datsunlover

Wow.. more replys than I thought in one day! Anyway, yah.. I'm really not that angry anymore, although I'm slightly bothered by the mentality most of these 'guys' have, and I'm sure I have more skill in my little toe than they have in their entire body.. I've started to tink of it like this; most people that buy junk from these shops are gona slap it on their cars and assume they are cool/fast/hot-rodded, BUT, I know my 7 is gona walk all over them anyway. Yah I put this thing together for under $2K, but for me to be 'happy' with it, it's probly gona end up with another $600-$800 dumped into it. (guages, wiring/sensor fixes, better rad, some heavier springs) I do have a short vid of the beast tearing up short strip of highway, complete with the girlfriend riding shotgun and making little scared noises and squeels. She was 'trying' to hold the camera steady.. it's funny, you can see it jerk evry time it shifts, and the dash gets REAL close when I get on the brakes.. I don't know where/how to post it though.. ??

This may sound silly, but is it getting colder lately? Up here it's quite cold in the mornings now (soon to get colder.. stupid winter..) and ANY vehicle apears to 'smoke' for a few minits after startup. (My truck, girlfriends 2002 grand am, anything) A combination of running slightly rich on startup (as all FI vehicles ussualy do; warm up cycle or whatever you call it) and the outside air temp being cold, the exhast is very visable for the first few minits. Some days in the middle of the winter, even after a good warm up, you'll see ALL the cars on the road 'smoking' while sitting at stoplights and whatnot.

This is all spread between the garage and the 'shed' in the back yard.. DATSUN -280z FI intake manifold -FI harness/ECU/AFM/ect -r200 diff and half shafts -fiberglass drivers fender -few boxes of spare plastics, wiring, spare runing/signal lights -8 six spoke Z rims -1984 300zx rotors (new) -280zx brake and clutch M/C -280z clutch friction disk (new) -280z front bumper -spare N42 head -set of SU 3 screw carbs -two 280z valve covers MAZDA (FC rx7) -two front struts w/brakes atached -spare tail lights -hood -sunroof panel -4 factory rims w/tires -2 factory spare's -oil cooler -ecu/wiring/guage cluster CHEVY -two alternators (from mid 90's?) -two drivers side sbc manifolds -misc sbc nuts/bolts/studs/brackets -box of engine/chasiss wiring/conectors/battery cables -two valve covers SHED in the back.. -92 pathfinder (parts truck, but also being used for storage at the moment..) -4 15" 'aluminum slot' rims with tires -various lo-pro 15" tires (8 at last count) -3 31X10.5 tires -misc pieces of exhast pipes, a flowmaster style mufler, clamps Holy crap... I think it's time to have a yard sale!!! Or maybe a trip to the scrap yard..

Had a little problem the other day in a 'performance' shop.. Seams to me that hotroding has turned into buying crap out of a catalouge or 'bolt on/stick on' stuff that the so called 'speed shops' have on their shelves. I tried to explain to 'the guy' behind the counter that I wanted some coil overs for my 86 rx7, because I have a chev V8 in it and the stock springs are not gona cut it for long. Apparently, I've added 600 pounds to the front end and it doesn't mater WHAT coil overs I get, they will just colapse and it'll ride like crap anyway. yah, ok.. The guy says he's done lots of stuff like what I've done, and I'll have to get custom made springs, yada yada. I asked him if he's put a V8 in a 2nd gen RX7. "Well, not an rx7, but it's the same.. " I wanted to smack him, but figured I'd let it go.. Moving along, I then ask if the $380 Autometer electric spedo has a 'pulse' or something out of it, that I could hook up to my computer, as a vehicle speed sensor input. Guy can't comprehend why I have a computer if I'm running a chev V8.. Lets see... When did GM come out with TBI? the 80's? I try to explain that currently my mazda spedo works, but its mis-reading way too high. It has a VSS output, which I have wired to the ECU (700r4 trans came from a car with 2.XX rear gear, my rx7 has 3.90's. I need to play with/swap out the colored gears) As well ascausing shifting problems, whats happening is the speed governor is kicking in when the ECU 'sees' more than 200k, although I'm not really going that fast. But no, I get told that I'm wrong, the signal comes from the TACH and if I over-rev the engine it cuts fuel. Thats whats happening, yup. (I have no tach hooked up right now btw, but if the top end of 3rd is anny indication, 4th has PLENTY to go before an over-rev..) So After all the attitude and rudness this jerk threw at me, I really wanted to jump the counter and smack him around.. but instead I just left. Basicaly, they have lost my buisiness, as well as my respect. What kind of speed shop FROWNS on a car such as the one I've built?!? What kind of idiot tells me he's never done exactly what I've done, but HE knows better... What the hell happend to 'hot rodding' anyway? I thought that's what I was doing.. Use what you have, make things work, BUILD a cool/fast car, with a bit of skill, thought, and some elbow grease.. Apparently, that's not what it is anymore.. just buy the same bolt on, stick on, bling bling, anodized, RRRacing, CRAP as every other fool with money to blow, and you're driving a 'hotrod' and it's a 'custom' ride.. Guess I'm not a hotroder, even though I built a car for under $2000 that will stomp on a lot of vehicles that have 10 times that amount dumped into them.. *end rant* Well, I feel a little better...

