FlatBlack

Finally working on the car again after a long vacation.

Made a hood template, then cut out a hole for the intake cover, alternator, and filter. It still needs some finishing work, but I added some rubber trim to the cut so I don't get bloody fingers every time I touch the hood.

Also got my Wablro in, which fixed my low power issue. It has no problem lighting up the 285s

Hoping to reinstall the swaybar and put the car on jackstands to figure out the Y-Pipe routing, then I can order the rest of my pipe.

Pretty sure I have a vacuum leak, and my EGR block off plate is probably the culprit, so I ordered a couple of block off plates for the 240 and my Firebird.

FlatBlack

Couldn't drive the car for very long distances because of how loud the exhaust was. Finally got the rest of my pieces to make the Y-Pipe, and got it buttoned up tonight.

I wanted a fully welded Y with flanged ends that I could unbolt if I needed to take the car apart, and this is what I came up with. It goes from the 3" collector to a 2.5" mandrel bent pipe out to a 2.5" inlet 3" outlet Y-Pipe from Summit. I got a cheap 3" ricer axle back with resonator and fart cannon muffler for a 240. I will probably change it at some point but I just want to drive the car around. The axle back solves the issue of finding weird shaped pipe to get around the rear subframe and out of the back of the car, and it has a resonator in the mid pipe so I'm hoping it's pretty quiet.

Started it up with the Y-pipe and a 2.5" muffler I got at the local parts store and it sounds a million times better. I love the note, and it's not deafening. I'm hoping for a quiet at idle/cruise but loudish when you get in the throttle sound.

The only part I'm not sure is going to work long-term is the 3" to 2.5" reducer slip pipe I've got on the driver's side collector. It was already really tight to get the header in the car, and I don't want to make header removal even worse, so I made sure I wasn't going to lengthen the header. I plan to clamp it so it doesn't leak, but it was a really tight fit to begin with.

The axle back gets in Monday, I'm hoping to finish up the exhaust so I can drive the car to work at some point next week.

IMG_20160108_200754.jpg?1452324523698&1452324525369&1452324529355&1452324535092

IMG_20160108_212733.jpg?1452324523698&1452324525369&1452324529355&1452324535092

FlatBlack

Finished up the Y pipe and bolted on the muffler.

IMG_20160111_184542.jpg?1452619238503&1452619241853&1452619264141

The car is the *perfect* DB for me. The engine is audible on throttle, but it’s not raspy or droney and I can have a conversation with someone in the car. It looks really really goofy, might have to change that muffler soon. It came with a silencer - it’s nice to have the option, but it’s not very loud with the silencer out. My butt dyno said the car picked up 50 HP without it and there was much more wheel spin than when I had it in.





Still not sure what I want to do about a cat - I don’t need one in my county (yet, I hear it won’t be far off), but I’d like to run one. I’m debating putting one behind the Y pipe collector, the only other option is re-do the driver’s side of the Y pipe to make room for dual cats right after the header collectors. I can’t find anything definitive that says that a cat back there won’t work at all, just that it takes longer to heat up. I only need one cat (legally) since the 240 only had one.

Running a dash was always in the plan since I want a street friendly car. The NV3500’s shifter is way up under the dash so I need to figure out some remote shifter setup. Since I had the welder, I made this. Not sure it’s going to survive forever. It’s boxed weld steel over tight fitting M10x1.5 bolts that I hacked up. The ends are sturdy, but it’s about 13” so it might not stand up to the leverage/abuse. It had to be disassembled from under the dash so I wouldn’t have to pull the dash if I needed to get the transmission out. I welded a nut onto the drop-down from the main shift rod, then the ‘extender’ piece threads into that with another nut. For the shifter, I just cut up the truck shifter and welded another M10x1.5 bolt into the body. That threads into another welded nut on the extension and is tightened by a fix nut. Looks goofy as hell but it works and I can always make it beefier later if it breaks.

CYMERA_20160110_172733.jpg?1452521747946&1452521748579&1452521750994&1452521756150

Really happy that the car looks halfway decent again with a hood and dash. I put the stock cluster back in there basically for the fuel level gauge, and luckily it works. I’ll be running a Nexus 7 for my gauge setup but I am just using a spare phone for now.



Drove it to work today!

IMG_20160112_0854.jpg?1452619238503&1452619241852&1452619264141&1452619301019&1452619380076

And because this is really why I did the swap… burnoutz vid!


Gearing calcs:

I was cruising in my 5.3 on the way into work. Car is a bit buzzy above 2600 RPM (really stiff poly mounts for trans and engine) and I was at 2750 at 70 MPH on the GPS. Decided to calculate my speeds since I'll be taking this to an Autocross in a couple of weeks.

