Project - 383 SBC S30

[Inferno 08]

After selling the boosted CRX that I built, I wanted something that was RWD, but of course I wanted to do something different since I like being unique. I also missed the whole oldschool feel that my Torino had, so I picked this up:

Its a '71 240z. It had a few little issues, but I got it for cheap so I didn't mind.

 

The car that was supposed to be my DD has some issues so I ended up daily driving this for a while, and got tired of the colors real quick. Needless to say, it got rattlecanned flat black one night (these pics were after one or two coats, not the finished product):

 

There's a decent aftermarket for the dual carb'd inline 6 that came in the car, but why mod that when I can put something better in there? I wanted to keep it carb'd and old school, so I got myself a 4 bolt main Chevy 350 block:

 

The block looked lonely in the back of the Z, so I decided to throw some Dart Pro 1 heads and an Edelbrock intake on it:

 

Over the weekend I cleaned my garage (it REALLY needed it) then got the Z in there and up on jackstands. First on the list was to prep the engine bay for drivetrain removal. Here's the result of that:

 

Then, while waiting on an engine hoist, I decided to remove the rear bumper. This will not be going back on:

 

Next came the engine removal:

 

Lots of space for a V8 now that its out:

 

After the engine came out, I decided to check out the underside of the car a bit.

 

Do these springs look stock to you?

 

Rust hole under the battery tray (knew it was there):

 

Floor board looks rusted through (was expecting it):

 

Hole in the frame rail (was NOT expecting it):

 

I planned on beefing up the subframe anyways, so oh well.

 

Next up will be removal of the interior.

 

The plan is to built a 383 bolted up to a T-56 with (most likely) a Q45 rear diff setup. The rear quarters will be widened to accommodate wider tires. Beefier frame rails will be fabbed and installed, as well as an 8 point roll bar.

[deja]

Nice project. Looks like you have some structural work to do first.

[Inferno 08]

New floors and frame rails, setting it up for a fuel cell and rear mounted battery, and rust repair/body work are the main things I want to get done before I have to go back to college for next semester.

 

I'm hoping to either get a welder for Christmas or some money so I can buy one myself. I don't think the little stick welder I borrowed from the neighbor is gonna be able to handle doing this.

[Inferno 08]

Update:

Got all the interior out today. Before:

After:

Floor boards are completely shot:

Random rust by the quarter window:

The whole back of the interior is surprisingly clean though:

Too bad that part is getting cut up for a rear battery and a fuel cell.

[grumpyvette]

its really nice to see the detailed photos as the project progresses, btw don,t get discourage by the rusty sheet steel, rather look at it as a chance to improve your welding skills

Edited December 25, 2009 by grumpyvette

[Inferno 08]

Thanks. My other big hobby is photography, so I take a ton of pictures of projects with my DSLR.

 

And I just got a MIG welder for Christmas, so I'm really looking forward to fixing all the rust and reinforcing the frame.

[Inferno 08]

Picked this stuff up tonight:

I'm going out of town tomorrow, but installation for this should start Monday afternoon. I plan on fabbing up a gas cap behind the license plate.

[Inferno 08]

So I'm currently working on designing a cantilever suspension setup for the rear. More updates on this once I get it figure out a bit more.

[Inferno 08]

For anyone following this thread, plans have changed. I'm now going with a Ford modular motor. New project thread is here:

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=160003