Ok guys, probably should of started this last year when I decided to resurrect my 1993 JDM 300zx Twin Turbo Auto. I said I call the car "Blue Thunder" (mostly just to annoy everyone:tt2:) as it will be loud and blue:thumbup:.

You'll have to bear with me as I'm going to use previous posts off this forum for most of the current bits and I'm not "computer super proficient" with adding images etc

I'll start at the very beginning if I can remember back that far:lol: (No pics in this quick update) (This is for the benefit of anyone joining after '09)

Bought the car in the summer of 2005, a low mileage (42K) 1993 300zx TT auto, within a few months the timing belt had stripped some teeth, luckily no engine damage. Replaced belts, series 2 PTU and bought my 19" TSW Catalunyas. Had to get the rear wheels custom made to 9.5" as they weren't available in this size:thumbup1:. Went on to buy a Pioneer Avic X1R single DIN touchscreen Sat-Nav stereo to liven up the sounds and my Brembo Big Brake kit.

July 2006 - Engine had a ticking noise, nothing major, diagnosed as sticky lifters, recommended solution was an oil change. Bought 2 4.5 litres of Castrol Edge 10W60, oil filter and an engine flush, brought it to a "garage" and asked them to drop the oil, using the engine flush, refill with the fresh Castrol oil heat it up, flush it out, fit the new filter and refill with the other container of Castrol Edge...Simples:innocent:

Collected the car and went home, got to the house and the engine turned into a tractor, lifted the bonnet, oil everywhere, they'd put the full 9 liters into the car and wrecked the engine.:scared::thumbdown: After a few arguments and the backing of the Motor Factors owner where the oil was bought, the "Garage" eventually admitted responsibility. They sent the car to another "Garage" who was fitting the new engine from API, more drama, Radio was stolen in their care and engine lasted a day, oil sump had been damaged and suction pipe couldn't get enough oil in, another knackered engine:scared::thumbdown:.

2007 - Sued the "Garage" and got the car back 2008.:thumbup1:

2008 - 2009 Went to a decent bloke who sorted the engine, did the manual conversion, fitted a brand new Exedy street performance clutch with an RPS Lightweight Flywheel, BuddyClub Racing Spec Coilovers, Z1 hardpipes and HKS Induction kit. November '09 Hydrolocked the engine driving into a puddle:scared::thumbdown:

2010 - After getting "Ripped off" on a Border Fuel Rail, 555 injectors and Japanese "UK" Clocks (meant to be UK but had been converted) and with a 9% pay deduction and extra Levies / charges on Civil Servants (totalling a 60% deduction of my already diminished gross pay), I called it a day on the Z:thumbdown:

Edited January 8, 20169 yr by Richie K

The Veilsides bud, that's the advantages of 3 piece wheels, I can change the lips and the barrels if need be to make them fit, going to cripple my finances for a while but it'll be worth it to have a nice set of wheels on the car:thumbup:

 

Any progress on your new wheels??

 

Got it, at this point that is your best option. Changing the barrels will also allow you to change the offset, therefore eliminating the need of spacers.

 

Sadly no, work has been kicking my butt lately and I have not gotten a chance to mount the tires on the wheels :sad:

 

Rob

Got it, at this point that is your best option. Changing the barrels will also allow you to change the offset, therefore eliminating the need of spacers.

 

Sadly no, work has been kicking my butt lately and I have not gotten a chance to mount the tires on the wheels :sad:

 

Rob

 

I will still need spacers as the spokes are too flat, so no matter where they are positioned in the barrel they will always catch the calipers unless spaced out

Fitted both sides with 25mm spacers and got both sides fitted up with my 355mm discs / Brembo's. I've to wait two week before my wheel guy can get down and take the required measurements to sort out my front wheels.

