Hugh

Nice. How much that set you back?

Still stock. I'm going to install a relay setup eventually, though. The relay kit is not going to make your lights draw higher current and blow fuses... it allows them to draw the current they want. Right now its bottlenecking through crappy old wires. Once you put in relays with fresh heavier gauge power wires, full current capacity of the lights can be realized. What sort of bulbs do you have that draw 30 amps, anyway? Just curious. Japanese bulbs always display the wattage (actual and displayed) on the box. I bought 55/60 watt bulbs. (i was afraid of the 100/130 bulbs on this old system. However, with relays in, I will run the brighter ones most likely. These housings come with Raybrig bulbs originally, but one was blown from when they were on my wife's Miata. I put in APC bulbs. ($24 from Kragen)

I realize Talahassee is not close to Tampa, but there are some shops that do this down there. They do great work, and I wish I was over there to get my swap done. Go to the Tampa Racing forum and search for the 240z SR20DET swap. You will see what I mean.

Mossy Nissan here in Oceanside, California had no problem troubleshooting my wiring problems. It was very difficult for them, but they figured it out and charged me a reasonable time rate. (by the hour, less than 3 hours to do almost a full days troubleshooting) They have a few guys who've been there for 20+ years. This is what you need... a dealer with that kind of experience.

Make sure they're not the same ones selling for like $10 on ebay. If so.. then buy them on Ebay for $10 and save cash. I'm pretty sure the ones on ebay are the same ones I bought a few years ago when they were $50... they worked fine, but water go into one. I resealed them and never had a problem. (and they were loads brighter than stock)

Bah, just because the car is old doesn't mean you can't modify it. It's like once a car is 25 years old, all of a sudden its better stock. Of course if it was a brand new stock car, then it would be boring.

I bought mine in Japan when I lived there. They used to be on my wife's Miata (Eunos Roadster or MX5 over there)

I wish my car were that clean. Good luck with it!

I was thinking about the Apexi N1 muffler here: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=APX%2D156%2DA003&N=110&Ntk=KeywordSearch&Ntt=apexi The can is 13" long, so I suppose I shouldn't have any trouble fitting that, right? Problem is its 3.4inches... so I will have to slip the pipes together and step up in size, unless I can find a reducer. I wouldn't mind 3.4 inches back, but I have a small pre-muffler that is 3" in and out that will fit where the downpipe ends. (4 inch outer diameter racing muffler - takes the 4-cylinder tinny sound out)

I'm going to be building a custom 3" exhaust soon for my SR20DET install. I'd like a good Bullet or N1 style muffler in back. Something very modern looking, straight through, and hopefully without a ratty tin-can sound. Anyone have one on their Z that fits well? What length should I be looking for? Oh, and obviously I need a 3" inlet. I love the sound of the Dynomax Ultraflo mufflers, but I don't think they will look good visible in the back of a Z. I had one in my 180sx that was hidden underneath with just a stainless striaght pipe coming out. No space to do this on the Z I guess.

Stock Sylvania sealed beam first, then Raybrig H4 6024 conversion lights with blue tinted lenses. (you can use normal bulbs and still get the while light effect) These beams are designed for right hand drive, so they throw a bit of light into the oncoming traffic's faces. Pointing them down can solve this, though. (although sacrificing a bit of the light.) My review: Freaking Bright!! I still have the stock wiring on my 240z's headlights... these are ten times brighter than the stock crap.

Yeah, it makes all cars look a little bit cooler. So every time I spot some crappy import wannabe, I think its a totally slammed widebody or something... and then I realize its just an optical illusion.

Actually, I have better than 20/20. It has to do with the curvature of the glass causing light refraction. It's like a funhouse mirror. I may just scrape off the defroster and tint the heck out of the window... then I won't be annoyed by the weird view.

Just a little update: The car is still charging just fine. I've been daily driving it without any troubles for the past week. I still have a hotwire jumped into the voltage regulator from the fuse box... I need to check the continuity on the original black/w wire and see if its just disconnected somewhere.

Does every Z do this with the back window, or is it something to do with the age of the glass in mine? When I look out my rear view mirror, everything behind me is squashed vertically. Its not the mirror thats doing it (I slipped in a brand new perfectly flat mirror, and I get the same effect.) So do they all do this, or can I change the back window eventually to solve this? My defroster is about 50% gone as well... damn window has had it rough I guess.

That is just plain awesome.

So this method doesn't allow any adjustment? I'm assuming you had to adjust the length of the cable to make it work, right?

Ok, that all goes along with what I was feeling. I was pretty sure cranking up some high pressure EFI pump on a carb was BAD idea... even for only 40 minutes. I was just throwing that out there to get some ideas. Seems you like my plan... run the entire new fuel system and have it ready to go online with the switch of a hose. (oh, and I was planning a nice relay job for it as well, thanks though!)

Well, being someone who has driven many, many Hicas cars. I can say this: When I buy 240sx's, I purposely buy them without Hicas. It is dead weight that causes the rear end to do whatever it feels like. Everyone who races in a car that has Hicas in Japan removes it by way of a Hicas eliminator bar. Hicas just causes understeer. Watch someone try to drift a 300zx and you will see what I mean. They can't get the rear end to come around because the wheels are fighting it. On a professional level, Rhys Millen broke the world record for showroom stock in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with a Skyline GT-R. He attempted a practice run with the Hicas enabled, and it threw him all over the course. They eventually eliminated the Hicas before the competition, and he destroyed the competition. I think Hicas is intended for the average joe not to lose control of his car. If you know how to drive, and drive equally equipped cars with and without Hicas, you will realize it is bunk and needs to be killed.

So you're going to downgrade to a distributor type ignition? You can't run a waste spark with two coils?

I am going to be bringing my car into the shop for the SR20DET installation. However, I am trying to prep everything as much possible to speed up the install and reduce my cost for their work done. I’m going to run the SR with my Electromotive Tec3, and I will have it all pre-wired before I bring it to them. (I had it running in my old car, so I know the harness is built correctly) I have an SU L28 in there right now. I want to put the Walbro 255lph pump in the rear. My question is whether I can install the pump before driving the car 40 minutes to their shop? I realize the fuel pressure would be way too much for my carbed L28, but I’m not sure how else to handle this. Maybe run the fuel lines and prep it all, then swap out the pump last thing? I guess I could piggy back the pump and lines, then just change the main line off the tank to the new pump at the shop. Later on, in my own time, I can remove the entire stock fuel system from the vehicle. I’m in the brainstorming phase, as well as ordering parts. I will begin the prep work probably next weekend. I may actually start laying the Tec3 in there sooner. Any ideas you guys have for me, fire away. This system is going to have to support a buttload of power. It will be over 400hp before it hits the road… so I want the fuel lines to support it. I don’t want to pay the shop to do this menial work for me, though.

Nice pics. Always loved that car. Oh, but Silvia is spelled with two I's in it. (like in your pics) Whats gonna happen to this car?