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Alright I'm posting this loving thread finally. I've been sitting on this for FOUR YEARS, but I'm glad I waited, because there can only be one frozenphil. Quite a several moons ago a friend of mine sold me for basically nothing this '77 280Z shell. It cost basically nothing because it had basically nothing on it; half the glass, half the brakes, no hardlines for fuel or fluids, no interior, no engine, no trans, but the sheet metal in good shape, with very little rust, although someone had already KINDA hosed with it dreaming of doing an SBC swap. Here's a picture of me younger, scraping sound deadening off the trans tunnel when I first got it:  So, a great blank canvas upon which I decided I'd do whatever the gently caress I want. Amaterasu smiled. Since acquisition, I've painstakingly found every little loving missing thing and upgraded whatever I possibly could with modern, better solutions. You'd think over four years I would have given up, but that's for lesser people who aren't afflicted by THE CAR DISEASE. At first, I had planned to put an L28ET I found in a junked '83 280ZX Turbo 2+2, but...the motor was a little more hosed than I was willing to deal with, and the stock transmission ears were gone, so I didn't get to bolt it in. I donated this to a friend with a '77 2+2 and instead flipped a Legacy Wagon to buy... A FUCKIN' 1JZ. A ~300hp 2.5L twin turbo motor. I'd only really driven one other S30 in my life (the guy with the 2+2's), but I still feel like this was the right choice. Straight six, low displacement, nice and punchy and overbuilt. I've become very familiar with JZ motors as a direct consequence of working with this one, and previously living with a dude who built nice turbo kits for a living:  I'm just gonna hook right into the image-based storytelling from here. This is it in the storage unit. After three years of working on it in this cramped, unlit, unpowered, unventilated, really loving expensive 10x30 storage unit, they stopped providing electrical access because the tweakers in the storage complex couldn't stop living/cooking meth there, so I fuckin' left.  I like this picture.  It was glorious to see it on its own four wheels, not on jackstands, and in the sun instead of collecting dust:  This is the second time I had to weld in the crossmember. The first time, I did it without considering steering shaft placement, and one of the engine mounts rubbed bad. Rather than just trim the engine mount, I crammed it another 1/2" or so back in the engine bay for clearance.  Here's my  custom intake, which is just a K&N filter on a ~1' piece of 3" aluminum tubing that sneaks under the inspection lid. I hope it makes a sucking noise. I/C plumbing routing. The core support is still cut, I took it out to make craning the engine in and out easier while I was fitting it up. I am going to get a new blue silicone coupler for the intake side, because I want to paint the "hot" side, Pre-IC a red color, and then the "cold" post-IC tube blue, so that people can see the magic happening.  This is me butchering the engine loom the other day. It's amazing how many wires you don't need from the stock loom after a swap. I probably hosed it up so you guys get to laugh at me chasing gremlins when I try to get the lights and turn signals working.  Short list of things I've done so far: quote:- 1JZ-GTE If you've got questions, let 'er rip. I am by no stretch a professional, and it isn't running yet, but god help me now I have posted this thread so it shall be done. Waffle House fucked around with this message at 08:06 on Dec 3, 2016 |
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Dec 3, 2016 07:58
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Missed opportunity to name it the Datsun 281JZ imho
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Dec 3, 2016 08:26
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Hell yeah, dude. I admit to being one of those dudes who would have just LS swapped it, but this is almost as good  Plus, I admire your motivation!
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Dec 3, 2016 08:27
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Love these cars and these engines and they're a perfect match so you're doing great things here, sir.
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Dec 3, 2016 12:23
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Raluek posted:Hell yeah, dude. I admit to being one of those dudes who would have just LS swapped it, but this is almost as good This is MUCH better than another LS swap 
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Dec 3, 2016 12:28
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AWESOME.  I'm very much with the above posters on keeping it a straight six.Now paint it blue and put some arches on it. 
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Dec 3, 2016 13:49
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I love old Z cars but finding them even relatively rust free is pretty much a unicorn, even here in central TX, so its kick rear end to see a good condition shell. As offered, let me know if you need help wrenching on it. Also edit thread title with 14" dick's idea.
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Dec 3, 2016 14:58
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CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:This is MUCH better than another LS swap Total agreement. This is gonna be bad rear end.
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Dec 3, 2016 17:09
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InitialDave posted:AWESOME. ZGs are standing by, I've got hatch louvers I took off a car in a field, too.  A guy who works in the same industrial park showed up in this 1958 Giulietta Spider the other day. Says he might have an air dam for me, he's into Zs and has a few himself:  Korwen posted:Also edit thread title with 14" dick's idea. Extremely OK with this, will inquire Waffle House fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Dec 3, 2016 |
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Dec 3, 2016 19:18
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There seems to be something wrong with your engine, it's missing an entire JZ.
