iBang Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Well with a big thanks to everyone who helped me find a decent car to start with but the search is over. I've found my car! The base: A 71 240z. The car was rear ended many years ago and the pissed off original owner parked it for 15 years before his death. His widow sold the car to another owner and it sat for more years before finding its way to me. The good: Very little rust - I see some really minor surface on one rear panel and there is some that I think is just surface in the passenger side floorboard. All original. None of the usual mishmash of parts that seems to be the case with many of these older S30's. The bad: The bumper mount location is pushed in a little bit where the old collision happened. There's some little rubs here and there but nothing major The worst bit is that I'm going to have the roof massaged to get the wrinkles out. Its not creased or anything bad but it will cost me a bit to get it perfect again. I'm still in Dallas where I picked it up but once I get it back I'll get right to work getting it stripped down, cleaned up and start the build back up as soon as possible. I also picked up the RB25 that is going in the car today so it was a good day. Here's the pictures: On the trailer The RB25 also got picked up today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Z-75 Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 are u going to sell anything from the car. nice pick up btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Looks like a perfect reason to shave the rear bumper Sounds like you have a good idea of where you want to go with your project and already have a great start! Does the car drive? Where did you pick up your RB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 are u going to sell anything from the car. nice pick up btw. Pretty much everything L-series under the hood will be going as will the stock suspension but that is down the road. Need something to roll it on for now. Looks like a perfect reason to shave the rear bumper Sounds like you have a good idea of where you want to go with your project and already have a great start! Does the car drive? Where did you pick up your RB? Thanks! My thought exactly on the bumper The car ran and drove 10-15 years ago when it was parked but it has sat for a loooong time. I think that with a little bit of TLC - new fluids, some carb cleaner, etc. and the L will run again. It only has 88k on it! I'll get it running so that I can say that it is in running condition when I sell it before I pull it. I picked up my RB off of a local 240sx forum I hang out on. I also had a fun Sunday. I went out to a drift event while I was in town getting the Z. On top of hanging out with my friends there someone brought out a nice clean 280z. I managed to wrangle a quick drive in it so I got my first chance to take a Z on the road. Made me happy about my choice since I really liked how I fit in the car and how it drove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Update! Got a little further on moving into the shop. Unloaded an ungodly load of ♥♥♥♥ out of my storage unit into the shop... need to throw about 99% of it out but at least I've got the unit unloaded so I can stop paying for it. In the process I also removed the RB from the back of my truck where it has been chilling for a couple weeks and put it in the shop. Pics: Pulling it out In all its beauty The car, the engine, and the driver Me using the RB and the Z as a recliner. More like failing to look relaxed while really being propped up on my hands so I don't dent the hood lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Already has a rear sump pan... lucky you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 Orginally the pan on it was going to get changed out for a stock R33 pan, then the seller found out what I was putting it into and offered to leave it on there. I jumped at that deal. Unfortunately its dinged up but I'll be pulling it off and massaging it back out to where it looks nice before I strip and powder coat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The love of JDM Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Pretty cool, any updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Pretty cool, any updates? Not really. I've been busy this last week getting other cars fixed so that I can sell them and get them out of my hair and I went drifting this weekend. The Z is a long term project so I'm not in as big a hurry with it as I have to be with some of my other projects. I'm also really broke rightn ow which isn't helping any Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The love of JDM Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I can fully understand that Sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Progress again comes in the form of new parts. This time its a new engine... and here it is: Yes! It is another RB25, but this one is better! I have history with this engine. This is the one out of the RB25 240SX drift car built by my girlfriend and I. For starters I've run this engine so I trust it. In addition there's all the goodies that it comes with... Series 2 RB25 Cometic thick head gasket RB25 RWD transmission Nismo coppermix clutch Nismo lightweight flywheel Garret GT3076R externally gated Tial 38mm wastegate 6boost turbular top mount manifold Greddy intake manifold Tomei 740cc injectors Apexi power FC Purchasing this as a package probably saved me a minimum $3-6k over purchasing it piece by piece. It also gives me virtually everything I