With the move looming up this Friday and 4 weeks left of having a garage to work in I've been pushing on to finish the engine off and get it running before I left.

 

Unfortunately I've had a bit of bombshell which is going to stop the project for the foreseeable future and I can't warrant spending any more money or time on it for at least 6 months.

 

When I originally bought the car and parts I was told the pistons were 30 thou over and that's the figure I've always had in my head. When we found the original block was duff a replacement was found by the previous owner and I was just told to take the piston to check clearance.

 

At no point what i told the block was any particular size and good to their word the engine and block fitted perfectly together with perfect clearance and ran beautifully.

 

When it cracked I went out looking for, found and purchased a 4.030" bore block, crank clearance was spot on and then I decided to double check the bore.

 

On the new block i was getting a consistent figure of 4.030" as I'd expect whereas i was getting 4.038" on the old one. This puzzled me but i assumed the machining had been sloppy or there was some wear and all that was needed was the 16 rings reground and refitted and all would be well.

 

...until i measured the base of the pistons which turned out to be 4.037" and checking them against the bore bare they don't fit. After looking up the part number - what do they come up as? 4.040" bore pistons :headvswal

 

So without £200-300 to get the block re-bored and the time to get it there, back and rebuilt ready to leave my current house I'm left with no other option but to shelve the project, tow it to the new house and stick it under a cover to rot.

 

The engine and parts will sit over at my gran's empty single garage until a point where I can get the block bored out and start the rebuild but without a garage big enough to pop it in the car and without a transporter to move it it's going to be close to impossible to finish until I've got at least another grand in my pocket.

 

I've just bought a house with my bro who's facing being laid off so I'd have to take on his half of the mortgage, I owe my dad over a grand for the Mondeo I've borrowed money to buy to replace the rover, I've spent every last penny I could lay my hands on to get all the parts in, I owe a few hundred to the inland revenue at the end of this month, £400 on solicitor's bills and i have to build a driveway which'll cost me a few hundred.

 

So sorry guys and gals that's the last you'll see on the 600zx thread until further notice :cry:

gutted for you mate, i know how hard it is to fund a car rebuild on an extremely tight budget.

 

At the end of the day mate its only a car (i know your car must mean as much to you as mine does to me) and some times real life has to take priority. you have made a very hard decision to shelve it. just make sure you keep the dream alive though, so many project get shelved and never get finished. im sure you will get there, just think how many extra ideas you can have over the next few months to set you back even further:tongue_smilie:

 

i needed you to slow down a bit anyway as your project was getting way to far ahead of mine.

 

Pete

Cheers guys, the problem being i've sunk over £12,000 into this now and I can't justify breaking it for bits and giving up but with mortgage payments due to rise in a couple of months and everything else i may not get a chance to finish it as daft as it sounds for the matter of £300 now :(

To be fair mate, youve done so well with it you wouldnt break it for parts. I dont think people would let you!

 

Its such a shame ( I had a read through and a catch up with the issues and bugger bad luck!)

 

However, for the sake of a piffling £300, you'll find that money an regain the enthusiasm. I'm trying to buy a house at the moment so can somewhat understand your financial pain!

 

However, if you get all the expensive bits tucked up nice and warm and safe, and try and get the shell as clean and dry as you can and tuck that away safe (no chance you could get the car in your grans single garage and find a smaller home for the engine etc?)

 

Then in a few months time you'll have the £300, (has your brother got all his organs??! :D ) and you can carry on with it!

thats a Blow Nick ...but you know you will get there in the end and it will all be worth while ....youve put so much into that motor you owe it to yourself to finish it off whenever you can ......take a breather from it and in a few months , warmer weather, spring sap rising it will be a different story mate

sorry to hear it Nick :(

 

but chin up, you've got a truly awesome Z sat there, and by the time you get back onto it Zs will be rarer and more desirable, and you'll have the cream of the crop! ;)

Thats bad news Nick sorry to here things have worked against you but keep smiling mate you have done well so far. Store your engine and come back to it when the time is right the dream is still there:)

Sorry to hear that Nick. Was just talking with pete last night and we were looking forward to meeting up with cars. You'll have to jump in mine with me for now mate :)

Really gutted for you Nick... :( So close to getting her on the road as well....

Bloody hell mate, you don't have much luck. My advice would just be leave it for a while until you get sorted and get back on your feet and hopefully by then you'll have got your enthusiasm back for it.

We'll hear them side-by-side down the pod one day!!

Cheers guys, the club's always been behind me on this one and I feel gutted for you as well :(

 

To be fair mate, youve done so well with it you wouldnt break it for parts. I dont think people would let you!

 

I wouldn't get anywhere near what it's worth breaking it. I've spent over £12k on it so far and the costs keep rising, i've spent over £800 this month gettingthis far that i couldn't afford to spend.

 

...no chance you could get the car in your grans single garage and find a smaller home for the engine etc?)

 

No way at all buddy, it's too small for an escort cabriolet let alone and engine, parts and a zed

 

Then in a few months time you'll have the £300, (has your brother got all his organs??! :D ) and you can carry on with it!