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Dec 3, 2016 21:36
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yesss thread title updated. thx IOC. It was cold and wet outside today, so little physical progress was made, but the guy across the alley with the Giulietta has a set of wipers, motors included, a valence, and a brake-ducted urethane air dam, which is something I sorely needed. Noted: Repaint the louvers.  So yellow. I'm totally keeping this color, it's great. 
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Dec 4, 2016 02:26
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I think the tires are backwards on your cool car.
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Dec 4, 2016 15:31
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Wounded Unicorn posted:I am going to get a new blue silicone coupler for the intake side, because I want to paint the "hot" side, Pre-IC a red color, and then the "cold" post-IC tube blue, so that people can see the magic happening. I like you.
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Dec 9, 2016 09:20
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This is sweet. I must  on this. Love old Z's, always have wanted to put that engine in something. Do you have a timeline for getting it running? How about some place to work on it now that you left the storage place?
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Dec 10, 2016 14:43
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Wounded Unicorn posted:yesss thread title updated. thx IOC. This is like a japanese version of that yellow mustang the racist man posted about before being banned. Great work.
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Dec 10, 2016 20:20
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TWSS posted:I think the tires are backwards on your cool car. Survey of product literature says you are correct. This shall be rectified; I must've wrongsided them when I towed the car to its new digs. I apparently forgot cotter pins on the front hubs, too, so I've gotta take 'em off anyway. Larrymer posted:This is sweet. I must Uhhhh, "soon". There's a few odds and ends I need to sort out, including apparently a leaky master vac booster(??), as well as finding some driveshaft bolts, but I can (and should) get the engine cranking within a day or three here, provided I have spare time after work each night. I'm working on it at the local hackerspace; they have more facilities support than anywhere I've ever been so far, so I'm okay for storage and tools for a sec. edit: Remaining GroverYellowCar issues checklist for self/thread organization purposes: quote:- Test booster; currently whistles. Fluid seems to have evaporated from MastCyl somehow, guessing mcyl/booster seal failure Purchases: quote:- Clevis pins for the ebrake cable because where the gently caress did I put those Waffle House fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Dec 12, 2016 |
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Dec 12, 2016 19:56
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The Sicilian posted:This is like a japanese version of that yellow mustang the racist man posted about before being banned.
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Dec 12, 2016 20:18
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Happy New Year and happy February, goons! I haven't been COMPLETELY asleep, the car is definitely making progress. The Radiator is back in. I have to give it some new mount points and a fresh rad support bar that I can hang the IC off, too. I already have some angle stock for it picked out, just need to zip it in.  Florian, the nice French guy from across the alley who owns a cosmetics business, apparently has about eight Z-Cars up near Dallas, and came through with a urethane air dam for me, along with a wiper plane assembly:  Installing wiper arms. I need to wire this up, like I do my headlights. You can see the Bosch 044 and the Aeromotive FPR. The 044 is going to get mounted pretty close to the fuel cell, and not in the stock location; stock location would mean I run the fuel lines forward on the exhaust-side of the engine, and I'm JUST A BIT antsy about putting anything fuel on the hot side:  Should probably vacuum out the apron here:  Jess/Yoshimi lending an incredibly seasoned hand. She has one of the biggest toolboxes I've ever seen:  Hood's back on. Ach mein porsche  This is what Z31 CVs look like installed in an S30 chassis. At some point I'd like to get the axles shortened an inch or two so they're easier to install. Supposedly they can bind?  I can't get over how fuckn tiny this car is:  Bonus: I discovered that a fear I had (leaky master vac/bad brake pressure) was in fact likely just a loose front right caliper line from when I unhooked everything to re-weld the engine cradle. $200 I don't have to re-spend, pending further safety testing. Waffle House fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Feb 13, 2017 |
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Feb 13, 2017 17:40
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This car looks awesome, nth-ing the love for the straight six.
