pirate87 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Since early April I've been tearing apart my 1977 280z in preparation of an RB30e bottom end mated to an RB26DETT head. I purchased the Z for $1200 locally and though it ran fine, the alternator was fried so I had it towed home to begin the process. Here's how it sat the night I went to check things out: Flat black primer all around, and pretty shotily done too. Rust in the typical spots. But regardless something felt right about this car. Let the build begin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate87 Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Since I wanted to finish things up by the end of the summer, I began working like a madman. From the middle of May until mid June I was going to be in China, so that would take out almost a month of good working time. My goal was to have the car stripped and sandblasted before left the country. April 19th, 2008 Interior mostly stripped: And I got a better look at the rust: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 just about as clean as mine, minus the two badly welded rear quarters. same engine goin on there too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeoster Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Gotta love those 280zs! Looking at your pics takes me back to the day i picked mine up. I just remember saying to myself "Those bumpers are absolutely hideous!" Needless to say they were the first to go haha. I'm doing an RB25 swap, I cant afford an RB30 at the moment, it would be nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 hahahha. same thing. my landlord said "those bumpers can topple a brinks truck" and i said "the only thing those bumpers are going to hit is the corner of the garage, never to see light again!" and that's exactly what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate87 Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 Gotta love those 280zs! Looking at your pics takes me back to the day i picked mine up. I just remember saying to myself "Those bumpers are absolutely hideous!" Needless to say they were the first to go haha. I'm doing an RB25 swap, I cant afford an RB30 at the moment, it would be nice! When I stripped the car, those were definitely the first things I tackled. Not my style. So, my RB26 long block arrived at the shipping terminal on wednesday and I drove to pick it up in my Isuzu P'up. Only problem- I was without an engine hoist, so until I finally went and bought one early yesterday morning, the long block sat in the back of my truck. Anyway, I began the RB26 disassembly yesterday...with some surprising results. I'll post pics later today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4xwellmurd3r Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 lol neat, your 77's the same color as my 78. 517 XD I guess all the 517's that are around are all painted over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate87 Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 lol neat, your 77's the same color as my 78.517 XD I guess all the 517's that are around are all painted over. Ya know, I don't even mind that color. I do like neutral tones, so when the car gets painted I've been thinking silver/dark grey? Or, if I'm in the right mood: Avocado Green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate87 Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 May 12th, 2008 Finally got the car down to the bare chassis, and loaded it up to be taken to the sand blaster. A week from the 12th I would be leaving for China for a month, so I was thrilled to have made some worthwhile progress. June 10th, 2008 After returning from China, I took a few pics of the sandblast job. Unfortunately the light coat of primer was not adequate for the shell's outdoor storage, and some surface rust began to form...no biggie though. The battery tray: Overall, no surprises (ie. Bondo, etc) and the rusted areas were all well highlighted. Also, at this time I began working on the front and rear suspension. Tearing these pieces apart is frustrating and time consuming, but I wanted to refreshen every part on the car. Before: After: Still having trouble on the tie rod end and ball joint...any suggestions? July 2nd, 2008 Picked up the RB30 Blocks from port in Wilmington, NC. US Customs inspected: July 5th, 2008 New ball joints and Energy Suspension Bushings arrived! I also set up a makeshift spray booth in my shed to coat the suspension pieces. All were sprayed black with a few coats of clear to make them really shine. July 9th, 2008 Rode up to Winston-Salem to pick up my RB26 long block. And of course had to make a pit stop at "cookout". July 12th, 2008 Went to Harbor Freight at 8 am to finally purchase an engine hoist of my own (I'd been borrowing for all of my other projects). Took the RB26 out of the P'up and mounted it on the engine stand to begin the degreasing/cleaning process. My all time favorite cleaning product, "Oil Eater" available in bulk from Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 so what are the surprising results? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate87 Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 ahhh, I almost forgot: The good, I have never seen cleaner coolant passages in any head I've worked on... and the bad, it appears the turbos are fried, as neither turbine will rotate. Any suggestions? The wheels seem locked in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I have the EXACT same pressurized sprayer container. I put WD40 in it. did you put your degreaser on it? Raff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate87 Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have the EXACT same pressurized sprayer container.I put WD40 in it. did you put your degreaser on it? Raff. Yeah, about a 1:1 ratio of degreaser and water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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