SleeperZ31

OH and i wouldnt suggest this be the only thing you do with your summer, if all you do is work on it and spend $$$ on it, no matter how awesome the end result youll probably never want to see another wrench,welder, or Z car again cuz it'll drive you frickin insane and youll end up missin out on alot...thats what happened to me and the bradley,now just the sight and sound of a flat-4 VW motor pisses me off..lol But thats just me, ive got waves to catch and girls to chase before winter hits and they all go back to college hibernation and the water turns into a icy 40'..lol... but again, best of luck, would like to see some pics....and let me know what motor you choose!

If i had your car and 15k i'd probably just do a stroker OR like it was previously mentioned a l28et, if you want it up and running before summer that is...any other motor swap would require tons of rewiring/welding/ etc...hundreds of man hours just to get the motor properly built and in place along with the needed safety and fuel systems...then theres the issue of paint (if you care how it looks) and not to mention the braking system, sure would suck to do a hill climb only to have your brakes S**t themselves on the way down and end up a permament part of the mountainside..lol... Not tryng to rain on your parade, but ive done the whole "finished by summer" project before (with a bradley gt kit car) and unless youve got a team of friends working round the clock with you or you quit your job and do nothing but work on the Z (and even sleep,and eat in it between breaks) i would find it difficult to finish it in time, youve got around 90 days of summer this year, june 21st to sep. 20, thats 1080-1200 hours of work you could do to your car if you spent 12 hours at a time working on it for 90 days str8, and thats with 8 hours of sleep and 4 hours of breaktime for part runs, etc...best of luck friend.

"Fire in the intake manifold?" you sure? the only condition under which i think there would be fire in the intake would be a missfire, which has never happened to my Z yet, besides, alot of manufacturers use plastic intakes, and have been for years. no physical heat such as a flame should ever make its way into the intake, unless of course your talking about the EGR system, which i could understand,but if the egr poured that much heat into the manifold wouldnt it ignite the fuel-air charge before compression? anyways, maybe i should ditch the lexan idea and just stick to aluminum for now...and thanks Tofu for that good bit of constructive critisism, woulda sucked if i bolted it all up only to have molten lexan F**k up my motor..ha...but seriosly check the supercharged lexus sc400 video, its got a lexan-top intake, howd he get away with that?

Ok so i've picked up the plenum today, holy crap i never really knew how restrictive these things are till i got into it, and ive come up with an awesome idea or so I think, instead of using aluminum to cover it back up im using high-strength lexan! Ive seen it done before, including on a home-built centrifugaly supercharged lexus sc400, pretty cool looking and tough too, im a cook and most of our cookwear is lexan and its stood up to fire,microwaves, and getting tossed around for over 10 years with little wear and tear, I figured ill score and sand the area to be mated to the plenum and use the best gasket sealant i can find...and another plus is that drilling the holes to run the bolts through should be alot easier to see and do...ill try n' post a pic of the finished product as soon as its done, as far as i know itll be the first clear top engloids plenum on a Z, or so im hoping : )

yeah, i saw that too, but he milled the inner flanges and i dont have such a machine, im just trying to figure out how to get the smoothest possible finish without the possibilty of ruining it.

Anyone know of good sites and pics on how to do a proper engloids plenum for a vg30(e)? redz31.com is very sparse on the subject, ive got all the proper bits for my dremel and its set at the proper speed for aluminum cutting/porting, i just need a basic guidline so i dont f**k it up...

youd be better off with a old ford or chevy truck I-6, way more potential with the aftermarket...but still not as nice as the Jag I-6's...drove a sedan with the dohc I-6..lots of power and the exhaust note was sweet but i dont hear of much of an aftermarket support for performance and you'd have the same trouble i had with my MG midget, parts can be found for cheap, you just pay out the a$$ for shipping cuz the best deals are from the U.K. or Europe and especially heavy parts like alternators, cylinder heads, etc...have crazy shipping costs.... as for reliability ive heard alotta good about the I-6's AND even the v-12s...but avoid the 80's xjs's, the reason you see them in junkyards is because of the poor wiring that plagued them (and for some reason most european vehicles of that era) just watch videos of them on youtube under top-gear, but to put it one way THE best engines made by jag have always been I-6's and they were always in their best handling sports cars, and the ones you see now are derivatives of the early 50's xk120's with slight changes in displacement and setup over time and they wouldnt have such a good reputation if the engines were of poor build, but for the most part they look at it as though if you can afford a Jag you can afford the maintenence costs, so if your looking for cheap power, id look elsewhere, but if youve got $$$ and time to blow i think the Jag i-6 would be badass

