310z

A better engine bay shot thanks to the guys at MSA. Pettersen Motorworks built car of Chico CA, Bare metal restoration, 3100 cc, E88, 10.2:1,TWM intake with Weber 45, Pace Setter ceramic coated header, custom made heat sheald, carbon fiber air box by CustomWorks.com. We did not have time prior to the show to plum the air intake to the front of the car. The car arrived at the Nationals with 2 miles on it after a couple of all night cramming and driving/trailering sessions. The car fired up and ran flawlessly, then we drove the car into the show. After the show we trailered it back to Chico and did some test driving, Big Smiles.

The motor compartment is finally comming togather. It is not running yet, but it is not far off.

Yokohama has a new tire comming out called the AD08. It's charistics are unknown at this time. But it is going to come in 32 different sizes and the best part is the AD08 is going to run Yokohama's 180 tred ware compound. I ran Yokohama A-008, Y323, both of which used their 180 tred ware compound years ago and I dont think there is a better multi-use/forgiving high preformance compound available. They stuck like nothing I have ever seen on the road at the time and did not have an abrupt breaking point. I would get 10000 to 12000 miles of very hard mountain driving out of them. I am sure the AD08 will be better than the old tires with the new advanced compounds and tred designs.

Thanks, I am aware of the cracking, oxidizing, and burning issues. The wheels were in great shape when I recieved them. The original paint and sealer was in amazing shape. The wheels have been bead blasted to bare magneisum and throughly checked. I talked to BBS about X-raying them and it was not recomended, just throughly vizulize them. The wheels were then sealed and painted. The burning issue, while working as a fireman I was putting out a car fire on a Ford Bronco II. There was some flames still comming from under the drivers side dash. I hit the flames with the hose and boy things got exciting. For some reason there is magneisum in there. Been there done that.

Pictures of my car with 30 year old three piece 16x8 - 0 offset BBS magneisum race wheels, weighing in at 13.5 lbs each. BBS stated that these wheels were never imported into the USA. The wheels did not come from BBS with a lug pattern that would fit a Z. The wheels were redrilled to fit the Z lug pattern.

Well the one thing that I have never seen on a 240z is in these pictures. The mirrors are JDM 240Z fender mirrors mounted on the doors. I have never seen this and they are the best looking mirrors in my opion on a Z, I have ever seen. But possible the more eye catching part is the wheels. They are 30 year old BBS magneisum race wheels. The wheels were not drilled from the factory for a Z. They have been redrilled to fit the Z bolt pattern. The wheels are three piece 16x8 -0 offset and BBS states they were never imported into the USA, so you probally will not see many like these. They are 13.5 lbs. Oh, ya and there is all the carbon fiber accents too.

Thanks for the Information. I have read about phase shifts and such but that is getting too complacated for me. I dont know much about electronics. I was going to do the install myself but Keith wanted to have a chance at it and with his stereo knowledge along with having all the tools, I thought well he will do a better job than I would and he did. I hope I am done with the stereo, as the entire car ("A New 1972 240Z") starting from bare metal and finished to the same level as the stereo in all aspects should roll out of the shop for the first time in about one month. I have not driven the car in over ten years, I cant wait.

LowCarbZ, you are welcome and thank you. Hopefully some of the information will be of some use. I under stand your concern related to having visable components. I started out buying a pair of 6x9s and that was going to be it. Then I thought mids and tweets up front might be nice. Well then, as Polk Audio was nice enough to make their MOMO series with the same color pattern (silver, carbon fiber and a touch of red) I thought I may as well bring the sound system up to the standard of the rest of the car. I always hate seeing a great car that some how wound up with a Kraco stereo in it. It looks like the owner does not care about the sound system and some how does not think it de-values the hole car or ran out of money and skimped. The sound system is in its permanate home and I do not have any pictures of the placemant of the riv-nuts. If you have not seen riv-nuts they are like Pop Rivits. However they are rubber mounted and there is a threded hole in the center. Holes had to be drilled through the metel surounding the spair tire well. Then the riv-nuts are secured inplace. This allowed the sub speaker panel to just be screwed down to the floor. I have thought of installing limo black window tint on the back hatch and back quarter windows. This would protect the components from the sun and possibaly help keep components out of the direct view of criminals. In California it is agenst the law to tint the side windows beyond a specific level, something like 30%.

