Pzary3233

On the 26th of last weekend I went to take a look at a 280z after talking with Braap for a while about the s30 chasssis. I met Braap while on www.bimmerforums.com talking about our LSx M3 Swaps. Mine is currently waiting on headers to be made.... I don't feel like making my own at the moment. So there it sits. If you would like more information about my other project take a look at my project site: www.lsxe36m3.com . So anyway back to this 280z. Went and took a look at it... She's a sad sight at first but the more you dig the more you find that this car is all original and COMPLETE! Follow along as I list out the issues wrong with the car and possible ways of figuring out what's up then the plan of what's to come. Here are the detail shots, she's lead a hard life for such low miles... Already scored a new fender from the local U-Pull-It I hate going there because the owner is our direct competitor but they are the only deal in town for anything older then 2000. This I am told by my friend who is a PDR guy that it will be easy to get to the point I can work with it. Metal stretched too much... Pretty straight, minor surface rust around the gas filler door Glad this fender is going away! Grabbing another hood this AM! Completely rust free on this side! Original Spare, Inflator, and complete tool kit! This is the only major rust that needs to be taken care of... piece of cake. Complete interior in all original conditon and in GOOD condition with a nice cleaning. Even the Period correct radio WORKS! This is also an AC car! The previous owner wired in some wanna be projector driving lights, that's what is hanging down.. All gauges are in great shape! Never rolled over original 55k documented miles on the car!!! Documentation, complete with warranty service book from Savannah GA to Jim Kera's Nissan (I despise their Subaru Dealership) where it was serviced from 1994 till a few years ago. So what's up with the car? Fuel System was half way taken apart. I do not think that the previous owner realized that the fuel pump will only work when the motor is sucking air through the AFM. (Hey I used the search!) So he started to diagnose a no fuel issue. thus he removed the fuel rail and halfway placed it back on the car. However not completely. I will go through and replace all of the soft lines. The injectors look like they have seen better days, but they seem to have passed the injector tests. *Test Injectors - check with ohm meter - will test again with the EFI handbook. *Replace Fuel System Soft Lines *Replace Missing Hose Clamps *Verify the correct operation of the fuel pump - per the factory service manual. The Starting System is another mystery. I do not think that the starter signal is actually getting to the starter. There is power there... but I also cannot bump the starter with a screwdriver... I'll be tracing through the wiring thanks to the FSM! The previous owner says that the starter "locked up" on him. The motor turns freely. *Trace Wiring *Check Fuse *Pull Starter and Verify it is actually "Locked Up" *Replace if needed. From there I have a feeling that I may be going through the EFI system to diagnose some issues. Due to some wires being stripped and twist nuts having been used to join wires. I also plan to replace all the soft vacuum lines. *Replace all vacuum lines per the factory service manual and the EFI Bible. *Trace wires in the EFI system to make sure that everything is going where it is supposed to be going. Get rid of the unsightly and dangerous twist nut wire caps. *From there with my fingers crossed I HOPE that the car will start and run. If not continue the list... *Diagnose the issues of the EFI system via the EFI Bible. This diagram is going to prove invaluable I am sure The other thing I have noticed was that the brake lights don't work nor do the individual turn signals (hazards work). The Blower motor works as does the vent door to select where the air goes! The only other problem is that the Dash lights do not work. *Check Fuses *Check Wiring *Check turn signal stalk *Replace vacuum lines in the HVAC system. Once that is done, AC would be nice, so replacing all of the o-rings and the belt would be a good idea... Then A/C for next summer! One thing I have noticed about the Xenon FSM is that only about half the pages are readable...every other page is very grainy and not readable. Does anyone else have that issue? I surely would not mind buying one! Anyways, that looks like a mountain of stuff to fix just for a daily driver/Auto X toy while my BMW is still on the operating table... But for the price I cannot complain at all!!!! If you've made it through all of this do you have any suggestions or things that I have overlooked being a new Z owner?

U Pull It on watkins headed over there tomorrow to grab the blue hood... I hope!

Yes and being that I need to buy HPTuners for the BMW anyway it's only two more credits (about 100 bucks)

I've thought about the idea using the GM PCM that controls the 4.2 motors and adapting it to an L28. Cruise control would be a nice feature to have...

I'm hoping to grab the hood off the 2+2... if its still there... when are you thinking of going?

Very nice, I just came across this thread. I had thought at one time that a 3800 Supercharged motor with RWD Camaro 60 Degree accessories etc. motor would be a great swap candidate. What does your hood clearance look like with the Camaro motor? How do you like the Engine Management?

Ha! Though secretly I have always wanted to build a 190e....

Stock cams are suited more to boost until you star going over 600hp. Yes there are aftermarket boost cams but they are not needed for a safe motor. Which Manifolds have you tried? Have you tried the bottom mount manifolds that tuck the turbo under the leaning tower of power? Rather then a top mount. http://www.racersmarket.net/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=garden_flypage.tpl&product_id=49&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=93 One way that BMW owners have gotten around the turbo packaging is this: TRM also does tuning. the Stock DME is plenty powerful to run a turbo motor. a friend is running a 600 hp turbo motor with a TRM tune. Runs well when it stays together (due to stupidity of the owner not the tuner or builder). Talk with the guys are TRM you'll be glad you did.

The u pull it here in Memphis has a few rust free ones... PM me if you want it.

It's funny that we have completely different views of the BMW motor... I feel like it's restrictive in terms of aftermarket, and you feel it's Heaven. I can go to any speed shop and buy parts for the GenIII motor and get it tuned anywhere. I swapped in an GenIII motor and COULD have it running for the price of a good condition S50 pull out with transmission. ($3000 or more)I'm being way more picky and overthinking the project so obviously that figure is bunk. Alas.... This is a BMW Love thread... not hate thread. The S50/S52 is a very stout motor in stock form. When it gets "tuned" or built they tend to have issues. I LOVE stock BMW motors.

heh, price what it costs to do ANYTHING with that motor over an OBDI swap... CAms = $1500 or better Plus a tuner who can tune it via chip burning or you spend more on an aftermaret standalone. The Racers Market is starting to get into a tunable DME.

I saw one for socal so I figured I would post what I found as well.... There are 4 S30s hanging out at the local upull it one being a 2+2 all major body panels are there, three of the four are 280s one is a 260. Motors and transmissions are all there. hatches are all in good shape, only one good hood on the 2+2. Fenders are decent, interiors are trashed. The 2+2 dash is not cracked.

But it sounds soo friggin cool! I had anti lag on my WRX for a total of about 20 minutes, It was great for Rally X but that's about it. Tuned it right out. Gotta love the open source nature of the Subaru tuning world. For a street driven car it would not be a smart idea. Basically you are able to keep the turbo spooled up when off the throttle due to the combustion of the fuel in the turbine housing. I do not suggest you ever run this on your car. You will be sorry unless you like replacing turbos frequently as well as any semblance of an exhaust system.

That would be an interesting read for sure!

Dang Paul... I wasn't expecting that! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! -Paul

Coming from a BMW background I'd like to add that the BMW OBD I M50 motors pretty much have a standalone DME/harness. EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING except for the VSS is within the engine harness. It would make for a really great swap because there is hardly any nonsense in the M50/S50 harnesses. You can use these harnesses with the S50 and M52 motors along with the OBDI intake manifold. The only issue you will come to is that the OBDII cars only have one port in the head for a temp sensor. You can use your pigtail from the OBD II harness and solder/crimp them together using some research that Braap has done on the topic. The BMW V8s are also a great choice but the aftermarket is VERY expensive... as it is for the inliners.