 

That's the problem, it won't be a few months - i can't see any way of sparing that money especially if my bro loses his job then i'll be having to find an extra £400 a month extra.

 

Sorry to hear that Nick. Was just talking with pete last night and we were looking forward to meeting up with cars. You'll have to jump in mine with me for now mate :)

 

lol, after last time i think i'll bring my crash helmet - sweet jesus i've never been in anything so quick in my life! And it'l be even faster now! :shock:

Bloody hell mate, you don't have much luck. My advice would just be leave it for a while until you get sorted and get back on your feet and hopefully by then you'll have got your enthusiasm back for it.

We'll hear them side-by-side down the pod one day!!

 

Enthusiasm - something i've had all the way through the project from day one and it's kept me going. It started as fun and excitement and something to look forward to and slowly it's turned a bit sour in my mouth.

 

I have to admit all i've been thinking of this morning is just getting what i can for it, clearing some debt and saving up for a TVR tuscan which is what i wanted in the first place

Nick,

 

So sorry to hear of this, I know how much it all meant to you. :(

 

I wish you all the best for whatever you decide to do.

 

Dave

Okay just to get 100% in my head I rang Peter Knight at Knight Racing Services who's quoted me £180 to hone the pistons out by 800 hundredth of an inch. It's less than i thought it'd be but timeframe is 2-4 weeks.

 

Problem with that is i've lost the garage on the 28th of feb.

 

If i have a serious ebay and sale on here of everything i have lying around I could actually just about scrape that together.

 

Hmmm i'll have to have a think

Enthusiasm - something i've had all the way through the project from day one and it's kept me going. It started as fun and excitement and something to look forward to and slowly it's turned a bit sour in my mouth.

 

I have to admit all i've been thinking of this morning is just getting what i can for it, clearing some debt and saving up for a TVR tuscan which is what i wanted in the first place

 

Dont talk silly.

You know perfectly well you will get only a tiny amount of what you have spent back selling as a failed project in these difficult times..

A TVR Tuscan!! WTF have you eaten for breakfast??

Just get stuck in to work and get some web work done too.

It wil get done.....later

FFS I have been four years on mine and it still isnt done:angry:

I will get that solid tow bar out and we can get it moved to the new house once you get the keys. Just take the front bumper off so we dont damage it while towing.

Nothing for breakfast mate, i didn't sleep half the night tossing and turning over it and got up late :(

 

It's either got to be finished now or never so looks like i'm going to have to get selling on here tonight when i get back and get £180 notes in my pocket to cover the work and hope i can get the block back in time to build and fit it before i lose the garage.

 

I think i've got every right to get disappointed in this project though, it's just brick wall after brick wall with it whenever i'm even remotely close to finishing it.

 

I'll crack on and just have to push it out while i get the other cars done in the next 2 weeks while i'm waiting and prep the parts for assembly.

Blimey dude, got my fingers crossed you can gather the cash and get it done :)

 

If you find yourself £20 short just post up and its yours bud :duffer:

Cheers buddy, i don't expect something for nothing so i'll have a search through the garage and house for anything worth anything and post up a list tonight. First come first served

mate sorry to hear this :( , whatever you do though dont sell any of it, no matter how much you get pee'd off. i hope you make enough money on selling odd parts as above to get you to the 300 mark etc, but for the sake of 300 quid dont throw all your hard work away, just stick it out, it will be worth it in the end-

 

'good things come to those who wait' - Mr Guiness

Time's on ur side man, just be patient and work hard. the car can wait a year or two even. its not worth struggling financially to fund a car, especially in the current economic climate. Just imagine getting into the zed after a long break, imagine the fresh feeling, imagine the drive, and that should give you motivation.

 

vic

The only problem is the price of petrol is going up and up, what could cost 70 quid to fill a tank now could be £140 a litre if i leave it any longer so i want to get it on the road while i can economically enjoy it.

 

I'll just have to bite the bullet and cough up the last £180 and hope it's the LAST £180 :headvswal

Really sorry to hear that mate, bad times. If I ever win anything on the lottery, I'll bung you enough to finish the project

Hang on in there

Cheers hun :) What's the numbers on your ticket this week? :p

Cheers hun :) What's the numbers on your ticket this week? :p

 

I gotta remember to buy one lol, I'm hopeless at doing the lottery!

300zx syndicate anyone? :)

mate sorry to hear this :( , whatever you do though dont sell any of it, no matter how much you get pee'd off. i hope you make enough money on selling odd parts as above to get you to the 300 mark etc, but for the sake of 300 quid dont throw all your hard work away, just stick it out, it will be worth it in the end-

 

'good things come to those who wait' - Mr Guiness

 

I for one mate would contribute to a collection in order to help you get your project finished, I'm sure there are others who would.

 

It would be such a great shame if, after getting so close to finishing it you decide to sell it, as has already been said, you would not get anywhere near the money you have spent out on it back.

 

Chin up bud, you can do it.........:punk::punk: