78 280z 5.0 ford T5 build

[whatnow123]

Hey Everyone,

Been bitten by the Z bug like everyone else here! I've been thinking about buying a second car so I don't have to drive my truck everywhere with it's crappy fuel mileage. Was really leaning towards a mini cooper or mazda 3speed and got to thinking, why not just build something? I built a 67 Chevy C10 a few years ago, lowered it, 4 wheel discs, PS, PB, AC, modern interior a complete frame off including repairing loads of rust. It was a great truck, but with a 4.11 rearend, a 700r and 420hp, it wasn't a practial "driver" and maybe even a more of a show truck. It also took me about 3 years.

 

I came across a V8 Z, talked to the guy and decided I had to have one. Had been looking for a z for awhile and found a vurtually rust free 78z, 5 speed car with a mountain of documents detailing the maintenance history including the original window sticker. 147k on the OD (so around 4k a year) I feel a little bad taking a very nice complete and very well cared for survivor and converting it to a non-stock car, but hey, why not? BTW, everything, and I mean everything works perfectly on the car, except the stock radio cuts in and out between the left and right speakers.

 

The plan is is to build a nice quick car that can be driven daily. Here is the plan on what I'm going to do and I will document the build for just to help others out.

 

Body to remain stock with the exception of 240z bumpers and maybe a front airdam of some sort.

 

Rebuilt 92 ford GT mustang engine, .30 over, milled heads, cold air intake underdrive pulleys etc but mostly stock. I may add AFR aluminum heads before I install the engine, but haven't decided on that yet. I estimate about 260 hp or so and close to 290 torque. Should be plenty for a good street car and still get decent fuel mileage. 

 

T5 trans, 2.95 first gear, .63 overdrive (still need)

 

R200 LSD with 3.70 gears (needed the front pinion bearing replaced, replacing them all right now while I have it apart)

 

Rear disc brakes (ordered from Silvermine, will do a write up for them). Seems like a decent kit. Also ordered matching front rotors. May upgrade the front to vented rotors at a later time.

 

Ground control adjustable coil-overs with KYB shocks. (only lowering about .75 of an inch).

 

16 x 8 XXR 513 wheels.

 

New bushings on all four corners.

 

I'm also doing the subaru forester power steering swap.

 

Dual exhaust (would love suggestions on what fuel tank to run to make this happen). Also would like to work with stock fuel gauge. I don't have an issue of cutting or welding and know I'm going to lose the spare tire well)

 

Keeping the AC (I'm in Arizona so this is a must)

 

Blacking out the chrome trim/bumpers.

 

So nothing to crazy as I want a good, reliable street car that I can drive anywhere.

 

Anyway, here are a few photos.

 

Test fitting the new wheels

 

Posi unit

 

Here the rearend is out of the car

 

Here is the new springs and struts installed. Also found the only non-stock part on the car. A billet mustache bar! What a bonus huh?

 

So now it's off to the front end, installing the 240z bumpers and keeping it a runner for a month or two until I get the new trans/engine completed then it's out with the old and in with the new!

 

Anyone interested in near perfect 280z bumpers, engine and 5 speed let me know. (engine and trans won't be available for a few months). I also have an extra set of lower control arms, stub axles and flanges that came off the car. When I bought the R200, it came complete with a the rearend pieces and near perfect 240z front bumper and the guy tossed in some stainless mufflers as well. Woo Hoo!!

Edited March 3, 2014 by whatnow123

[Norman V]

Nice

[78zstyle]

This build is going to be awesome, good luck.

[whatnow123]

Just an update!!

I got my rear disc brake kit from Silvermine, it's a pretty decent kit and generally "bolts" right in. I do recommend pulling the stub axles and removing the backing plates instead of cutting them off. I cut the first one off when I did my coil-overs. It's way easier to pull the axle.

