slownrusty Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I need another project like I need a hole in my head...but I could not bear to see this car crushed. It was scheduled to be squished this spring. It has an interesting story too, the owner is a Mechanical Engineer who has been living and working in Shanghai for the past 13years. He parked the car at his parents 6acre property in 1995 (after the car failed emissions). This property is located in the Forest and he left it under the trees and it has not been run or moved since. His bother is my buddy, who told me about the car and said that his parents were tired of seeing the car and were going to crush it this spring. I thought I would go check it out just for grins and thought it would be a REAL "piece" -rusty and roachy (ok so it is!). But was pleasantly surprised to see it complete, straight and in decent shape for a car that was last run in 1995! The car was covered in pine needles like you would not believe, you can see we had to dig around it to get it out and the tires were starting to dry rot badly. The dry Colorado climate has been pretty gentle to it. Interestingly enough, next to the 280Z is a REALLY rare Mazda Cosmo with a BridgePorted 13B! It supposedly making a solid 240-250hp. The fate of this Cosmo is uncertain right now but hopefully will be saved and not crushed. It is a complete running car and was last started and run 6months ago. So the 280Z that followed me home today has some rot on one small piece of the passenger floor but actually its not extensive at all, the frame rails are very solid. Lots of surface rust as you can see, rear lower 14s are typical. The tires actually held air, after we pumped them up. The Western Wheels are pretty old skool pimp! The interior is pretty sad. After I drained the lovely smelling varnish 13year old gas, filled it with 5 fresh gallons of fuel, filled it with coolant (fixed a coolant leak with a handy garden hose in the process), I cranked it until it built good oil pressure and then tried to start it and it would just not go. The engine is not getting fuel at all, so the pump might be dead. I sprayed some Starter Fluid into the intake and VROOOOOM it fired up and ran for a solid 10second...pretty damn cool...LOL. I had to whack one of the rear drums with a 16lb sledge for a while as the shoes were glued to it and it was just dragging as we pulled the car. Well here are the pics....yes I know I am crazy, but one less Z saved from the crusher! Very clean engine bay actually! The Mazda 13B Cosmo: Loaded Up And Ready To come Home: Ahhhh...fun times ahead! Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 haha that's awesome that you saved it Yasin! good luck with her. what are your plans for the new z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X64v Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Hallelujah! Another soul saved! ---heh, been playing too much GTA2 Doesn't actually look half bad. Would be a decent platform for whatever with a change of fluids and rubber. And a good cleaning. It's always nice to save one from being crushed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v80z Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Isnt that cosmo a 3 rotor motor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 later on they had the three rotor it looks like http://cp_www.tripod.com/rotary/pg09.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoeightythreez Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 That website says nothing about the older ones like the one in the picture. What is that a 1975? (actually it has to be older than that unless it's a non-us spec car...no crash bumpers...) It would make a really, really, really cool hybrid doncha think? (turbo rotary or LSx series in there.....) I've never seen one, and I've been all over the world when I was in the Navy. Amazing. The looks are still growing on me on that cosmo...it's a weird cross between a 1974 torino (front end) and a nissan cedric 2 door (rear and sides) for those of you that don't know what a 1974 cedric looks like, think what you would get if you mixed a '73 charger back end with an LTD side profile and a chrysler front end, then shrink it by 2/10 and you have a 1974 datsun cedric. Here's a link to one... http://www.datman.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=112 I wish they sold those here at one time, it would be a cool car to pick up z's with....esp. 260's (tow a 260z with a 260c...i know I'm weird) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoeightythreez Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 How much do you think they want for that cosmo? It's gotta be saved...old jap tin is getting really rare nowadays.....and more collectible since thier wacky styling is actually starting to look good in light of modern cars. I know it looks positively HUGE next to a Z car but it's really not that big, right? (the cosmo) I'm guessing it's about the size of a modern mazda 6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Awesome, you da man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgeezer Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 How much do you think they want for that cosmo? It's gotta be saved...old jap tin is getting really rare nowadays.....and more collectible since thier wacky styling is actually starting to look good in light of modern cars.I know it looks positively HUGE next to a Z car but it's really not that big, right? (the cosmo) I'm guessing it's about the size of a modern mazda 6? I've owned three Mazdas. The first was that Cosmo in metallic brown, 13B rotary and AT; The second was an R100, with 13B, 4 speed, racing beat manifold, header, exhaust plugs, msd, mild bridge porting [190hp according to racing beat]; The third is a mazdaspeed mx5. That Cosmo, providing its rust free and pretty much stock IS a better "investment" than the Z. Do an EBay search on R100 and Cosmo. The prices bodies, much less complete running cars, bring will probably drive you back to your friends parents for another go around. Actually, if that Cosmo's has any rust or the interior is trashed I see it as a great candidate for a 13BTT, the 2.0 three rotor, or an aluminum blocked GenIII CSB. Mine had a fatal case of apex seal failure around 70,000 miles. God, what a smoker it developed into! g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRTY260Z Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Must a been a whole lot better than the porsche I guess.