Long term v8 260z project.

[bramagedained]

Of this whole thing, the part I was the most worried about was pulling out the plastic interior panels.  But, they all came out without issue.

I had 3-4 hours into this today after school, just to remove the rear chassis harness.

Driver's side:


Passenger Side:


I now have everything out that is coming out, with the exception of the antenna cable.

The car will no longer have a radio.  I put ~5000 miles on the car between the end of June and storage and maybe used the radio for 2 hours.

The rocking speaker, it didn't even have stereo:



While weight reduction isn't really the goal, I've taken out about 25lbs more than is going back in with the painless kit.

My plan for the re-wire is to hook everything up how I think it should go without cutting any of the wires on the painless harness.

Then hook a battery charger to the system(no battery) and run through the functions to make sure everything is correct with the factory switches.

Once that tests out, I will shorten stuff and add connectors for if it ever needs to be removed.



It looks like the weather is going to hold out for another day so the garage will be easier to keep warm.  My next task is going to be drain and drop out the gas tank and pull out the factory fuel lines.

 

 

Adding for reference if someone ends up here from searching, the relevant posts about connecting the 18 circuit Painless kit to the factory combination switches.

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/29786-painless-harness-to-z-column-harness-headlight-combo-switch/

Edited January 8, 2016 by bramagedained

[bramagedained]

More chipping away at this.

Since the last post I stripped the dash harness out which I forgot to take pictures of,  it was another few lbs of wire.

I left myself pigtails for the factory wire into the factory plugs for the combination switches for the blinker/headlights/wipers.



I did the same with the wires/plug for the ignition and found another surprise.



That was under more duct tape.  It's the same wire that was duct taped in another spot, which is the wire that ran to the solenoid on the starter.  I'm sure these two janky connections didn't help with my hot start issue.

My order from Amazon came with a pleasant surprise.

I had ordered the cheap version of the B&M Pro Ratchet shifter, however, they shipped me the nicer one.



On amazon they're ~$80 different in price, list price is $100 different.


I've been working since Saturday on mounting the new gauges.  It takes way more time than expected, but, only doing it for 3-4 hours at a time makes it much more enjoyable.

The brackets work and are solid, but, they're ugly so no picture of the back side.

This is from roughly where the seating position is inside the car.  The speedo/tach still need their brackets, they're just friction fit into place.



At first, I was struggling with a good way to get them positioned correctly.  The OEM gauges have just a slightly bigger housing.  They way those are mounted is the back of the dash is angled slightly and they are basically spring loaded pushing against that to angle towards the driver.

I noticed that the bezels of the OEM gauges are just slightly smaller than the bezel of the Autometer ones.

So I took them apart, with a hammer and screwdriver.  I could maybe been more delicate, but, meh.  I then epoxied these into place in the dash, pressed against the angled flats to give me the proper angle.

This made locating the gauges super easy.  They're  centered and at the same angle to the driver as stock and it looks super clean.

As a minor nitpick, they must be from different production runs as the stencil that says "Auto Meter" and "Pro Comp" is ever so slightly different on the fuel level vs the oil pressure and water temp.

I also figured out what to do for turn signal and indicator lights.

Originally I had scavenged the OEM ones from the dash harness.



I was going to be clever and make a box and use some fiberoptic to pass the light out of the dash.  I've seen some pretty clever use of this by buying the right size to fit inside a pop-rivet to give you a bezel and finished look.

However, I found these on DigiKey.

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/Q6F3BXXG12E/679-2739-ND/3153072

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/Q6F3BXXB12E/679-2731-ND/3153069

Green and blue panel mount LEDs with a diffused 3MM LED and a bezel.  They can be wired right into 12v and have leads coming off of them I can easily add to the relevant circuits on the Painless harness.  They were kind of spendy for LEDs ad $12 and $10 each.

I'm now done with school at 1:30 every day so hopefully I can finish with brackets and start laying out the wiring for the new harness.

