ZR8ED Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I've become motivated to work on the Z again. I've enjoyed just driving it lately, and now its time to get a few things done. All this talk of aerodynamics again has inspired me to continue my improvements. This week has been to duct the air that is coming into the huge opening in front of the rad, and channel to go only into the rad and the I/C. I've noticed in the recent past that my hood would flutter when cruising on the highway..just the front of the hood. Well it's been kind of another "while I'm at it" story. I couldn't do this work until I got a proper intercooler installed. Soooo out with the volvo i/c and in with a nice intercooler capable of my present and future hp needs. Ok the i/c is installed.. I ended up redoing the x brace and the triangulating firewall braces. Neater, cleaner, more compact, no longer in the way of some items. Now I can start on the aluminum sheet work. I did a lower piece to keep air from going under the rad and i/c, and then a piece for the top. Here is the finished work. I took it out for a test drive tonight, and it seems just fine.. I never got going fast enough to check for air pushing up on the front of the hood, but atleast it is not rattling vibrating, or falling off the car. hehehe. Take a peek of a few shots. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentallylost Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 It looks really good. Do you have anything planned for letting the air escape out from the engine compartment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I decided to let a little extra air out into the wheel wells... the fenders have "gill vents" that will work well with this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Cool front X brace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austenp405 Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Looking good. I was going to try and do the same thing this week before I take my car to the road course this Saturday. What thickness metal did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted June 12, 2006 Author Share Posted June 12, 2006 Thanks! The aluminum is 24 guage, and is fairly easy to bend and shape. I bought an electric metal sheer, that looks kinda like a power drill with scissors on the end. They work great! I built templates using cardboard, then simply traced it out and cut it up, and then spend several hours fitting it and making the mounts to hold it in place. So far I have no plans to make additional vents to let air out. I have the stock 280Z vents, and both are functional. I'll see how it goes first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I have a question about your "garden rite" lower air dam. Is the lower lip that is rounded hollow? if it is I would think you could take a piece of 1/4" steel roundbar and bend it bare handed and it would keep the shape of the rubber and would still be flexible enough when you hit a curb during parking or other small object. I have like 40 feet of 1/4" steel roundbar and 20 feet of 1/8" x 1/2" steel that I am going to use for making mounting tabs. All 60' of that was like $15 from a Integris metals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted June 12, 2006 Author Share Posted June 12, 2006 Yes that is the type of lawn edging. I inserted some soft copper tubing, and shaped it to get the curve right. it still may need bracing from behind so as to no put too much torque on the securing bolts, and the lower portion of the aridam. Scott Here is a distance shot of the engine compartment. I/C pipes are now painted and so is the bracing. I'm thinking of getting them powder coated or maybe chromed or something.. not sure yet. An aluminum rad and new overflow surge tank are next on my list. BTW the new i/c is working very well..the engine is more responsive. Noticeably. Boost comes quicker and more violently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 sweet! I have not seeen much about the vg30et motors but I guess that is because they are from an early 300zx...the local Z junkyard has a totaled early 300zx with that motor in it but it has not had a hood for years. Otherwise I may have gotten it. I want to swap a turbo motor in the next few years in a summer between semesters...I don't think I can get too much more power out of my L26 without spending too much $$$$ to make it a 2.9 or whatever...a zxt swap would be very nice... I am about to make my own side vents in my fenders and fab some new air ducts at the rear of the engine bay to go out the side of the car. Thinking about putting my battery inside the car right above the tranny next to the firewall. I just cut out an aluminium splitter for my car and need to install it and your car and 240hoke's were the main inspiration for doing areo stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted June 16, 2006 Author Share Posted June 16, 2006 Well the motivation continues. While I'm at it... hehehe I've done some cleanup work on the top cover, and I'm considering painting the lower piece black to make it not so noticeable. I like driving a sleeper. Well I'm going to take it to the next step, and install a new rad. I found an aluminum one made by "Allstar Performance" I'm going to fit in new sheet aluminum to make a smooth looking rad support.. ie more like a firewall, with 3 cutouts only. 2 for the i/c pipes, and one for the rad. This way, no extra air is going to get into the engine bay from the front of the car unless it passes through the i/c and rad. It should clean up the engine bay considerably. I have been running a 280zx 2+2 rad for at least 12 years now, and it has never given me one bit of grief. Mounting this all up is going to be an adventure. Not sure how I'll get it mounted in rubber, but I'll figure that out once I have the rad in my hands and do some trail fits. Oh BTW. $249.00 and its a 24X19. My current rad is 25x20, but I don't think the smaller size will be an issue, it may just make it a bit easier to mount. If I have too many more posts like this, I may need a doctor. hehehe Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Ummm.....did you just say you like driving a "sleeper?" There is not one thing on that car that says "sleeper" to me....I wish my sleeper looked more like yours...seriously dude, you've got one of my favorite cars on the site, or anywhere else for that matter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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