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Project Rex Killer, 240z LS3


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Hello HybridZ members.  Here to introduce myself.  Im Nathan and live up in Western Washington.  Been building cars for along time but only really did a build thread on my last build.  I work in metal fabrication and take pride in doing all that I can by myself.  My last project is over a 5 year build, is a 91 Volvo 940, with a 2jz, T56, and an 8.8.  Motor makes 815whp at 27psi, it runs on staged injection and gets 26mpg on pump gas.  (Ill post pics at the bottom)

 

Onto this project.   I have a friend with a first Gen RX7 that he calls Rex.  I wanted to build a drag car to take him on, so I searched out my high school dream car and found a good 73 240z.  So many plans changed along the way ill leave out those details unless they come to life during the thread.

 

I ended up with this

 

73 240z

2010 LS3 crate motor with rods, pistons, 12.5-1 compression, valve train, ported heads, tuned intake, Custom cam from Tick, goal is 525ish whp

4L80e with Jakes stage 3 kit and D3 brake

4 inch alum driveshaft

back halfed chassis with 4 linked 9 inch, alum center, Detroit, 3.89 gears, 35 spline axles

My own motor and tranny mounts

subframe connectors

10 point chromoly cage

Mustang 2 manual steering rack

coil over conversion up front, QA1's out back

Forward ran exhaust for future turbo setup and fenderwell exit

Wilwoods up front and big rotors with alum Jaguar rear calipers

 

Goal is to have a street legal car, so I do have another set of wheels/tires to run then, and I left the visual part of the Z interior intact so I can feel like Im driving on and not an all out race car.  Ill leave the stock seats, I repurposed by gutting the dash and using the stock oil, water, volt and fuel gauges.  Mounted my wideband in the third hold and did the autometer trick in the stock bezels for speedo and tacho

 

I started in Febuary on this build and was able to take it to the local 1/8th mile yesterday after hours and got to break the rings in.  There is a video of a drive by doing that.

 

The car will get painted the engine color over winter, had the that and jambs done while I built the motor and tranny after mockup

 

Plans now are to get an alignment next Saturday, head back to the 1/8th mile for shake down runs and engine/tranny tuning, then hopefully head to Portland soon and shakeout the 1/4 mile

 

 

My laptop isn't letting paste links, so Ill update with pics hopefully off my phone where all my pics are

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Thanks guys. I really enjoyed this build. Tried to do it right the first time so there would be no rework, or damn I wish I would have done this type of thing

 

My plan for the seats was to pickup some new covers in black and try it myself. My D bars got in the way of them reclining so while there apart I need to notch/dent the back part a little

 

Plans for this week are longer studs on the front spindles, seatbelt install and some random rear sheet metal tub work that needs done. I'll get the sill bars fit and welded and save the door bars for next week when I head to Portland

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No turbo quite yet. The car was mocked up with an lq4 and s475, then the deal came on the LS3. With time and dollars to do it correct against me I decided to go all motor at this point. Plans now are to run this combo through mid next year or so and stroke it to a 418 first, the do like a pte 75mm or something. Building a whole car cost a lot more out the back door than I had originally anticipated!

 

My first goal is to run a 10.0

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I LOVE the radiator mounted to the FRONT of the radiator support.  I see lots of guys cutting out their radiator support, but I just can't imagine that I would want to sacrifice the rigidity that the front unibody box crossmember and radiator support have to add.  I want to copy (at some point in time) your radiator setup.  Please detail that modification as much as you are willing to.  Custom radiator, fans, hoses (?), etc.

Edited by RebekahsZ
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The forward radiator came about when trying to position the S475 I had mocked up on the passenger side. I wanted a big radiator for this project and have had great luck with that size (I'll measure when I get home so I don't fubar the dimensions) I wanted to leave the hood seal area so most of the front was cut out, but will get some .040 alum soon to fill it back in. I had to notch the forward frame rails a tad so the radiator tanks would drop through, and fabbed up an alum 1.5x1.5 cross member that uses the old bumper mounting holes. This allowed a spot for the radiator to be supported too. I was able to reuse the water fittings I cut off but just welded them on at the correct angles. The upper hose is some 45* silicone elbows with a of of alum tubing in the middle and down below is some more silicone couplers, one straight and one 90* with a modified stock thermostat housing so it points straight out

 

I'll get some pics together and post them

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It's my pleasure. I googled a lot and most of the time a post here on HybridZ had what I was after. There's lots of nice cars on here and hope to give back over the rest of the build just what I was able to take in

 

I really enjoy making stuff and love the end results of all the hard work

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