Dont feel bad man, it took me about 6 months to figure it out!!

Reminds me of an old VCR I had.. (yah, I guess that is kinda old school now right? ) It would play fine, and then the tracking would just go out, for no apparent reason.. I'd adjust it, 20 minits later its all fuzzy again.. I'd had enough. SO... I ripped it out of the wall unit, and threw it accross the room.. but I was still quite angry with it... so I dragged it outside by the power cord, up a flight of cement stairs (basement apartment) and flung it into the driveway. Still, there was some rage in me... so I jumped in my 4x4 truck, and parked the front wheel on top of it. I felt better then...

VERY sexy car.. I saw one up here today, I had to do a double take!!

That redneck sonova... Thats frickin awesom!!! Bawhahahahaha....

Meh.. maybe that IS the reason I DID put a V8 in.. I actually did read the next post, but the first one still sort of rubbed me the wrong way.. Not really upset, just seamd a little too "purist" a thing to post IMO.. Anyway, I never drove this particular FC (bought it without rotary motor/tranny) but my parts car that I bought from a friend of mine was the identical car. Before hers 'poped' two years ago, she was using it as a daily driver and was always a little upset that it got horrible gas milage. Her other vehicle was a 2001 Dodge Durango 4x4 with a 360 V8, and it was almost as good on gas!!! (not to mention a little more powerfull and torquey!) Even though mine has yet to be 'finished' and needs fine tuning, I'm getting prety good milage.. about the same as my 4x4 V6 truck, and the 7 is a LOT more fun to drive.. I know I could get even better milage, but I can't keep my foot off the stupid pedel.

NICE!!! Orange peal and runs suck, but it looks AWESOME in the pics man!! Good job on the body man, black is a hard color to get looking good on top of a lot of body work.. and besides, going by at 80mph, who's gona notice some orange peal?

Oh yah, can't forget the countless trips to parts stores.. but if I was doing nothing but work on the thing, sure it would have been a LOT quicker a swap.. working for a living takes a lot of time..

Lets see.. my first V8 swap was into an 85 rx7, and it took me a year. It still wasn't great, and had lots of issues. two years ago, I bought a Z.. It took me a year just to put it back together enough to drive.. thats just with the stock L28, which I've since re-built and added a 5 speed to. V8 would require more frame work, suspension and brake work.. ugh... So I found something similar, but not as 'rough' overall. In two months, from scratch, I built a V8 powered 86 RX7. (Actually, it would have been done faster, but I got sick one week, and ended up working insane overtime the next week to make some $$$ up, therefore loosing two weeks on the project) Having previous expiriance and some skils now made it a lot easier, but I'd say at least HALF the reason it went so smooth and quickly was a CLEAN CHASSIS!!!