[Stock Car Mafia]

Very nice work on those gauges.  This is something I will have to tackle maybe this year.  I take it those gauges came from Summit?  Those little nitpick things you notice are generally what I see as well.  What size gauges are the tach and speedo?  What did you use to make the brackets for the back?  I think this is excellent work and I want my gauges recessed like the stock gauges.

 

Interested to see how the blinkers turn out!

[bramagedained]

2 5/8" for the smaller three and 5" for the speedo/tach.  I used 3/4"x1/8" aluminum strap everything is short enough it seems plenty solid.

 

It was cheaper to order them from Amazon.  I looked up on Summit as they have a better layout to browse and then copied the part numbers into amazon.

 

If I did it again, I absolutely would not get a mechanical speedo.  Autometer sells a Vehicle Speed Sensor(they call it "Speedometer Sender") that bolts up to the the tail shaft(where the factory cable goes) of GM transmissions so that you can run an electronic speedo.

 

Now I'm stuck buying gears or ratio adapters to correct the speedo instead of just pushing buttons and driving a marked out 2 miles to calibrate the thing.  .

Edited January 12, 2016 by bramagedained

[Stock Car Mafia]

Stupid question but did you get your aluminum from Home Depot or Menards?  I haven't looked close enough going through there, just quick enough to grab steel. 

 

Summit's search function definitely rules.  Jeg's is horrendously crap.  I am planning on the carbon fiber ultra lites and calling in, you can opt for a black bezel for a small upcharge.  

 

Here I thought you were going with a electric speedo.  For sure that is the route I was going to take.  Just to get a CableX box to use the stock gauge seemed quite steep.  

 

I was going to ask where you plan on plumbing your oil pressure sender to, but you have a small block currently.  Curious to see where you put it on the 5.3.

[bramagedained]

It never occurred to me to get a sender and electronic speedo before I bought them.  I swapped the tach and speedo out right after I bought the car.

 

I grabbed it from Menards just because I was there, otherwise I can generally get stuff for free.

 

Autometer has a deal on where to add their sender to LS motors.

 

https://www.autometer.com/media/2650-1563.pdf

Edited January 12, 2016 by bramagedained

[Stock Car Mafia]

That is what I had looked at before and with the Hawks headers, I am not sure how tight or close the sender would be.  I was thinking about using the stock sender location on the back of the intake and not using the ECU sender.  I know there is an adapter with a banjo fitting floating around that allows you to keep the stock sender plugged in and utilize the banjo fitting for the autometer gauge.  I haven't done enough digging to see if it is still available however.  

[bramagedained]

It's all just metal, I'm sure something can get figured out when I get there.

[bramagedained]

I got my LEDs from digikey today and they should work out perfect.

I'm going to need to buy some resistors for the blue one as it is way too bright, which I thought might be the case going in.

It's not a big deal, I'm going to be ordering some more stuff from Digikey anyway.

The green ones should be the perfect brightness as turn signal indicators.

I ordered wheels yesterday.  17x8.5 -10 front and 17x9.5 -20 rear which fit perfectly with flares based on a couple cars I've seen with the same wheels/size/offset

 

I needed to get something done today.

So, I got the LEDs in the dash.

Size of the LEDs:



Mounted:



Turn signals lit up, the light level is perfect.  They're clearly visible with all the lights on in the room, and, not too bright when it's completely dark with all the lights off.

I had to hook them up to a battery to see what it looked like.

Even with the camera flash on:

 

I very carefully used a drillbit to make the initial hole that is just slightly smaller than the body of the LEDs.  After that I got a piece of coat hanger hot with a torch and used that to make the holes through the foam to the back side.

Edited January 14, 2016 by bramagedained

[Stock Car Mafia]

That looks extremely clean!

[bramagedained]

I now have 6 pages of notes on which wires connect to which Datsun thing.  Once everything is finalized and working, I'll make a thread about that as currently the painless wiring swap info is spread across a few different threads.  I'm adding relays for the headlights/running lights/starter which are not part of the kit as well.

It was cheap enough that I ordered a 2W 10K Ohm pot from amazon which is shipping along with a distribution block that I'm going to use to split off the ground/power for all the gauges.  They should both be here tomorrow.

