S30Mark Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I guess I'm going to start my project soon. I have a 74 260Z and I recently picked up a 83 280ZX turbo donor car for cheap:) So far I've been messing with the ZXT trying to get it running. I did the Z31 ECU/MAF swap and still cannot get it running. I'm getting fuel and spark, and engine has good compression. Next I'm going to check the timing. This thing has me stumped and I'm very close to tearing everything out of the S130 and going with MegaSquirt. Best case scenario would be for me to get the L28ET fired up and running decent before I pull it out of the donor car. Anyway, on to the pics of small things I've done up until now. Bougth it from Tennessee. It barely ran, and had no brakes. Rebuilt the Weber DGV's and replaced the rear brake lines to make it street worthy. Replaced tires so I could run all 4 slotted mags. Removed the fuel tank so I could remove the rear bumper supports. Cut a coil off of the rear springs for a slightly better stance. Installed a boso pipe:) Picked up front turn signals and a MSA front spoiler so I could replace the 280Z spoiler that came on it (now for sale, PM me). Bought a 83 280ZX Turbo 5 speed as a donor car. So far I'm in the process of getting it running with Z31 ECU/MAF before I pull all my parts... Now the Z sits in the garage waiting for some much needed attention. I'm sure I'll spend plenty of time out here this winter:) Thanks for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptero Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Looks like a fun project so far. I'll be at the same point as you come January as I'll be trying to start my l28et donor car. Good luck with getting the engine started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 I popped the valve cover off the L28ET last night and verified timing between Cam/Crank/Distributor. Everything seems perfect. Tonight I'll go over all of my wiring for the Z31 MAF/ECU swap. I'll also add die electric grease to all important sensor connectors and throw in a freshly charged battery. I may either replace the plugs or clean the current NGK's as they seem to be pretty fouled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 IT'S ALIVE!!! Z31 Turbo MAF/ECU/Crank Sensor/Coil/Igniter was a success. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 My amazing GF got me a brand new 130 amp MIG welder for Christmas! That thing is going to get a workout as soon as I get a tank of Argon. I also have a couple 3 day weekends coming up, so I will hope to start tearing down the S30. I need to work on the ZX drive ability issues now that it starts and drives. I still have the single-wire oxygen sensor so I'll need to get a 3 wire and wire it into the Z31 ECU setup. I think I have a couple small vacuum/boost leaks at the injector o-rings. Hope it runs good after that. I guess only time will tell.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4runnerguy Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 nice man good find on both. here in ontario its hard to find a zxt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Had a day off Monday after Christmas so I was really able to get the Z into official project car mode. Kinda sad to think that I most likely will not be able to enjoy this car next spring/summer... With help from my uncle, we dropped the exhaust, and then the driveshaft. After that, we dropped the fuel tank, followed by the rear suspension/brakes/diff as an assembly. I also took out the rear tail lights and all side markers. Thanks for looking. I'm off again next Monday so I plan on having more updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 After wasting my Monday in an unsuccessful attempt to get a tank of Argon/CO2 mix for my welder I was finally able to find more time to work on the Z today. Said welder... Pulled off the front fenders, headlights and buckets, grille, front air dam, hood, hood hinge assembly, and cowl panel. Found my first bit of body damage. The passengers side headlight bucket was fiberglass and the driver's was metal. I knew it was hit in the RF corner but wasn't sure how hard. Here is the damage. Dented slightly and shoddy repair panel toward front. No biggie. Here is the driver's side for comparison... We got the engine and trans ready to be pulled when I get the engine hoist to my garage. After that we decided to tackle the dash. Not nearly as bad as I was expecting. We also pulled the door panels. Hope my next update will have pics of my car with no engine/trans and front suspension. I know not everyone is dying to see pics of another S30 being torn apart to prep for a L28ET swap, but I'm just hoping this thread will keep me motivated to keep working on it and document my work. Thanks for looking! Any advice would be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Made some more progress over the weekend. After getting my welding tank I had a couple friends come over with an engine hoist. Everything went very smoothly. Since we got the engine out so quick, we went ahead and pulled the wiring harness, the brake master/booster, the clutch master, all the pedal assemblies and the heater controls, the evaporator box, and the heater core. All I really have left is the brake and fuel lines, the doors, the hatch and the glass. Can't wait to start metal working! After I get it stripped completely I'll have to organize my garage and find places for all the parts that I've removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB240zDET Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Quick work. Since you already have a welder you should look into getting a set of S13 coilovers or springs/struts and sectioning the tubes to lower the car how you want. Great work so far. I would begin by sandblasting the whole car to reveal any rust that you have to tackle. It will be a fun project though and seems like you are more then capable of handling it. Keep up the good work and take as many pictures as you can and keep us updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30Mark Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Quick work. Since you already have a welder you should look into getting a set of S13 coilovers or springs/struts and sectioning the tubes to lower the car how you want. Great work so far. I would begin by sandblasting the whole car to reveal any rust that you have to tackle. It will be a fun project though and seems like you are more then capable of handling it. Keep up the good work and take as many pictures as you can and keep us updated. Thanks! At this point I plan on getting some quality strut inserts and sectioning the strut housings and playing around with ride height and spring rates. I have a lot of work before I get to that point... obviously. I'm not happy with the pics that my iPhone 4 is taking in the dimly lit garage, so I guess I'd better charge my old Canon from now on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB240zDET Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Thanks! At this point I plan on getting some quality strut inserts and sectioning the strut housings and playing around with ride height and spring rates. I have a lot of work before I get to that point... obviously. I'm not happy with the pics that my iPhone 4 is taking in the dimly lit garage, so I guess I'd better charge my old Canon from now on... Yeah my samsung galaxy s2 takes some good photos but I have my Canon DSLR for those good pictures you need to take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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