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I was all set to go turbo last year and then I ended up buying an old rx7 along with a lot of other purchases and now I regret I didn't put the money into my z. This year all extra money will be spent on it. which is not much unfortunately, as I moved and rent is higher. $500 now + $400 a month will be my budget.
Here's what I have: 1 88 N/A auto (bad transmission). and 1 85 N/A manual (mechanically fine) with body rust
Here's what I want this year: NA2T with wire tuck on the 85, fix rust, get the digital dash working properly
End goal: Turbo 85 in the 300hp range, Exhaust, Intake, Suspension, Restored interior, Paint job, Nice wheels and much more but for this year mainly the things above
I have no experience with swaps, so I will be taking it to a shop for the majority of the work. Or maybe somebody here if they're in CT
Now for my questions:
Should I get anything done to the engine or transmission before turbocharging? Rebuild, etc
Does anybody here do work in CT?
Should I buy or do anything now or should I save and wait?
Are my plans even good/realistic? Am I going in the right direction?
I you have parts i need for the NA2T Please post Here
Please help me restore these Z's
Thanks in advance88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T -
CT As in Connecticut? PM me doood. -
Pm'd88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T -
do you just *really* want a zenki or do you think you can fix the rust yourself and save money by not having to swap the transmission? (spoiler - you can't.) i think you're making a mistake here by not using the clean shell. -
I do like the older body styles better. And I will be taking it to the shop for the bodywork. I see what your saying but the plan is to keep both the cars. Just building the 85 first.88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T -
Took a few pictures of the 85 on one side then I had to leave88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T -
Getting that fixed by a pro is going to be pricey. How bad are the floors?5.3 LSx Z31 -
Seriously man it's not worth it. Don't put the effort into a rusty one. -
I see where you're coming from. It's just that they're not as easy to come by where I'm at located, compared to states such as California, etc.i r teh noobz;n770453 wrote: Getting that fixed by a pro is going to be pricey. How bad are the floors?Yes,I figured it might but I've only done minor body work so doing my self is not an option.... or at least not a good one. The floors are perfect from this inside. If it's not too cold tomorrow I will finish taking the pics on the other side and jack it up to take pictures of underneath..... I'll also take a few of the 88
FrozenZ;n770458 wrote: Seriously man it's not worth it. Don't put the effort into a rusty one.
Please don't think I'm ignoring your advice. I literally stared at your comment for 15 mins because it's hard to hear/see.
You think I should swap everything from the 85 into the 88
Extra info on both car:
85 N/A M/T Tranny and engine runs strong, all features work, bitchin betty, ac, heater and digital dash besides the gas gauge.... Then there's the rust
88 N/A A/T Transmission doesn't reverse or shift, so it can still drive a low speed but i will redline if you give it too much gas. Engine was strong and then would take some time to kick. Apparently has major electrical issues (according to a Jeep dealer technician my friend works at) And there's a lot engine bay parts missing, The heater core is messed up.
The body however is ok besides the passenger door and fender (A elderly gentlemen thought his light was green)88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T -
I will suggest a different plan if you aren't after a pretty car, cut the rust off, rivet in aluminum but sandwich some brushable seamsealer between the two, ashpalt/rhino undercoat the back, and rattle can it close to your colour…
You can make it safe/legal while you look for a better one -
That 85 is going to be structurally shot. Floors, frame rails, etc. I've had cars with nice bodies with floor and frame rust....- VG30DET (HE341) 86 300ZX - 1982 280ZX Turbo - Headered NA 1986 300ZX 2+2 - 2000 Xterra - -
[So do you think I should proceed with the 85 or swap everything into the 88 like I mentioned above?G-E;n770500 wrote: I will suggest a different plan if you aren't after a pretty car, cut the rust off, rivet in aluminum but sandwich some brushable seamsealer between the two, ashpalt/rhino undercoat the back, and rattle can it close to your colour… You can make it safe/legal while you look for a better one No, I have a daily driver. I'm not looking to get these cars on the road as quick as possible. I want to restore them michaelp;n770527 wrote: That 85 is going to be structurally shot. Floors, frame rails, etc. I've had cars with nice bodies with floor and frame rust....88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T -
So even though I don't have the experience of the other members here, I have experienced a similar situation. If you check my post history, you will find that I had an 85T with a lot of rust, and a clean 88 shell with an A/T and a minor head gasket problem. I decided to try to fix the 85's cosmetic problems, and regret it. I gave up and sold the 88, bought an 86 instead. I will admit that I have no experience in bodywork or paint, but I can say that working mechanically on my 86 has been cheaper and more enjoyable than trying to fix the 85. I bought the 86 as a clean shell, and will swap the turbo stuff from the 85 into it. It simply is too much work and money for a beginner like me to fix the chassis.
My personal opinion? Try to get the cleanest shell that you can find, and then fix it mechanically. Don't get into body work unless you have experience, money, or more than likely both.
In other news, the reason my car is yellow is not because I particularly like the color, but because this car has almost no rust and is in very good shape to be the base for my build.
1986 300ZX N/A 5Speed project. Needs work, but that's the point, isn't it? -
Thank youdesignate72;n770651 wrote: So even though I don't have the experience of the other members here, but I have experienced a similar situation. If you check my post history, you will find that I had an 85T with a lot of rust, and a clean 88 shell with an A/T and a minor head gasket problem. I decided to try to fix the 85's cosmetic problems, and regret it. I gave up and sold the 88, bought an 86 instead. I will admit that I have no experience in bodywork or paint, but I can say that working mechanically on my 86 has been cheaper and more enjoyable than trying to fix the 85. I bought the 86 as a clean shell, and will swap the turbo stuff from the 85 into it. It simply is too much work and money for a beginner like me to fix the chassis.
My personal opinion? Try to get the cleanest shell that you can find, and then fix it mechanically. Don't get into body work unless you have experience, money, or more than likely both.
In other news, the reason my car is yellow is not because I particularly like the color, but because this car has almost no rust and is in very good shape to be the base for my build.
It seems to be pretty consistent advice, so I will be doing a auto to manual conversion on the 88, likely next week. I guess I'll part the 85 or keep it around for extra parts. (Not sure)
Thanks everyone88 N/A A/T
85 N/A M/T
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