Yes, kind of, and no. The first picture is of the spare tire well, note it is lined in sound deadener. The spare tire well "IS" the speaker encloiser. The ported speaker panel riv-nuts in place on top of the spare tire enclioser with sealer filling any gap. Note the speaker panel is ported 3 in. dia and 11 1/4 in long. This mounting system would not work if the encloiser was sealed. I was origanally going to build two sealed boxes behind each of the strut towers. Then I showed my idea to Keith at www.customworksproducts.com . Keith use to compete behind the wheel and at stereo compititions and had better ideas. Keep weight to a minium and as low as possible. The spare tire well was the perfect spot. Keith was going to fiber glass in the spaire tire well and then mount the top speaker panel to that. Then we called Polk Audio. We told engeneers about the equiptment and the car, along with the exact dementions of the spare tire well. The engeeres became very excited and informed us that there is a better way. There is no reason to build a second enclioser, use the one you have. Line the encloiser with sound absorber. The port dementions are all engeenered by the good people at Polk Audio for the size of the enclioser and the speakers used. The speakers are wired in parllel to a 4 ohm load. I purchased the components over two years ago and if I remember correctly that will cause an RMS of 500 watts with a peak 875 watts. The box the 6x9s are in is from MSA. The port that comes in the box is sealed and then the whole box was recovered in the carbon looking vinyl. All of the conections were made using the best products Street Wires has. The engeneers at Polk Audio said this system will be awsome. I can't wait to hear it. Keith said that he hooked it up to a battery to check it out and set cross overs etc. He said it "rips, there is no shortage of power".

Thanks for complaments and advice. The kick panels are 3 1/4 in deep, that is what it took to make the 5 1/4 speaker fit. I like your idea of tweeter placement but that would be a lot more involved than what I did and may create sound problems as you may know. The problems I am refering to is when you seperate the tweeter and mid base any distance from each other you may end up with different distances from mid bass to the ear and tweeter to the ear. This distance difference can change the timming of the music as you hear it. If you are able to keep the two distances (tweeter to ear and mid bass to ear) relatively close the sound should be heard as it was meant to be. If you are able to get your tweeters mounted at the windsheld base am sure it would be great. This would give a better front stage presentation as the distances are simular. Post some pictures when you are done.

I wish I could give you a better answer on the sound, but I have not heard it. There is nothing under the hood to provide energy, yet. In about 5 or 6 weeks everything should be in place. Then I will get to play with it. Polk Auido was contacted about the set up including the sub inclosier. Polk was able to give specifics as to exactly how to build the sub incloiser, they also gave set up advice as to cross over points etc. I dont hear as well as I did prior to many concerts in the 80-90, but if I cant hear this, I know I will have no trouble feeling it.

The kick panels do not get in the way for me. I am 5.8 and have no trouble, the dead pedal is still usable. If a person was a bit taller and needed to have the seat all the way back or something, the angles may change enough to cause interfrence with your leg while your foot is on the dead pedal but it was fine for a guy 6.1 that tried it out.

The kick panels and box the 6x9 are mounted in are covered in a vinyl that has a carbon fiber appearing look to it. The vinyl looks better in person, it does not have a shine to it as the pictures somewhat appear.

The stereo install is a bit much, but it visually matched the rest of the car and I am attempting to keep all aspects of the car to the same level of quality. The deck is an Eclispe 5000. The speakers are all POLK MOMO; 5 1/4 in the kick panels, 6x9 inthe back, and two 10 in subs. The amps are POLK MOMO Carbon Series putting out over 1850 watts of peak power.The custom work was done by www.customworksproducts.com

Wow! Amazing looking and simular stories are going on, at the same time, on both coasts. I purchased my first and only Z in 1986. The rest of the story is pritty much the same. That bare metal restoration, AZC parts, your right. You did do it right. I may be about two weeks ahead of you from your pictures. Great job and I know how your wallet feels.

Well my advice is to spend most of your time reasearching. Get a picture in your head of exactly how you want your project to come out. Collect all the parts you need to acheeve your desired outcome. This process can take some time, as in years. The hard to find stuff may take longer. Stick to your goal. Do not compromise and you will be happy with your results. With that said, I agree with DAN5138. Your 1970 may be worth more to someone who wants a 1970 than it is to you, although sentimental value has no price. Then there you go instance cash for a later model Z that you can have money left to modify with. I can tell you as anyone can that a GM small block of various displacements 327,350,377,383,400,406, you get the idea, is the least expensive way to put horse power in a car. If you want a normally asprated Nissan L6 with 300 to 350 hp look at Robello Racing's web page and their 3.2 L.

ShaggyZ I agree with you. A fat set of 15 in. wheels look the best on a Z. But over the year I searched for a high end set of 15x8 with proper offset I watched the tire industry dry up the availability of high preformance rubber. I think the last time I looked, there were only 3 companies making an ultra high performance 225-50-15 with out an R rating and just over a year ago there were more than 6 companies. When I found the 16x8 0-offset BBS's I grabed them as the tire availability is great. I do not like the look of a massive wheel on a Z. It does not look bad, It's just not quite right on a nostaligic Z. Plus, I am not a fan of loosing preformance at all levels due to heavy rotating mass at all four cornors. So I felt going to a ultra light set of 16 was a compromise that would allow tire choice.

The older they get, the fewer of them there are available, the harder they are to find. The lack of supply and the increased demand make them rare and cause people to drool. This makes them more valuable.

I will be selling the Enkie 92s 15x7, 0- offset with the BFG G-force KD 225-50-15 when I get the clearence work on the strut towers completed. The tires and wheels have only roled around the shop sence refinishing and installing tires. It may be a couple months before I get them off the car.