need so far as engine mods minus my cooling, intercooler, and exhaust system. From the same car I also picked up Ashley's old S13 rear subframe complete with a full set of SPL rear arms and links. That gets me everything I need to start mocking up the back end. I did actually get some real work done on the car but I don't have any pictures yet. I pulled the radiator, carbs, and a lot of engine bay crap to prep the Z for removing the L24. At this point all that's left before the engine comes out is the driveshaft and the mount bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 We decided to brave the cold today and go do some work on the Z. Yeah, I know, most of you out there are dealing with a LOT colder temps than me down here in TX but for my thin blood, its COLD Today's project: Pull the L24 out of the engine bay. I had already taken care of most of the peripherals last week so this time I could get right on to pulling the engine. First though was putting the car in the air to get the driveshaft and exhaust off. This is actually the first time I've had the car on stands and it gave me a good chance to roll around under it on a crawler and really look at my frame rails and floor pans. I'm really pleased with what I'm seeing so far. VERY little rust under there which confirms my original inspection of the car. The only bit I've come across so far is the front right corner of the floor pan which I had seen from inside the car already. What I do have to deal with is a little bump up in the frame rails and floor pans. It looks like the car was high centered at some point which pushed on the frame rails which in turn pushed on the floor pans and while everything is solid and non-rusted, its kind of humped up in the middle. I don't know how I'm going to go about fixing that just yet... maybe a lot of stud welding and slide hammer work when I get the car on the rotisserie... The day's work actually went fairly smooth, especially for working on a 40 year old car that is all-original. Exhaust came off without much of a fight as did the driveshaft. The engine complained a little but that was largely because of old heater hosing which was about as flexible as wood and didn't want to come off. A set of hose cutter solved that issue and the whole thing came out of the car in one piece. Have I mentioned that I love that long datsun engine bay which you can drop engines in and out of with the tranny in place? Pictures: First off I'm going to back up a bit since I found some more pics of the RB coming out of the 240SX. The engine in its old home With the chains hooked up On its way out And... out Splitting the engine and tranny. Look at the pretty nismo coppermix Oooooh yeah And on to the Z. That's what a 40 year old un-cared-for engine bay looks like Me pulling the tranny crossmember On its way out Still hanging up on a few things Looks like a sinking ship Ash rides the Z to help the tranny out of the bay What a lovely engine bay ready for some brand new horsepower. I love this old engine ID plate. I may make a new one of these for the new specs That's a lot of engine for 2.4L and 150HP More tomorrow when I go in and swap oil pans and do some mockup fitting with the RB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernS30 Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Be sure to put the L in the 240sx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anzitech Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 as someone getting ready to start a full resto on an even more uncared for z, and my first project, your project gives me hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graves Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I may have to look you up when I start my project. I'm in San Antonio, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted January 24, 2010 Author Share Posted January 24, 2010 Thanks for the comments. I just wish I had more time and money to work on the 240 so that I could have updates a little more often. I'm trying to simplify my life a little these days and remove some of the clutter so I can concentrate on my Z and other important projects, so maybe more work will happen soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) I went in to Houston and got some work done on the Z this weekend. Since I'm working on a non-existent budget right now I decided to tackle stuff that I could do without spending anything. 1st up, the old cracked dashboard. I pulled the dash out Sunday morning. For a car that doesn't have a lot of systems under the dash there sure is a ton of heavy gauge wiring under there. Fortunately for my sanity none of the original harness is going back in. Virtually everything electrical on the dash is being replaced including the gauges, AC/heat panel, even the original ignition switch. Since so much new stuff is going to have to be wired in I'm taking the opportunity to replace the 40 year old wiring with fresh wires and a new modern fuse box. That though will wait till later, for now my task was restoration of a dash that has spent the last 20 years or so baking in the Texas sun. Sadly I didn't take as many pictures as I should have to keep things interesting since I was focused on getting as much work done as possible before I had to leave for home so you'll have to make due with my after-the-fact pics. Here's the dash after my work. You can see where I did a quick test with some vinyl dye to see how that worked to restore the fading. It did a wonderful job but unfortunately nothing is that simple. Before I can re-dye the dash I need