Backyard Budget Z32

[TWM Performance]

Neat rebuild! Would you explore the SR20 route? Keeps the weight down and makes great numbers. What do you think?

[tib _500]

cleanup is starting to look good. Although a repeat, I would like a clean RB in there.

Most of the stuff on this car has been done before. Im just trying to do the things I really enjoyed seeing on some of the nicer z cars, if it wasn't a high cost modification, and to simplify as much as possible.

Neat rebuild! Would you explore the SR20 route? Keeps the weight down and makes great numbers. What do you think?

My initial goal was to keep the vg30de, but Im at the point where i am considering swaps, but have not committed to any of them due to the additional fitment expenses. Swaps tend to get expensive fast when you dont have a full donor car.




Lack of a proper garaging and tools keep this build in what i consider budget range. This car has an auto check score of 1 and was purchased for $250 as well.

[tib _500]

Bought some cheap wheels

Some of the new stuff came in

the only time Ive used my 11mm

[tib _500]

this band broke 3 secs after it went on...

F150 mounts vs stock

I was sick of staring at empty holes....

[tib _500]

My go to tool

Makeshift harness untill the one I ordered arrived

Finally got the motor in.

Drove it home with the open headers. Needless to say, it was loud.

Got the exhaust put back on after a trip to exhaust shop to connect the headers.

The correct plugs finally came in a few days later.

My helper cat assisting with the spark plugs, fuel filter, and installing a stereo.

2 weeks later the ebay headers looked like this.

The dipstick location i needed to use.

Decided to go spoiler less

[rice4life]

Was just about to say that J30 vg30de's are cheap and plentiful, then BAM you got one, or another infiniti stickered vg30.

While it was out you should have gotten the head shaved and bumped up the compression. Costs between $50 and $300 and yields great results.

Would like to see the intakes paint matched to the rest of it. Keep it up, it's getting much better.

[white out]

Great build, thanks for sharing.

If the headers bother you, drive it for a few weeks/months. Then get some good high temp paint/thermal paint from an auto parts store, pop them off (I'm sure it's a PITA) and re-spray.

[tib _500]

Was just about to say that J30 vg30de's are cheap and plentiful, then BAM you got one, or another infiniti stickered vg30.

While it was out you should have gotten the head shaved and bumped up the compression. Costs between $50 and $300 and yields great results.

Would like to see the intakes paint matched to the rest of it. Keep it up, it's getting much better.

This is still at about 6 months ago in the build. I've honestly just been trying to keep it running and putting miles on it a few weeks at a time before Ive managed to break it again.

The heads and up have been addressed, but you will see how at a later date.

Ive never actually been bothered by those intake pipes until you mentioned them. It shall be addressed very soon now!

Great build, thanks for sharing.

If the headers bother you, drive it for a few weeks/months. Then get some good high temp paint/thermal paint from an auto parts store, pop them off (I'm sure it's a PITA) and re-spray.

Thanks for the support, it really keeps me motivated.

It doesn't really bother me yet. I plan on doing some kind of single turbo setup or nitrous in the distant future. I just thought Id share my ebay header results. Ive had them off a few times since and yes its a PITA, yet not as bad as the stock 300zx would be.

[tib _500]

At this point it had broke again...I later found out the Camshaft pin had sheared off and bent all the intake valves on the passenger side head.

So i decided to try something a little different with the tail lights while it was down.

I also decided to quick and dirty fix my 3rd brake light. it needs replaced but this will work until i get to that point.

All coming together again finally.....

[tib _500]

Continuing onward, as stated in the last post, the pin that syncs the cam pulley to the cam had sheared off and would occasionally catch and move the cam as well....

it sounded like this


got a few new things : Megan STS, Gates belt (since i was there again), and early style tt heads.

Fresh heads back from the machine shop

Tear down took longer than expected because i was doing other things at the same time...

Like rebuilding the HLAs...

re-assembling, lubing, torquing the caps, new seals, ect.

tearing apart the lower intake

and finally tearing apart the engine....

[tib _500]

Found a lost photo. I replaced the nose panel at some point with the smooth one.

At this point i decided to clean up the lower intake.

decent fuel rail breakdown

this is where i left it until i could test fit and make sure it lined up correctly on different heads.

One on...

2nd head...

looked good so porting continued

also had to get another cover

lower intake on and finished

so after this it ran and i got this video while installing the new shifter.

http://vid55.photobucket.com/albums/g123/MunionC07/Mobile%20Uploads/20160330_164119_zps4820676a.mp4

[tib _500]

had it running again and officially test fit my $75 wheels

then i decided to put in the diff bushings

decided to hack apart my 2 intakes...i had no idea what i was doing BTW.....

this makes me believe it was worth it...

trimmed up a bit

also decided to tuck it a bit more

had a buddy start welding on it and the test fit went very smooth

[tib _500]

I was sick of those bumper disconnects so i used latches.

some super cheap LEDs

Finally cut a support for my carpet.

some fresh wet paint on my intake

and then it ran again....

interior back together again

and finally it looked a little more promising....

then i broke some stuff

fixed

broke more...

soooo more work begins

decided to make some more wires to disappear

[anti.engineered]

You gotta work on your photos man. Way too big, a lot I can't see what you're going for and little explanation doesn't help either.

You replaced the #6 runner without grinding down the welds after? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

[tib _500]

You gotta work on your photos man. Way too big, a lot I can't see what you're going for and little explanation doesn't help either.

You replaced the #6 runner without grinding down the welds after? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

I apologize for the awful photos as I really have no idea what I'm doing with a camera. They are also taken on a galaxy s4. I am very new at build threads so any pointers are appreciated. These pictures were taken mainly for my reference, but I took so many I figured I would share them for anyone else going down this road as well. Posting these pictures has also given me insight on things I have overlooked while working on this car.

I replaced the #6 runner to even out air flow and give the runner the same square port shape. I did not do it for cosmetic reasons alone. I will be taking it off again and further modifying it in the future. I did leave the inside welds alone to attempt to even the up airflow as the other side of the intake does not run straight into the runner. The car is currently apart again so I will be trying to flow match the runners very soon.

The current goal is to budget build a 300zx, make it easier to work on, and to make the engine bay more appealing. Im currently under $3k including the purchase price of the car. My target power is 250whp NA. If I fail to hit that number, I will turbo the car and it will no longer be a budget build.