Ok.. now, I'm not one for hijacking a thread... but come on.. Golum, you can call my V8 RX7 discusting if you like, but I'll bet you couldn't build a rotary.. ANYTHING.. that goes like my car, for the measly $2000 I have into it. Yah yah yah, rotary this, potential that, if you wana bankroll it, no prob man, I'll build a rotary!! Bone stock rotary makes 160 horse at 8000rpm and 140Lbs torque at 5000rpm (or something to that effect) And every 100km they pop.. I don't care how well you 'take care of them' , they are not reliable. They are interesting for sure, but not my choice for reliable power.. My bone stock 350 TBI makes way more HP and toruqe that that rotary, and at a much lower rpm. Weight issue.. well, I'm using an old iron block so I've added 150-200 pounds to the front of the car, but you know what? You can hardly tell. (FWIW, you can actually get an FC RX7 LIGHTER in the front end with a ford 302 w/aluminum heads, ect, and damn close with a LSx motor.) I believe the FC's are around 52/48 for weight distribution. My 7 is still a very drivable car, and although it rides a little lower in the front end, you honestly can't even tell it has a V8 until I step on it. I set the motor in as far back as possible (dizzy is about .750" from the firewall) and as low as I could go (just over .5" between pan and rack) and although I havn't weighed my rex, I don't think I'm that nose heavy... it sure goes around the twisties nicely.. Really, you could make a better arguement against V8 Datsuns because IMO the inline 6 has a LOT of potential for power, and although it costs $$$ you will still get a measure of reliability and longevity.. (more than any rotary anyway..) so why bother puting in a V8? I have to say I was suprised to see a post like that on HERE of all places... ANYway.. I just might have to look into a set of those flairs for my RX7.. it's got the POWER to back up some mean looks now... and the 'cats out of the bag' around here anyway, most folks know my car now, so the shock value is gone...

A little good news from the RX7 camp here... I re-set my TV cable yesterday, and it seams to shift a lot better. It still gets into 4th and bogs, but not as quickly. (So I'm still shifting it manualy and holding it in 3rd till I WANT 4th) I think part of my problem is electrical though, as I'm running a TBI system and it takes a speed sensor signal from the back of the spedo. I think because my spedo is reading WAY to fast (have to change the gear in the tranny) it's confusing the computer, and making the tranny shift up. I have a link for a site describing how to properly set the TV cable, and it gives a good run down of how/why it works. Acording to that site, there is no such thing as 'adjusting' the TV cable, only a 'setting' of it. The way it was described it made sence to me.. And following the distructions has made a definite improvement on my car.. Unfortuantly, the site seams to be down right now.. Basicaly, it is a simple thing to 'set' it properly; -you unhook the TV cable from the throttle -push in in the little D shaped 'button' on the cable sheth (where it clips to the bracket on the intake) -then push the little square piece (that the actual cable runs through) all the way inside. It's like a little racheting mechanism.. -re-attach the TV cable to the throttle, and open the throttle all the way. -just before WOT it will have resistance; force it past that, and the little square piece will ratchet out, and that's that. It's set. (Oh, and make sure the pedel in the car is able to push the engine side to full throttle too.. that was oart of my problem as well.) Not taking credit for anyone's work/words there, just thought it might help.

You should ask the sellers questions, and then call BS when they make something up.. Hey, maybe you could lodge a complaint on e-bay.. seeing as you KNOW the vehicles cause you built them (and I'm sure you can easily show proof) they are technicaly mis-representing items for sale...

You know... I thnk I hate you Tim.. Nice shop

I'm realizing I have a problem.. and it's getting worse! Here's the symptoms; 1- Get a really cool idea, plan it out, buy the vehicle and start the project. 2- Finish the thing to the point where it runs/drives. 3- Bit by bit, between stints driving it, continue working on 'the little things' and 'minor issues' it has. (TLC, check engine lights, little lighted switches for things, ect) 4- Eventually end up driving it almost every day and just getting used to the little bugaboo's it has.. 5-Realize that if you stop driving it, to fix a few little things, (they've added up by now) you'll get bit by the 'while I'm at it' bug and the thing won't see the road for another XXX months! AAAAHHHGGGGG!!!! It suddenly occurs to me that all 3 of the vehicles I own are at one of these stages.. My 4x4 truck that I havn't done much too since last fall, needs work for the winter (brakes, suspension, body.. yah, a lot of work) but I'm afraid I'll get into it and end up without a truck for this winter! Also, I don't feel good about driving the Z as my daily while the truck is down, because it's almost as bad as the truck! (front end brakes/suspension, front frame rot, big oil leak, driveshaft vibrations..) Ok.. so I have my V8 rex drivable, but it's not 'done' either. The thing runs too hot (need bigger/better rad) and isn't exactly a gas saver. I started to consider selling off all 3 and buying something nice and new-ish (like a Frontier 4x4 quad cab maybe..) but caned that.. besides the fact that this is the WRONG time of year to sell sports cars, I'd end up with something else for a 'project' anyway.. SO... what would you guys do?

I have a HUGE 'whale tail' on my 280, I replaced the hatch seal, and my exhast exits about 6" after the rear roll pan. (no bumper) If I drive for too long without the windows down, I get quite exhasted. It's a bit better than when I got my car (holes evrywhere, door and hatch seals ripped to shreds, exhast system hanging/leaking) but it still there.. I just think of it as part of Z ownership, and really, old Z's are SUPOSED to smell a bit.

