Cool build fouh showwwww

 

A couple of small updates. Installed a set of Aerocatch hood latches. Got the ebrake cables installed and the car inspected, so it's road legal now. Sorted out a few vac/boost leaks and it drives way better. A little rich in boost, but nothing terrible. Just need to play with the tune some more. I've been driving it around a bit locally to give things a chance to run and make sure it's all set before I go too far from home. Also finally got a set of hood strut hardware and new struts, so no more 2x4 for the hood anymore.

Here's a few pictures I took after getting back from a short drive.

 

Paint it black...dark dark black.

 

I was thinking about that. Also considering a darker blue. It definitely needs something. The light blue is one of the shittiest paint jobs I've seen. Not the original color either.

 

Found a deal on another 86 300ZX down in NC, this time an original turbo. Super straight body (at least structurally, there a couple of dents that look very fixable), but with a blown up engine. Looks like the timing belt tensioner went out. Got it for a pretty good deal and brought it home. Overall in great shape. Going to swap all the goodies I've put on the blue Z into this one, including the entire engine, then get rid of the blue chassis. Looks like the previous owner was very meticulous with the car. Has a stack of maintenance receipts going back to 2000, and even included the original window sticker. Looks like it's been a well taken care of VA/NC car it's entire life, which explains the lack of rust. It has a banged up drivers fender, which is easy to fix, just have to replace the fender. There is also a decent dent in the back near the tails, but that looks fixable as well.

Grabbed a few pictures after getting it home.










Here's a couple I took of the window sticker, if anyone is interested.






Did a decent bit of work yesterday. Pulled the engine and trans out of the blue Z. Got them separated. Then pushed it out and pushed the red one in. Got the engine out of that one, but left the trans in as I'm planning to use it. Put the engine from the red one on a stand, and dropped the one out of the blue one back in. Finished up last night with everything bolted in place, just need to get to work on getting all the bits and pieces hooked back up.

Forgot to get pics of pulling the blue Z engine.



The one with the yellow PP came out of the blue one.


A little empty...




Basically done. After this we removed the lift, and put in all the bellhousing bolts, besides the one's that hold the starter. Planning to start there this week.


Goal is to have it running and driving by early July. We'll see how that goes. Want to keep AC in this one, so the IC piping will have to be rerouted.

 

Looks like I'm a bit overdue on an update. That goal of running/driving by early July has been pushed to early August.

All of the suspension components have been swapped over from the old car, along with some new stuff. It's now running all the hardware from an 88 turbo on the front (tension rods, LCAs, strut tubes, spindles, and front brakes) along with a set of new Bilstein struts and Suspension Techniques springs all around. Rolled it outside after finishing that and this is how it sat.



Next up was getting the intercooler mounted and plumbed. That's all finished as well.









From there I moved on to the interior. The entire red interior is being stripped and a black one installed. That is mostly finished, still need to do the dash. I also will be running blue seats until I can get my hands on some black ones. I'm talking to a guy about possibly getting a set of Z32 seats to install in it. I only took a couple of progress shots of that.



Very happy about the complete lack of rust on this chassis.



The early turbo cars ran a Borg Warner T-5, very similar to the Fox Mustangs. It's so similar in fact, that aftermarket Mustang shifters fit. So there is a Mustang short shifter installed in it now as well. You can kind of see it in the shot above.


As of yesterday it has the nose reinstalled and most of the interior. The only thing holding me up from driving it is it being in bad need of an alignment, the brake need to be bled, and it needs an inspection sticker.

 

You see a side shot, slightly angled closer to the rear, and these look pretty good. Then you get around to the front... Bleh. However, they do handle well, and the VG30 is one helluva motor. And I'm still scratching my head as to why some idiot told you last year in this thread a SR20 would be a better option... It's almost up there with the VQ35 and the RB26 in terms of usable, reliable power.

If I ever do manage to get a 240-280z or a 510 it's either getting a VQ35 or a VG30 hands down.

 

80's style FTW! Heh, you're right though, the front isn't the best. I'm more of a fan of the 87-89 style fronts, but this one is so clean I want to try to keep it fairly original looking rather than swapping out the front end like I did on the blue one.

With the SOHC heads it's also a very compact engine, so it would fit well in a S30/S130 or 510. As light as they are, a stock turbo engine with a boost controller would make more than enough power to have a lot of fun with them. Plus the torque they make is ridiculous. There's a guy on the Z31 forum that posted a dyno sheet recently for a 9.0:1 compression engine (stock non-turbo) with the stock turbo setup on it, boost turned up to 10lbs, and he made 250hp and 305lb/ft of torque at the wheels. Only mods were the boost controller, 3" exhaust, intake plenum spacer, and a front mount intercooler.

Did you know back in the 80's Electromotive ran the VG30ET in their IMSA Z31 racecar? It was supposed to be making 750-1000hp on a race prepped stock block with an upgraded girdle, and all the other internals upgraded. http://www.race-cars.com/engsold/oth...46616613ss.htm

 

Lol it's that car that made me gain a lot of respect for the VG30. That and someone on the b15 forums slapped one in an 02 spec v and made like 600whp

The blitz/jun one also holds a land speed record.

 

The speed record doesn't surprise me these cars had a great drag coefficient for the era.

Seen this article before? http://www.gtasourcepage.com/88MTTopSpeed10.html

Only cars from 1988 with a higher top speed were the Ferrari Testarossa, C4 Vette, and Porsche 928.