A few months ago I read a forum on how to paint your car with a roller and foam brush. For me I thought this would be a novel idea since I don't own a paint gun or compressor and I can't really spray in my garage anyways since I don't own it. I started by testing out some black stripes which I had always planned to do ever since another member tried them out on his green coupe. So I bought a roller and some thinner and made a super thin wash of gloss black and layered up about five coats on the hood. It was more a test than anything but the stripes stuck because they added about 10 hp to my ute. At least the hoons here around the Gold Coast think so because I've had a a ford hatchback, a black supra turbo, and some dodgy white van all try to race me on separate occasions when stopped at a light since the stripes went on. I don't participate in that by the way. With the hatchback I pretended like I was going to race them when the light turned green, but I didn't move on purpose and sat there watching them fishtail across the intersection very stupidly.

What did add a few horses instead, I hope, was the installation of a Weber 32/36 DGAV and oval port intake which I bought from bert. Decided to upgrade the carb because the existing one had a dodgy air cleaner that would pop off every once in a while and cause me to stall (hence the duct tape in the photos). Had a friend help me install them because I didn't feel confident enough to do it myself. Makes the A15 alot louder thats for sure, and the throttle is definitely more responsive, and I even reckon the engine idles alot better than before. I do have a slight hesitation once in a while that carried through from the original carb when the engine's running cold but I'm not sure what causes it. Makes the engine bog down when I accelerate but if I let go the slightest bit or floor it instead the rpm's come back and it takes off again. I've been told by other members it could be my distributor or coil or the accelerator pump in the carb but I don't have the experience to troubleshoot these items. Changed the air filter element to a red one also because it looks nicer and I thought maybe the old one was causing the problem, but no it wasn't. Mini breather installed as well.

Lastly was refinishing the sports bar in gloss black as well. Not sure if I'll put the bar and tonneau cover back on though as I like the slim look with them off so they are currently for sale if anyone wants.

The idea of painting the whole car with a roller fell through. I decided to go the traditional route and sand/prime/paint the ute myself with a spray gun which the next post will be about as this takes my build thread to present time.

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webber definitely neatens things up in the engine bay. and placement of the washer bottle free's up some space on the passenger side, i like it mate.

What's the radiator overflow bottle on the firewall mate? Haven't really seen them before lol

thats the windscreen washer bottle i think, no kangaroo bag here

Nah it's not, you can still see the old one with the piping running to the bonnet visible in the corner of the 3rd last pic. And you can read it on the bottle lol

Might be an additive for running the unleaded, some people were a little concerned about running unleaded fuel in these engiens so they fitted those things.

Mind you it's about 3 times the capacity of the ones that I've seen.

Weber does sweeten that scene up a bit hey!

Yeah the overflow for the radiator just runs down next to the radiator doesn't it? Shouldn't overflow too much!

Seems an interesting place to have it as an additive bottle, not the most accessible place. The front of the engine bay or in the tub near the filler somewhere seems more sensible haha. I guess it IS a Datsun though haha

ah yes it does have a kangaroo bag my mistake, i am intruiged myself now lol

duct tape ftw lol.

steal my orange piping idea will you. bout 6 years too late- did it on my ute in purple too. found some left over the other day in the shed still hahahaha

Yea the big tub under the bonnet near the firewall is supposedly the radiator overflow as observed. It has a big rubber tube going from the top of the radiator near the cap straight to the tub. Was like that when I bought it and I have no idea why the guy before me installed one so big, or one at all even. As with a few things on the ute, it makes me suss why its that way and not the original setup. I like the washer tank positioned where it is and its quite big, must have come from some other late car of some sorts. It actually sprays over my windscreen though so not sure its too handy because all it does is wet the roof and tray haha.

Sorry to steal your piping there unfamilia, I actually had no idea someone like yourself has done it before. Do you have any pics of how yours turned out? I'd be interested to do something else with my door panels.

Cheers guys.