DATSANITI - 1980 Datsun 210 Wagon VQ35 Swap - $2018 Challenge

Mind. Blown. 

Combine that with what it looks like under the hood and you've got something really special there. 

I mean this has been awesome all along, but now with the paint work? Incredible. I don't know if winning concourse was your goal, but I hope you do.

That looks awesome!  And that’s after it already looked really cool in primer.

Amazing.

Incredible. Great job!

Looks awesome 

Amazing!

..Wife just walked by me to pick my mouth up off the floor! SHE even commented on this. I love it! Great job! 

Now you're a set of bronze wheels away from getting a couple of free tickets to the Jacksonville Jaguars! Doooo eeet (don't do it-it's beautiful)!  

That is too green for a BRE livery, but it sure doesn't look bad!

I have not touched this car since I put it away after last weekend's fresh paint photoshoot because I'm going through some real E36 M3 in my personal life this week. I played around with wetsanding and polishing the paint. Here's the raw texture in a different light.

Not so nice eh?

Here's the same area wet sanded 1000 then 1500, then buffed with rubbing compound finally some Meguiars 205

MUCH better. This feels like buttery glass. Here's an area with no wetsanding, just buffing with rubbing compound. It was also a relatively trouble-free area:

It's decent, but not great. I think I'll be wetsanding the entire car. Oh joy. Here's a patch of freshly wetsanded area next to some buffed non-wetsanded paint. You can literally feel the difference.

Here is the wetsanded/buffed/polished area in different light. The sanded does something weird to the metallic since it's single stage. I think it will still work.

Also the color is doing something weird on camera. I look at the car - looks totally green. Look at picture I just took - yeah that's blue. I don't know what's going on, but both colors look good to me.

edit: fixed the photos. Google photos fails. GRM server win.

It

is

awesome

Pete

In reply to maschinenbau :

Looks great!

I hope that E36 M3 going on in your personal life gets better soon.

Man that looks fantastic.  

Great work on the paint.

God, i hope my paint and body photographs that well. It really is a stunning transformation. 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

I think it's physically impossible for you to put any more orange peel on a car than I put on this one. If you're taking any care in your work, which I know you do, then you're gonna love your paint job and I'm excited to see it.

latest pix no worky for me on iPhone6s or laptop with Windows10

In reply to maschinenbau :

Did you see the briggt blue nb miata jim brought last year? I painted that one. 

Dont underestimate the amount of rund, solvent pop, and orange peel i can lay down. Im a pro at it!

Photos aren't working for me either, I checked on Chrome and IE.

In reply to klodkrawler05 :

Just uploaded straight to forum instead. should work now.

dang, that's awesome!   the late '70s - early '80s were such a weird time with "performance = flares and stripes" appearance packages that you could probably convince some people that it's a rare factory option.

Honestly, the orange peel and "texture" that's there really goes with the color. Gives is a kinda retro look I think. It reminds me of something specific, but I can't quite put my finger on it. It looks amazing though!

This Friday I'm going drag racing. Atlanta Motor Speedway uses the pit lane as a simple 1/8th mile strip, heads-up no timer style. I won't get a time, which would be useful for testing, but at least I'll get practice. I'm also going to drive Datsaniti the whole 50 mile round trip, which should be terrible in this southern heat wave without A/C and in Friday afternoon Atlanta traffic.

But first an oil change. The last time I changed the oil, this engine was in a different car. So about a year ago. It's so easy thanks to Nissan's front sump pan that you don't even need a jack, just a few boards.

I opted for a slightly longer oil filter this time, which is for a Nissan Frontier something like that. The internet said it would work.

You may recall a few months ago I picked up a set of Nitto 555R drag radials on some Mustang SN95 wheels. According to my gearing calculations, they should be too big for my Challenge goals, but just right for maxing out 3rd gear in the 8th mile. Plus, you know, practice.

Lots of practice

Eleven's  rock no matter where....awesome!!!   oh I run the long Wix on the 'V' for the added capacity/retention

maschinenbau said:

But first an oil change. The last time I changed the oil, this engine was in a different car. 

I literally lol'd at this enough to get funny looks from SWMBO. LOL 

Lots of practice