Last week my latest order from the good folks at Just Jap came in.

I think when I first built this car I always wanted the good brand stuff, but either couldn’t afford it or couldn’t justify it. This time around, I think the philosophy has become akin to “why buy a generic part that will work when you can have a brand name?”. This order contained a Blitz radiator, a Blitz air cleaner for Z32 AFM and a carbon coil pack cover. The radiator in particular is super nice.

Things you get with real parts that you don’t get with generic ones.

Very lovely.

So today (well, initially yesterday but I screwed that up) I went ahead and installed these and some other nice things.

I bought a polished rocker cover from the good people at Japanese Import Spares thinking that I’d paint it candy red, but before doing something drastic like that I thought I’d see how I like the polished look. Turns out I like it quite a bit. I’m trying to take my time with some of the style choices on this car, trying different options and seeing where they take me. This won’t be where we end up, but it is giving me good ideas about direction.

I need new fasteners for the coil pack cover (and to redrill the holes, which Just Jap were completely up front about) but I really like this piece in here. Also note the new black silicone and new hose clamps. Where possible, all joiners and clamps are being replaced. Not sexy, but worthy.

New Tomei oil cap from yesterday and a new Cusco brace I got a while back through RHD Japan.

It’s one of my cars, so there will be a lot of dumb small details that I will think are awesome and everyone else will (quite justifiably) ignore. I will then alternate between feeling superior and feeling ignored. Standard issue stuff.

Picked these little billet fastener dealies up from EFI Specialties when I got my new oil filter relocation (yet to be installed). Much like Marge Simpson with potatoes, I think they’re neat.

So after sweating half to death in a hot steel shed on a 32 degree day, I came home to another delivery. Fabric for my new roof lining. I had been back and forth on colour for this, but Rob was adamant that I needed to go with red and he was very difficult to ignore.

I planned to go around to the local trimmer tomorrow and book it in, but after an hour or so of looking at the fabric, then the roof lining, then the fabric, then the roof lining and then the roof lining adhesive I already had, I caved in.

I’ll try install this once the weather cools off a little. It looks good, hey?

Trying to keep things ticking. Step by step.