OK, Where Do I Start?

[Guest KraZ4spd]

Ok, I had a deal with my wife to pay off our loan. As soon as the loan was paid off I was alotted $200 a week to put in my car. Yeah! Well the car is a rolling chassis. Where should I go from here? If I get the engine I want it only has a 2yr warranty(jon barrett cruizerSS) do I start on the suspension, body work, or what?I am going with coilovers, 17 in wheels, stock fenders, and a T-5 tranny.

 

Thanx

 

KraZ4spd

 

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[pparaska]

Of course, plan the entire car out as best you can, with the budget alotted. Some of us don't do this and get carried away .

 

Make sure that the brakes and suspension can handle the horsepower, but first make sure the shell is up to it. If you plan on big power, subframe connectors and a roll bar/cage are in order. Get the shell squared away first, and the rust dealt with.

 

Design the brakes, suspension, and wheels together. Decide on what wheels and tires you'll run, and this will probably drive you down a road to a solution. If you want big meats under stock fenders, then plan on coilovers. Look at what people have been doing lately for wheels and tires. 17s in a 4 lug pattern for wide wheels (8+" width) are custom, if even available then. Consider Mike/scca's 5 lug conversion. Then be looking at his brake packages.

 

Motor and trans, sky's the limit. Get the JTR book if you don't have it, and read lot's of old articles here if you haven't. If you want a manual, the T-56 is sweet. Find an R200, and swap that in. Good u-joints or go with 280ZXT CVs. You can do that swap easily with the 240Z stub axles, but those are the weaker design. May not matter if you're not talking insane power and use.

 

Most people do the bodywork last. I did everything at once (I know, over many years .

 

Hope that Helps,

[Guest Anonymous]

I think Pete is correct. I've done mine rather abstractly and it probably cost me much more that way. Its also morphed into something different than when I started. I was going for the sleeper look, quiet exhaust, stock ride heigth, stock 81 six spoke wheels and the next thing I know, its soon to be lowered, sporting weld wheels, 55 series goodyears, a L88 cowl with the air cleaner poking out of the hood and bre rear spoiler and a larger and better tucked in exhaust.

Save yourself, find the elements of Z's you like and then work toward it. As Pete said the mechanical sub systems are extremely important I'm doing these now, but if I had, had the time and place, I would have done it all at once while I had it all apart, would have saved time and probably money.

 

Good luck with it,

 

Lone

[Guest Anonymous]

Davy,

 

[Sean 83ZXT]

hey Lone,

 

You were saying you wanted more buttoned up exhaust. Well I'd recommend you check out Muffler Tech off Florin I believe. They do some great quality work at a very low rate. My honda friends got some great work there and I'm going there to get my 3" exhaust on my turbo ZX.

[Guest Anonymous]

Cool, thanks, I saw them in the book and was thinking about them. I'll get to do that probably mid June, which will be nice, then I can get this thing dropped down and enjoy the tires and wheels better. Thanks again.

 

 

Lone

[DavyZ]

"The "sleeper look," Lone? I guess that got nixed right away. There is nothing sleeper about your car now!!

 

KraZ4spd: getting the crate motor is a great way to go and you won't end up with expensive headaches like me. Take Pete's advice and Lone's advice. Your car needs to be "safe" first and then you can go from there. Good thing you have a budget with coffers for the work--that way, things will get done! Make a written plan with dates and prices--go from there. Good luck.

 

David