z1zonly
04-28-2014, 02:13 PM
TL;DR: It's ugly. It's fast. It needs a couple of repairs and a driver. Or Plasti-Dip and burnouts.
I've wanted to do a VH45 swap for as long as I can remember. I bought this car with low compression sometime around 2006(?) and a 1992 Q45 to do just that. I prepped the engine with updated timing chain guides and a reseal. I then attempted the swap by cutting and welding the oil pan in an attempt to fit around the stock crossmember. That didn't work. I mothballed the project for years.
In 2011, I decided to redo the swap, this time by modifying the crossmember and not touching the oil pan. I did a complicated grafting of the Q45 center of the crossmember to the Z32 crossmember ends. It worked quite well, and I ended up getting the entire engine with no modification, and completely stock oil pan, under the stock Z32 hood. Pretty sure that's never been done.
The problem is that I lowered the steering rack in the process. The car now has severe bumpsteer. There are three ways to fix this: 1) by relocating the inner tie rod up. Drift folks relocate their inner tie rods for more steering angle, so you can find relocation kits, or make your own. 2) by relocating the outer tie rod down. There's plenty available to help you do this. 3) by redoing the swap with the rack in the stock position, in which case you'll almost certainly have to cut the hood.
And one more handling thing--I never got a front sway bar on it. To get a Z32 sway bar on, it looks like you'd have to either relocate or install a tensioner for the alternator, and notch the oil pan. I have heard that someone was able to get the stock Q45 front sway bar, which goes behind the engine, to work on the Z32. I will include Z32 and Q45 sway bars with the sale and you can sort that out. Or you could always just do a NASCAR-style torsion bar.
The last bad part is that there was originally Bondo on the car. I wanted to see what was under it and wire-brushed it off. It turns out the car had a few dents that an idiot tried to pull out, and under the fuel door is just swiss cheese. This will definitely need a patch panel. The hatch also has a dent on it, and there are some more minor dents on both quarters. I stripped all the paint off the body and it has been sitting for a long time, so it has flash rusted in several places. I'll brush it again before I sell it.
So, on to the good. I stripped the crap out of the car and it weighs 2720lbs with 55.8F/44.2R weight distribution. I weighed the car before starting and it was 3290lbs and 55.4F/44.5R, so 570lbs off and stock weight distribution. That 2720lbs was with 1/3 tank of gas, front bumper impact bar, stock passenger seat (47.1lbs!), stock exhaust, stock driveshaft, and t-tops. With those out, the car would be closer to 2500lbs.
The car has also been completely rewired to make a simplistic wiring harness. This eliminated the dozens of unplugged connectors throughout the car and removed over 50lbs of wire. The relay box is located the cabin and there's a Bussman mini-fuse box where the radio used to be. There's also a cigarette lighter, so you can charge your phone or power a laptop. There's also a Conzult unit installed in the console so you just have to plug in your USB cable to access it. The car starts with an Office Depot "Easy" button. There are no high beams. Stock gauges work and tach is recalibrated to read accurately.
Here's what the car features:
Nistune (will sell with or without)
Fidanza aluminum flywheel
DXD clutch, new throwout bearing
CZP 1-piece stainless braided clutch line
Complete custom wiring harness
Two thermostatically controlled 12" electric fans with redundant relays for failsafe
Custom short shifter
Stock Z32 exhaust with cats, but custom 3" center-exit catback
Motorcycle battery in passenger footwell
A'pexi Power Intake filter (PVC intake tract--don't judge me, I wanted to drive, haha)
Moroso radiator catch can
Mazworx transmission adapter plate and machined bellhousing
Updated metal timing chain guides for VH, new water pump, spark plugs, reseal
Energy Suspension steering rack bushings
Solid steel motor mounts (not harsh)
Z32 alternator on custom mounting bracket
Aluminum front brake calipers
JDM 'Nissan' plenum badge on the intake manifold
All sound-deadening tar removed
The window motors and regulators have been removed and the car uses a strap to pull and hold the windows up/down.
I am keeping the driver's seat and the mirrors. I will include a stock driver's seat (poor condition) and mirrors. The car also has nearly new BFG tires on stock wheels. I'll sell with those or swap them out for another set of stock wheels with bad tires. Lastly, I have a netbook mount to hold a netbook in front of the shifter so you can use Nistune easily from the driver's seat. Will sell with or without.
Price is $3,000. Add $500 for Nistune, add $200 for tires, $100 for the netbook mount. Firm on those numbers--that's the sum of the parts. I almost forgot--I bought a spare Q45 for parts and still have the engine, wiring harness, ECU, and crossmember, and will sell those with the car for an extra $1,000.
I think that's about it. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!
Here's a brief video of it in action a while back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVtealn8fSc
ONLY things I'm interested in for trade:
-High quality tubing bender and notcher, milling machine (e.g. Bridgeport), lathe, vertical bandsaw
-Miller Syncrowave 250 or equivalent welder
-Yamaha YZ85, KTM 85SX, Kawasaki KX85/100
-Datsun 240/260/280Z
-Hardtop Z32
-High quality wheels in 5x114.3 (e.g. CCW Classics, Enkei RPF1, SSR Professor or Comp)
http://i.imgur.com/bv15xXU.jpg
http://imgur.com/HaXhwKC.jpg
http://imgur.com/2ozAAf8.jpg
http://imgur.com/xrIFWKr.jpg
http://imgur.com/8ZWo0a8.jpg
http://imgur.com/UeB5A27.jpg
http://imgur.com/nK0F3xv.jpg
http://imgur.com/Ppd7aUS.jpg
http://imgur.com/XeFVK7v.jpg
I've wanted to do a VH45 swap for as long as I can remember. I bought this car with low compression sometime around 2006(?) and a 1992 Q45 to do just that. I prepped the engine with updated timing chain guides and a reseal. I then attempted the swap by cutting and welding the oil pan in an attempt to fit around the stock crossmember. That didn't work. I mothballed the project for years.
