kj280z Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Hey all, I thought I'd share some pics of StealthZ. My Dad and I did all the custom Body Work... see if you can pick out all the custom "touches" that are subtly done to almost every panel on the car - Have fun - enjoy - Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest - professional photo shoot coming soon... Rags and Clive installed the LSX driveline... Car is located in Toms River NJ Owner Is a member here - Chas - pipe in if you'd like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Wow the rims really cleaned up nice! Car looks great and I'm assuming it's running the same Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Here's a short video of a shake down run... autoX.wmv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaggyZ Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Excellent job. Nothing stealth about that car. Would love to see interior shots and undercarriage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Now thats what I'm talking about, very nice indeed. I see you keed about it being stealth, as that looks menacing . More description and info on the body work and wheels size and make please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 (edited) Now thats what I'm talking about, very nice indeed. I see you keed about it being stealth, as that looks menacing . More description and info on the body work and wheels size and make please. The body work has SOOO many small details... Notice the fuel filler door, the shaved gutters and emblems, hand made airdam, custom blinker cones just to name a few... start looking you'll start to see a bunch of things. I like the fact that if they're not apparent and hard to pick out then it usually is an indication that they were executed well. The rear fenders are the 280YZ's with fender lips to match the front, Subtle Z front fenders and everything else was hand made one off kinda stuff... The doglegs are custom to blend back into the body etc etc etc - haven't even mentioned the rear yet. Those are Boze 18 inch custom wheels. Look around it's all "Stealth" <grin> Edited October 6, 2011 by kj280z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilC Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 (edited) Car sounds great in the vid and has lots of power! I love the look of this car. The swap was fun and glad Chas is enjoying every moment of it. Edited October 6, 2011 by EvilC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 So you want details - be careful what you wish for; this was one hell of a project. Many thanks to the Jones' Team for execution that really can't be captured in a thread. The combination of exterior components were chosen to create a bold contemporary look that paid homage to original lines of the 240Z, a truly beautiful car to begin with in my opinion. EXTERIOR: The look could not be created without the incredible skills of this father/son team. The fact that these gentlemen are huge Z car fans fueled their enthusiasm for the project. The attention to detail is evident in the fact that one might miss the important things they did to make this exterior look like it rolled off of a modern day production line. From the doors forward, the fenders gradually widen to create wheel openings that are 3 inches wider than stock. The smooth transition from the G-nose into the wider front fenders was skillfully created by mating the G-nose to a widened airdam and continuing the fender lip into the airdam lip. This “factory†looking front end now easily accommodates 9.5†x 18†wheels shod with 245/30 ZR18†tires. We set the wheels and tires about an inch inboard consistent with production cars. A carbon fiber hood replaces the heavy steel hood and the nose of the car was actually custom shaped to continue the center hood line forward; a subtle detail that lends to the illusion that the car rolled off the “line†with this nose. Inspired by early Ferrari’s, gills were crafted into the fenders; form has to follow function for me, so no fake scoops, ridiculous wings etc. The forward gills were plumbed into the engine bay with thematically controlled exhaust fans to help pull excess heat from that compartment. The aft gills feed the HVAC system. The very wide rear quarter panels are racecar inspired and required the Jones’ team’s superior skill set to install for street car use. Racecar components do not incorporate inner wheel wells, fender lips or fuel doors into their design due to the singular focus of a racecar. Most of the cars I've seen with wide fenders and quarters are crude as compared to the Jones' Team treatment of this modification. The install begins with the original rear wheel wells being cut back, welded shut and treated to prevent rust. Custom metal inner wheel wells were crafted and installed to look as if the car came this way right from the factory, complete with a removable panel on the passenger side to grant access to the fuel filler hose and fuel pump. Fender lips that matched the front lips were incorporated into these racecar quarter panels to create a factory look. The sculpted rear quarters now easily accommodate 18†x 11†rims fitted with 295/30 ZR 18 tires. We found that the billet aluminum fuel door used on the Mitsubishi Eclipse mirrored the fender curvature where the new fuel filler neck would reside. We took this opportunity to update the filler neck to a late model locking neck with smaller