I'd say you'd be VERY happy for starters with a 200-250ish horse SBC. Quite do-able with a carb or simple (IE; older tbi/tpi) FI engine. And the stock rear end will hold up to that kind of power for a while, even if you beat on it. Really, that kind of power in a little Z is going to suprise you! Eventually, you can upgrade the engine later on, but for now I'd follow the K.I.S.S. rule and you'll be fine. Finding a Z that doesn't need tones of rust repair and frame work would be a good thing too.

Yup, thats a 1st gen rx7 rear end. (the links have been cut to get it out of the car.. too bad as they are worth about $150 each from mazda! ) I guess he's changed it now..

Just a thought on the crank.. would in not be feasible to re-grind the crank journels, giving the effect of stroking? Basicaly, grind them smaller, but offset from their original 'center line' therefore ending up with more piston travel, even using standard pistons, although the con-rods would need smaller ID bearing sizes... My engine builder friend has talked about this (actualy, I think he called it offset grinding), and from what I gather it's been done with V8's for years.. If the jag crank is a stout as they say, I'll bet it would be ok to take a bit of meat off...

I bought a portable garage to build my Z in originaly! I did all the restoring/rebuilding and body work/primer in there, but towed it to a shop to get the paint sprayed on it. After 6 months of work going on in there, it was quite dirty and a bit cramped, and IMO would have made it imposible to get a nice paint job. It was also in the back yard, right next to a neibour's house.. I don't know if he would have liked the paint fumes/overspray venting out of my garage directly onto his house! (rattle can primer is one thing, a compresor and paint gun is a bit much..) And if you're gona have snow on it, make sure you get one that has a fairly durable (thick, maybe water proof/resistant) cover, that will allow the snow/ice will slid off of easily. Mine is not bad, but every week or so I'd go out and check on it, sometimes pushing gently from the inside to knock the snow off the roof. This can create another problem though, as the snow and ice off the roof falls directly on the sides. In my case (northern-ish Canada) I had to 'dig it out' on the sides twice last winter, as the walls were starting to get pushed in, and I woried that the covering would rip under the weight and I'd have a snow drift in there! EDIT; That one (link) is very similar to mine, and I'd say it's a good buy. Mine has lasted 2 years now (harsh winters and hot days in the summer) with no major issues. Looks as though it's good for at least another winter before I'll have to replace/repair the covering. Only thing I'd make sure of is that the frame is METAL and not plastic. My boss just got one to store his argo/bike/lawnmower/ect and it's flimsy plastic. Almost blows away in strong winds, and I'm tinking it'll probly be shot after a winter..

I'm curious too, as I'm having a similar problem in my rx7. My engine is basicaly stock (350 TBI from an old police car) and I have a 700r4 tranny. I have very similar issues at light throttle, and unless I stomp it too the floor, it really doesn't like 1st gear. As you describe, it does go into 1st, but aside from WOT, it shifts into 2nd almost instantly, and quickly gets itself up into 3rd then 4th.. boggggg.... For now, I've started shifting to 3rd (instead of D) and let it go up to 3rd, which is 'ok' around town, and if I'm on a long stretch I'll click it into 4th manualy. I've been thinking it may be something to do with my fuel injection/computer but if you're having the similar issue and runing a carb, I'm thinking this is a tranny issue...

Well shoot.. I've DONE this.. 86 RX7 with Chev 350 TBI. TOTAL cost right now, I'm sitting at just under $2000 canadian. There's a bit mroe 'stuff' I'll want to do, but basicaly, it's together and roasting tires for under your 2K mark... I havn't run it yet, but I'm hoping for mid 13's once it's tuned up properly. The RX7's are amazing cars (well designed, strong, decent looking) and you can get the 1st and 2nd gens DIRT cheep, as the rotary is ussualy exploded by now... and I bought a whole car for my engine/tranny/wiring (ex police cruiser) dirt cheep too.

Hah ha Dan.. And what did you say Pope? Finish? Bawwhahahahah!!! Not really.. drivable and fun, but not finished... Still needs (well, doesn't NEED but I want...) wider/taller/stickier rear tires, some aftermarket guages, better springs, bigger rad, and I'm sure I'll come up with a few more.. I figure this will work out good though, as long as I don't end up with the Rex AND the Z down at the same time.. if that were to happen, I don't know what I'd do.. probly buy another project.. oh oh...