Picked up a inexpensive new project! z32 goodness!

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vshah

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
that is a kick ass shop you've got there. and now a fun project to work on in it.

looking forward to this thread!
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
Had the chassis on the lift and noticed a small collection of oil near a turbo....

Dropped Tranny. Removed a thousand hoses and clips. Removed engine. Picts later tonight.

Both turbos need to be rebuilt. I may as well rebuild engine while I am at it.

May buy this front clip to swap the engine/turbos and use body panels. Think 3500 is too much for this shipped?




http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-RHD-Nis...pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr
 
Subyman

Subyman

Moderator <br> VC&G Forum
Mar 18, 2005
7,876
32
86
I used to own a 1990 Black 300ZX NA. It was a really fun car. A little on the heavy side, which was a little disappointing since it looks small in person. The fit and finish is wonderful on them. Remember they were $50k cars back when they were new! I didn't do a damn thing to it except put new nicer tires on it. It doesn't need anything. I always cringe when I see high schoolers driving them around with chrome wheels, canon exhausts, and body kits. The design of them is so classic that having all that trash on them is a tragedy.

Very nice find though. It is incredibly hard to find a good condition twin turbo these days. The good part is that we are at the time when people are not collecting them so the price is really low.
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
Subyman said:
I used to own a 1990 Black 300ZX NA. It was a really fun car. A little on the heavy side, which was a little disappointing since it looks small in person. The fit and finish is wonderful on them. Remember they were $50k cars back when they were new! I didn't do a damn thing to it except put new nicer tires on it. It doesn't need anything. I always cringe when I see high schoolers driving them around with chrome wheels, canon exhausts, and body kits. The design of them is so classic that having all that trash on them is a tragedy.

Very nice find though. It is incredibly hard to find a good condition twin turbo these days. The good part is that we are at the time when people are not collecting them so the price is really low.
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Parts are cheap now for them as well.


Looks like I am going to need a few more things. The more I tear apart the more I find wrong. The two guys that helped me pull the engine were not happy about how heavy the engine was.
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
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About to perform leakdown test. The low compression in that one cylinder worries me. I hate to rebuild over such a small variance but when I add moar boost it could be ugly.
 
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manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
exdeath said:
All I got out of the last post was "moar boost" :awe:
Click to expand...

Exactly. The idea of "moar boost" theoretically could make "moar boom" when something goes awry. Someone convince me to rebuild vs buying a 50K miles used JDM engine with turbos/harness ecu or go nuts and buy that whole front 99 fairlady rhd and go rhd conversion with moar rice!


http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...5804,527255835&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

Can anyone tell me what that is on top of the steering wheel on that 99 fairlady? Is that a turbo timer or boost controller? I dont recognize the brand. Does not look stock to me.
 
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manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
alkemyst said:
This is good, but I don't think it's an inexpensive project.
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Not any more buddy your absolutely right. I was within range on compression but cant expect an engine this old to take added boost levels.

Well actually compared to the Maserati I was going to buy in its stead it will still turn out cheap :p


So what do you think about buying that JP front clip vs rebuilding original engine?
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
manimal said:
Well actually compared to the Maserati I was going to buy.


So what do you think about buying that JP front clip vs rebuilding original engine?
Click to expand...

I'd do both with that budget.

However I think the Z32 will lack a lot of things in this endevour.
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
alkemyst said:
I'd do both with that budget.

However I think the Z32 will lack a lot of things in this endevour.
Click to expand...

The JP clip includes 40k engine with updated injectors. I would probably use the newer ecu, harness alternator etc. The fairlady clip is the same color so I could switch out the body panels as well as part out the brakes and other parts I dont use. If I get the clip the newer engine should suffice after all the timing belt is done.


What would still be lacking?
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
What nobody noticed the huge spider I pulled out of the radiator? Its hard to tell scale but that things body was bigger than a silver dollar.
 
Harrod

Harrod

Golden Member
Apr 3, 2010
1,900
21
81
manimal said:
What nobody noticed the huge spider I pulled out of the radiator? Its hard to tell scale but that things body was bigger than a silver dollar.
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I was under my Saab the other day and saw a black widow. Talk about a almost crapping in your pants moment, considering I flicked it away with my hand without realizing what it was.
 
B

Black2na

Senior member
Nov 25, 2010
629
1
0
Honestly i would go for the Front clip its really hard to find a complete one of those now. not to mention the extra parts it would supply you with would be invaluable. that and if it were me i would go through the trouble to convert it to RHD. cause if you have the parts why not. and i love Z32's it is on the list of cars i will someday build.
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
Black2na said:
Honestly i would go for the Front clip its really hard to find a complete one of those now. not to mention the extra parts it would supply you with would be invaluable. that and if it were me i would go through the trouble to convert it to RHD. cause if you have the parts why not. and i love Z32's it is on the list of cars i will someday build.
Click to expand...

I am vassilating over going through the additional trouble of going rhd. I did order that front clip. They are sending me their leakdown results and are doing a fresh compression test for me and filming it before shipping. They even took a few cemolians off the price which helped!!
My gut tells me to get the engine swap done with the appropriate transplants then worry about rhd. I have space to keep the clip indoors for a while while I decide.

Funny the clip was almost twice what the car was.

exdeath said:
Actually I spent some time trying to see what it was. Picture was too blurry. Looks like a wolf spider from what I can see of the banding on the legs. They are cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC4PgOV1MTE
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sadly the reason the picture came out so blurry was that my depends were full at the time ><

I am starting the body this week. Pics as soon as I get more.

Am I crazy to want to start up the front clip before I disassemble it and drive it around the parking lot...er wait never mind...rwd...
 
SpatiallyAware

SpatiallyAware

Lifer
Sep 7, 2009
12,960
3
0
In my opinion something like that is better as a 'mint' stockish car. I'd rebuild the original engine, to original specs, with original parts other than removing the smog crap they added on.


The jdm conversions are suited more towards people that love that specific platform and want to build it up no matter the cost. Just personal opinion, but I'd go with a supra or something else if I was going to spend that much money and go to those lengths

Great looking car!
 
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