 

Here are the discs that came with the kit. I ordered a matching front rotor as well. The rear is a little bigger and I freaked when I got the rotors as the bolt pattern didn't look right to me. So a quick measurement and it turns out 104mm however, I didn't realize the fronts rotors aren't floating and bolt to the hub.

 

I was also sent calipers that were for the same side, Edan sent out the correct one after I contacted him about it.

 

The only two things that need modification are 1, the attachment bolts that come with the kit to attach the caliper are to long and will hit the rotor. The second thing is the bracket that holds the e-brake cable needs to be opened up for it to seat. I used a step bit and it worked perfectly!

 

Overall it's a pretty clean looking kit and seems to work well. Just remember to pull the valve out of the master cylinder and hold the caliper up to bleed the brakes. You'll never get all the air out of you don't. I learned that the hard way after an hour or so...

 

Also... why can't I attach the photos within the text? Not sure what I'm doing wrong this time...

 

Edited March 23, 2014 by whatnow123

[whatnow123]

Just another update.

I took off the 280z bumper and installed some 240 bumpers instead. Not only did it make the car about a foot and a half shorter, it probably took off 65 lbs on the outside corners, not to mention it looks way better!

Since the car I bought was basically perfect, I didn't want to remove the rear "bumper wing" that they installed to fill the gap for the 5mph bumpers on the rear and in turn have to re-paint the car, so I spaced out the rear bumper to line up with the "wing". Honestly, I think it looks pretty good! I will however, pull the rear bumper in if and when I repaint the car and remove that damn wing.

 

Now that they are on, I'm going to remove them and paint them black!!

Next up I'm going to install the Camaro fuel tank, still trying to figure out how to integrate the Z fuel sending unit, but I have a plan!!

 

[whatnow123]

Oh, forgot to add the seats I installed. I found some seats on Craigslist, guy bought them for a project he never got around to but had no idea what they were out of, after a couple of quick measurements, I figured they might just fit so they came home with me. After a bit of investigating, turns out they are out of a Pontiac Sunbird. I wanted them because of the shoulder seatbelt guide. They are very comfortable and fit perfectly after the pre-requisite modification to the trans tunnel the 280z's seem to have that the 240 don't.

How I mounted them was I used the stock seat rails and bolted them to the mounting of the Sunbird seats. One corner needed a spacer as it wasn't flat, but other than that, it a very good upgrade to the stock seat IMO...

 

I also added a nice fat grant steering wheel and kenwood stereo with speakers to get rid of the stockers that came with the car. Yep, the car still had the stock radio. If you look close, you can see where I moved the power antenna button. It's on the center console.  

 

 

On a side note, here is a photo of my dog Sadie that I recently had to put down. She lived a very healthy and long 14 years and rounded the corner on her way out very quickly. We should all be so lucky. Anyway, if you have stock in Wham-O, you should probably sell it as Frisbee sales are going to tank! She was an awesome Frisbee dog!

 

But the universe has a way of balancing things out so here is a photo of my new love, my step-granddaughter Kennedy. Can't wait to take her for a ride in the Z!!!

Edited March 23, 2014 by whatnow123

[RebekahsZ]

Beautiful car. You are doing some nice work. Love the bumpers.

Edited March 23, 2014 by RebekahsZ

[whatnow123]

So I got around to cutting out the spare tire well, I really hesitated for a few moments as it was in such perfect condition and I felt bad cutting up such a perfect car, but I fired up the cut off grinder and started hacking. This of course AFTER I removed the stock tank.

 

I read a couple of threads about using a 2001ish Camaro tank. How it fit in there and being able to run dual exit exhaust, which is what I wanted. Kind of a lot of work for an extra muffler, but hey, I want those to in the know to know what's under the hood. Anyway, I picked a perfect tank from a car that rear ended someone and he was parting it out. It was on craigslist, told the guy I'd do 100 bucks for it, I showed up 2 hours later and he had it completely pulled out for me. Really can't ask for more than that.