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Feb 14, 2017 07:44
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slothrop posted:This car looks awesome, nth-ing the love for the straight six. Thanks! A fuel pump bracket was fabricated last night. We found a good length of dropped scrap plate from another project someone was doing, and contorted it unprofessionally using a vise into a rough Z-shape. It is not boxed, either by fabrication or by mounting, so it springs around when bopped. This will be rectified, but for now I need to make sure the car can move under its own power. The bottom tongue is a gravel guard, defending the pump from things beneath; I'll need to bolt another tongue of steel to guard the sides and fittings.  The top tongue bolts just to the outboard driver-side onto my lovely fuel cell cage, making a very short run for hoses from the tank's inlet/outlets to the pump. I'm considering it moving a few inches back inboard, as right now it looks like the 90' AN fittings that will serve fuel forward to the engine room might sit inside the wheel well. Regardless, I'll need to plumb both feed and return safely through the moustache bar and rear suspension/diff carrier. I plan on fabricating an aluminum cover, out of either thin sheet or channel, that will clip or bolt against the frame rail, and cover the long fuel delivery and return hoses for road protection:  edit: I am fighting Suspension Technique's phone lines for a sway bar rear-mount relocation kit. The stock location, where it's pinned just behind the passenger seats on the underside of the chassis, does not clear my custom driveshaft's diff flange. Waffle House fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Feb 20, 2017 |
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Feb 20, 2017 19:04
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What did you use to scrape that tar poo poo off the tunnel? Uprate the Vac booster (toyota truck) and front brakes (also Toyota truck). If your wiper motor shits the bed there is a toyota wiper motor mod/fix you find out there. My 260Z still sits without floor pans in. I turn 39 this year and haven't worked on it for 4 years at this point. gently caress did life ever get in the way... Looking good with the 1JZ!
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Feb 20, 2017 20:42
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extreme_accordion posted:What did you use to scrape that tar poo poo off the tunnel? You and me both, buddy. Cleaned the garage a bit, took stock. Maybe floor pans soon?
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Feb 21, 2017 00:40
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extreme_accordion posted:What did you use to scrape that tar poo poo off the tunnel? Thanks! Vac: Already done, it's the master vac out of a 280zx. It turns out that it wasn't bad like I thought, I just left one of the wheel lines unscrewed just enough to leak when I pumped the brakes. It seems to hold better now that I'm not an idiot, so here's to hoping I won't have to replace it.  Front brakes: Already S12Ws! Gotta stop, right? Frank Dillinger posted:You and me both, buddy. Cleaned the garage a bit, took stock. Maybe floor pans soon? extreme accordion posted:My 260Z still sits without floor pans in. I turn 39 this year and haven't worked on it for 4 years at this point. Life happens, it's a good thing Zs are patient machines. You should totally go get you guys' cars running again so we can have a Z-brigade
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Feb 21, 2017 19:02
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now buy one of these http://watracing.com/?product=wat-night-car-speciall-printed-slap
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Feb 21, 2017 20:42
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SUP SLUTS QUICK UPDATE My rear swaybar relocation kit came in from Suspension Techniques. I was afraid that they would be less-than-sturdy, but it looks like ST knows how to gently caress around with some Datsuns, these replacement brackets are beefy:  As you can see, this highly scientific diagram shows us where the FRONT OF VEHICLE ====> and RIGHT SIDES are, to indicate where to floss this thick green bitch behind the differential:  Install's tomorrow. I gotta re-seal the differential because I only used a thin layer of the wrong (apparently) kind of RTV; I got an ACTUAL OEM gasket, not just some goop, so this should retain fluid better. SlimManFat posted:now buy one of these http://watracing.com/?product=wat-night-car-speciall-printed-slap On Wat Night do you think I should buy one of those? Perhaps To Night?