inlet suited to modern pump nozzles. Again, the look is “factory†with a little flair created by the polished stainless steel flat head Allen bolts that secure the fuel door to the new fenders. The removal of the stainless steel rain gutters is a detail left undone by most, probably because it’s an arduous task to do so. They must be removed a little at a time, creating a gap between the body and roof that must be welded shut. The result is amazing in that the lines of the car flow seamlessly together now as the rear fenders and hatch pillars trasition smoothly into the gentle curvature of the roof. The rocker panel lines were continued as they transition from beneath the doors to the forward portion of the rear quarters; a detail that goes unnoticed only because it exists. The rear of the car needed updating as well and required many hours of research and a lot of time mocking up ideas in photo-shop to identify the right tail lights and rear spoiler for the car. Ken Jones Jr. sent me images of what would end being the ultimate tail lights for this car. They are aftermarket LED tail lights for the mid-90’s Skyline GTR. We ordered an aftermarket fiberglass panel created to swap individual round tail lights into early Z cars and Ken Jr. seamlessly incorporated the GTR tail lights into the panel. The lower rear valance of the car is stock; the sheet metal was welded to close bumper mount holes and other slots, creating a late model Corvette-style rear with clean uninterrupted lines. Hours of research and more time with Photoshop helped us choose a unique spoiler option for the car. The Jones’ team crafted a custom base for the Pontiac Grand Prix spoiler, positioning it to mimic the highly effective whale tails popular in the 80’s, “spoiling†the air as it flows over the hatch. The spoiler’s LED third brake light finished off the look and adds an element of modern functionality to the tail light system. Staggered 3 piece aluminum wheels were manufactured by Boze Forged Wheels. The wheels have modern looking 6 spoke center sections with striking deep dish polished aluminum lips. The rear wheels are 18†x 11†shod with Sumittomo HTZIII 295/30 ZR tires. The 9.5†wide front wheels are fitted with the 245/35 ZR HTZIII variant. ENGINE and DRIVETRAIN: The car began life with a high hp 280zx turbocharged engine. Even with the all the right stuff, forged everything and the best components money could buy, just one component failure at high boost/rpms and you're in trouble. The ignition module failed under said circumstances and the engine blew up. I really needed a reliable high horsepower powerplant that anyone could service. It was late fall when the Nissan engine blew up and the car was going into hibernation for the winter anyway, so the timing was right for an engine swap if I could find a suitable powerplant and someone to install it. A friend of friend had an early Z car with a nicely modified Corvette LS1 and 6 speed trans in it that he was selling. GM’s LS1 engines deliver phenomenal horsepower and torque with normally aspirated reliability and modern electronic control modules. We made a deal to have the engine and drivetrain installed in my car and the results are spectacular. The lightweight LS1 looks at home in the 240Z’s large engine bay. Modified with mild cam, 90mm TB, “FAST†Intake, headers and free flowing exhaust, the easy revving engine effortlessly delivers in excess of 400 hp. The 6 speed’s gears compliment the 3:70 gears and 295/30 ZR 18 tires. The car rockets off the line with controllable wheel spin, sending the car sideways (if you want it to) as one shifts into 2nd at 6500 rpms, still propelling the car forward with ferocity. If the desired effect is to have the rear tires hook up immediately, one just needs to shift with a tad less aggresion. Shifting into 3d at higher rpms chirps the rear tires as the speedo needle kissed the 100 mph mark; you grab 4th and you can't beleive that you're still pinned to the seatback as she rockets north of 120. The engine has a docile side as well; at 75 mph in 6th gear, the engine is spinning leisurely at 1800 rpms, delivering gas mileage in the 30 mpg range. The suspension, drive train, chassis and braking systems were all modified specifically to handle this kind of horsepower. Mods include: Coil Overs, Tokico 7 way adjustable HP shocks, Adjustable control arms custom mounted in new position to maintain suspension geometry (compromised in amny cases when one lowers a car to this degree), 3.70 LSD and CV's, 280Z Hubs, Wilwood 4 piston calipers with huge vented rotors up front, 300zx rotors and maxima calipers take up the rear, Bad Dog heavy duty frame rails, sway bars, strut tower braces and seam welded shock towers. INTERIOR: Unlike many other cars out there, the 240Z needs little in the way of interior upgrades. Nissan got the gauge layout and switch gear right, period. Swapping out the 240Z Amp gauge in favor of the 280Z Volt gauge was easy and the only physical gauge mod that was needed. I installed white faces with red needles and converted the gauge lamps over to blue LED's. The well lit gauges look modern now and are easy to read day or night. I also swapped out the incandescent center console and dome lamps with modern white LED bulbs and added LED lighting underneath the seats that illuminate the footwells. I wanted more supportive seats and a quieter, more sophisticated cabin. I found incredible seats in an unlikely donor