Pharaohabq

I'm sure you've seen this, but here's an HR site. http://www.350z-tech.com/zwiki/VQ35HR I'm in the middle of putting a VQ35HR (2007) into a 78 S30. From what I understand is that the VQ40, VQ37, VQ35HR are all the same block, but different size cranks, pistons, rods and Cams. I started amassing parts before the VQ37 was avail, so I'm already set for what I've got $ into. I guess the VQ40 is really built for low end grunt rather than performance, since they use it in the trucks more than anything. Some other things to be aware of is the size of the engines. They are taller than the DE series engines. So making them fit is fun. I'm looking at either making a heavy skid plate, or making a different oil pan. Lastly, I cannot stress enough, to get ALL the wiring harnesses, and ECU modules, BCM, NATS etc from the same donor vehicle. Finding these parts separately is very labor intensive, and expensive!, so get as much as you can to start, if not the whole donor vehicle. Most 07+ vehices are shipped to the coasts where it's easy to get high $ for the parts. Phar

Well definitely take a lot of pictures unless you can take someone who knows the usual suspects rust areas to take a look at it. if it's got too much rust, then you'd be better off parting it and finding a better body. there's no sense in spending $1500 to replace floors and such when you can find an intact car for $1000.

YEah, Flux Capacitor FTW! No really, it looks like someone deleted the EGR, no biggie, you don't really need it anyway, the cut and sealed hose below is a give-away on this. Kinda a sloppy job on the delete though. So What're you looking to replace your engine with? An 83 Turbo engine is pretty sweet and is almost a drop in wi/ the 5sp tranny.

Well, Not bad. I'd recommend you get all your bodywork out of the way before working on a kit and paint. There's nothing like buying parts then deciding to go a different direction. How're your welding skills? Replacing body panels certainly can be done, but the welding is harder than it looks. Read up on how to do it, it'll save you a bit of hassle. You might be able to get new floor panels from Tabco, or maybe just make your own. Depends on how bad your pans are. Post us some picts and we'll see.. Phar

Nice Z, yeah, just use the search function, people have swapped in all sorts of trannies on these. A 83' 5speed and Turbo motor is almost a drop in and will give you plenty of power. I'd recommend you start there rather than going for the V8 right off. L28ET is cheaper too. Later on if you want more power you can get into the V8 swap, but for your first one, you should KISS. ... Phar

Hey yeah that'll be a project... It looks to me like it was someone's unfinished project which they left out in the rain. All that body needs is to be brushed down, or you can buy those little flapper sanding discs and use those. both will work. it's best to do it all at once and talk to whoever is going to paint it for you to see what kind of primer to use. So get some friends over, and some good dust masks, and goggles of course. and get it all sanded down then primer it, from there you'll have a better idea what you're looking at. $180 is cheap. Tho you should look in all the usual places for rust (search on here) so you'll know where it hides. If you need parts there's dozens of us that have parts cars so just ask. Also Ebay is your friend... Read read read on here, all the stickies and ideas for your Z. Lastly, post up lots of pictures! we love to see builds, and can give you pointers if you show us what you're doing. (I might be interrested in your bumpers PM me ) Phar

cool deal, yeah with mechanical fuel pumps you usually have to do some cranking, though yours might have both an electric and a mechanical pump to just an electric pump which would eliminate the need for a lot of cranking. So start posting up some more picts!

Yeah, looks pretty good for 1800. I woulda bought it. my wife woulda said why do we need another car... yeah... you get used to it. Anyway, it doesn't look like it needs that much, but If you're going to keep it stock, the best thing I can tell you is to take care of all that rust first. It is a series I so it IS a rare car. though not impossible to find. You'll want to look into classic car insurance, because if it gets wreaked, that'll be about the only way you'll get any real $ back. and insurance is cheap. Look also at sealing the dash under the cowel, that's likely why you have rust on your floorboards. I know this is hybridz, but I subscribe to the early Vin, don't fark with it side, so don't fark with it, just fix and enjoy. BUT on the other hand, it's YOUR car, you do with it what you will. If you want to drop an RB, or a VQ, or even LS in it then go for it, we'll help, it's your choice and your wallet. Definitely read through all the stickies, they'll help you more than anything against getting flamed, and going in with knowledge is your biggest weapon. Also of course the SEARCH function will tell you a lot. I guarantee everything you want to do to the car has been discussed, so read up, then start posting more pictures. Oh, also, any budget you have already, you might as well double.. Classic cars aren't inexpensive... Phar