My goal is to have the car wired to the point that I can start it and check light functions by Sunday night.  I'm not cutting wires or permanently attaching them, yet.  I'm still planning on just using wire nuts at all the connections to test.

Once everything checks out, I'll take it all apart, fish the wires through the body and cut to length/solder all the connections.

My wheels and tires came in yesterday and today I threw them on the car.

It looks weird but they are both 17's:


255/40 Front and 275/40 Rear.


Old vs New(front):


I didn't take a picture of the old tires vs the 275s in the rear.
Stockers on the front:


New:


They don't actually stick out much, but, they do hit the front of the opening without being turned much.  This gets cut out when flares go on:


I think that's due to both the new tires being a slightly bigger overall diameter and a change to the scrub radius because of the negative offset. Well, and that they're much wider.  It doesn't look like much would be need to be taken out so that they clear the airdam/fenders.

The rear sticks out quite a bit more than the front:


Farther away showing both:


Ignore the positive camber.  It's adjustable to -2°(according to Will) or so at the upright before I would have to weld in camber plates.  When I put the suspension back together I just bolted it up without checking where it was or even making sure it was even side to side.  I'll probably pick up a set of adjustable control arms so that I can adjust toe.

The rear is actual coilovers from Will's kit and I can adjust ride height.  I don't actually plan on lowering it much, if at all.  Much lower and the exhaust would hit all speed bumps instead of just some of them.  It will always be a streetcar first. 

I need to get under it and actually check, but, the fronts do clear the stock diameter springs, which was a concern of mine.  It's by very little, the tire doesn't rub, but, I can't fit my finger between the tire and the spring either. 

 

I'll likely go ahead with trying the $40 chevette springs and cut them to length.  We'll see if they rub under load when cornering.  If they do I'll just end up with front coilvers sooner than originally planned.

Either way, I'm not messing with the fender flares or front suspension/brakes at all until the wiring is done.

 

Something I knew, but, had forgotten about until now is that with the 8.8 swap, the threads on the wheel studs are different front to back now, too.  Front is M12x1.25 while the Intrepid hubs on the rear are M12x1.5.  When I have the front apart to put on the new rotors I'll get some M12x1.5 studs for the front.

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by bramagedained

[bramagedained]

Text only updates are lame.

I have a ton of hours into this wiring project.

Today I have nearly everything finished.  I need to get a couple of connectors and hook up the engine stuff, which is all of 7 wires including the senders for gauges and the starter/alternator.

The lights all work, including my indicators on the dash.  The high and low beams are noticeably brighter now that they run through a relay instead of the full current through the headlight switch itself.  -Even running off of the battery that is just sort of rigged up.

It's satisfying to hear the relays trigger that I added when turning on the headlights, running lights, or clicking the key to start.

I've not yet tied in the reverse light or neutral safety switches as they are part of the new shifter which will be a project all on it's own.  I left provisions in the wiring to make this easy.

The same goes for the hazard switch, which is also a simple tie in.  The leads are there, just not hooked to anything right now.

The fuse/relay panel.  Not yet attached, but, exactly where it will sit on the firewall in the passenger footwell in the space that the old A/C coil used to occupy.





It's not totally as clean as I wanted, but, the work involved to make all the runs exactly the same length just so the bend is the same for all of them simply isn't worth the time.  I took those yesterday before I had everything connected.

This is how the wiring mess started, I hooked everything up with wire nuts and applied power to check everything out first.  This was done without the relays.










I'm quite fond of the new look from behind with the new tires.



However, I 100% need to change out the studs in front, which I planned on doing anyway.  Stock is M12x1.25, the rear is M12x1.5 which is much more common.  When I pull the hubs again to swap the front rotors I'll take care of that, too.

The threads are only about half way into the generic short nuts I grabbed from the auto parts store.



Hopefully it's up and running tomorrow, which will be fun with no exhaust.

Oh, I still need to figure out the wiper thing.  I have which lead does what from the switch figured out, but, that's as far as I got on that.

[bramagedained]

I had it started and running today, everything checks out.

 

The now minor to-do list for this leg of the project:

 

• Mount the terminal blocks and fuse/relay panel
• Connect hazard switch-Every thing is there, I just ran out of solder/connectors.
• Wire in neutral safety and reverse lights-This involves installing the ratchet shifter which is a project on it's own.
• Deal with the wipers-I've still not really looked into this.

I'm not sure what I'll tackle next.  I'm really tempted to either convert the front or just buy the T3 setup.  I need to change the studs in front and install the brakes, master cylinder, and proportioning valve that I already have.

 

I have no idea when the flares and spoiler from RHDJapan will show up.  I'm just hoping it's before spring break when I'll have a solid week to get things done.  It's also then that I'll have to decide on trying for the LS swap this winter or just pulling the SBC to replace gaskets.

 

I'm still planning on making a detailed write up for the painless thing so it's all in one post in the sticky to make it work.

Edited January 29, 2016 by bramagedained

[bramagedained]

Wiring is 99% finished.  Neutral safety and reverse lights still aren't hooked up due to being part of the shifter swap.  However, everything else is done(wipers/heater/etc) and the wiring is bundled and tucked away.

 

I had ordered the T3 rear adjustable control arms and they showed up this week so I threw those in, so I can adjust toe.  Again everything came right apart on the car, including the bolts that hold the stock bushings to the stock arms which as far as I know have never been removed since the car was built.  The stock bushings pulled right off the stock arms too.

 

The whole thing went so fast I forgot to take any pictures.  I just eyeballed the adjustments for now.  Once It's driving I'll take it to a shop that a friend of mine owns and set it up properly.

 

I'm still waiting on to arrive:

 

T3 front coilovers/arms/TC rods.

Maruguen Shoukai ZG flares and Wing

 

Once the T3 front parts come, I have a bit of a project.  When those come, I need to change out the wheel studs, rotors, and calipers.  After that I can swap the master cylinder and mount/plumb the proportioning valve.

 

I've decided against the 4.8 swap this winter.  I could make it work, but, it would limit my budget for events this summer.  Instead, I'm going to spend a little on the SBC and call it good.

 

I still need to pick a new fuel cell and buy the lines.  I'm going to rip out all of the factory lines that are not being used.

 

Which leaves me with this todo list:

 

• Install front suspension parts

1. -Change front wheel studs
2. -Change front brakes

 

• Install Wilwood MC

 

• Install Wilwood Prop valve

 

• Pull the motor/trans

 

• While the motor is out

1. -Strip factory fuel lines and a/c hard line
2. -Strip factory clutch line
3. -Replace gaskets
4. -Change cam/intake and possibly heads
5. -Rebuild the Holley, I have the re-build kit.
6. -Look into heads/cam/intake/converter

 

• Swap shifters

1. -Wire in neutral safety
2. -Wire in reverse lights

 

• Buy and install fuel cell

1. -Also need to buy a filter and run the line.

 

• Re-install motor/trans

1. -Have a new driveshaft made.
2. -Buy mufflers and fab exhaust

 

• Install Flares

 

• Install Wing

 

• Order fiberglass replica 240z bumpers

 

• Take the car to RSMotors and setup the suspension.

 

I have ~10 weekends and 9 full days of spring break to get this done.

Edited February 12, 2016 by bramagedained

[bramagedained]

 
My stuff from Japan showed up, and just had to quick throw two of the fender flares on with tape.

I'm quite impressed with the fit/finish of the pieces.  The flares are made to very closely follow the body lines of the car.  Nearly all of the ones available in the US are much more generic.

There are no voids in the fiberglass on any of the pieces and everything is sanded smooth with not a rough edge to be found.

My front suspension stuff will be here next week.  Once I throw that in I can play with getting the car to sit where I want and then put on the flares.

I don't know how much that will actually matter in the end, as there is certainly a sweet spot where the flares follow the contours of the car just right.

 

 

 

Since I'm sticking with the SBC step 1 is rebuild the Holley, I've had the kit since I had to pull the secondary bowl when the float got stuck.

 

I will convert it to a 4150 so there's actually jets for the secondary, but, I won't do that until after the motor is back together.  I want as few new variables as possible for that initial start up.