car. The Nissan Pulsar NX seats fit nicely in the 240Z (with bracket modifications). They are deep sporty seats with beefy side bolsters that offer excellent support and comfort. These seats did not belong in that anemic ride! The grey and black herringbone fabric looks fantastic with the black carpet and dash. The Pulsar had a back seat, so I found several more of these cars in local savage yards and purchased the back seats, using the fabric to create matching door panels and a padded center armrest. I used Dynomat everywhere, installed new carpeting and had all of the stock plastic panels in the car clad in black vinyl. The interior now has a modern factory sports car look and feel. It was also very easy to make the doors sound solid by inserting rubber strips between the door skin and the window mechanism and replacing the weather stripping. MODERN CONVENIENCES and TOUCHES: High performance enthusiasts tend to shun anything that adds weight to a vehicle and for good reason. The beautiful thing about having a 2500 lb car with 400 hp is that one can add a few pounds here and there without sacrifice. I was pleasantly surprised how little weight was added to the car when I equipped it with power windows, remote control power door locks and power mirrors. All 3 mods added less than 20 pounds to the car. I modified the mirrors with discrete LED pathway lighting that stays on for 45 seconds when the remote control locks are actuated. The headlights were replaced with high power Xenon units with bright DRL LED halos that also stay lit to illuminate the front of the car for 45 seconds when one remotely unlocks the doors. The rear LED brake/tail/reverse light assembly looks “factoryâ€. The brake/tail light LED’s are striking and ultra bright as compared to incandescent bulb systems. The Sirius satellite radio is integrated into the custom carbon fiber fuse door cover just below the head unit. The low profile Sirius antenna looks right at home centered on the rear part of the roof just forward of the hatch. The sound system is factory looking as well, with an amp hidden under each seat and nine speakers nestled throughout the car, mounted flush with all surfaces. A donut spare tire occupies the full size spare well beneath the rear hatch, making room for the 10†subwoofer that shares its cavity. I will try to post pics of the interior and other little things that pull the car together. The final results are amazing, but a project like this is not for everyone. Modifying a 40 old year car’s chassis, suspension and drivetrain to deliver modern super-car performance is an arduous task. Then there’s the quandary one faces as the lines of the car start to come together to create something spectacular looking. Modest performance, antiquated lighting and inexpensive wheels fitted with adapters just won’t do anymore. Performance modifications and aesthetics battle for your time and hard earned money until both are equally satisfied. All said and done, I don’t think anything compares to driving one’s dream car around and having others validate the fact that you and your friends created something very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilC Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Very nice read! I remember the car few years back when I visited Ken down in FL. Last winter while working on it made me want to go with the 280yz rear fenders and such, I really like the look. With the car having power windows, doors, mirrors and hatch....this thing is a blast to drive. Keeping enjoying your dream car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Chaz You're going to need to post a lot more pics now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Very nice read! I remember the car few years back when I visited Ken down in FL. Last winter while working on it made me want to go with the 280yz rear fenders and such, I really like the look. With the car having power windows, doors, mirrors and hatch....this thing is a blast to drive. Keeping enjoying your dream car! Clive - I can't wait for you to drive this thing. The 3" collectors now feed a 2 1/2" exhuast system that is tucked up nice and tight to the chassis before feeding the 3"in/out Magnaflow. Torque is everywhere and engine still pulls with ferocity at higher rpms. I'll be up at Giants Stadium again on the 29th with 275/35 15 Hoosiers all the way around on lightweight 10" wide Diamond Racing wheels. The 23" OD lowers the car another inch for the Autocross event, so this should be very interesting. You should come out just to take this thing for a spin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilC Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Well the 29th is the day after my Dad's Bday....I might take a ride over to watch you behind the wheel. I would bring my Z but I am having an issue with the clutch and need to remove the trans out of the car I am sure it is a spacer I forgot to install behind the slave. O well, would have been fun to have 2 v8 cars there for the day. Hopefully next year we can get you up for a few events. My car, yours and Joe's can be the local LSx crew. I know there is a LS2 around but I have not seen or know the person. I think he is part of the NJZCC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 What fuze block is that sitting on the inner fender? Can I contact you for wiring advice later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Chaz, I just had to weigh in