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to finish or not to finish vq swap into 240z


yem73z

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so like the title says, should i finish my project or sell it and just think of it fondly from time to time....Well, it all started with a 1973 240z that I got from a guy out near vallejo, ca. The car had no engine, no doors, no rear hatch, no hood, no fenders, no roof skin, and no wiring, pretty much just bare shell and busted up suspension and 4 flat tires. I was sooo in love with the shape and classic roadster style that I trailered it home. When I got home I decided to take a closer look and i realized that it had quite a bit of rust in the typical areas (battery tray and floor pans). So good thing I had a welder and time to make all the necessary rust repairs. I replace the floor pans, then added thicker floor rails that extended all the way to the rear frame, cut out the old rusty engine rails and made new engine rails out of 1/8in walled square tubing and let it sit for a while. Then I stumbled on this hybridz.org site and my life changed. The most of my new obsession was from drooling over Austins vq powered 240z. Thats when i decided to start that same project and bought a vq35de motor out of a 2003 350z 6speed. Shortly after I started stock piling parts like they were gonna run out or something. So heres a list of parts I have right now for the swap: Mckinney motorsports motor mounts $720 shipped and tax included, TTT (techno toy tuning)Backing Plates $550, Moustache bar $250, Lower control Drop mounts with dogbone $300, Front Diff Mount $150, Chromoly Axles $480, Coilovers for rear strut casings $199, Shocks for rear strut casings $240, front roll center adjusters $80,adjustable t/c rods $200,front lower control arms $350, rear lower control arms $425, front Arizona Z car coilover suspension with weld in camber plates, Arizona Z car Big brake kit with wilwood calipers, steel braided lines, 5 lug rotor and hub assembly, and caliper mounting plate, also have a 15/16 bore brake master cylinder with 280z remanufactured booster, and 350z steering column custom mounted to work with stock steering rack, I ordered austins shifter relocator and new b&m short shifter, brand new fidanza flywheel and exedy clutch, and mounted the 350z clutch master cylinder. I Also have a set of 17in Rays engineering Gram lights 57c that I have mounted with a brand new set of dunlop direzza star specs...................Anyhow, im pretty sure there is more that I forgot to mention as far as upgrades go, but lets just say a have a whole lotta money into this thing. The motor is in and lined up parallel to the rear diff about 2 or 3 degrees, which is a R230 by the way and engine mounts welded in and rolling pretty much. All I have to do now is plumb and flare the new stainless steel hard fuel lines, buy and mount a fuel cell/ fuel pump/fuel filter, plumb flare all of my new stainless steel hard brake line, get custom length driveshaft, hook up electronics and trouble shoot start up. Thats all thats left mechanically I need to do. As far as cosmetics Ive since welded in a roof skin i got off another z, I got a rear hatch, pair of doors with glass, quarter glass acquired, front windshield acquired, fenders, and hood hinge. the only thing missing is the hood and body work/paint of course. Ive finally run out of money and recently acquired a new baby boy. Did i mention i got laid off also, "isn't life grand." Anyhow, Im at a lost right now. Im so close to tasting and smelling the exhaust fumes and jizzing when I scratch 4th that its not even funny. But back to the question, should I finish and sell this thing or keep it for myself, or should I try to part it out? I know a few will be dying to get their hands on the r230 and custom moser engineering axles and mount setup I got... what do you guys think would bring in the most money for my family and newborn son? finish and sell, Part it out, or just keep and live really meagerly for a long while. Anyhow, any advice will do and is much appreciated since hybridz.org is my new family...Here are some build pics hope everyone enjoys.

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wow, sorry to hear about your job. You are like 99 percent done. Honestly, you would probably get more if you parted everything out, but that takes time. Not everyone wants a vq35 powered Z, i do, but that's me, someone else might just want/need some of the parts you have. Then you could also just bolt up and finish everything you have right now and sell as is. Just depends what you financial situation is. I would hate to sell my Z, but you have to set priorities and see things for what they really are.

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I to am in the middle of this swap and I completely understand how taxing it can be on the wallet. I had to put my Z projects on hold for 9 years after my first child was born so don't expect this to get any easier. With that said I would be very interested in some of your parts. Please send me a PM if you decided to part this stuff out.

 

Thanks

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Well, ive decided to sell two sets of wheels to keep me a float till I land a job. Just suck seeing my Rays Engineering gram lights and SSR type C's go. Oh well, wheels are dime a dozen anyhow. Plus I wanted to go with a much lower offset in the future.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Selling this car is something you will always regret and may even turn into resentment later. It isn't costing you anything to just let it sit. You may even have to leave it alone for a few years, but think bout how much fun it will be to work on with your son when he gets older! If at all possible, I say hold on to it!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Selling this car is something you will always regret and may even turn into resentment later. It isn't costing you anything to just let it sit. You may even have to leave it alone for a few years, but think bout how much fun it will be to work on with your son when he gets older! If at all possible, I say hold on to it!

 

Me too , I say keep it, you would always regret selling it especially since you've done so much already. I have a baby on the way, but I'm going to keep my project and just take my time finishing it. You've seen my vq hr thread. You're so close to done. Besides, what's your kid going to drive in HS? Hehe...

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You guys are awesome. Thats great advice. I did put countless hours already into this thing and not finishing would be a shame. I think I need the sense of accomplishment on a project like this right now since the rest of my life kinda sucks. Asides from my kids, I don't have anything I'm proud of. I'll keep it!!!! As a matter of fact im gonna mount the fuel cell, pump, and start running my lines and maybe some bodywork this weekend. It was my birthday yesterday so I'll just splurge a little.