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Mar 3, 2017 17:04
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Yesterday, we fixed some problems by removing the entire butt, fixing some stuff in the butt, and then re-assembling the butt to ensure proper driveline functionality. Slow diff leak. This has been present for about a year. I discovered, by the pint or two of fluid that came out when I pulled the plug, that this leak was a LOT slower than I thought it was; I was fearing the diff would be bone dry, but it was still well-lubricated:  Also, we're gonna get this 240z-style rearmount sway hardware installed:  The 240z ST rearsway. I bought this like 3 years ago blindly on craigslist; it wasn't a 280z bar, it turns out, but by happy accident this was the one I needed. The stock sway, black on the right, is designed to go forward from the axle, and ties underneath the car just behind the two seats. TIME FOR THAT TO GO  Jack up, and....  ...out!   Just lol if you're not junkyarding limited slips in tyool 2017  poo poo looks weird without anything in the butt  Got the diff coverplate off:  Today we will use a combination of sealing methods: FelPro diff gasket + a nice layer of RTV:   http://www.stsuspensions.com/extras/docs/DGBT/51075-888.pdf ST PN 51075-888 if you're curious. I'm really pleased with the quality of the replacement mounting plates; they're thicker and dare I say sturdier feeling than the stock (painted white) mount plates:  Bolted in:  Mock fitment:  Everything back in. Took me about four, five hours start to finish to get everything undone then back in.  Some lessons learned: 1) Always get 2 people for differential cradle related activities. One person was possible, but probably took more time than it should have. 2) With the sway bar relocated, my driveshaft not only now has clearance to run front-to-back, but also fits more beautifully than I ever could have possibly imagined. I took good measurements, there's *just* enough slack in the driveshaft to pop it into place against the face of the flange, and then bolt it in. The yoke makes solid slip-joint contact, and is not perilously 'partially on' the trans output spline like I feared it would be. Bolts in nicely and easily, too, no rotation issues:  3) Oh gently caress, my rubber 240sx rear brake lines are rubbing to cord on both sides' cv axle dust boots because they're really short, and leave the caliper at a non-conducive angle. Fortunately brake hoses are really cheap, but still, this needs to be fixed before I drive this thing anywhere other than into the garage from the parking lot TO FIX THIS PROBLEM:  
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Mar 6, 2017 17:30
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Fanfuckingtastic, I finally got ahold of the remaining fuel fittings necessary to clean up the last of it, I think: This 90' elbow barb on the bottom of the A1000 may have not meshed nicely with the hoses and runs nearby...  So I changed it to AN -06 Straight instead of an elbow.  I'm probably going to move the pump again, and put it here, after this filter, so the -8 feed line goes into the filter first:  Gates Twist-Lok hose is both cool and good 
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May 5, 2017 21:41
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I'm sure you've done your research, so you probably know more about this than I do, but generally electric fuel pumps aren't too good at sucking; they're better at pushing. So you want to minimize the restriction before the pump. I think generally there is a coarse/screen filter before the pump, and your fine filter afterwards. You're rocking right along with this project, and seem to have a better handle on this stuff than I do, so you can probably feel free to ignore this. But just in case you had overlooked it, I thought I would point it out.
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May 6, 2017 01:18
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You know gates twist lock is not approved or recommended for fuel, right? Just about everything else is good to go though, except power steering and maybe trans cooler line depending on pressures. http://www.gates.com/products/industrial/industrial-hydraulics/hydraulic-hose/low-pressure/lol-plus-lock-on-fiber-braid-hose
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May 6, 2017 04:40
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Raluek posted:I'm sure you've done your research, so you probably know more about this than I do, but generally electric fuel pumps aren't too good at sucking; they're better at pushing. So you want to minimize the restriction before the pump. I think generally there is a coarse/screen filter before the pump, and your fine filter afterwards. This is, iirc, my coarse screen filter. I'll be putting a paper filter inline after the pump, but for now I'll *just* be running this. Should it not work like I hope, I have another Mahle pre-filter I can use instead. Cop Porn Popper posted:You know gates twist lock is not approved or recommended for fuel, right? Just about everything else is good to go though, except power steering and maybe trans cooler line depending on pressures. I have seen it run a lot in the wild for fuel service; granted, this may be people Billybobbing it, but the attraction is that it's SUPPOSEDLY Teflon lined (didn't go braided stainless because I don't want the stainless weave abraiding the chassis anywhere) for a later potential ethanol conversion, depending on where gasoline and other liquid fuels go in the next few years. Traditional braided stainless lines are rubber, which works very well, but will degrade more over time than Twist-lok when exposed to eth. It is (reportedly) also NHRA approved, along with these others: quote:NHRA Accepted List Woven/Woven Pushlock (Updated 03/19/2009) That being said I'm expecting literally everything to fall off the car when I first turn the key, sooooooooooooooo Waffle House fucked around with this message at 17:09 on May 6, 2017 |
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May 6, 2017 16:46
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Ah ok. Gates themselves are the ones that don't rate it for fuel, but I've seen their red hose run in about every style under the sun. Edit: And I love the gently caress outta this build. 
Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 19:28 on May 6, 2017 |
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May 6, 2017 18:31
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Cop Porn Popper posted:Ah ok. Gates themselves are the ones that don't rate it for fuel, but I've seen their red hose run in about every style under the sun. Because this actually does worry me, I started a little science experiment this weekend; used a PVC cutter to nibble off some ends of this hose, both the -8 and the -6 sizes I have, and put them in a mason jar with some gasoline. So far, they haven't swollen up or distorted, but I'm going to wait a full week before drawing a conclusion that it's suitable, at least for now.   Mocked fuel system: -8 hose feeds the pump (Bosch 044, silver) through a well-flowing but well-screened fuel filter (red), which goes forward into the rail, feed-side. After the rail, it hits the Aeromotive A1000, and then drains in a leisurely, post-FPR manner back to the tank. My rail is represented by this length of stainless braided hose, originally something shipped to me as a fuel rail adapter, which I'm going to scrap in favor of a short length of the blue Gates hose, because the un-coated, braided stainless would abrade the gently caress out of my injector harness basically any time the engine shifted.  I do not have a post-pump filter , but that's easy enough to add after the test drives; the Mahle GM/OEM filter needs a different fitting on one side, if I choose to keep it.
