

[EstebanLoco]

I mentioned the 3-piece bumpers in an earlier post. Here I have stripped, assembled, removed the seams and primered. I reinforced the front bumper with .100 Evergreen rod from the rear and finished with 2-part epoxy . Not pretty but it won't show. Much stronger. Both bumpers will be chromed.

[EstebanLoco]

I forgot to post this picture of the cowl air vents that I mentioned in an earlier post. A slow process but visually superior over the alternative.

[EstebanLoco]

And finally, the fuel door. The 'hinge' was a challenge and took several prototypes before I settled on this. It's 3/32" aluminum tube, flattened on one end where it attaches to the back of the fuel door. The other side is bent and inserts into a short piece of plastic tube glued the the inside of the fender. The rest I made from Evergreen sheet and strip from photos I got by Googling 240Z fuel door (gotta love technology). The mock-up allowed me to 'practice' installing the assembly during final assembly. Excuse the masking tape.

[EstebanLoco]

Here are a couple of pictures of my new shop, dubbed "Stevie's Speed Shop".

[Don Garrett]

Superb workmanship on the "Z" Steve........."Stevie's Speed Shop" is a work of art in itself, I'm jealous.