to get those awful cracks taken care of. I decided to follow the advice of another HZ member (who unfortunately I can not give proper credit as I have not yet figured out where my thread subscriptions went with the new forum) and started on his restoration method. This calls for expansion foam in the cracks, a bit of dremel work to take the curled edges down, and some bondo brand bumper repair expoxy. I would have loved to have gotten that far but as you can see thanks to an 8hr dry time all I was able to get done today was the foam which did a wonderful job of filling the cracks as advertised. One problem I'm faced with that I'd love some advice from the HZ forum members - My glovebox lid is pretty much done for thanks to those years of sun warping it beyond repair. The box itself was also gone. I'm considering going ahead and just sealing up where the box was and making the dash seamless on that side. Its either that or find a glove box and lid in good enough condition to restore. Opinions? Since I couldn't continue with crack repair I moved on to disassembling the gauges and preparing the cups for the speedhut gauges that will be going in there. I created a bit of work for myself unfortunately by going through a couple cans of primer before I finally found one that wasn't plugged up and spitting bubbles on everything I was trying to prime. No worries though, nothing that another couple of sanding sessions won't take care of. I primed one metal face for the small gauges before I doubly realized that I wasn't likely to me re-using those, and even if I do I will powder-coat them. That's all the work I got done, but I do have more pictures of additional parts that I've sourced. First up is this wonderful griffin oil cooler. I doubt I really need it but since I already had it and had forgotten about it I decided it would find a home here. These don't look like much but they are the S14 front knuckles/hubs and S13 front arms that will be used with my S12 front subframe conversion. Nice pieces with fresh ball joints too! Might have to kill them though when I disassemble to run them through powder. No pictures of them but I also picked up a set of 1000lb AC delco engine stands to use to make my rotisserie. Currently my plan is to keep working on the interior until the dash is restored and ready for its new electronics. After that I'm going to start in on building my rotisserie. Unfortunately before I can throw the chassis up on it I need to repair the bent in bumper mount location on the back right from the fender bender that originally took the car off the road back in the 80's. Not much damage but I have to spend some money to buy a stud welder so I've been putting the job off since money is - as always - tight. More updates soon! Edited March 1, 2010 by iBang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sileightygx Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 great job so far! im kind of sad to see a s13 being parted out for the Z, since i also have an s13 haha. how exactly are you planning to do the s12 suspension conversion with s13 knuckles? or did i read that wrong lol.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBang Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 great job so far! im kind of sad to see a s13 being parted out for the Z, since i also have an s13 haha. how exactly are you planning to do the s12 suspension conversion with s13 knuckles? or did i read that wrong lol.. Actually S12 front subframe, S13 front lower control arms, S14 knuckles... I know - what a combination of parts, right? There's a method to my madness actually. The front subframe is a S12, mostly becuase the S12 is the right width allowing the subframe to fit to the Z's rails. I plan on using the S13 front lower arms since I have a set that came along with my S14 knuckles with brand new S14 ball joints. I believe the are a bolt on fit to the S12 subframe and no matter what I use it will have to be shortened a little so I decided to go ahead and use the arms with fresh ball joints. All of this of course is pretty much dependent on how everything actually fits together when I get the car ready for the swap to happen. The S14 knuckles are for the 5 lug hubs that they come with. Rather than working within the limitations of wheel selection available for 4x114.3, I'm using my decision to use modern underpinnings to my advantage and doing the typical swap that S13's do to get 5 lug hubs from a S14. I'm really looking forward to all of the custom fabrication to put everything together and make it work but I have to hold on for a little while. I'm currently working on the car in my Father's garage since I'm in limbo without a usable garage until I move back to Houston and the car has to remain able to roll for a little while yet. Once he clears out his sailplane from the other bay of the garage and the stuff he's currently got in front of the car moves over there I'll be able to put it in the air for a while and install the new front subframe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northstarninja Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 sweet build... I'm interested to see how the s12 subframe works with the Z and the s14 knuckles... this might sound like a stupid question, but how do you make a rotisserie out of engine stands? like obviously you'd have to makes arms that bolt to the frams and the hub of the stand, but are the stands high enough to be able to fully rotate the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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