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbk240z Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Yasin, I am sure I speak for others on this site, we aplaud you for saving the Z from the crusher. Maybe throw some new tires on it, a quickie flat black primer paint job, and drive it! It would make a great car to tool around town in. The Mazda looks interesting also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeeboost Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I would double-check the gas tank if it's not getting any fuel. The one I recently picked up had gas sitting in it for 14 years, and that thing was trash...no hope for it at all. Observe: A way to check is to pull the return and feed hoses from the tank, stick an air gun in the filler neck with a rag or something else around it to keep air from blowing back out, and shoot some compressed air down there for a few seconds. If all else fails and you want to do a temp fix, you drill and tap the drain plug hole to 1/4" pipe thread, and use a 1/4 pipe fitting with a 90* 3/8 barb on it. Hopefully it's just the pump, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted March 19, 2007 Author Share Posted March 19, 2007 How much do you think they want for that cosmo? It's gotta be saved...old jap tin is getting really rare nowadays.....and more collectible since thier wacky styling is actually starting to look good in light of modern cars.I know it looks positively HUGE next to a Z car but it's really not that big, right? (the cosmo) I'm guessing it's about the size of a modern mazda 6? The Cosmo is '76 maybe even a '77. You are right these old Japanese Tin are getting VERY rare, Mazda did not sell many of these cars back then, they were very expesnive and were the top of the range for the company back then. It is a stylish 2+2 and its a little bit (not much) larger than S30. This car is fully running and complete, it just needs the aesthetics to make it look great. Its unusual and hugely appealing. It has the most wicked ropey sound on idle braaap-braaaap-braaaap due to the BridgePorted 13B. If my friend decides on selling it, I bet it will be between $500-$1000. I've owned three Mazdas. The first was that Cosmo in metallic brown, 13B rotary and AT; The second was an R100, with 13B, 4 speed, racing beat manifold, header, exhaust plugs, msd, mild bridge porting [190hp according to racing beat]; The third is a mazdaspeed mx5. That Cosmo, providing its rust free and pretty much stock IS a better "investment" than the Z. Do an EBay search on R100 and Cosmo. The prices bodies, much less complete running cars, bring will probably drive you back to your friends parents for another go around. Actually, if that Cosmo's has any rust or the interior is trashed I see it as a great candidate for a 13BTT, the 2.0 three rotor, or an aluminum blocked GenIII CSB. Mine had a fatal case of apex seal failure around 70,000 miles. God, what a smoker it developed into! g G - I agree these old Mazdas are fetching decent money on eBay as I check R100s, RX2 etc regularly. I might go back to rescue it we'll see, my friend may hang onto it, he is unsure right now. A 13BTT would be siiick in it, put I want to be careful on how much $$$ I have been pouring into my cars and I do not need another project right now and then another project...LOL Must a been a whole lot better than the porsche I guess.. You're not kidding, that 911 was a total ROACH! Zeeboost - I think you nailed it, I believe the tank is totally gummed up and full of crud...tonight I am going to do some more investigation into it. I had a spare pump off my ZX that I installed last night and its running no problem - I ran 12V to it off the battery and its spinning like a mutha, but there is still no fuel getting to the motor - so I think the tank maybe the culprit -- I HOPE! Many, many thanks to all of you guys that have chimed in. I would love to have the car cleaned up, rust fixed, suspension done and primered and sitting on some sweet old skool Enkeis...I love this look!: Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Nice find. I love looking at the old cars in salvage yards and would even love to bring some home to work on if I had the space and time to work with them. The first Z I bought for my V8 project came from a salvage yard and I did the same thing you did. I brought it home drained the gas and fired it up. To my surprise it started but ran very rough. It had a lot of black smoke coming from the exhaust but it was a blast to see it running. It had also been sitting for a number of years. Good luck with the Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoeightythreez Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 It is a stylish 2+2 and its a little bit (not much) larger than S30. You mean the 2+2 S30, I assume? I'm not talking about the length...the width...next to a Z that thing looks like a 76 thunderbird. I mean it's styled to look big but it definitely succeeded. (at least next to a Z.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 A way to check is to pull the return and feed hoses from the tank, stick an air gun in the filler neck with a rag or something else around it to keep air from blowing back out, and shoot some compressed air down there for a few seconds. If all else fails and you want to do a temp fix, you drill and tap the drain plug hole to 1/4" pipe thread, and use a 1/4 pipe fitting with a 90* 3/8 barb on it. Hopefully it's just the pump, though. My tank was clogged from the screen mesh or whatever was on the end of the output line inside the tank. Buy a braided steel brake line or shifter line from a bicycle and remove the plastic covering. Then fray the end like a wire brush and cram it into the line to clear out the crud... Worked good for me! That was on a low pressure carbie fuel system. Should work the same though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeeboost Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 You would think so, but I put a speedo cable into a 12v electric drill, and tried reaming the crap out of the tube, but I couldn't get passed the blockage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Pretty nice, at first I thought you meant there was a 13b in the Datsun and it was a special Cosmos edition.??. Then I saw the pictures, 2 different cars. Now when will the be finished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Pretty nice, at first I thought you meant there was a 13b in the Datsun and it was a special Cosmos edition.??. Then I saw the pictures, 2 different cars. Now when will they be finished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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