'93 300ZX Possibilities??

[240Z8_Dad]

:icon2: I have a friend that has a '93 300ZX for $1000. The body is in GREAT shape. There is an aftermarket full nose/airdam on the car and a rear spoiler that is about 18" above rear of car. The wheels are 17 x 8's I believe and have 2 new rear tires 235/45/17, fronts are in need of new rubber. Interior is ok. Drivers seat a few rips and everything else is appropriate for it's age. The engine has a couple of problems. I drove this car a few months ago and it drove ok. The owner said possible minor head work. I will find out more this week and post pictures. I have a couple of questions:

 

1. Price ok?

2. V-8 possibilities??

3. How hard are the stock engines to work on?

4. ?????

 

My son and I already have 2 S30's that will be getting the V8 swap.

 

BUT, If this car could have possibilities? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

 

Thanks for any and ALL replies.

[Jehannum]

1) For $1000, it's probably a deal. You can part it for at least as much as you paid.

 

2) Dunno about engine swaps. The VG30DETT is a stout motor, and the VG30DE isn't bad in its own right.

 

3) There's no such thing as "minor headwork" on a Z32.

 

Head work means 1) remove engine, 2) remove heads. Having just done both of those, let me tell you that it's daunting, especially if you're a relative noob to the platform (scares the willies out of me, and I've owned mine for 5 years!).

 

4) That said, there's good support for 300ZXs in New Mexico. I've got one, and there are at least four other Z32 owners in the Albuquerque Z club.

[JMT-Z]

You can put an LSx in but both the auto tranny and T56 require at the very least a little "massaging" of the firewall. There have been some very nice drag times and power numbers reached using the VG30dett, it may be a heavy engine but it is tough as nails. However, it will cost you.

[240Z8_Dad]

A little update. I talked to the son that was driving the car. he said all that was wrong with the engine was oil leaks on valve cover gaskets. They pulled off the covers and in putting back together with new gaskets. dad thinks he put a serpintine belt on wrong or got a tooth off by 1 or so. He turned over engine and heard a noise from the engine and turned off the engine instantly. He has not looked at it since. OK, question or 2 now. What are the possible scenerios here. Bent valve(s), or something else? What would it cost (ballpark figure) to have the engine checked out and maybe valve fixed or ?? $1000 for car $500 - $1000 to fix motor? Any inputs???

 

Thanks

[hoov100]

could be alot of things, if you can, try turning it over by hand, might have been the lifters building up oil after the motor sat for the t-belt change.

[dts300z]

Pull the covers check the timing and see where it is at. If it is out more than a few teeth it probably bent a valve or 24. You are in a guessing game until you tear it down and actually do a inspection. It could be a number of things and yes the lifters a very prone to leaking down and making noise but if it was down just for the amount of time it took to do a T-belt that is not the likely cause.

 

I would get it and do a swap!

 

Good luck!

Dan

[240Z8_Dad]

Here are some pics of the car, wheels are 17 x 7 or 8, tires are 235/45-17. Not bad for $1000. Yes there still is the engine problem:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hoov100]

If you need any parts, let me know, I'm parting out a 92 z32 N/A auto.

[Pharaohabq]

Hey Z8Dad,

 

i'm one of the Z32 drivers in the AlbuquerqueZ club that he mentioned.. If that engine has damage to the valves then you might not want to mess with it. A dealer would charge 3 grand just to pull it out. I'm sure you've looked in there and seen how little space there is around that engine. The car itself doesn't look too bad, and don't worry about the seats, you can get the recovering leather kits from MSA for about $250. It's an automatic, like mine, I like it, though I've always wanted to have it be a standard, but hey for $1000 it's not bad.

 

The engines are interferance engines, so if the timing is off then it's likely got a bunch of bent valves. not a good situation. Now you can rebuild it. or replace it. a JDM engine is about $1000 for a VG30DE or $1500 or so for a DETT. tho the TT would require a lot of extra finagling. Look up TT swap on youtube. there's a couple really good videos on how to do it. get the whole front clip, you'll need it.

 

It's cool you're getting into the Z32's but I hope you'll keep working on your 240z's I haven't heard much updates on where you are with those.

 

The V8 in the Z32 has been done, as has the Vq35, but it's a tight tight fit on both sides, so I don't know how worth it it is. It's your time and $. It would be cool if you and your boy can make it to ABQ some time for a wrench session or maybe the meeting, but I know it's a LONG drive to/from portales.

 

Phar

Edited September 13, 2009 by Pharaohabq
damn I suck at spelling tonight...

[canyoncarver]

Nice find for $1k.

 

My son and I restored an old Ranchero, like you have there, around 10 years ago.

[240Z8_Dad]

Hey Z8Dad,

 

i'm one of the Z32 drivers in the AlbuquerqueZ club that he mentioned.. If that engine has damage to the valves then you might not want to mess with it. A dealer would charge 3 grand just to pull it out. I'm sure you've looked in there and seen how little space there is around that engine. The car itself doesn't look too bad, and don't worry about the seats, you can get the recovering leather kits from MSA for about $250. It's an automatic, like mine, I like it, though I've always wanted to have it be a standard, but hey for $1000 it's not bad.

 

The engines are interferance engines, so if the timing is off then it's likely got a bunch of bent valves. not a good situation. Now you can rebuild it. or replace it. a JDM engine is about $1000 for a VG30DE or $1500 or so for a DETT. tho the TT would require a lot of extra finagling. Look up TT swap on youtube. there's a couple really good videos on how to do it. get the whole front clip, you'll need it.

