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Ressurection and Build of my 280zx


akumazedex

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Right, so I picked up my 280zx about two years ago and thought I'd show everyone how it has progressed since then.

 

This is when i first picked it up, neglected and sitting for 5years behind my shop I work at. When I got to it, it was running on 4 cylinders and needed some good 'ol TLC. On the plus side, the motor was rebuilt at a nissan dealer and is in great running order.

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Me spending some late nights fixing the car at work.. rest assured the long hair is long gone hahaha

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This was the first time I drove the Z, I already have cut the springs at this point, good drop, barely clears speed bumps. sorry no before and after pics.

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My buddy picked up a 10th ann 280zx a couple months later with the hopes of restoring it, but uppon further inspection of the frame rails we gave up all hope. It came with a what the original owner called a "custom" airdam upgraded swaybars and chastain louvers. So I swooped on all the goodies and we parted the rest.

By now the car had a complete tune up, all the fluids replaced and I picked up an MSA intake

This is after I put the new airdam on my car.

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A little photo shoot we did with the old crew I was in. I have picked up an MSA wing and MSA exhaust. This is how it stayed for a while.

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Ive also put a kenwood deck and the faceplate MSA sells

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Hid's Before and after, 6k bulbs on the headlights and 3k on the fogs

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The most recent upgrade was new rims! Rota Grid Offroad 16x8 4x114.3 lug pattern +10 offset with 3mm spacers in the front to clear the strut.

this was the initial test fit..

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and this is with the spacers and DD status.

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So this has been everything up till now. now for the current project.

 

As of now im in the process of building my N/A-T set up.

Ive picked up all the hard to find bits digging through pick n pulls, raiding craigslist, and the help of the classifieds section on this forum.

 

L28et manifold, airesearch s130 stock T3 turbo, and J pipe, i also have (not pictured) downpipe, turbo oil pan, and sanwich block for the oil cooler.

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plans are to start with the stock set up running megasquirt and go from there. Ive still got plenty of reading to do on megasquirt and the tuning involved, so thats in the not so distant future.

 

A side project I have going is my attempt at an artistic valve cover. I've seen cherry blossom valve covers before but not on the Z's, so I figured id give it a shot. keep in mind I diddnt want to spend hundreds of dollars of custom airbrushing at a shop and doing this in my spare time while I piece togather the rest of the turbo swap.

 

cleaned and sanded

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couple layers of white for the base

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Scetched out the design

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and the begining of the desing begins

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Thats pretty much it for now, I'll keep this updated as much as I can, but I'll leave you some nice pics to gaze at until more is done to the car.

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I really like your car and your valve cover If yours comes out good would u make one for my wife?

 

Thanks, sure I can do one, let me finish this one first.. I've been procrastinating finishing it lately haha should be done in about a week or two, I'll show you the finished result.. This one is more or less an experiment.

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@ purepontiackid

it's low enough for me right now, planning on running modified s13 coilovers later. I scrape my airdam on the driveway, and by no means is it steep haha. Pick up an airdam and you'll see what I mean

 

@meph

Not a big fan of spacers, I'm still kicking myself for being hasty with the rims but oh well, I'd actually like some 16x9 0 offset. I think that should be perfect, maybe even a little negative. Any ideas?

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oh please dude, that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. I roll with S2K's whose fiberglass lips are less than an inch off the ground and they DAILY their cars. learn to cut driveways and dips and bumps. Also, get proper springs and shocks (and I'm not talking the Tokico ****) and your car will ride better and take dips without bottoming as easily.

Edited by PurePontiacKid
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Relax dude, This is just my current set up. Like I said, s13 coilovers are planned in the near future. I'm running tokicos because they're an easy upgrade over the stock shocks. And I was not adventurous enough to do the s13 swap just yet. Btw I haven't had any problems taking dips and or bumps running the tokicos with the stock cut springs. This is a build thread, there will be more work done on the car. I still have the turbo swap to finish, suspension will be after.

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ahh ppk saw a fatlace sticker and was all over your car...i for one understand what an airdam does for ride height lol, i think youre on track with wheel size but definately not big enough or enough offset. The group buy rota rims are veryyyy close to flush on a stock body ZX and theyre 9 -13 front and 9.5 -17 rear, running 235-40-17 and 275-40-17 should get you buy and not rub, especially if you roll the fender lips (if you havent already).

 

and those EAGLE ALLOYS that are your "table" should fit nicely as well...we will see for sure because im about to be sticking the 15x8 -35 and 15x10 -45 on my zx for my "big" wheels

Edited by sticky280zx
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So, some random stuff I overlooked.

 

My recently purchased headlight covers.

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And, my prosport vacuum/boost gauge (boost is really useless right now, but later..ohh sweet boost)

Heres the install

 

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the mock up

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I diddnt like the silver trim and had plenty of pink from the valve cover left over sooo...

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then roughly cutting out the mounting hole

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and the installed product

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And no mine is not a 10th ann. but its a nice touch haha

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