Trevor Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 Lads, This sounds like the BMW-from-Florida story. I bought a '84 300ZX, thinking it was a 50thAE, but.... it doesn't have the right interior (blue velour, not black leather) it doesn't have 16" wheels, it has 15" 5-bolt it wasn't the right color originally (blue, not silver) So I think, "that's OK, " just a nice looking ZXT (with 50th AE badges) It does have the turbo engine, 5-bolt wheels, flares, adjustable suspension... all stock factory? Maybe not!! 'Cause then I look on the Z31 board's VIN decoder chart and it says: the NA engine has "H" in the VIN, the Turbo has "C" ....my VIN is JN1H.... Guess I got a HybridZ! and didn't know. I'm starting to suspect those t-tops now - better see if they really come out or are just glued-on facsimiles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted September 2, 2003 Author Share Posted September 2, 2003 It gets worse.... I did some more searching at Z31.com. a FAQ about swapping in Maxima parts says the cool thing about a Maxima 3.0L is the getting valve covers in red. Guess what color my valve covers are? Red! This engine overheats but only when it is pulling a load. It will run normal temps idling in the driveway, but take it out on the road, with the turbo pumping (you! clap!) up, it bubbles and boils up thru the overflow bottle. And now out the dash vents. I knew this when i bought it, but was hoping a new thermostat, hoses, belts, and radiator flush would fix it. I am going to pull the spark plugs to get an idea of what's going on in the combustion chambers. Leaky heater core? Head gaskets maybe? I bought a gasket set, but won't invest much more than a top-end freshening in this engine. Priced a rebuilt VG 3L turbo a few day$ ago. $2,700. yikes. She is starting to look more like a Hybrid 5.0 V8 swap candidate now. Uncharted ( or frozen ) waters - full steam ahead! Those 5-bolt wheels still baffle me. Since this wasn't a turbo car originally, shouldn't an '84 have 4-bolt wheels? It has the small turbo scoop on the hood, but the hole in the hood sheet metal was obviously cut post-factory. Well I still like it, Trevor '84 300ZX, loaded (w/potential) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Hate to say it now, but you need to research these things before you buy! A V8 hybrid sounds like a good idea if the motor is shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinCA Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Sounds like you need a new heater core.... get the bugs worked out of it, and find it's weaknesses.. then put the big engine in there and fix anything that makes you even the slightest bit uneasy. I dont know enough about other generation Z cars to answer any of your other question/exclamations. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Bypass your heater core and see if it still overheats. run a heater hose from out to in from the block, making a short loop instead of having it go through the core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SteveR Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 It could still be an AE. Someone may have just swapped interior pieces, etc. The VIN tag is attached to the dash so it probably just the VIN from the car the interior came from. Open the hood, on the driver side strut tower, there is a plate. If "L5" is in the MODEL line, it likely is an AE. I doubt someone would go through all the trouble of putting the AE fenders on a car that they aren't even going to make look like an AE. And if it is an AE, I wouldn't put a V8 in it. I'd go back to the turbo V6. Restore it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 My dad worked for a Nissan Dealer in 84, and they put the 50th aniversary decals on every car as part of the PDI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 It does sound like blown head gasket (hope, hope). Any small leak/crack can behave itself at idle, but when the pressures go up in the cylinders (high speeds, climbing a hill) you are forcing exhaust gasses into the water jacket. It doaesn't take long to boil the coolant, thus pressurizing the system and likely blowing your heater core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted September 7, 2003 Author Share Posted September 7, 2003 The model on the body tag has "KHLZ31XUGY" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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