 

It's cool you're getting into the Z32's but I hope you'll keep working on your 240z's I haven't heard much updates on where you are with those.

 

The V8 in the Z32 has been done, as has the Vq35, but it's a tight tight fit on both sides, so I don't know how worth it it is. It's your time and $. It would be cool if you and your boy can make it to ABQ some time for a wrench session or maybe the meeting, but I know it's a LONG drive to/from portales.

 

Phar

 

There is always a LSx swap!!

 

Still doing the series I 240Z, Ordered rear IMSA widebody for it 2 weeks ago. should get it this week.

 

What is a JDM engine?

[hoov100]

There is always a LSx swap!!

 

Still doing the series I 240Z, Ordered rear IMSA widebody for it 2 weeks ago. should get it this week.

 

What is a JDM engine?

 

JDM= japanese domestic market

ADM= australian domestic market

USDM= united states domestic market

UDM= european domestic market

CDM= canadian domestic market

..etc..etc

[240Z8_Dad]

JDM= japanese domestic market

ADM= australian domestic market

USDM= united states domestic market

UDM= european domestic market

CDM= canadian domestic market

..etc..etc

 

And where do you go to purchase a JDM engine?

[Pharaohabq]

I'm not sure where the best dealers are, but there's a lot of them on Ebay. Be sure you know what you're getting into. Look at those swap vids on Youtube, seriously... I know a lot of guys on here buy JDM RB's

 

Phar

[amorfin]

And where do you go to purchase a JDM engine?

 

EBay... or any engine importer?

 

By the way, I think that shell is well worth the $1,000. The engine is worth nothing. I wouldn't spend any money in it. Buy a VG30DETT swap off ebay or off a local importer. That will be the easiest swap and the most power/potential for the money.

[Daeron]

The twin-cam VG30 can make 6, 7, 8, 900, 1000 horsepower. If you can build it to that.

 

It may be easier to make that kind of power with your LSx, but it is NOT going to be very easy to put the V8 into the Z32.. nowhere near as easy as it is in the S30. The Z32 is also a very daunting vehicle to work on.

 

But it IS so very super d@^^n cool... and that is a good price. The wing and the airdam are just a hair too fancy for my tastes, but she's a fine looking car for the money, to say the very least.

[hoov100]

personally, with the amount of money you would spend on a clip, various maintenance parts, gas to the nissan dealer and Tylenol, you could go LSx, make easy power, while still being reliable and you dont have to worry about z32 injectors, timing belts or pulling the motor to change turbo's. the fabrication required isnt that hard and you can be one of the few people with an lsx z32!

[BRAAP]

personally, with the amount of money you would spend on a clip, various maintenance parts, gas to the nissan dealer and Tylenol, you could go LSx, make easy power, while still being reliable and you dont have to worry about z32 injectors, timing belts or pulling the motor to change turbo's. the fabrication required isnt that hard and you can be one of the few people with an lsx z32!

 

Careful about the advice you give Hoov… I thought the same thing when I started my Z-32 LSx conversion, and after much mocking up I learned that No, the LSx is not an easy swap in the Z-32! In fact, for a street car, it is one of the toughest to do if you want to keep any of the factory creature comforts and have the suspension function somewhat as intended. Fabrication required for an LSx is actually quite considerable, especially if it is to be a street car. If this is to be a gutted race car, then yes, fabrication would be easier, just cut a big hole in the firewall and cut out the trans tunnel back to the shifter hole, stuff the engine as far back as you can, weld in a new tunnel and firewall and call it a day! Just that easy, right?

 

Another aspect of the Z-32 is its high maintenance and the engineers didn’t really design the Z-32 with maintenance in mind!

The LSx cures mort of the maintenance headaches, but the problem is Nissan didn’t design the engine bay to readily receive the LSx, or any domestic V-8.

 

 

Summation of the Z-32 love hate relationship;

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=123262

 

How not-so-well the LSx fits the Z-32!

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=144469

 

The Z-32 was my ultimate dream car, when I finally got one, I was ecstatic! That was short lived,, then got another! The next one was a nice car, but again, once the honey-moon was over, OMG, the car is a headache looking for person to deny total and complete happiness to! It took me over a year of denial to finally see the light and let it go. After I finally gave up on the project and found a different Moniker to receive my LSx, I have not looked back with one bit of regret. I am far happier now than then, and its So much easier, definitely not as high maintenance, MUCH easier to work on if it does need maintenance, etc…

In short, the Z-32 left a sour taste. The only way I’d take another one is for gutted race car, definitely NOT as a street car!

[BRAAP]

I forgot to mention that the Infiniti VH45DE V-8 fits the car actually quite well! (mocked that engine in the Z-32 as well, and was amazed at well it fit the engine bay!) The only real fitment issue with the VH45 is the tall intake manifold.

 

VH45DE can be bolted to the Z-32 5 speed with adapter and you now have a nice V-8 powered Z-32.

 

 

[240Z8_Dad]

Ok, I have looked on ebay and there are many The VG30DETT engines for sale. $1000 - $2000. How hard is a The VG30DE to The VG30DETT swap? I have a cherry picker, tools and a garage. Have swapped out mant v-8's, just never one of these.