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May 10, 2017 21:29
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Honestly, if nascar certifies it for fuel use, I wouldn't worry too much. There may be a number of reasons its not considered fuel hose by gates including its permeability to fuel vapor for emission regulations, insurance reasons and marketing bullshit. NASCAR > Gates basically. And fwiw, I used their red silicone coolant hose as pcv hose and fuel filler neck hose in a pinch and it held up perfectly fine in both cases, so meh. Still interested in how your experiment affects the overall hose construction since only the inner most layer will have contact with any chemicals normally. May justify me digging in a parts catalog for the hose so we can have some fancy poo poo in stock when people ask.
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May 10, 2017 22:33
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http://www.460ford.com/forum/42-general-tech/121339-gates-lock-plus-fuel-hose-entire-frame.html posted:The NHRA Rulebook in Section 16 General Regulations, under Fuel Systems/fuel lines says that the Gates LOL PLus, along with the other specific brands listed, is legal. It goes on to say, that fuel lines other than steel braided lines, in the flywheel/bellhousing area must be enclosed in a 16" length of steel tubing, 1/8th inch minimal wall thickness, securely mounted as a protection against fuel line ruture. I'd say we're in the clear. I'll have to ensconce it in some tube stock, but that was planned anyway, as proof against environmental or incidental sabotage. I'm eager to post results of the gas-soak this weekend. Tube stock added to my frame also makes a great mounting point for the hose clamps, instead of drilling self-tapping screws through thin body sheet metal.
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May 10, 2017 22:43
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Rivet nuts are your friend, self tapping fasteners don't belong anywhere near a car.
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May 11, 2017 03:17
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This thread makes me happy, especially since one of my first cars was a 77 Yellow Z like this one. I miss that car but I had a double whammy of getting evicted, and trying to do an engine swap, so I had to get rid of the car because there was no where to put it. If it wasn't for the fact that I mine had a pop-up moonroof, I'd wonder if it was the same car since it was mid-engine swap last I had it.
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May 11, 2017 03:50
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DJ Commie posted:Rivet nuts are your friend, self tapping fasteners don't belong anywhere near a car. They do if you're a loving moron.
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May 11, 2017 08:51
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I'll update with photos on lunch, but the nibbles of Gates Twist-Lok hose are looking great, even after two+ weeks soaked to the core in gasoline. The only noticeable change was that the gasoline itself went from a light straw color to a more honey shade. Seems like we're good to go here, as hiatus-nervous as that made me. Tonight's goal is to get the preliminary hookup of the fueling system components done, and then measure the driver's side frame rail for our NHRA-mandated (not that I'm racing it, but still...) Tubular Hose Safety Channel™. I am probably going to do the dirty firsty and hose-clamp the hoses ONLY just to get the *&^!#$ car going, but I discovered that I have some frame rail repair to do, so I'll snuggle and weld this channel in when I shore that up, because both will be driver-side frame rail work.
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May 22, 2017 15:54
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Frank Dillinger posted:You and me both, buddy. Cleaned the garage a bit, took stock. Maybe floor pans soon? Just got told on Sunday, "Clear some weekends on your calendar so you can come to the shop and work on your car. You need to get floor plans in this year and maybe more." Mentioned that to my wife and she came back with, "You have weekends free in June and July." I may arrange to take a week off and go work on it. Waffle House - fwiw we have used Gates hoses in many ways on a number of race cars. I think it's rated for use by those sanctioning bodies because they may get replaced annually. Now that we are done laughing, I suppose it's possible at the top tiers. I saw an "Engine Block" or ~"Bob's Out of the Box Power Adder" tv show over the winter with ethanol rated braided fuel line - I'm sure way out of reasonable budget.
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May 23, 2017 13:32
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Don't get me wrong, I like the reinforcement of braided, my fear is unjacketed braided lines that saw over time through my frame, chassis, wires, and other hoses. Reducing initial points of potential long-term failure during prototyping, if you will. Also: DO IT. DO IT DO IT. Get that Z Cranking.
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May 23, 2017 19:13
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