on my take and opinions of your car. I can't get enough of the final outcome, and as a stickler for details almost to the point of being anal-retentive, I can more than appreciate and respect the work that all who were involved have done. I very much like the approach and outcome of the gnose and airdam that the Jones team came up with. For some reason to me a g-nose looks too elongated and disprortionate (though very functional),from the front wheel to say a regularly applied aftermarket airdam. Your approach pulls it off fantasicly. The curvy hip line from the rear view looking forward down the side,(one of my favorites for these cars) just looks intense and bulbous ala early porsche 911 turbo. I am wondering if the wheels are available in 17" options, though I bet they start at 18's as most badass wide wheels seem to start at that size for most modern cars. I completely agree with the "from the factory" approach of adding functional vents that are well blended in as opposed to just plopped on the body. The whole car looks very balanced. Very well done, and now I must submit it to this thread (http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/86554-post-your-favorite-z-other-than-your-own/page__view__findpost__p__821066__fromsearch__1). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 What fuze block is that sitting on the inner fender? Can I contact you for wiring advice later? That's a Stinger Maxi Fuse block. It's pretty much universal; 80amp feeds the original main fuse array just below the stereo. The other Maxi fuses feed high draw stuff like the Amps under each seat, the 130Watt headlights and the Engine Control Module (ECM not high draw, but I preferred to isolate it. OK to contact me for advise - I'm not always imedaitely available through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Chaz, I just had to weigh in on my take and opinions of your car. I can't get enough of the final outcome, and as a stickler for details almost to the point of being anal-retentive, I can more than appreciate and respect the work that all who were involved have done. I very much like the approach and outcome of the gnose and airdam that the Jones team came up with. For some reason to me a g-nose looks too elongated and disprortionate (though very functional),from the front wheel to say a regularly applied aftermarket airdam. Your approach pulls it off fantasicly. The curvy hip line from the rear view looking forward down the side,(one of my favorites for these cars) just looks intense and bulbous ala early porsche 911 turbo. I am wondering if the wheels are available in 17" options, though I bet they start at 18's as most badass wide wheels seem to start at that size for most modern cars. I completely agree with the "from the factory" approach of adding functional vents that are well blended in as opposed to just plopped on the body. The whole car looks very balanced. Very well done, and now I must submit it to this thread (http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/86554-post-your-favorite-z-other-than-your-own/page__view__findpost__p__821066__fromsearch__1). THANK YOU for the kind words. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that we got a little lucky in that the components we chose to work with came together to exceed our expectations. The same can be said about the suspension and drivetrain mods. Not being an engineer, one takes at good stab at a project like this and crosses his fingers. The team of Ken Jones Sr. and Ken Jones Jr. took a sculptor's approach to the project; spending hours on the rear fender lips alone. I failed to mention that I originally asked them to paint the car white to help disguise the imperfections that would surely be apparrent after all of this body work had been done. They wouldn't have any of that; they knew I always wanted a black 240Z and insisted on no compromises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 The wheels were ordered from Boze Forged Wheels and they do have a ton of 17" wheels available; I'me pretty sure my wheels are available in the 17" variant. They are in CA and will make just about anything in terms of bolt pattern, offset and rim width. A large combination of lip/center section finishes are availabe as well. Not cheap, but 1/2 the price of HRE!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hey Chaz - Go out and take some nice pics this weekend and post them up - some night shots as well... Also, the color on the car is 370Z Magnetic Black - It has a very interesting flake in it that gives the lines some extra accent in the sun... I hope you guys get to see the car in person someday. I know the guys in the NJZCC and the NY clubs are bugging him to bring the car to some local meets before the northern weather turns... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 The Halo Lights and lower LED DRLs would not photograph well at all. Even the video makes these lights look blurry - they are actually very crisp as you see when I zoom in on them. I obviously don't know how to work a camera or Video Cam under these conditions, but I think the video captures the look of the car as it prowling the street Halo Lights w_Remote Locks-1.mpg Stealth Z Halo Lights.mpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) Some Interior Pics...... Edited October 10, 2011 by chaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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