Hmm, it almost sounds to me like they're pretty far out of balance. since pushing up on the piston should rev higher the engine on those 3 cyl. though it'll run rough. you can build your own vaccum meter with a 2 ltr bottle and a long hose. mark inches on the hose, then put 2 cups water in the bottle, insert hose seal w/ duct tape and hold other end near carb, it'll suck water up vs the pressure in the bottle, just match the pull on each carb. long hose keeps you from sucking water into carb. Phar

your might consider running a Megasquirt setup. it might be easier and more reliable than a stock setup. another idea is a modern setup like a GM EFI setup out of a 94+ jeep. it's pretty easy.

yeah, unfotunately my tranny didn't come with the shifter assy, thus no bolts. I bought a shifter separately, and your kit, but I don't know what size the factory bolts are supposed to be. Phar

Awesome, Rockon! Penske racing is one of my favorites. Congrats on that, I'm sure you'll learn a lot. Yeah, I've been trying to think of a way to make a crossmember to go under the engine for my mounts. Stupid suspension is always in the way. Maybe if I integrate parts of it into the crossmember then bolt it to the inside and bottom of the frame rail. I dunno, Maybe use weld in compression anchors in the frame rail to bolt into. we'll see. You're not seeing any signs of frame twisting are you? Yeah, I liked your resonator in the middle there. I'm going to run the stock cats, likely modified in position, with a large muffler. Might add a resonator, or a pair of glasspacks, if it's too loud. I want to hear the road more than my engine. though even the stock 350Z's are ungodly loud when you step on them. I'm glad the heat wasn't too bad, I was worried about the exhaust cooking the undercoating. heat shields are a PITA to make and actually keep quiet. Fire bad. Nice mileage, I hope mine does that well, it's a load better than the 18MPG my Z32 gets. Phar

Yeah, Whut he sed.... Really, Think a lot about what you want in the end. Know that when you're into it, some things and opinions you have about the cars are going to change. I'd recommend you go "test drive" a few Z's and then start deciding what you want. Know this, tho, likely you'll never get your money out of a Z car. This is a labor of love. Kinda like dating, you'll spend all kinda of cash just for the personal gratification of having your car. It will be your baby, and generally will not be cheap. but look around, deals DO come along. You're in LA apparently, so there should be quite a few decent Z's out there. I'd definitely recommend that you search on and READ about all the areas to look for RUST. These cars do RUST even in a drier climate. They are 30+ years old depending on your model, so they WILL NOT drive like a new car or even one from the 90's, unless you put some love in their direction. That being said, look around, and get a real good idea of your budget. The Z Car is worth what YOU will pay for it. You pay too much, then that's on you, you're the one writing the check. You get a steal? That's also on you for you good savvy. Look around, and not just locally. 800 bucks will ship a Z across the US, so look everywhere, Craigslist, Ebay, papers. There's a few left out there. Maybe you'll find that one "barn-find" perfect 200 miles car for $100 bucks from some grandpa, but don't hold your breath. If you're going to mod it, then don't get anything with "collector value". Just look around, and know what you're getting into before "Z Love Bug" finds you. I bought my nearly rust free 78' 280z for $300 bucks. Deals are out there. Phar

Good to know things are holding up well. I guess you've got about :burnout:1000 miles:burnout: or so on the new engine. Have you gone through and checked your bolts to see if anything has come loose? Now that you've got into is a ways, is there anythink that you would have done differently were you to build it again? How was the :flamedeviheat:flamedevi build-up under the car during the trip? Any funny :icon45:smells:icon45:? That is aside from that 7-11 burrito... hehe just kidding, you know we hang on your every word... Phar

Hey looks like it'll fit the HR tranny just fine. I'll take a pict when I get some bolts. Thanks a bunch! it looks awesome. Do you know how long the mounting bolts should be?

