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[mr_aj_johnson]

I mentioned on a recent facebook post that I missed the forums. So in an effort to drive myself back I'm gonna try to get back on here once a week. The downside is that you lunatics have to put up with whatever I work on that particular week. The majority of my time will go to the rally car but you'll also have to put up with updates on the other projects or deal with me falling off the map again.

Quick recap on current projects
88 80 quattro rally car 7A open light
74 datsun 260z complete resto and RB20 to start this winter
78 datsun 280 turbo for my pops
78 yamaha rc100 go kart the boys (6 and 9) are restoring with my help
78 Yamaha xs 750 triple
as well as 2 new construction houses on a rental property I'm hoping to break ground on in the spring. (nervous as hell about these as they suck up cash faster than I can come up with it)

For starters the rally car was rolled in 2016, I straightened the frame and then got held up by houses
Just re welded the roof on, repainted the interior, hung a 7a with balanced stock bottom end attached to an 016. Has some nice piper cams in it but is mostly stock, will run on vems. Currently trying to learn how to apply bondo to the car and hoping to have it repainted and ready to run in the next couple months.

The 260 is sitting waiting on the audi with an entire shelf of parts to install and a rotisserie to be hung on

The 280 is currently being tuned by myself enough to get it to drive around then final tuned by a local shop called advanced auto fab. -Hank has been a part of the audi group on and off with an old rabbit and coupe GT run in lemons and lucky dog. Really looking forward to him fine tuning the car.

The xs750 was going to be a cafe, but all the parts are there so I'll bring it back to original spec and see how much time I actually have to ride it.

The go kart is off to powder coat this week and the boys are still fighting tooth and nail over the color. My 6 year old is to short to drive the thing but it hasn't curbed his enthusiasm in the slightest. I'll have to come up with a way for him to be able to run it.

anyway here are some pics from the last little bit of progress. Hope you enjoy. I'm going to do my best to update every monday.

[mr_aj_johnson]

Pics

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[mr_aj_johnson]

Couple more of the motor going in the z and the rc100 on its way home from a dump run that happened to stop at a garage sale... My wife rolls her eyes alot.


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[DE80q]

Well damn AJ! I recently read up on the 80 on another site, as well as the move and other things haha. Was going to text you, but don't know what your schedual looks like. Glad to see you will be posting again.

[Foscora]

Very cool fleet you got there!

Indeed Facebook hurted forums and to be honest, it's not replacing forums at all and I miss following projects in here

[Grillage]

Every bit of this is great! Keep the posing up and I promise to read it

Love the Datsuns! My dad had a 240z when I was little and did a bunch of work to it. This is me leaning on the freshly painted Datsun circa 1980:

[mr_aj_johnson]

Well damn AJ! I recently read up on the 80 on another site, as well as the move and other things haha. Was going to text you, but don't know what your schedual looks like. Glad to see you will be posting again.

Call anytime man, itd be great to catch up!

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[mr_aj_johnson]

Every bit of this is great! Keep the posing up and I promise to read it

Love the Datsuns! My dad had a 240z when I was little and did a bunch of work to it. This is me leaning on the freshly painted Datsun circa 1980:

That is a fantastic photo! I appreciate it

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[Mcstiff]

[audifreakjim]

Yes! More projects!

[85oceanic]

Welcome back to the Forum life! I prefer it over FB, IG, etc. Just so much more depth to the projects and information. Awesome Z-car! Love those things!

[mr_aj_johnson]

Welcome back to the Forum life! I prefer it over FB, IG, etc. Just so much more depth to the projects and information. Awesome Z-car! Love those things!

That Z is dads. Mine is an absolute cesspool of a project. But thanks!

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[PRY4SNO]

Cesspools make the best projects. Look forward to seeing more

[mr_aj_johnson]

Good morning! Been a light week for car stuff. More bondo on the rally car. Got the 280z out for its first 20 miles or so. Got it tuned to wastegate pressure is all but its going to be a monster. It's not going to take much for tire spin in first and second. Itll get the exhaust buttoned up today then we'll turn the wick up to 15 psi or so. After that my part is done! While its exciting and fun I'm ready to get back to my own toys. I'll try and get a video to post.

The boys have finished stripping their go kart and that heads off to powdercoat today. They are already discussing the "next one" and "off road" stuff.

We did start a massive shop reorganization this week, wifes craft area is getting bigger and the poor boys have lost all of the organization they had while we dump more crap on their table. Hopefully we can be cleaned up and organized by the time the frame comes back.

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[mr_aj_johnson]

Go kart color has been picked!

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[mrdeye]

This is all warm and fuzzy. But did the boy stick the landing?!?!

[mr_aj_johnson]

This is all warm and fuzzy. But did the boy stick the landing?!?!

There were a few close calls while we were trying to get his butt off the seat. Got himself bucked off before he decided to listen. This picture was after he decided to listen- dirt stains, skinned legs, bloody hand and a huge smile

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[FFF]

Nice, will definitely follow along - variety is the spice of life!!


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[mrdeye]

Nice! Rock on little man! You ain’t crash’n You ain’t learn’n.

[mr_aj_johnson]

Had hoped to have pictures of paint on this car before I left, but no dice. Gone for a couple weeks for work. Looking forward to hanging with my pit crew when I get back!

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[mr_aj_johnson]

Spent a couple weeks out of town for work and got back on the car. SO MUCH SANDING!

I'm not sure why i'm putting half the effort in that I am. I will be crashing the thing again. Its so easy to say "Well that will only take a minute or two" or "Removing the belt trim will look way better" or "yeah lets patch in that rocker panel you smashed while we are at it"

Anyways- If the weather warms up, I'm spraying it by the end of the week. I was tempted to change color schemes but I really did like the old one, and it only got presented at a couple races before I went and broke it.

I've never done these patch panels before- I did the sunroof fill panel and now this rocker. I'm really glad I'm practicing on the rally car as I'm hoping to be more proficient when it comes time to re skin the datsun roof. (get rid of the 1970s sunroof)

[mr_aj_johnson]

And the pics I forgot

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[vt10vt]

Looking good! Love that there's been a bit of a resurgence of old Audis on stage.

I'm fighting the same internal battles with my Coupe, on the one hand it's a racecar, but on the other hand it would look really nice if I just made that one extra little change...

[PRY4SNO]

Love that you're really using your car, and hope to see more updates in the future!

I'm fighting the same internal battles with my Coupe, on the one hand it's a racecar, but on the other hand it would look really nice if I just made that one extra little change...

Yup.

This dichotomy led me to the decision that my Cq would be best served as a balls out GT car. One that could both drive to an Auto-x or track event and place, and either drive home or continue along to the mountains on the coast and back without issue.

Unfortunately those broad requirements have led to more downtime than anticipated.

[mr_aj_johnson]

The datsun is gonna be the nice car. I will probably run a hillclim in it or the odd driving event. But I've set a rule on that car that the wife has to WANT to drive it. That's a suprising limitation when it comes to a car build.

The primer is almost a dolphin blue, part of me really digs it as a color! Was just priming the roof for last minute sanding but overfilled the gun and this small section was prepped so I squirted it.

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