The first modification I started is trying to emulate the Daytona's front end. The factory front bumper was removed and discarded (saving about 50 lbs. in the process!). Next, the grill, valence, and front header panel were removed. Looking at photos of Daytona Coupes, the similarity of the headlight buckets to those of a Datsun 280 Z was apparent. Off to the wreckers and a pair off of a 1980 were purchased. One of my concerns was if the new front would match the contour of the hood and fenders. To make sure everything matched up smoothly, the original header panel was stripped of paint and all but the last inch sawed off. This left me with a flange with the original bolts in place and the correct shape.
The next step was to section the Datsun pieces slightly to match the fender contour and bond them to the flange. The Datsun headlight mounts and trim rings were also used and attached to new aluminum brackets. One of the nice things of using the Datsun pieces is it allowed me to use a pair of store bought Lexan covers for the headlights (I have since busted one...damn! so I'm searching for replacements). To match the dips in the hood, fiberglass was laid over a couple of old pieces of furnace ducting to the approximate shape. I then made several flat panels by laying fiberglass on arborite sheets. The photo above shows a bumper installed that I originally intended to use, it also served as a mold for a new leading edge for the front so that the slight curve would match. All of these assorted pieces were assembled like a jigsaw puzzle and fiberglassed together into one piece. (Since then I have decided that the bumper added to much mass to the front and has been tossed. Fortunately, I didn't pay anything for it in the first place!)
