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'73 1200 Coupe Project, aka Timmy


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I always am. I am lucky to get 4-5 hours a week to work on the projects, so I try to cram in as much work as I can. 

 

Unless it's hot as balls like now, then we slooooooooow down a lot...

 

Unless the car is outright broken, the only garage time I would get is after 10pm on a weekend when the kids went to sleep and everything had been cleaned etc...

 

Usual mode for me was beer, cigar and work until 1-2am or until I could no longer figure out what the hell I was doing. 

 

Wrenching is my relaxation time so I was rarely in a hurry.

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doc-brown-0504.jpg.824x0_q71_crop-scale.

 

 

 

 

Well, today it happened. I couldn't put it off any longer...   :P

 

 

 

Hooked up the battery and waited for the smoke...

 

No smoke, so turn the key on and waited for the smoke...

 

No smoke, so start cycling all the circuits to see what works and what doesn't work...

,

Headlights, good. Park lights, good. High/low beam switch, good. Brake lights, good. Turn signals, nope. Horn, nope. Well...

 

Kept going. Gauges, working perfect. Custom dimmer switch for gauges, very nice. Electric fan, good. Fuel pump, buzzing away like it should. Wipers, oh yeah I don't have those... :P

 

So basically everything on the car worked perfectly on the first try except the turn signals and horn. On to diagnosis...

 

Tim says "try the hazard lights". I do, and they work fine. So what the fuck? Switch dead? It's then we remember that these cars use two different flasher circuits. I look under the dash and see that when I rerouted and bundled all the wiring last week, I knocked loose the feed wire for the turn signal flasher. I popped that wire back on and the turn signals now work flawlessly.  :thumbup:

 

So what's with the horn? Turns out the throw on the button (upper right on the dash face) is a lot longer than I thought. Pushed the button a little harder/father and bingo, the air horns fired to life. And are loud as SHIT.  :rofl:

 

So, we basically rewired this car from bumper to bumper, and except for the two boo boos I made just before the finish line, everything we did worked perfectly right out of the box. I am quite chuffed at that....   ^_^

 

 

Oh, and in the dark, these Speedhut gauges is sexy as hell...   :cool:

 

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So, now the list is getting very short. Need to fill the transmission, bleed the brakes, pour in some gas, and go drive this sumbitch.  :cool:

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Very nice! My 510 wiring adventure definitely didn't go that smoothly. :)

 

And those gauges are nice.

 

Now go race this against Statutory Grape!

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Now go race this against Statutory Grape!

 

 

I honestly have no idea how "fast" this car will be, but I'd wager it would be quicker than the van... 

 

 

Mind you, the van is fairly quick for what it is. Almost too quick. It is a column shifted manual (aka 3-on-the-tree), so right now it revs up through the gears a little too quick. It would be easier to drive with about 10-20 less hp, or taller rear gears...   :P

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I'm sure there will be an acceleration test between the two at some point in the not too distant future.  I'm also sure the longer the race, the worse the van is going to lose.  Off the line, I'm thinking... no, the van's probably going to lose that too.  Never mind.

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Si I realized that I checked every thing in the dash except the radio...   ^_^

 

I was waiting for the radio install until I was sure everything worked and it wouldn't have to come out again, so I plugged it up, put it in the dash for good, and it fired up and worked perfectly...   :thumbup:

 

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Sounds fairly decent too. Who would have thought a heater box would make such a good speaker box?   :rofl:

 

 

The PO had changed out the dash at some point so he removed the VIN tag and saved it, thankfully. Of course then I switched out the dash he installed for a RHD dash. And even though I said to myself a dozen times "don't forget to install the VIN tag before you bolt the dash in", I did not.   :blush:

 

Since I wanted to replace the windshield seal anyway, I just went ahead and popped the glass out...

 

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For whatever reason, Nissan chose to put two little indentations in the dash on the left side for the VIN tag, even though the RHD cars did not have a VIN tag in that location...   ^_^

 

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Drilled two holes, popped in two rivets, job done...

 

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My reasoning for changing the windshield seal was that Kelmo traded me a set of stainless trim for the glass, and I had a new OEM seal with the proper groove for the trim. I tried installing the trim in the seal and that kicked my ass. Then I tried installing the windshield and that kicked my ass. So I gave up and went home...  

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Thought I had some pics filed away but no such luck. I will look at the grey car this afternoon and see if it stirs any memories up. But, then again, old guy with CRS so.....

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So, you probably already know this but for those who are following along...…..

 

There is a channel in the seal towards the inner part where the glass is.

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On the part towards the outside of the seal, the moulding just lays there (much like some girls I used to know) and I do not see any type of channel to hold it in.

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I am sure you have these types of tools laying around the shop. The white one laying on top usually works the best for me.

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If this helped cool, if not, well at least I got another post out of it.