Okay i made a post previously on this awhile ago but i may not have worded it correctly because no-one tried answering it, so here it goes again... If i was to swap the correct, year-matched injectors,maf, ECU and o2 sensor from a turbo vg30e(t) onto my vg30e and replace the intake manifold with the supercharger from a vg33e® would the setup meter the fuel correctly? I know that turbo's and superchargers (both roots and centrifugal) produce boost in different manners but the eaton blower is set to produce around 7-8psi depending on ambient air temperature and humidity, and i know that the vg30e(t) ran a similar amount of boost, so do you guys think it would work? I just like to daydream about different engine swaps and setups and ask you guys for advice, keeps me from making dumb and potentially costly mistakes... i just like the idea of a blown z31...wadda ya think? also, any ideas on how to run the belt for the blower? its a serpentine setup and my vg30e is a v-belt setup..but my a/c is delete, if that helps any....

its definently a turbo motor, everythings bolted to the block and the intake plenum plates says "turbo 3000" and after checking redz31 i found the difference between the 88-89 t25 and the 84-87 t3 setup, so ill print pictures and go check it again....any idea where i can get a ecu for it?

okay, i know i said id never do a turbo swap, but since the vg33er i was looking at has been sold:evil: and the good Lord seems to have it in his mind to keep me from ever doing a supercharged swap, i went wandering through yet another junkyard for window louver mounts (Havelocks where z cars go to die for some reason, close to 7 junkyards in less than 20 sq. miles) and i found a complete *supposedly* 78k mile vg30et with everything but the ecu for 700$ this seems too good of a deal so i need to know what i should look for and check on a junkyard motor, and how to tell what year this motor was built! id hate to pay 700$ for it and get it home to do a leak-down test only to find out it would make a better boat anchor than a motor..lol..thanks for reading, and please help! Also, how difficult is a turbo motor swap into a 87' zx?

Okay, i've been posting quite a bit on engine swaps for my z31, and id like to thank all who have listened to (or should i say, read) my posts and given me their honest opinion, but now i think i may have finally found what would work (or so id hope) I recently ran upon a vg30et block thats been well kept along with its respective ecu but the owner used the turbo on another project and no longer needs the motor, AND ive found a used vg33e® supercharged for sale thats got a (actually several) spun rod(s) but low miles and the blowers intact... While ive had my heart set on a vg33er swap this predicament got me thinking...the vg33er is supposedly not entirely well built (obviously) but the vg30et is well suited to handle boost, even if the air-charge is un-intercooled (perfect) and the vg30et is a relatively simple swap into the z31 considering it was made for it, so could if i could find a way to drive the supercharger and bolt it to the vg30et and swap o2sensors and the necessary electronics for the vg30et could the turbo ECU handle things? Ive worked with roots blowers a little bit but not turbos, i know they produce boost in different manners, and the psi of the air-charge of a roots blower is affected by ambient air temp and humidity and turbos are not, but the m62 is setup to make around 6-7 psi, quite close to the turbo z31s if im not mistaken, so would my idea work? and if so what parts from the vg30et would i need and does anyone have an idea on how to drive the supercharger considering the vg33er uses a serpentine system but the vg30et doesnt (right?) Ive got decent fabrication and welding skills and alot of time and patience, but almost no knowledge of vehicle engine managment systems or wiring motors, i can read schematics quite well and have a good knowledge of general electronics i just have never wired in a motor, let alone tried creating a whole new setup, so any advice or help would be very greatly appreciated! i would just hate to get things bolted up and put in place only to have a short or wrong wire somewhere send the thing up in flames (pending the purchase of an extinguisher..lol..) Ive thought of alot of swaps ( i daydream alot..especially at work) but this is honestly the most realisticly possible one (or so i hope) so far aside from a turbo swap itself, which, again, is not what im into..

Thanks! I had seen something awhile ago on this forum about the difference between the N/A and turbo 02 sensors and the injector issues in a N/A to turbo thread, the nistune and megasquirt systems are mentioned quite a bit and i had thought of those also...i still really have my heart set on dropping the supercharged vg33e® instead of a turbo or N/A build and after i save up $$$ whilst in boot camp i might just wait and try that instead...

well i do know now that my electric cooling fans been running too much, wearing out the brand new alternator and then draining the battery, since it died on me as i pulled into my housing area, ill fix that tommorrow by raising the temp that the fan comes on and getting a better battery, but it still doesnt explain the idiot lights coming on.. oh and the "sensor light" is the idiot light furthest to the left in the 87' 300zx's guage cluster.

With vq35 motors from wrecked/salvaged 350z's and fwd applications becoming more readily available at relatively cheap prices, how long do you guys think itll be before we see a 240-280z/zx or z31 swap? i know the engines a bit big considering the V6 and dohc setup, but with so much aftermarket support for an already stout mill thats both reliable and somewhat cheap at the pump id sure as hell love to put one with a 6-speed in my 87z if i had an infinite supply of both money and time-(and welding skillz) Just thought id see if anyones attempted a swap yet..im sure youve all thought about it already but i wanna see some results! I cant imagine the profit one could make if someone could blueprint and make a universal installation kit(and sell it!) for said motor for older Z cars... Oh and the vq35 just sounds badass even with stock emissions equipment, another reason for someone to hurry up and try it!

Okay i was driving home tonight and i noticed upon startup that the battery "idiot light" was dimly lit, but seeing that the car was running normal i started on my way, then to my suprise all of the dash warning lights except the "sensor" light came on! the lights slowly come on when im running above 2,100-2,300 rpms or when im at or above 55mph, below that they turn off...what could cause this? i didnt notice anything strange other than a slightly high idle at around 1,200rpms even with all accesories off and the headlamps off too... Is my cars ecu trying to warn me of some impending catastrophe or is this just a fluke? seriously, this is the only thing my '87zx has done wrong in almost a solid year of ownership. Help please!

Okay, my Z needs a new mill and ive finally located a sub-90k mile vg33e and decided thats the route i want to take. However, after ive had the heads ported and polished at the local machine shop and the Isky cams (which im still waiting on) arrive along with the JWT springs, plus my already gutted plenum and A/C delete eletric-fanned and MSA headered engine is installed, what else could i do to improve HP? Better ignition maybe? or have JWT remap the ECU? I'm at a loss as to what to do next...any ideas?

i think once you register theyll show the starting bid, at first i didnt like the $200 fee thing but i think it would keep deadbeats from bidding and make winning a little easier, And yeah they have like 5 cities in each state so most of the time no matter where your at you at least within 100-150 miles of one of their bidding centers

Oh and I failed to mention that the site gives the cause of damage along with the ViN code and exact (unless otherwise stated) mileage and location.

Don't know how many here have seen this site but i just stumbled upon it, TONS of wrecked/repo vehicles with a HUGE database cross-country with model specific search engines, anyone looking for a engine/brake/drivetrain swap should definently take a gander, regristration fees $200 but it would deter more people from bidding thus possibly making finding a donor car cheaper than a junkyard jewel or Ebay purchase, last time i checked their were close to 248 wrecked 350zs in the states and no telling how many z32's are up for grabs. Again the sites IaaI.com, let me know if anyones had luck purchasing from them, i had the idea of researching what would be involved in doing a VQ35/6-speed swap into a z31 and if i could or would this would be the place to get the donor.

Thanks, i figured the Turbo z31's had a better tranny just didnt know for sure.

Anyone know of a better direct-fit or otherwise compatable manual transmission for the vg30e or z31's? Anything that might have better gearing/stronger as im looking to improve 0-60 times and overall driveability by any means possible.