In 2011, I decided to redo the swap, this time by modifying the crossmember and not touching the oil pan. I did a complicated grafting of the Q45 center of the crossmember to the Z32 crossmember ends. It worked quite well, and I ended up getting the entire engine with no modification, and completely stock oil pan, under the stock Z32 hood. Pretty sure that's never been done.
The problem is that I lowered the steering rack in the process. The car now has severe bumpsteer. There are three ways to fix this: 1) by relocating the inner tie rod up. Drift folks relocate their inner tie rods for more steering angle, so you can find relocation kits, or make your own. 2) by relocating the outer tie rod down. There's plenty available to help you do this. 3) by redoing the swap with the rack in the stock position, in which case you'll almost certainly have to cut the hood.
And one more handling thing--I never got a front sway bar on it. To get a Z32 sway bar on, it looks like you'd have to either relocate or install a tensioner for the alternator, and notch the oil pan. I have heard that someone was able to get the stock Q45 front sway bar, which goes behind the engine, to work on the Z32. I will include Z32 and Q45 sway bars with the sale and you can sort that out. Or you could always just do a NASCAR-style torsion bar.
The last bad part is that there was originally Bondo on the car. I wanted to see what was under it and wire-brushed it off. It turns out the car had a few dents that an idiot tried to pull out, and under the fuel door is just swiss cheese. This will definitely need a patch panel. The hatch also has a dent on it, and there are some more minor dents on both quarters. I stripped all the paint off the body and it has been sitting for a long time, so it has flash rusted in several places. I'll brush it again before I sell it.
So, on to the good. I stripped the crap out of the car and it weighs 2720lbs with 55.8F/44.2R weight distribution. I weighed the car before starting and it was 3290lbs and 55.4F/44.5R, so 570lbs off and stock weight distribution. That 2720lbs was with 1/3 tank of gas, front bumper impact bar, stock passenger seat (47.1lbs!), stock exhaust, stock driveshaft, and t-tops. With those out, the car would be closer to 2500lbs.
The car has also been completely rewired to make a simplistic wiring harness. This eliminated the dozens of unplugged connectors throughout the car and removed over 50lbs of wire. The relay box is located the cabin and there's a Bussman mini-fuse box where the radio used to be. There's also a cigarette lighter, so you can charge your phone or power a laptop. There's also a Conzult unit installed in the console so you just have to plug in your USB cable to access it. The car starts with an Office Depot "Easy" button. There are no high beams. Stock gauges work and tach is recalibrated to read accurately.
Here's what the car features:
Nistune (will sell with or without)
Fidanza aluminum flywheel
DXD clutch, new throwout bearing
CZP 1-piece stainless braided clutch line
Complete custom wiring harness
Two thermostatically controlled 12" electric fans with redundant relays for failsafe
Custom short shifter
Stock Z32 exhaust with cats, but custom 3" center-exit catback
Motorcycle battery in passenger footwell
A'pexi Power Intake filter (PVC intake tract--don't judge me, I wanted to drive, haha)
Moroso radiator catch can
Mazworx transmission adapter plate and machined bellhousing
Updated metal timing chain guides for VH, new water pump, spark plugs, reseal
Energy Suspension steering rack bushings
Solid steel motor mounts (not harsh)
Z32 alternator on custom mounting bracket
Aluminum front brake calipers
JDM 'Nissan' plenum badge on the intake manifold
All sound-deadening tar removed
The window motors and regulators have been removed and the car uses a strap to pull and hold the windows up/down.
I am keeping the driver's seat and the mirrors. I will include a stock driver's seat (poor condition) and mirrors. The car also has nearly new BFG tires on stock wheels. I'll sell with those or swap them out for another set of stock wheels with bad tires. Lastly, I have a netbook mount to hold a netbook in front of the shifter so you can use Nistune easily from the driver's seat. Will sell with or without.
Price is $3,000. Add $500 for Nistune, add $200 for tires, $100 for the netbook mount. Firm on those numbers--that's the sum of the parts. I almost forgot--I bought a spare Q45 for parts and still have the engine, wiring harness, ECU, and crossmember, and will sell those with the car for an extra $1,000.
I think that's about it. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!
Here's a brief video of it in action a while back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVtealn8fSc
ONLY things I'm interested in for trade:
-High quality tubing bender and notcher, milling machine (e.g. Bridgeport), lathe, vertical bandsaw
-Miller Syncrowave 250 or equivalent welder
-Yamaha YZ85, KTM 85SX, Kawasaki KX85/100
-Datsun 240/260/280Z
-Hardtop Z32
-High quality wheels in 5x114.3 (e.g. CCW Classics, Enkei RPF1, SSR Professor or Comp)
http://i.imgur.com/bv15xXU.jpg
http://imgur.com/HaXhwKC.jpg
http://imgur.com/2ozAAf8.jpg
http://imgur.com/xrIFWKr.jpg
http://imgur.com/8ZWo0a8.jpg
http://imgur.com/UeB5A27.jpg
http://imgur.com/nK0F3xv.jpg
http://imgur.com/Ppd7aUS.jpg
http://imgur.com/XeFVK7v.jpg