mikey

I just scored some wheel spacers, new pressure sender and fittings. I'll need to take the ID of the spacers out and get a locator ring pressed in. Anyone have any city/west auckland recommendations? Speed is what I'm after. I also just got a call from STM to confirm they're coming around this weekend. So should be all go!

Thanks for the encoragement. It's actually looking quite doable now. So long as there's no surprisadoodles. Yeah, not far away. Hopefully this weekend. Whoop.

10Speed helped with some spannering last night and we made some good progress: * Put Windscreen back in, bonnet on * Assemble front suspension and steering

I reckon there's a 10% chance I'll be ready to roll for hahei. So I made a list and I'll give it a bloody good nudge! Stuff I need for hahei: * Get driveshaft made - should be ready by Friday * Get exhaust made - check with TTT when the can fit it in, hopefully next Friday * Reflash ecu - STM next weekend? * Put Windscreen back in, bonnet on - Tuesday * Fashion MAF housing from drainpipe - Wednesday * Assemble front suspension and steering - Wednesday & Thursday * Mount accelerator pedal - Thursday * Fit radiator - Thursday * Bleed brakes & clutch, Put oil in diff & gearbox - Thursday * Reinforce floor around trans mount - Saturday * Electric radiator fan - anything from pickapart, Saturday * Assemble axles and drivetrain - Sunday * Assemble front body - Next Monday & Tuesday * Get wheel spacers to clear brakes - Got some, just need to get them machined a liddle bit. * Fix Leak in fuel filler neck - Next Thursday Shit that can wait: * Fashion shifter boot * Fix rust in roof * Speedo * Tacho * Coolant gauge * Oil pressure gauge * Fix rust in guards * Paint airdam * Mount fuse box and ECU * Sort out radiator - can probably use stock one for now

I always feel real sketch welding a tank, so have filled it with water. Which is obviously bad when it comes to rust. What's people experience with welding it filled with exhaust gas? Seems a little less safe to me.

So I think the reason i managed to dick this up so badly is because I have an NPT flare nut in there. So managed to hand tighten it a couple of turns, thought it was OK but it was cross threaded. So will track down some helicoils and some non NPT flare nuts. It'll be interesting tapping the hole without hitting the flare seat...

I'm pissing about trying to find a oil pressure sender that'll work with the stock gauges. I think an RB one will work. However, during this pissing about I took the sender out of the engine and cranked it over expecting to see oil spit out the hole. But only saw a few ml ooze out after cranking it over about 10-15 times. Is that normal at cranking speed or should I be seeing more of an ejaculation of oil?

I think you're probably right. I pulled the threads on one of them by being a spaz and not really watching what I was doing.

Oh easy. Will go and pay them a visit. Oh, I just guessed NPT. I just checked them with a gauge and they seem just slightly bigger than 1mm pitch. But way smaller than 1.25. So I'm a bit unsure... They're r32 GTR 4 pot Sumitomo calipers.

Now that I've finished punching myself in the cock... Is it possible to helicoil the brake line input on aluminium brake calipers? Suggestions on where to go to fix my epic blowout? Or DIY the go (preferred)?

So everything's wired up. I've plugged in a cheap OBD thing and can read data from most of the sensors, with the exception of the O2 sensors, there might be something up with those. The dumb thing is my ODB thing wont give me the DTC codes. So I'm trying to track down a Consult (the Nissan scan tool) If anyone has one you'd be a legend if you could help me out. I'm 50/50 on whether the ECU will need the immobiliser stuff reflashed. STM in Wellington can do it if I have to. But need to check the DTC codes first.

I'm a million miles away from being ready. But I'm gonna work my nuts off and miracles might just happen.

Oh OK I see. From the measurements they give on trademe it looks like it'll be pretty close and then I can just drill the tabs as you said. If it's way off then I can just drill new holes in the car. No biggie really. Might just buy the thing then... Don't worry about measuring.

I very much like the look of the black bumper in your photoshop. Doooo eeeiit. I too will be blackening my bumpers in the near future. Also, could you do me a favour and measure the bolt spacing of your radiator on the gem? I'm considering buying this for the 240z 'cos it has the outlets on the correct sides for the new engine and looks like it might just use the original mount points.

http://gallery.proficad.eu/tools/AutoCAD-Viewer.aspx ^^^ This is a very good online DXF viewer. I test all my DXF's in this before I send to cutters and haven't had any problems.

if you are going to bolt the x member straight to the floor, id make it 100mm wide, and along the flat part of the floor and up the side of the tunnel, on the top side of the floor, then stitch weld it in So would 100mm x 100mm x 5mm be reasonable sized plate to spread the load?

Righto, the engine's in and various bits and pieces hooked up. I now have a shifter again! The position feels pretty good but I may move it a little closer to the floor. And I swapped the 11.75" rotors for 12.19" ones which means I have a lot more braking area. I will need to make new brakets to locate the caliper 2mm closer to the hub but will run it as is for now. Next tasks are wiring and put the suspension & steering back together.

I've had to cut a section out of the stock crossmember to clear the front of the engine I'm swapping in. The crossmember no longer is used to support the engine. I was going to box this up with 3mm plate is that legit? The original steel is around 1.5mm thick. Stitch weld or continuous? Also what dimensions should I make the trans mount plates I weld to the floor? Stitch weld sweet? Thanks cletus; legend.

You're totally right. I really want it to be a old japanese street car, which is a bit of a giggle at the track. Definitely don't want it to become awkward and too track oriented / uncomfortable. I'll just stick with standard seats/belts. Half cage is still a possibility later on. But I'll go hooning first!

Yeah side bolstering would be nice actually... You do slide around on those seats. A race seat really would be better. I just don't like the look of 240's with race seats and roll cages. Prefer it looking more street. Hmmm. Anyhoo, I'm probably getting ahead of myself. ho ho

There's actually a fair bit of room in the arches for tires, I can definitely go wider. Dont wanna go mega balloon spec thou. I may have to just get racing seat. But if I do I'll get something classic looking. This is the stock seat with 4pt harness but without holes for top straps: This is one in WGTN with holes cut somehow: edit: yeah the engine should be OK oil wise at track. 350z's don't seem to have any issues.

Yeah, wider, not bigger diameter. I can get wider tires on the current wheels, so will try that first. My word, 4.1 seconds is madness. She's already very keen on a cage. I suppose it makes sense. I'd like to have a harness bar with it so I can run harnesses when I'm at the track. But my seats aren't designed to work with 'em so not sure what to do there, I quite like the look of the stock seats so don't wanna replace them. I've seen people cut holes in their seats to accept harnesses, might be the go if I get an upholsterer to do it... Orrrrr replace them with some classic racing seats if I absolutely have to.

Fuck I can't imagine how fast 0-100 in 5 secs feels like! The fastest car I've owed is this one with the L24. Something tells me my wheel sizes wont support very good 0-100 times though, might need to go bigger. The deadline is pretty tough, but I've been without the car long enough thou so having the deadline is great for motivation. And Pais is sweet with all the shed time if there's a deadline involved for some reason. Might as well get a K&N one, they're not that expensive when you look at all the other crap I've bought.

Hey Mickey Mouse, I've not given it much thought yet, I think for the 3rd of November I'll just chuck a pod filter on the end of the MAF sensor housing, so long as it runs! Once everything's running l'll go back over a few things and tidy it up. So eventually a cool air intake in front of radiator perhaps? There's so much airflow under the bonnet that finding cold air probably isn't much of a problem! I think the specs for the 350z said the factory airbox added 3hp in ram-air effect alone!

Sweet, will do exactly that. Thanks.