Swami

More goodies are arriving. This magnaflow 4" round muffler just appeared on my doorstep (thank you amazon prime) and supposedly a new Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator shouldn't be far behind (damn you amazon prime). Last time I had a round muffler like this paired with a motorsport 6-1 header, it was loud enough to wake the dead. Neighbors used to say it sounded like a Cessna coming in for a landing when I'd come home from work. With that in mind, I opted for the Ultra Quiet resonator, after some deliberation around the SIZE of the silly thing. 4" tall by 6" wide oval body. I took some measurements, and I think it should fit snugly in the tunnel and only hang out 1/2 inch approx. Once the system is all welded up, I intend to powdercoat it, from end to end. I've been trying to decide on a color that is timeless, semi-low key, and a good match for the orange paint. It's really hard to make a decision about metallic finishes by looking at images on your computer screen, so I paid a visit to some of the local powdercoating outfits to see high temp coating finishes in-person. The "Titanium" high temp coating from Amerikote (2nd from the right in the above photo) is my #1 choice right now. It dips more into the gold/brown hues than the titanium offered elsewhere, and the guys there tell me that it has the 2nd most desirable heat transfer properties of all their high temp coatings. Seems like a nice balance of form and function. I used to have their super shiny coating on my last set of headers, and it eventually got a little thin around the high-heat bends in the primaries. These guys are telling me that the Titanium finish does not do this, so i'm excited to try this out! I'm also looking forward to seeing the magnaflow with a nice even color on it. It arrived with the makings of a good patina starting around the welds, but that's totally not the look i'm going for.

That AZC setup looks really sharp on there! I like the jig you made. Smart way to get the alignment close on the 1st try. I'm actually surprised that you went with the track suspension, after all your attention to factory-correctness everywhere else. Not a criticism, BTW. That's exactly what I would do. Amazing work, sir. Truly humbling.

A thing of beauty! The header is now ready for high temp coating. Big thanks to my friend Rick for the fast turnaround and high quality weld. Looking forward to getting the wideband 02 system up and running. I also spent a significant amount of time on sunday morning laying in bed watching Mighty Car Mods (the series about the 11 second Subaru). Up until yesterday I knew nothing about Haltech products or CAN networks. Really really awesome stuff. Obviously that is way beyond my needs, but it got me wondering if I can somehow connect the wideband to this Megajolt/E computer, or if it's even necessary. Would it be any more helpful for tuning, than simply having the gauge to monitor with my eyeballs? Leon, I suspect you know all the answers to this. =) (edit: looks like most of the info i need can be found right here) Camera flash = "ugly light" ... revealed some rusty surfaces that could probably stand to be addressed soon.

Oooh nice present! That's going to compliment things nicely

Done and back to me in less than 24 hours. I'm impressed. Sounds like the rear U joint was showing signs of early stage failure. Can't wait to see if this changes the vibration issue at all. The 2.5" MSA exhaust system can also be seen in the photo. Was out here last night measuring things, trying to decide if i should install a resonator. Last time I ran without one on this same header/exhaust combo and it was an attention getter. Maybe I could afford to take the edge off, this time. I keep reading good reviews for the Vibrant 18" resonator. Is there really that much difference between brands when it comes to these things?

So the reason I'm having it serviced is because of an odd vibration when the car is coasting at freeway speeds. Doesn't happen while accelerating or decelerating... only at that perfect speed where no torsion is being applied to the driveshaft. My assumption is that one of the U joints is rattling. I know loose bolts can cause this symptom, but they felt tight when I checked them.

Well that was awesome. When I dropped off my driveshaft at Driveline Services of Sacramento, I ended up getting a crash course in drivelines. They don't actually machine Datsun yokes anymore since so many off-the-shelf parts are available these days. Also it became more of a hassle in the last 10 years, since Datsun driveshafts are becoming rare, and they can't just machine a whole bunch at once. A freshly built driveshaft with Spicer U-joints (reusing the existing spline) would run about $375 today. But as luck would have it, we scraped off the grease and discovered that these yokes have already been modded. So the price dropped to just $110 for new U-joints and a balance. NICE! =)

man... i wish i had so many amazing parts stored away. This is all coming together at a relentless pace! More than just a tad jealous of your throttle bodies. oOF

BTW, here is a list of the wires used in this project, with part#s, prices, and sources listed.

Hmmm, I've also been considering going with an R160 LSD for the same reasons. No plans to go turbo on this motor, so why am I so fixated on staying with an r-200? If the 160 is tough enough for my needs, it seems like the reduced weight would be a bonus too. Beautiful car, Adrian! I love those wheels.