 

Anyway, I pulled the sending unit, removed the fuel lever sensor and proceeded to modify the Z sending unit and attaching it to Camaro one. Quite a daunting task but it worked. The only photo I have is the first mock up as it didn't fit. I didn't snap a photo of the final assembly but it was fairly close to the photo after some bending....

 

The tank came with the straps, so I fabbed up some upper braces, to attach the straps to, bolted the braces to the straps and did a test fit over the weekend. I can see why this is a popular swap, the tank fits perfectly in there and doesn't hang down at all. The stock tank probably hangs lower than the Camaro tank does and gives plenty of room for a true dual exhaust!!

 

Now I just have to fab up some fuel lines along with attaching the fill neck to the new tank. The Z hose is much larger than the Camaro tank, but it shouldn't be that hard to come up with something and make a cover for the new hole in my car!!

Edited April 1, 2014 by whatnow123

[whatnow123]

So I got the tank all in and wired up and it actually works!! Honestly the Camaro tank fits in the Z area like it was built for it (with the exception of losing the spare tire well).. but I figure I will just toss the spare in the back when I go on a long drive.

 

Had some aluminum diamond plate laying around so I made a cover for the tank, screwed it down with some seam sealer as well and then tossed some insulation around it to keep the sound down. The photo was of the test fit and finished.. no one will know a thing!!  

 

Pulled the hood off and this will be the last time Hybridz members will see the stock engine in this car! Here is a photo of what is going in

 

 

 

 

 

[whatnow123]

So this weekend I pulled out the engine and trans... what a mess I got!
 

Anyway, I pulled the front cross member so I can eliminate the motor mounts and install the Subaru forester power rack! Wasn't a fan of the the stock rack and read enough about the subaru rack that I just had to do it. I picked up a rack with 99k on it from ebay, $100 shipped! Can't beat that.
 

So I had to modify the cross member for the rack to fit. The Sub rack has a square mounting point while the Z is rounded. I carefully cut out a V after a few measurements, welded it all back together (and a lot of grinding) and then had to clearance the outer left side for one of the lines (yet more welding and grinding). Not to hard to do really but I nailed it on the first try as the rack sits dead level! I was surprised myself!
 

I'm going to use the Volvo inner tie rods that are slightly modified with stock Z tie rods (you have to use 2 right hand side tie rods due to the threading). I wanted to use the stock Z tie rods as they have that funky bend and I didn't want any interference you might have with strait tie rods). When I pulled my rack, it measured 46 1/2, so once you cut down the threads on the Volvo inter rods so they bottom out, then you have to cut down Z tie rod slightly so it can bottom out. I'm guessing (I don't have the outer rods yet to measure) but I should have close to 1 inch narrower adjustment than what I took off, which should be plenty for my ride! Special thanks to 78zlt1 who figured this out!

 

One thing that has stood out to me today is the combo of parts I will now have on this car. Kind of funny really when you think about it.

 

280z = Datsun

 

Fuel tank = Camaro

 

Seats = Pontiac

 

Steering rack = Subaru

 

Inner tie rods = Volvo

 

Engine/trans = Ford

 

Slave cylinder = Toyota

 

I'm sure the list will grow from here....

 

On with the picks so far!

 

I will post the install picks once I get there!

Edited May 1, 2014 by whatnow123

[clocker]

 

One thing that has stood out to me today is the combo of parts I will now have on this car. Kind of funny really when you think about it.

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same of my build...so far I've used parts from eleven different models, none of which were Datsun/Nissan.

I really enjoy wandering the junkyard searching for the bits and bobs used during assembly, it's always gratifying when something works out.

 

Also, as you noted in your thanks to 78zlt1, it's weird how deep the rabbit hole sometimes gets...how detailed some of the swaps turn out to be. You say "I swapped a Subaru rack into my Z" to the average "car guy" and he'd never suspect that the hard part was figuring out the tie rods.

You'll end up knowing your car on a level that most don't because you've had to reengineer so much of it.