I've given up on first gear, second is so short it'll still blow the tires off leaving the line. I figure AutoX gears will be launch in second, use third.

Highway RPM:



Rev limit:



A T56 would be pretty nice, but going to a 3.69 rear would take it down to 2490 @ 70 MPH. It's nothing that needs to be fixed right now, just something to think about moving forward. The NV3500 shifts like a truck as expected, so it might be blown up in a ham-fisted gear change. We'll see!

Figured out why my Canton pan was leaking out of the drain plug.

Whoever welded it melted the bung surface into the weld, so there is barely any metal for the gasket to seal on. Emailed Canton, we'll see what they say.

IMG_20160113_210823.jpg?t=1452701120

Also fixed my Power Steering leak, the car is looking to be fully reliable and daily-able!

2muchboostNY

iTrader: (8)

Nice progress dude...glad to see you are able to drive her after your recent injury. How much was your expense so far if you wouldnt mind me asking? You are one of very few people I have seen use the NV3500.

FlatBlack

Thanks! It's been a really fun project and I'm just glad I'm in a position to make it how I want it.

Including the purchase price of the car, I'm just under $7,000. You can spend as much or as little on an engine or transmission, I wanted to show you didn't have to blow $5k on those items alone to have a fast, fun, reliable car.

My drivetrain cost (Engine/Accessories/ECU/clutch/flywheel/transmission) was right at $1,000 if you include price of unlocking the ECU to disable VATS. Everything else was a 'swap part' and wasn't specific to my setup, so those parts would need to be purchased regardless of what drivetrain you choose.

I had a couple of mis-steps along the way, I spent a couple of hundred dollars on things I ended up changing, but that's to be expected on a project like this I guess. Overall I'm happy with the result and I can't think of a car I could buy for $7k that would be more fun than this one.

2muchboostNY

iTrader: (8)

Thats a huge savings like you noted. T56 are going for $1500+ but realistically closer to $2k. Just picked up another Kouki and contemplating if I will swap in my LM7 or go a different route. Love the progress.

FlatBlack

Cool! Feel free to come drive mine if you want to feel it out. My first race is tomorrow, I have to concentrate on the 2/3 shift, I hope it doesn't burn me tomorrow.

Updates:

Got the interior in, also added a fused switch panel for my OBD2 adapter (for when it's parked long lengths of time) and e-fans, and re-installed the radio. Also got the heater core coolant lines hooked up. It's nice to have heat when it's 38* on the way to work lol

My new obsession/item of stress is the hood. I ordered a Silverado CAI so my filter wasn't hanging out in open air (in case it rains), and had to cut the hood a bit more. I want to cover the hole in the hood since the novelty of the Vortec cover has pretty much worn off and the Fiance' told me to scoop it.

The intake is 2.75" at its highest, which is about right in the middle of the hole in the hood. I played with a few designs last night but I'm not sold on either. The bubble one looks weird and the cowl version reduces windscreen visibility too much. Going to have to think about this.

CYMERA_20160120_191608_1.jpg?1453489123943&1453489126086&1453489158940&1453489205178

CYMERA_20160121_213157.jpg?1453489123942&1453489126086&1453489158939&1453489205177

CYMERA_20160121_214720_2.jpg?1453489123942&1453489126086&1453489158940&1453489205177

truckdoug

iTrader: (25)

pro stock schnozz, obviously

FlatBlack

Raced the car for the first time over the weekend. After about a hundred miles of commuting and general driving, the car had been rock solid reliably. I park in the autocross parking lot at 7:00AM Saturday, and the damn thing won't turn on. After looking over it for a while, I notice the fuel pump fuse is blown. Eventually pulled the pump after we noticed a voltage drop. Somehow, the Walbro was grounding out on the tank.

Fixed that issue, but the o-ring for the fuel pump got stuck out of the groove, and I sloshed fuel everywhere and I could only take half of my runs. Also, the power steering conversion fitting for the return line leaks from the rack. Those are easy to fix, but the worst part of the Autocross was my Z32 VLSD. It worked fine with the 4 cylindre, but I guess it stood no chance with the V8. I was blowing through the rear tires without even giving it more than 50% throttle.

I plan on getting a 1.5 way Kaaz. I wanted to go for the OS Giken but I'm getting married and buying a house so I need to pull back on the spending spree for a bit.

The car sounds awesome outside, my friend took a video but unfortunately it's crap resolution.

2muchboostNY

iTrader: (8)

I appreciate the offer bud. I def want to just check out your build, maybe it will inspire me to begin another LSx at some point.

Looks like a blast at that event. I will have to show up with my stock Kouki one of these days to live vicariously through you guys. Keep up the good work.

blackened

iTrader: (10)

Great job on the build man! Which PS pump did you use? If not the stock nissan pump, did you run a flow restrictor and shim kit for pressure?

FlatBlack

Thanks, it's not what everyone thinks of as 'correct' (whatever the hell that means) but I'm loving it. Awesome car for the money.

Everything is 100% stock truck parts. I'm using aluminum adapters to go from the rack to AN line. I'm actually working on that this week, I'll writeup the details when I'm done tonight, need to make sure my modifications worked.

I didn't add any restrictors or shims - the steering feels communicative, and I don't see any issues with it. I am at some point going to go to a Camaro or Corvette accessory setup, so I don't know that I'll use the truck stuff for more than the next few months.

blackened

iTrader: (10)

Looking forward to the writeup as I'm currently trying to figure out my setup for mating the 2010+ camaro pump to my z31 rack. From my research the max pressure for the z31 rack is ~1000psi, so i'll use the borgeson shim kit to reduce the pressure at the pump, but i wasn't sure if the flow volume difference (not sure what the volume ratings are for either yet) would be an issue. It should be mentioned i plan on running a cooler as well

FlatBlack

Sounds good, I've put a couple hundred miles on the setup at this point - I think the truck pump is ~500PSI higher than the KA rack, but nothing has blown up yet. I am a 'throw it in there and see what blows up' kinda guy though, so might want to consider that haha

*edit* have you seen this info yet? I think my rack ran at 1000 PSI too btw

https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...truck-etc.html

Not sure if you read my older posts but I'm running EARL conversion fittings to -6 AN line

blackened

iTrader: (10)

HA! I actually started reading it yesterday, but didn't make it to pg 3 and there it was. Looks like i'll need to use at least 4 shims i believe:

2010+ Camaro
Flow: 0.9 to 1.3 GPM @ 400 RPM; 1.8 to 2.2 GPM @ 1500 RPM - Flow tested at about 100psi
Max pressure: 1700 to 1850 PSI

So i just need to figure out the flow for the z31 and i believe i can accommodate accordingly. Thanks for the help man

FlatBlack

Exciting plans for this weekend involving moar grip!

Should have an update by Monday evening.

CYMERA_20160211_180529.jpg?t=1455215982

Outlaw666

iTrader: (3)

awesome build, looks like a blast to drive!

So maybe I read too fast and missed it, but does the nv3500 and t56 use the same release bearing and slave?

FlatBlack

Not really sure - they look similar but I haven't researched it. I just used what came with the NV3500 off the truck.

*******

GRIP TIME!!

I went to LSWAN's garage over the weekend to go get a clutch diff R200. They sell complete subframes for super cheap ($175) so I picked one of those up as well. I planned to swap to a S14 subframe down the road, figured if I could get a complete rear end setup, it would be worth it.

I got a R33 GTS subframe, complete with 2-pot brakes, the shoe-style e-brake setup, and 5 bolt axles. Bought some STANCE solid subframe conversion bushings, and spent most of Sunday and monday prepping the frame. The R33 e-brake cables should connect to the stock S13 E-brake T-bar, hopefully that goes on easy.

The subframe unfortunately had HICAS, but if you have some time and patience (and a welder) it's super cheap and easy to convert to a real toe link.

Top Tip: If you are pressing out the HICAS ball joints, don't even try to beat them out yourself. Go to AutoZone/Oriellys/SuperCheap/Wherever and get a ball joint press. I spent about 30 minutes on one side, eventually giving up before my stubborn **** headed to the store. If you cut into the outside ball joint collar (pictured below), it'll press right out with no fuss. While you're there, use the press to push out the inner metal part of the OEM rubber subframe bushes. It'll make burning them out go much faster.

For the OEM style toe links, Nissan has helped us out here. The inside Toe link bolt hole is drilled out of all frames (even HICAS), so all you need is a outside bracket to hold the other side of the bolt. I am no fabricator, but I had some 2mm thick 2" wide weld steel laying around, and now I have a stock toe arm/HICAS delete for $0. The only hiccup I've run into is finding a new bushing to use for the knuckle. I went back to the parts store and found some sway bar end link bushings that are almost an exact fit, but they're slightly smaller OD than the knuckle's ID. I'm going to see if they will compress enough to work. I've seen them pretty squished on swaybars, so I'm hoping this will do.

Hopefully I'll get the subframe in the car before this weekend, there is a race on Saturday.

Picked up from LSWAN's



Lswan's is a nerd paradise if you like Japanese cars. Total swoon when they pulled out the street legal R32 GTR.