Thanks Ryan! It's the Bussman 15303-4-0-4 that has the open configuration. I mistakenly got a different variant (15303-2-2-4, i think) the first time around, and couldn't use it because all the fuses are pre-routed to a power post. In this pic, you can see how it's missing an entire row of pins on the underside. Good for some applications, just not mine. I might end up using it to replace the factory fusebox inside the car later. Thanks for the words of support, guys =)

So after a few months in hibernation, the Z was finally back on the street today. I'm happy to say that everything came out more or less the way I had hoped. Here's the rundown: It took forever, but I finally managed to obtain all the wires, in the exact gauges and stripe patterns, to match what i had drafted out in my wiring diagram. I ordered this Bussman fuse block after seeing it on electricsubaru.com. I like how it uses micro blade fuses and micro relays, and keeps everything nice and orderly. No dangling leads for my relays anymore. It also has a nice weatherproof plastic cap, and you can pin the thing however you like, so I was able to isolate some circuits and run others grouped (for example, 1 relay for the ignition system manages power to 3 of the fuses). The aluminum bracket you see here is sort of a 1st draft prototype for something I plan to 3D print in ABS. It's little rough around the edges but the point was to learn from it so that I can start modeling something with a lower profile that really matches the curve of the wheel well. This contraption will do for now, and will make it easier to measure those curves when it comes time to model the thing. Same goes for this mount I made to house the HID ballasts. They're positioned where I want them, and are easy to service. 3D printed version will be less bulky, and will be all matchy-matchy. Took a while, but my new EDIS connectors finally arrived, so a few weeks ago, I was able to finish hooking up the coil packs and module. New pins, new solder. and new shielding (reused the jacketing from "strobe wire", found at a local emergency vehicle outfitter). Finally, I removed all the old redundant wires from under the hood, and rewrapped the entire harness, from the firewall to the headlights, using expandable braiding sleeving. At this point, I have definitely achieved my secondary goal for this project, which was to know every inch of this car like the back of my hand. At this point it dawned on me that "as long as i'm in here" I may as well just finish the electric fan conversion, because the wiring for it is all done, so what the heck. Snapped up a pair of 12" SPALs on amazon, and dragged out the scroll saw again. And i whipped up a flat aluminum shroud that I'm actually really happy about. When it's all bolted up, it looks like it was made for that radiator. So I take it out for a drive this morning, and stop a few times to dial in the fan temp sensor and grab some food. It becomes apparent that I can wait no longer to deal with my exhaust leak issue. Amazingly it got louder from sitting for 2 months. Go figure. So 3 miles into my first drive of the year, I pull back into my driveway, wash the car of my fingerprints and dust, and back on the jack stands she goes, for (hopefully) one more week. This happened. So now this is happening. Oh and see all that oil on the passenger-side muffler? That's from the output shaft seal, which is next on my to-do list here tonight. Tomorrow I have a date with Driveline Service in West Sacramento. New drive shaft with serviceable U-joints by the end of the week. Meanwhile, I'll be looking for an 02 sensor bung for this header, so I can get the wideband O2 gauge back up and running. So that's where we're at. And what better way to celebrate reaching the next phase of your project than by spending a day at the race track? To conclude this update, here are some pics of some fine looking Nissans at Thunder Hill yesterday, out on the skidpad. My friends were out there testing out their drift Corolla with it's new SR20det powerplant. A super clean rwd R32 made an appearance out there as well. Still drooling a bit about that.

beautiful work! I'm jealous of that AZC track pack!

You're singing my song, Hoover. I also took a good 10 years off of my Z car hobby and suddenly i find myself obsessing over wheel option at 3am, plotting how to make enough room in my garage for a 2nd car to part-out. Feels like just yesterday my roomie and I sold off an entire shed full of spare transmissions, engine blocks, manifolds, and interior trim. If I think about it too long, I start beating myself up for ever walking away. But I think sometimes a guy just needs a change of scenery to keep the mind from growing stagnant. And if I didn't bail when i did, my life today would look very different. I doubt I would have met my wife. At least you were smart enough to keep your old cars in storage. =) This thread makes me happy to read.

... for early Z cars were designed around all the smog/bumper/bracketry weight of a 260z. Just a hunch, but yeah I've been there too.

Last time I bought eibachs, my front end rode higher than I preferred too. Ended up having to take a few coils off in order to get matching wheel well clearance from front to rear. Have you reduced weight in the front at all? I get the feeling that eibachs

Things are getting awfully tidy over here. Was going to wait til everything was done and installed before posting another update, but things are looking so nice, i can't resist posting a few teaser pics. =) Wires in the ICM connector are backwards at the moment. Hastily assembled just for this photo shoot. Bench-tested all the relays last night. So far, so good. =) Test-fitting the new enclosure for the Dapper Lighting ballasts. Also in the frame here is a new set of Taylor 409s in black. Looks like I may have to dissect my existing coil pack connector because i ordered the wrong one from Miller's Mule. More to come...

It's like the line from pulp fiction. "You don't f*** with another man's car... It's just against the rules!"