[whatnow123]

So basically here is my set up for the Subaru Rack Swap.

Volvo inner tie rods, part number 274179 from a S80. They are the correct threads for both the Subaru rack and the Datsun outer tie rods. The inner tie rods need to be shortened about a 1/4 of an inch on both threaded sides, a little more on the side that connects the Z tie rod.   

 

You use two passenger side outer tie rods (I used the 280z part). The threads on the Volvo tie rods are the same.  I went this route as the tie rods have that slight bend in them and I didn't want any interference and for correct geometry (well, as close as this swap allows anyway as the inner tie rod is a little further out than the stock rack, but shouldn't make that much of difference). These (the Z tie rods) need to be cut down about a 1/4 of an inch as well, but it is bolt together after that .

 

Next up is the Borgeson universal joint part number 012564. It has the correct 36 spline to mate to the Subaru shaft. The other side is 3/4 inch, which is too big for the Z steering shaft. What I did was I found a 3/4 bushing and drilled out the center with a 9/16 bit. It fits both perfectly!

 

So after a test fit to see where I needed to cut the Z shaft, I pulled it, slid on the bushing and slid that into the universal joint, drilled a hole through all three pieces, tapped it with a grade 8 set screw then welded it all together.

 

Once bolted all together, I have just over 45 3/4 inches from tie rod center to tie rod center fully clocked. The stock rack was 46.5 inches when I pulled it, so there is more than enough adjustment.

 

I can't wait to drive this car with a quicker ratio rack and power steering!!! (I hated the stock steering rack which is why I did all this). And a special thanks to Hybridz and 78LT1 (who did the heavy lifting for me, I just copied what he did).

 

 

I will show some photos of the install of the rack once I get the engine bay cleaned up and painted for the new V8

Edited May 7, 2014 by whatnow123

[whatnow123]

So I got around to repainting and cleaning up the engine bay (not in that order).....

 

I went by a local paint shop and they made up some 78 280z paint code 306 spray paint for me and I have to say, it's a near perfect match! The engine bay in my Z wasn't that bad, but it did have 36 years of grime and neglect, but was the only part of the entire car that was like that.

 

So after painting, I must say it looks pretty darn good! I'm not going for a show car or anything like that, just a nice clean modified survivor. I'm very lucky that I found a car with no rust that has been very well cared for.

 

So now I need to get the engine bay back together, finish up my slave cylinder mod, get the engine and trans together so I can drop in the V8.. Woo Hoo!!

Edited May 7, 2014 by whatnow123

[whatnow123]

Rebekahz,

Thank you for those kind words!!

 

And Clocker,

You ain't kidding! But I've learned if everything was easy, everyone would do it! I'm just happy I have the skill set to do it. I couldn't imagine how much a shop would charge to do a rack swap, but from what I have read about it, it's totally worth it. I guess I will find out in a couple of months!

Edited May 7, 2014 by whatnow123

[clocker]

Well, now that you and 78LT1 have done the legwork, this IS "easy" and maybe everyone will do it.

Doubtful...most people really aren't that adventurous.

 

And there's still the dirty little secret about projects like this- even if you're qualified and capable enough to figure out a complex graft like the rack, there's no guarantee you'll like the final result more than before.

Happens to me all the time.

[whatnow123]

Well, from what I have read, I am one of the lucky last recipients of the Laine engine cradles. I must say it's a fine piece of work. Given that he has the drawings posted on his web-site, it would be fairly easy to make the engine mount, probably not the trans mount with the exhaust bends, but could be done. I think it was totally worth the price he was asking for it not to mention even doing it for other Z people which I think is totally cool.

 

The only problem I had with the test fit was self induced. The relocated steering rod from the Subaru rack swap slightly interfered with the left side brace. I had to clearance it just over a an 1/8 of an inch, which I used a ball peen hammer for my slight "dent" and ground it down smooth, then had to paint it. Sucks that I had to mess up the powder coating.  