Gross. Get outta here HICAS



Collars burned out/cut



Just cut the HICAS ball joint like this and it'll press out nice and easy







Pressed out rubber bush



OEM Toe link holes - just build a bracket around this area



It's not pretty but it's strong



End product



*edit*

Got the subframe out last night, and the new brake lines on. The new toe bushings should be here Friday, hoping to Hail Mary it and get it done in time for the Saturday autocross.



*2nd edit*

New subframe went in on Wednesday night. The S14-style RUCAs hit the S13 coilovers, picking up some stock S13 RUCAs tonight - someone already bought the old subframe, plus the RUCAs were cheap junk. I'll buy some nice adjustable sturdy arms later on.



****Another edit***

Here is the part number for the brake lines I used - no one ever has the 300ZX lines in stock, but all you need is a line with the male type flare so it will bolt up to the stock hard lines.



S13 RUCAs on, the coilovers fit now. Got the 17/16ths 300ZX brake master cylinder on, and all the brake lines hooked up last night. Tonight I need to fab up the front E-brake cable hold brackets, bleed the brakes, then throw the diff back in.

FlatBlack

Got it done! My friend Chris came over on Friday night and helped me get everything back in. I had to fab up some e-brake cable brackets, bleed the brakes, then reinstall the diff and exhaust. Wrapped it up around midnight and took it for a test drive.

The new 17/16 Z32 BMC felt okay but wouldn't lock up the brakes as easily as the 7/8s stock BMC. Not sure if it's just air in the lines or if the smaller front brakes are making it weird. It actually worked a little better at the autocross as I was locking up the brakes too easily with the old setup. I'm ordering the twin turbo 30mm aluminum front calipers in the next week or so, and I'll give the system another good bleed then.

The R33 cables reached my S13 "t-bar" perfectly, but they were about 2-4" too long to bolt to the stock cable stay bolt, so I had to fab up some brackets. I'm pretty proud of how they turned out. I drilled a hole for the stock chassis bolt, then welded a thread onto the plate to act as a stud for the cable stay piece. To keep the plate from rotating, I welded on a small bolt that went into the hole in the chassis that kept the stock setup from rotating. It's low tech but made me feel pretty good when everything bolted up and worked properly. The R33 internal e-brake 'shoe' style setup works way better than the sliding caliper style.

Set the toe at zero in the back and went autocrossing. It rained and I didn't put my race tires on the back (ran out of time and was nervous about the 285s rubbing - the new subframe is wider) but it was great to shake down the car. I can finally put the power down, and it is very predictable coming out of the corners. I was noticing the funky feel of the 2-way decel lockup, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Overall I am really happy with it, it drives way better than with the S13 subframe and worn out VLSD.

I found some interesting information tonight - if I have the RS version of the CUSCO, I can actually just take it apart and put the spider gears in the 1 or 1.5 way configuration. CUSCO was brilliant and cut different cam profiles in their carrier so you could set it up any way you like. If it's not adjustable, I think I'll just deactivate some clutches like e_griego suggested. The diff takes no time to drop, if I get home at a reasonable hour tomorrow, I'm going to try and pull it.

E-brake cable brackets:



Installed:



Wet day

FlatBlack

I put some friction modifier in the diff and it has MUCH better street manners. I think it's making the car push a tiny bit, but there is a chance it's just my tires. I'm still running on some Hankook RS3V2s that won't die. The rear subframe and LSD has really helped with rear grip.

I'm using some stock S13 rear upper control arms. They are set to full "out" position (least amount of negative camber) but it's still around -2.4* camber. I try to run as close to 0 on the back as possible. The wheels camber in and toe in quite a bit during compression so it doesn't require much negative static camber. SPL parts is local to me, I'm going to go check out their facility soon and see if I can pick up some adjustable RUCAs and front Tension/Compression rods.

A friend with a Z32 gave me a ridiculous deal on a full set of Z32 brakes, and I got those on last Saturday. Raced it Sunday and the car feels really good besides the low overall grip. It didn't push much and wasn't too loose. The LM7 has about the perfect amount of power, but I don't think adding about 50HP or so would upset the balance too much.

The Fiance absolutely hates the transmission but I think she's enjoying the car more than she expected. "Can we get some Bridgestones already?"



Picked up a set of C5 Z06 sized C6 replicas as well. The 18x10.5s kind of fit in the back, but they still rub. I'm going to work on banging the fenders out some more but I've already rippled the sheet metal above the fender. I really don't want to do flares because I'm almost there with the metal fenders and it would make a big gap if I went full flares.

Love seeing the car from the rear with 295s under it Stock for this car was a 14x6 wheel



Got some pictures of the Z32 TT front calipers and R33 rear calipers installed