 

 

 

 

Needed the spacers to clear the existing Big Brembo let alone my 6 piston ones

 

 

Hoping they don't stick out too much:innocent:

So today, I pulled my Koyo Racing Rad, I had previously broken the overflow pipe on the filler neck by closing the bonnet with the stay, snapping it. It also was a bit warped from lying in a box in the shed for 5-7 years. It's now gone for repair, should hopefully have it back by Thursday. €140:thumbdown:

Have to source shorter manifold bolts for the AMS manifolds:thumbdown:

Once these two things have been rectified, I should be able to get things moving :innocent:

Here's hoping anyways:whistling:

Koyo Racing Rad fully tested, straightened and repaired, all ready to go back into the car:thumbup:

 

Doing a bit of Z work myself as its not getting done :thumbdown:

What's this pipe here for?? Carbon canister??

It's beside the passenger side recirc pipe

 

 

 

So, I've decided to forget about fitting my AMS manifolds and GT525 turbos for the time being, nobody in this country has much experience with these cars, most tend to stay away from them. I got my old engine back and feel the best option for me is to get Jimmer to build it with forged parts, this will then receive the manifolds and turbos. I will just fit the 3" downpipes and exhaust with the dual mafs to my existing engine and hopefully get the NA subframe fitted. Do I have to get the car mapped with 550 injectors?? should I see about putting the original injectors back in??. I just want the car to drive for the time being:rolleyes:

So, I've decided to forget about fitting my AMS manifolds and GT525 turbos for the time being, nobody in this country has much experience with these cars, most tend to stay away from them. I got my old engine back and feel the best option for me is to get Jimmer to build it with forged parts, this will then receive the manifolds and turbos. I will just fit the 3" downpipes and exhaust with the dual mafs to my existing engine and hopefully get the NA subframe fitted. Do I have to get the car mapped with 550 injectors?? should I see about putting the original injectors back in??. I just want the car to drive for the time being:rolleyes:

Put the originals back in, I wouldn't even drive it with the larger injectors without being mapped.

Stock fuel map with 550s it will over fuel very heavily. You cannot and should not run it without the correct map bud.

Is it a big job to pull the plenum and switch the fuel rails?? Would I be able to do it myself??

Is it a big job to pull the plenum and switch the fuel rails?? Would I be able to do it myself??

I think you could. Off the top of my head you remove throttle, balance bar, fuel rails, coil packs, sensor connectors etc.

Fairly systematic process. Just try not to get a load of petrol squirting in your eyes trust me, it burns [emoji38]

Rad refitted, also swapped out my standard ECU for this John Dixon/Zedworld/JWT ?? Chipped ECU for 550 injectors

 

Removed this

 

 

And fitted this

 

Nice work bud, keep it coming :)

Pulled all the intake pipes and went looking for leaks, I've no turbo actuator hoses fitted to the I/c to throttle pipes, just two uncapped connectors, i don't think I'm able for pulling the whole engine bay apart to try and find the hoses, figure I'm going to pack it up for this year, save some money if I can and try to raise €1000 to ship it to Jimmer along with the spare TT engine. So fed up of the €1000's already spent on this engine, I thought the €1,800 parts bill and €2,200 garage labour bill would have put me in a running car, instead I got a car with an engine dropped into it with no ancillary connections. I've been doing it all myself following Write ups on here and Google but I'm just pissing against the wind at this stage. Nobody in this country wants to work on these cars, the ones that will, have zero Z experience and are just "Winging it". I'm going to sit down over the next few days and take stock of my situation.

Pulled all the intake pipes and went looking for leaks, I've no turbo actuator hoses fitted to the I/c to throttle pipes, just two uncapped connectors, i don't think I'm able for pulling the whole engine bay apart to try and find the hoses, figure I'm going to pack it up for this year, save some money if I can and try to raise €1000 to ship it to Jimmer along with the spare TT engine. So fed up of the €1000's already spent on this engine, I thought the €1,800 parts bill and €2,200 garage labour bill would have put me in a running car, instead I got a car with an engine dropped into it with no ancillary connections. I've been doing it all myself following Write ups on here and Google but I'm just pissing against the wind at this stage. Nobody in this country wants to work on these cars, the ones that will, have zero Z experience and are just "Winging it". I'm going to sit down over the next few days and take stock of my situation.

Just slap the stock injectors in and get Lee or Jimmer on the phone and walk you through how to plug everything in. I think you just need it running at this point, for your sanity...