 

I'm also getting the engine ready to install this weekend. I bought some "closeout" block hugger headers on Ebay from a Mustang place (I can't remember the name) that were ceramic coated for $160 bucks shipped. I wasn't sure about them but figured for a $160 bucks, I'll take a chance. I know why they were cheap, they seem like they are very well made but very difficult to install the bolts. I had to "ding" almost every tube to get the bolts in, but other than that, they seem very cool.

 

So this weekend I'm installing the engine/trans..!  

Edited June 23, 2014 by whatnow123

[RebekahsZ]

Love it! As a kid I used to read hot rod mags in the junior high school library and revel at the crazy parts combos guys would put together. I never read the articles but just looked at the pics and the parts lists. You gotta think about getting rid of the traditional 5.0 EFI intake manifold! Take a look at the BBK manifold or something that puts the throttle body in front rather than the side. That car deserves a custom intake!

[whatnow123]

Well, she is in...

 

 

 

[whatnow123]

Okay, so I got the engine in but I was freaking out as the engine sits low and very close to the firewall. So close that that I thought I was going to have to figure something else out with the AC lines as there was ZERO room to attach a fitting. I'm in Arizona so having a non-ac car is pretty much not an option.

 

So I had the day off today and worked on the Z a bit trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the AC lines. I pulled the valve cover off the drivers side and very carefully  and slowly with big screwdriver started to put a bend in the lower AC line and it actually worked! I'm so pumped about that you really have no idea.

 

I also test fitted the intake, it didn't clear the hood latch, but not by much. I stuck my finger in the intake to see how thick the metal was and there was plenty to grind down. So that worked as well! I was afraid I was going to have to do what Rebekahsz said above and change out the intake. I'm planning on probably doing that at a later time (which will include some AFR aluminum heads) provided that it doesn't run as fast as I would like. The goal is to build a fast, reliable street car that I can jump and drive.. even  road trip in that isn't going to kill me in fuel mileage (non-spirited driving that is). So we will see if those plans change.  The last vehicle I built a few years ago got about 10 mpg just driving around and you could watch the gas gauge move when you got on it (about 420hp and 3600 lbs). I will attach a photo of what I started with and what I ended up with even though it's not a Z....

 

So the engine is pretty much set where it's going to be. I just need to bolt in the cradle and trans cross member. I did some quick measuring today to make sure the drive line angles are "in phase" which basically means the tail shaft and pinion flange are parallel.  I wanted to do this prior to bolting everything down.

Edited May 21, 2014 by whatnow123

[whatnow123]

So I got around to installing my exhaust, of course after I cut, welded, cut some more, welded..grind, weld, grind weld... well you get the picture. What a pain in the a00. It honestly turned out better than I expected, I don't have a photo of it together because quite honestly I thought I would have to remove it again for "adjustments", but it turns out it went right in and I wasn't going to remove it for a photo. I started from the mufflers forward, hung the mufflers then started piecing the pipes together and holding them up with bailing wire, then I tacked the exhaust together before I dropped it and welded it completely. Not sure if that is the right way to do it or not, but it worked for me. I bought the summit kit of tubes, a narrow X pipe and some collectors that have an O2 bung welded to it.

 

After I finished welding it up, I duct taped all the exhaust "holes", made an adaptor for a air chuck into the o2 sensor, pressurized the exhaust then I got a squirt bottle with soapy water and started chasing all the pin holes I had.. there were many and I thought I my welds were good???? Anyway, turns out that this wasn't a bad way to do this and I came up with it all on my own. The exhaust tucks up nicely and isn't visible from the side but it's awesome looking at dual exhaust from the rear I must say!!!

 

This (I hope) was the last bit of "dirty" work I really have. Now I have to install the AC, Alt and power steering pump, get it wired up and fired up!! I'm excited!!

Edited June 17, 2014 by whatnow123