Okay now that ive been informed of the process to buildup a VG34 i want to know if anyone thinks the extra 100cc's of displacement are worth the effort! Im just looking for a good N/A motor to build for my 1987 300zx and im looking through the idea of cost-efficency vs power output, ive heard good things about the 3.3l mill and i honestly dont think the .1 liter extra displacement would make all that much of a difference, and considering the weight of the engines internals has an effect on (especially) N/A motors and the fact that overbored motors usually have lower redlines (correct?) and are more prone to failures than normal motors im stuck between a rock and a hard place (mainly my budget) im not going to build a "cheap" motor by any means, i'll use the best i can get and follow the book without shortcutting anything, i just dont want to spend a ton on custom work to get the VH45 pistons in place and working if it turns out it wasnt worth the time or I could have spent my money more efficently. Im definently going to choose the VG33 as my next project but i just need some input as to whether or not the VG34 is a worthwhile project or if i should just stick with 3.3l and see what i can get..This is going to be strictly a street and sometimes strip motor (and car) i dont condone street racing at all but im always up for a little spirited driving! Also, ive heard of specific coatings for cylinder walls and pistons that can help out N/A motors by increasing efficency, has anyone tried such a thing? I know to avoid Nikasil due to manufactuor recalls but I just thought maybe it might be worth a shot, i'll consider anything that can help lay down bigger numbers without the use of forced induction or NoS Thanks again to all the HybridZ experts for all the help and advice over the past few months and i'm open to any and all constructive criticism

I HATE seeing classic cars, domestic or import, rot away AND especially rare ones, im already caught up in my own Z BUT i know the location of a RIGHT-HAND!! drive turbo 5-speed 280zx for sale in a salvage yard, a young marine a few years (around maybe 10 or so) abandoned it at the yard in running (but rusty) shape and id like to at least see her back on the road so if anyones interested its on the North Carolina coast near the Cherry Point Marine airbase i'll give directions upon request..just imagine pulling on someone from the wrong side of the car..lol..the price last time i checked was about 2 grand flat.. oh and its a 2-seater and its sorta grayish silver..i think it still has the Jap tags on it (or in it) for kicks, leftover from when it was shipped back from Okinawa (or at least id assume oki)

Thanx! Im just looking for something with a good,even mix of power and torque as simply as possible, considering the amount of custom work needed i might skip the vh45 piston route and either see if i can just get bigger rings for the vg33 pistons or just stay at the 3.3l displacement and work from there. The turbo ECU was a good thought, didnt think of it myself and probably would be the cheapest route but if alls well with my tax rebate i might just have my current ECU mapped eventually pending the installation of the motor, when i get around to building it..

Okay from what i've been told the VG33 used in later Nissans could be upped to 3.4 liters (now correct me if im wrong) vh45 rods and pistons, correct? Im looking for a way to make a little over 200hp without the use of forced induction or NoS, and i've been informed that with the right amount of head and cam work i could be up to the 250hp range which would be outstanding, BUT... Would this be a direct swap into a z31? I know a few of the differences on the late VG-E series v6s are w-code heads, along with a non-interfacing design AND they also used a serpentine system rather than the v-belt used on my '87 300zx. I heard alot of talk about intake fitment issues but i figured i could just use the stock z31 top-end and just bolt it to the VG34, would this be possible? Or would i have to use the VG33's accessories? Also, how would i maximize the potential of this mill? Im assuming i cant just bolt it up and hope the stock z31 ECU could compensate for the change in displacement, so would i need the MAF sensor and ECU from the VG33 or could i send my ECU to Jim Wolf tech and have it re-mapped? Would i be able to use the VG33's injectors also? Or should i just try and find some VG30et injectors and use them? I know i should have searched elsewhere in this forum but most of the VG33-34 discussions have been for turbo use and i have no interest in such matters, and i was hoping to get a more direct answer from some of the HybridZ elders or anyone with experience building the forementioned motor. I just need a step-by-step description of what would be involved in building and swapping a VG34 into a '87 300zx. Thanks...