THE GOOD NEWS: This weekend is almost upon us... and I'm just about ready to begin my "mother-of-all-wiring-projects." Perfect time for the (supposed) mother-of-all-storms to be hitting us. I guess that means it could suck if i have to leave the house to get any hardware or wiring odds + ends. But dang, I'm so ready to begin it's all I can think about. Fuse block, weatherpack connectors, terminals, grommets, and power post courtesy of Waytek Wire Fuses courtesy of my friend the automotive electrician (thanks, Deelan!) Automotive stripe wire courtesy of EFI Connection Sheet aluminum courtesy of Blue Collar Supply in Sacramento My goal is for this install to look and feel as professional as possible. Amazing how hard it is to find bulk wire near me, in all the colors and stripe patterns I need. Ended up finding most of what i needed on eficonnection.com. I really wanted to honor the color-coding of the original EDIS wiring (as closely as possible), and I even ordered some brand spankin' new EDIS harness connectors (coil and module) from a company called Miller's Mule. Not sure if they've even shipped yet, but that shouldn't stop me from at least starting the fabrication process for the bracket that everything will mount up to. Got plenty of extra metal here too, just in case I screw this up. I made a paper jig, but knowing me I'll either luck out or need to start over twice. Hopefully I'll have some winning photos to share by Sunday. . . . . and now THE BAD NEWS: Drove the Z to Berkeley last Saturday to hang out with a friend who is visiting from Budapest. We decided to grab a few slices of the best pizza on earth before driving back to Sac. We parked across the street from the restaurant, fed the meter, fed ourselves, returned to the car and holy crap... Some unbelievable jackass KEYED MY CAR! WTF is WRONG with people!?! Granted, this photo looks WAY deeper/worse than it actually is. Leon, you called this car "a good 10 footer" and it still is. At that distance you can barely see it. But it's the thought that counts. My blood is still boiling. I guess with the Ferguson protests about to begin, and the city about to turn into a war zone, things could have been a lot worse. Tensions were already high. Just prior to this happening, we saw an angry pedestrian at a crosswalk SLAP a car that was making a right turn. If we had hung out a few more hours, who knows what could have hit my paint job? Tear gas cannister? skateboard? Someone's head? No Bueno. Moral of this story. Don't ever leave the house. EVER. Just turn your wrenches and then go spin donuts in your back yard if you have one. Order pizza delivery.

Hey thanks! Orange car owners gotta stick together =) I got the plastic trim fasteners from Motorsport Auto. Not the cheapest way to go, but i didn't need too many.

Gah. Nothing like the pain of rewriting a lost post. Gonna keep this short since it's out of chronological order. But just to be thorough in my record-keeping: Got the tachometer working again. Wheee! look at it go! I learned a LOT about how the EDIS system works. There are a lot of wiring diagrams online regarding how to adapt your Z tachometer to work with this setup, and I find that there are actually quite a few misleading diagrams and descriptions. In the case of the 260z NEGATIVE trip-lead setup, I found the most accurate information HERE: http://www.bgsoflex.com/mjl/mjl_edis_summary.html I can now testify that this is the most accurate wiring guide for the EDIS6 / MJL combo... ...but only for positive-trip-lead setups like in the 240z. The "tach conversion" mentioned in the diagram (and here) WILL get your 260 style tach to work, but it's a fairly complicated procedure and (imho) not really worth the effort. Instead you have two options. Get the autosport labs tach adapter or simply install the diodes as shown here: (obviously for the z, you need 3 1N4004 diodes instead of 2) The tach adapter appears to do exactly the same thing, and you still have to splice into your coil wires, so it's not really saving you that much work. So the diodes were purchased and soldered in-line and heat-shrink was applied. (Apparently butane soldering iron = ameteur-hour. Got the job done, but i struggled with it.) Hopefully this is helpful for anyone looking to adapt their 260z tach to work with the megajolt system. =)

This is true. I have my work my cut out for me around the house.

something weird is going on. I was keeping a build history here: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/119329-swamis-orange-260z/ and as of right now I'm missing a bunch of content. At least of my posts is MIA, as well as some responses from other members. The missing content was posted between Aug18 and Nov7. Any idea if this is related to your database issue?

whoa this is weird. I lost a bunch of content on this thread somehow. I know I posted about solving the tachometer issue, with pics and everything. people even responded. boooooo! ='(

(Cont...) Finally, I got my rewiring plan together. Spent some time putting together a comprehensive wiring diagram, that also gives me some idea how much wire i need to buy, how many weatherpack connectors, and which wires can be bundled and routed together. (pro-tip: never let a graphic designer make a wiring diagram. I literally spent an hour on this thing before drawing a single wire. "ooh that fender could use a little shading") Careful... this image is HUGE (4526x2398 ... 1.8MB) It dawned on me last night that i didn't take the fusible links into account when drawing this up. Would love to hear your feedback or thoughts on this. Am I missing something in my thinking here? Should there be a fusible link in this starter circuit somewhere? Admittedly, I've never fully understood the role of those things in a Z. Why can't they exist as standard fuses? What makes a fusible link special? Thoughts? In any case, I'm looking at starting the rewiring project in the 2nd week of December. Mouth is already watering over this project =)