yeah, the shop I've got here, "U-joints" said it should be no problem, just to bring them the pieces and a length mesurment and they'd make me a new driveshaft. The 350z yoke I have has the CF remains on it, but they'll cut that off and put on a metal tube, then size it to my Diff flange. I'm not sure what would be unserviceable about a takeoff yoke. One place I know from my 4x4'ing days, that could make you a driveshaft if you can't find anywhere locally, is Tom Wood's Drive shafts, they'll make anything, and are happy to ship anywhere. Same deal though, you'll need to send them the parts and a length mesurment, tho they might be able to provide a yoke. Phar

Well Hey, let us know, Maybe we can put together some sort of a group buy to get you going again. maybe give us like $20 off for pre-ordering and once you get like 20 or so orders however many you need for a production run, then you'll have extras to sell via MSA or Ebay or anywhere you'd like, and we'd get the first few around how does that sound? Phar

so, maybe I'm stupid, but I'll ask, What are these for? They look like they're for Z31 modification. Got a link to the discussion?

Well, I'll post a pict of it later, but I got a hacked off CF yoke for my tranny. The yoke itself is pretty stout, and I'll have the tube replaced with a standard or possibly aluminum tube once I get the tranny mounted and can take measurements. I assume the yokes are the same for all 350z/370z/G35/G37 since my yoke is off an 03 350Z, and my tranny is from an 08 G35. I didn't get to test any pathfinder or frontier yokes as none are readily availiable in my area. I might take it with me on my next U pull it jaunt and see if I can match it up to anything. I'm betting it'll be similar on any RWD recent year nissan. (oh I paid $15 for my yoke, just gotta keep an eye out, n ask people parting wreaked cars.) I'll let you guys know if I find anything different or matching from alt years other makes. Phar

Yeah does it come back if you pump it a few times. It's not uncommon on older clutches to have cylinder failure. You can rebuild most of them for under 20 bucks, or replace for under 40. Fortunately there are still some parts that are inexpensive. phar

In Albuquerque, NM, I've used: Crown Coachworks 431 Edmon, NE - Near the I-25/Montano corridor at Edith, conveniently serving Albuquerque’s east side. 505-344-1090 Redd or Eric When I needed my Z32 fixed after a truck backed into me. They did a great job. not the cheapest, but IMO the best in the burque. I'm planning on having them do my paint on my S30HR when the time comes. Phar

I'll try to remember to ask about them next time I call MSA. Does anyone know who makes them for MSA? sometimes it's easier to get stuff directly. Phar

I was going to post something on this... Apparently the 350Z's also have/had an issure where if you're revving high, say on the highway, then shift to neutral and coast, it can cause stalling since the computer doesn't understand the speed difference as compared to engine idle. They said to fix it you do just what you did, disconnect battery. turn on headlights to drain... glad you fixed it. I hope my CEL's won't be too bad. The techs here have hardly played with their consult3 at all. Phar

Nice job, I've been looking for ways to put projectors into a Z, I was thinking about maybe cutting up a set of Mini-cooper lights or maybe honda fit lights, but they're all too large for the Z. Cutting down the casing like you did might work well though. I was also thinking about having a Lens cover made to install projectors into as a bolt on unit. They wouldn't be cheap though since i'd have to have moulds made. Actual Glass would be very expensive too, though much better than clear plastic. Nice job on yours tho, I love the bathroom plumbing parts. better seal up the back of them w/ silicone or something to keep water from behind.

Well there you go.. It's your money, you need to be happy with what you buy. though the problems you'd depicted are pretty easy to remedy, The Gas pedal, you'd need to lube the joints on the throttle bar, and the pedal assy itself, though all Z's are heavier in the pedal since they're moving so much more than a butterfly valve like in a modern car. The clutch, well that's hard to figure, there's a lot that can make it feel soft, but likely a rebuild of the system w/ new parts and braded hoses could go a long ways. Maybe a stouter clutch plate. The brakes, Well nissan has rubber hoses to the wheels, if you replaced those with stainless and bled the system, the pedal should be hard as a rock. okay, thick mud, but that is unless the reaction disk is out of place, then the brakes would suck ass till that's fixed. easy to do tho. But keep looking around and drive a few Z's. You'll find a lot of them to have similar feel to what you felt. remember these are all almost 40 years old, so they're not going to feel like even a 10 year old car when you drive. They have thier (stock) limits, things can be upgraded to get a better performance/feel. Phar