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You guys are not making me feel terribly confident about my impending glass removal. 

 

 

The Removal isn't the hard part. :thumbup:

 

 

Yeah, if you aren't trying to save the seal, it's super easy to get out. 

 

 

Although, honestly, my seal was still so soft and pliable, it took maybe 30 seconds to remove the windshield...    :P

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Spent what seemed like forever trying to get the trim installed in the rubber, then the rubber on the glass. After a dozen failed attempts I said fuck it and installed the windshield without the trim...

 

36391996_1761620400583743_68280517033805

 

 

 

Since I have a new seal for it, I went ahead and removed the rear glass...

 

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It took almost an hour to get the rear glass out, thanks to it being the original seal, and it being hard as a rock...   :rofl:

 

 

I did have an ulterior motive for taking it out. I want to make a cover for the rear that goes from the top of the back seat to the base of the window. That way when you look through the back window you don't just see the white trunk floor...

 

 

I also ordered this, hoping it would show up before today so I could fuss with it a bit. And of course, it was on the porch waiting when I got home from the shop instead...   :P

 

61Xr0M8ht1L._SX425_.jpg

 

 

 

It has a fairly small case, so it should fit in place of the Monza tip I have now. Only question is how far it sticks out the back. But the way Magnaflow makes their tips, I can shorten them a bit...

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Spent what seemed like forever trying to get the trim installed in the rubber, then the rubber on the glass. After a dozen failed attempts I said fuck it and installed the windshield without the trim...

 

36391996_1761620400583743_68280517033805

 

 

 

Since I have a new seal for it, I went ahead and removed the rear glass...

 

36432350_1761620403917076_85602976812750

 

 

It took almost an hour to get the rear glass out, thanks to it being the original seal, and it being hard as a rock...   :rofl:

 

 

I did have an ulterior motive for taking it out. I want to make a cover for the rear that goes from the top of the back seat to the base of the window. That way when you look through the back window you don't just see the white trunk floor...

 

 

I also ordered this, hoping it would show up before today so I could fuss with it a bit. And of course, it was on the porch waiting when I got home from the shop instead...   :P

 

61Xr0M8ht1L._SX425_.jpg

 

 

 

It has a fairly small case, so it should fit in place of the Monza tip I have now. Only question is how far it sticks out the back. But the way Magnaflow makes their tips, I can shorten them a bit...

Mind making a template if you make this? I would be very interested in one of these also, as would I suspect many 1200 coupe owners would be.

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Mind making a template if you make this? I would be very interested in one of these also, as would I suspect many 1200 coupe owners would be.

 

I could, yes. Still debating whether to make a rigid piece at the front and one at the rear with either vinyl or some stretchy fabric in between the two, or just one rigid piece from front to back. 

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Thinking we will go rigid one piece for the cover. Trying to decide on materials right now...

 

Did some test fitting of the muffler and it will need a complete rework of the exhaust from the axle back, so I will probably start that on Saturday...

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Check on luaun plywood. Quarter inch thick but probably still strong enough for some speakers. 

 

Actually, just bought some...   :rofl:

 

Got a 2'x4' sheet from my local Lowe's. Seems very stiff and crazy light weight too. I think it will be strong enough to hold the speakers as well. 

 

 

One side is pretty slick so you could stain it or wrap with thin foam and fabric/vinyl/leather etc.

 

I bought some thin lightweight carpet I found at said Lowe's also. We shall see...

 

If I don't like that, foam padding and vinyl will get it done...

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Some thin light carpet and a piece of aluminum L bracket...

36814486_1772572639488519_72887008787504

 

A piece of 2x4 luaun plywood...

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Drill a couple of holes in the L bracket...

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Drill two holes in the seat back, one per side, and install nut thingy...

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Paint bracket black and bolt it on...

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On the trunk hinge cover, remove two outside clips and replace with nut thingy...

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Now it holds on with a bolt instead of a plastic clip...

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Cut sides of board to fit the width of the opening...

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Use a marker to trace along the edge of the window lip, then retrace 1.25" lower...

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Cut that bit off and...

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Made a notch in the board under the bolt...

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At this point I added a small aluminum bracket to the board to attach it using that bolt. Turns out the bolt didn't go in at an angle I liked, so a small bracket bent up about 15 degrees made it bolt up nice and square...

 

Tomorrow I am going to cut speaker holes in it, cover it in the carpet, dye the carpet dark blue to match, then install the speakers. Hopefully I can put it in the car for good on Wednesday...

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Went with the carpet after all. It's a fairly short loop so not too fluffy or thick. Glued it on with some good old Super77, then dyed it the same "Shadow blue" as the rest of the interior. After it dried, I went ahead and installed the speakers in it. Should be in the car for good by this time tomorrow...

 

 

36976853_1777246462354470_21612185153259

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