"Mechanix Menace": An LS7-motivated, chopped and heavily modified 1973 Datsun 240Z

[chevyz240]

I have continued the design work in Blender. The shape of the bumpers has been further modified. I have also changed the grill shape to better match the front bumper. A rear spoiler has been tested too.
I haven't decided to 100% that I will use bumpers, but I am leaning towards it. However, I don't think I will use a fixed rear spoiler, as I have said before. But I definitely want to see how that could look. As always, these decisions need to simmer and mature in my brain for some time.

Comments are welcome, as always!

[chevyz240]

A couple of new front spoiler shapes have been tested and I have modeled a retractable rear spoiler.

I think the next video will be a tour of the Mechanix Menace garage, which I guess is long overdue!

[chevyz240]

Here's a little tour of the garage where Mechanix Menace is being built!

I briefly go over how the project came to be and I explain some of the thought processes behind it. Most of this has been posted here before, but this is the first time I am doing a video like this!

[chevyz240]

I have made yet another video!

This time I am showing in detail all the steps I go through when I add a new tube to the chassis; all the way from the CAD model to the tube being tacked in place. Again, I have shown this in pictures before, but I think this video helps to understand the whole process much better.
Please comment and ask questions and if there is something you would like to see in a future video, let me know!

[chevyz240]

Some more design changes have taken place! And, lo and behold, garage season has begun!

[chevyz240]

This is the first animation I have done of the car. I think it gives a much better feel for how the car looks, compared to just looking at it in pictures.

[chevyz240]

I made another little animation! I am especially happy with the power window and its sound!

[chevyz240]

The last post of 2024 will be this video showing some sheet metal fabrication and welding. I am creating the connection between the rocker panel and the rear wheel well. You'll also get a closer look at the CAD model than what I have shown before.

I wish you all a Happy New Year! 🥂🎆💥🎉

[chevyz240]

Just for fun I scrolled through a lot of different colors!

[TANKMASTERJ]

Henrik
I haven't looked in quite some time. Just watched your see the shop video.
I'm very impressed with your car story, renderings, thoughts about the Z.
I'm absolutely an american car guy myself but also very much appreciate cars from all continents. I love that European flair ( hope I've got that right ) in your modified version of the Z. I really like your engineer mindset being applied front to back on the build. Pretty cool you work at Ohlins and obviously have such a wealth of automotive knowledge to throw at your build.
I actually just bought a car from a guy who works at multimatic here in the states. Also a very interesting guy.
Good to see your progress and it all happened in a small home garage.
I love the LS7 as that's what I run. Great engine choose for that car.
Keep it up.
Jason

[chevyz240]

Henrik
I haven't looked in quite some time. Just watched your see the shop video.
I'm very impressed with your car story, renderings, thoughts about the Z.
I'm absolutely an american car guy myself but also very much appreciate cars from all continents. I love that European flair ( hope I've got that right ) in your modified version of the Z. I really like your engineer mindset being applied front to back on the build. Pretty cool you work at Ohlins and obviously have such a wealth of automotive knowledge to throw at your build.
I actually just bought a car from a guy who works at multimatic here in the states. Also a very interesting guy.
Good to see your progress and it all happened in a small home garage.
I love the LS7 as that's what I run. Great engine choose for that car.
Keep it up.
Jason

Thanks for the kind words, Jason!

Yes, since the project has been going on for eons, it has changed directions a few times. From the start, it was basically meant to be a street legal race car. Now, the goal is to have a more sophisticated car, with reasonable comfort, but still fairly quick around a track. I have also gone more towards a look that is closer to what an OEM actually might build. I think a lot of people will not be able to tell that almost every line of the car has been changed.

Multimatic builds nice shocks!

[chevyz240]

Here's a little teaser for an interesting project I'm working on!

It will be revealed in full in the not to distant future!

Can you guess what it is?

[Vimes]

Passenger side front spoiler.

[chevyz240]

Passenger side front spoiler.

Nope! It's further towards the middle of the car.

[TANKMASTERJ]

Speaking of sophisticated street car going around the track, I'm wanting to add traction control to mine. I know the 08 Z06 had it that I got the engine and ECU out of so I should be able to add it with hopefully jat something like a hall effect sensor on the drive shaft
I'm investigating my options now.
It never ends!

[chevyz240]

Speaking of sophisticated street car going around the track, I'm wanting to add traction control to mine. I know the 08 Z06 had it that I got the engine and ECU out of so I should be able to add it with hopefully jat something like a hall effect sensor on the drive shaft
I'm investigating my options now.
It never ends!

That sounds like a good idea! Interesting to see how it'll work out!

[chevyz240]

This has nothing to do with my project, but maybe it can be interesting to see a little bit of what I do at work. It feels good to have designed and helped tune the shock absorbers for all three cars.

[chevyz240]

A video showing the first chore for my newly bought shop press; bending a couple of pieces of sheet metal with a specific bend radius. But wait, there's more!!! A view of a very nice and blue thumb!

[chevyz240]

The second job for my shop press was to test how well 3D-printed press dies would work when forming sheet metal. It worked surprisingly well, even if the high strength Docol 800DP (yield strength 600-650 Mpa or 72500-94300 psi) wasn't shaped perfectly and the dies got a bit deformed. I think that making a series of dies and forming the sheet metal in several steps would give a better result. The shapes of the dies were also pretty aggressive. I am sure I will use this method for some parts in the future.

[chevyz240]

The pieces of sheet metal that I bent in the second to last video have found their places at the rear end of the rocker panels. I am pretty pleased with the result!

Eventually I will enlarge the rocker panel with a box shaped beam above the existing rocker. This beam will be filled with aluminum honeycomb. The original rocker panel will be extended outwards, and probably filled with polyurethane foam. Both of these measures will increase chassis stiffness and create a deformation zone in the event of a side impact. As I have said before, I am a huge fan of trying to make the car as safe as possible, within the existing constraints.

More pictures can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/MechanixMenace/