It's a generic 600CFM vacuum secondary, which should continue to be fine for my setup.






I found this right away, and I'm pretty sure I didn't do it taking it off the motor.



That rubber cap is under the bowl so I never noticed it even existed.  The cap was brittle and falling apart.

The diaphragm for the secondaries was also bad.

 

Now it's all back together with new gaskets, needles/seats, and clean.  There was some vanish from the car sitting in the past.

 

I went for the secondary housing top that lets you change the springs easily, to make tuning that simpler/quicker in the future.  Right now it has the natural-finish spring.

 

I didn't take a picture, but, I pulled one of the heads off of the motor to get a look at the pistons/walls.  They look to be in good shape, still a faint crosshatch and no carbon ring at the top of the bores.

 

It does have flat-top pistons, since the shortblock is from 1979 apparently there was some risk of it having dished pistons for mega-low compression.

 

I'm pretty set on the setup I'm going to use which will bump it to about 10:1CR with the felpro .016 shim head gaskets.

 

The only real hold up is figuring out what headers to use.

 

My plan will probably take me semi close to the edge of it being happy on the street, but, what I'm willing to put up with in a street car is probably different than most.

[bramagedained]

The last of my suspension stuff came today.



I'll probably by the proper hardware that has a shoulder instead of being threaded the entire way before spring actually gets here.

The T3 setup uses the same Koni damper that I have in the rear.

Now there is a 225lb/in spring in front and 250lb/in spring in the rear.  They're generically a 2.5"x10" coil front and rear which makes for a lot of options should I feel the need to change rates.

Stock arm vs new:



As part of changing the front, the wheel studs also needed to be changed.  I was someone worried about this since the current studs have been in there since the factory, nearly 42 years ago.

To my surprise they came out quite easily.



I already had new ARP ones, which are much longer and also M12x1.5 to match the rear.  OEM was M12x1.25.

I had the new studs in the freezer, with the hope it would make install easier.  I don't know if it made a difference, but, it was pretty easy going.



Now that I have all the parts I can also throw in the brake swap that I've had sitting around for a couple of months now.

This involved separating the disk from the hub, there are 4 bolts and it's sort of press fit on.  This also came apart without drama, I expected things to be corroded together because well, it's brakes.



Im not super into the drilled/slotted thing, but, that's how it comes from the Silvermine Motors kit.  With the provided spacers to space the rotor away from the hub everything lined up perfectly.

I finished one side of the car.  I could have worked on it solid and probably finished the second side today too, but, there's no hurry.



vs old:



I did have to clearance the dust shield or whatever it's called so the bigger caliper would fit, the backing plate of the inner pad also needed to be clearances slightly.  The inner part towards the mounting point for the caliper would touch.

[Stock Car Mafia]

Great work!  Were you able to just hammer the studs out?  Did you use an impact to pull the new ones in?  I think this would be a worthy investment on my end as well.  

[Stock Car Mafia]

Btw, that front suspension setup is eye candy!

[bramagedained]

Yeah, the stock ones hammered out without having to hit them very hard.

 

The new ones I hammered in, with a bronze drift.  I'm guessing the re-install went easy because they had been in the freezer and the hub was warm.

[bramagedained]

The second side came apart just as easy as the first.

Some comparisons.

Stock caliper vs the Toyota ones:





Second side complete:



On the ground.  I think it will probably sit about where it is for final ride height.  I can always drop it down for the "MOAR LOW" look if I for some reason feel the need to wear a flat bill and try to look cool.

This leaves me with about 2"? of up travel before hitting the bump stop.  The T3 kit did not come with bump stops, so I re-used the ones I had bought(Energy Poly ones) for the fronts when I did the KYB shocks in July.  I live in MN and the roads potholes are fierce.  I'd much rather have it higher with a bump stop than it be low with the chance of bottoming hard.  It will probably be my DD again once summer comes and I don't want to have to dodge things or work my way over speed bumps or in and out of parking lots/driveways either.

Edited February 25, 2016 by bramagedained