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Happy birthday a bit late. I wish you a great new job for the new year! I own my z since 2000 and it's been dismantled for 10 years (don't know if this is a record for an on-going project :rolleyes: ). The project has been on/off and changed direction a couple of times and now it's nearly in the exact same state as yours. I feel just like the others that say that if you let go of your dream car at this point you would regret it in the future. I have been through the same reflexion a few times and I could have just sold my stuff, bought a used 350z, slap a few bolt-ons and drive happily BUT...I know that for the rest of my life everytime I would encounter a 240z I would regret not having kept mine :(

Be patient and I'm sure you'll finish this thing and be sooo happy you kept it!

 

Here is mine. I'm in the middle of my coilovers fabrication. Engine /tranny are bolted in the car and I have the 5 lug AZC brakes on the shelf...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great choice on staying the course. I have a 73 240 with parts for a VQ35 that has been torn down since 1999 so I might have you beat Turbonat!!.

 

Yem,

 

What size square tubing did you use for those engine rails? I like them a lot and mine are in need of some love.

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I would sell anything that is not required to get the car running and driving. This way you keep the car and your fab work but sell off the "bling" that is nice. It won't change the value of the car and may help keep you afloat.

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  • 5 months later...

Due to a change of events, im gonna have to sell the car. My wifes health insurance coverage isnt that great and after talking with the hospitals billing department, they said once the baby is born this month....we're still gonna owe them $2700. I dont have a job right now and this is gonna be baby number 4 so I have to sell. Any how since my last post I was able to mount the fuel cell, run new stainless hard line for fuel, mount fuel pump, get custom driveshaft made, buy wilwood prop valve, buy jamar hydraulic line lock, buy a hood, buy new headlight buckets, bought tailights, and started on body work. All I need to do is finish the wiring and try to fire it up. Im so close but im still gonna have to sell it. So im entertaining any legit offers. I live in california if anyone wants to check it out. Just text me at 916-690-0578 or message me here at hybridz. By the way my name is robbie.

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oh man, sorry to hear you're having to sell it. If I was in Cali I'd really consider it. But are you willing to part some of the bling? I could really use those brakes and AZCar rear end parts. my wife just had our daughter 2 months ago, so I understand the cost. I'm short on funds myself, but let me know what you're thinking.

 

Eric

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  • 1 month later...

I know this isn't the for sale forum but since I'm too broke to be a donating member I can't post there. Like the previous thread says, I've been laid off and I just recently had a new baby. So I'm extremely broke. I've finished the new custom bent and flares stainless steel hard brake lines and put on the stainless steel braided soft lines to the calipers. I just need to Fab up the exhaust and finish wiring and I'm finished with the mechanical aspect of the car. I put over 12k into this thing and I no longer have a single cent to finish it. I'm getting desperate so I'm putting it up for sale for 6k or best offer...my number is 916-690-0578. Or email me at sk8erboy209@yahoo.com.......so the driveshaft has been fabbed up by drive line service of Stockton with new spicer ujoints, rear r230 mounted, fuel cell mounted and lines custom bent and set up. Earl's fuel filter with walbro pump, new fidanza flywheel and exedy , custom mounted koyo r core radiator, wilwood brakes, 5 lug conversion, wilwood prop valve and Jamar line lock, 350z steering column, and pedals mounted, new nrg steering wheel and quick release, Arizona z car shocks and big brake set up and Techno toy tuning rear suspension and control arms front control arms. And sooo much more stuff I'm forgetting. Anyhow I'm asking only 6k or best offer. That's only half of what I put in. And all that's left is exhaust tubing( i have an HKS. Super drager muffler to throw in) and plug and play wiring and u got a track beast. I really don't want to let it go for so little but my kids are more important. Again my number is 916-690-0578 or message me here.

Edited by yem73z
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<a href=" 240z koyo rad mounted title="240z koyo rad mounted by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7028606457_a023938420.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt="240z koyo rad mounted"></a>

 

<a href=" My little racer....emory title="My little racer....emory by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7028611947_7abc1c8fc1.jpg" width="282" height="500" alt="My little racer....emory"></a>

 

<a href=" Hooking up the fuel lines title="Hooking up the fuel lines by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7117721021_b791d18731.jpg" width="282" height="500" alt="Hooking up the fuel lines"></a>

 

<a href=" cockpit title="cockpit by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7931106636_fd10e391b1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="cockpit"></a>

 

<a href=" new lines title="new lines by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7931110258_604887bfd6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="new lines"></a>

 

<a href=" rear brake setup title="rear brake setup by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8450/7931097174_30d14e40d8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="rear brake setup"></a>

 

<a href=" motor sittin pretty title="motor sittin pretty by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7931102466_07b43297bd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="motor sittin pretty"></a>

 

<a href=" clutch master and brake master cylinder title="clutch master and brake master cylinder by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/7931092362_b2dafcae4b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="clutch master and brake master cylinder"></a>

 

<a href=" brakes and muffler title="brakes and muffler by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7931081498_b9b3e9d260.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="brakes and muffler"></a>

 

<a href=" professional eastwood flaring tool title="professional eastwood flaring tool by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7931086864_5e3f61ac90.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="professional eastwood flaring tool"></a>

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39553792@N02/7862192652/" title="rear passenger brake line by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/7862192652_66a9e3511b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="rear passenger brake line"></a>

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39553792@N02/7748677592/" title="vq Serpentine belt by specks084, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8435/7748677592_05c347b8e7.jpg" width="282" height="500" alt="vq Serpentine belt"></a>

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