Man that is such a dilemma. I reckon is sounds like you are so close to having something running and I am sure the guys this side of he pond will be happy to help out where possible.

Pulled all the intake pipes and went looking for leaks, I've no turbo actuator hoses fitted to the I/c to throttle pipes, just two uncapped connectors, i don't think I'm able for pulling the whole engine bay apart to try and find the hoses, figure I'm going to pack it up for this year, save some money if I can and try to raise €1000 to ship it to Jimmer along with the spare TT engine. So fed up of the €1000's already spent on this engine, I thought the €1,800 parts bill and €2,200 garage labour bill would have put me in a running car, instead I got a car with an engine dropped into it with no ancillary connections. I've been doing it all myself following Write ups on here and Google but I'm just pissing against the wind at this stage. Nobody in this country wants to work on these cars, the ones that will, have zero Z experience and are just "Winging it". I'm going to sit down over the next few days and take stock of my situation.

 

it is a total pain at times working on the z engine bay is not very nice really atall way to packed for my liking i know how you feel rite now i does get you down. anyhow just fit a boost control and you dont need all that stock crap much more simple

hook it up like this mite is set up like this before and after

 

bottom pic is the new set up top one is the stock set up

Have you heard of this place Richie? Rumour has it the guy has experience working on the Z32 for Nissan back in the day http://www.car-tork.ie/index.html

 

Actually they list two TTs for breaking too.

What's the problem exactly?

What's the problem exactly?

 

The problem is that there's nobody in this country that can be recommended as a reputable Z garage, so no matter who you go to, you're taking a gamble with your hard earned cash. You guys have Jimmer and Lee, among others, that are considered highly amongst the UK Z community. I even went to Nissan, who's technicians said they'd never worked on a 300zx, they'd love to but it's probably €90 an hour and still in inexperienced (Z32) hands (which would take 5 times as long as the Z specialists) . I've looked into shipping the car over to the UK and have been told I'm looking at €500-€1000, which is pretty much my engine budget for the moment. I've messaged a Z specialist to see if I flew him over and put him up for a couple of weekends plus paid for his services, would he be interested, but to be fair, he's probably flat out at his own place and to come over here to use someone else's garage and tools (which would be Saturday afternoons and Sunday) is a big ask. That's only if my brothers friend trusts him enough to give him the keys, I'll see what options I have in a few days.

The plan this week is to get my NA subframe and steering rack down to the garage and see if they can be fitted, it will be two less jobs to do and I can see about selling my brake setup to some of the drift boys, this will hopefully help in paying someone to get the engine running.

I'll see how this week goes regarding progress and update accordingly:innocent:

No I mean what is actually wrong with the car that you've given up on trying to repair?

No I mean what is actually wrong with the car that you've given up on trying to repair?

 

Haven't given up as such, I'm trying to do everything myself as everybody in this country is scared of that engine, they think it's too much of a headache to work on. At the moment, I've no turbo actuator hoses connected to the intercooler to throttle pipes, I can't even find the turbo actuator hoses, I don't want to pull too much out as I'm not a mechanic, I don't even know if the hoses are attached to the actuators:scared:. For me to get down to them, what do I need to do?? Pull the black intercooler to turbo piping?? I'm working in a yard with little room. What's the easiest way to find these hoses??

Go from underneath mate. The drivers ones a bit of a pain but the passenger one shouldn't be too bad, worse case scenario you will have to move the aircon condenser but I think you will be fine. They jut run from the actuator to the thin hard pipes between the intercooler piping near the rad, via the boost solenoid which are bolted to the sides of the plenum. Pretty easy once you know where they are and go.

Here's a pic of my engine, there's no hoses attached to the Intercooler piping, I've located where they're to go on them, the boost solenoids are under the black i/c to turbo pipes, this is correct??

 

 

I'll see if I can get under the car on Wednesday or Thursday, these are the days I'm hoping to get some lift time to fit the subframe and steering rack. If I could get a Z specialist and the use of a lift for a couple of days, I know I'd have the car running in no time at all:thumbup1:

The Mrs is a travel agent, I'm going to see if she can get me a cheap ferry crossing for the jeep and trailer as an alternative:thumbup1: