|
PlusONETEN build
This is the build thread for a project dreamed up by my oldest son, Allen
I had spent the previous four years building from scratch, a custom two seat aluminum body roadster with a Subaru 2.5 five speed all wheel drive. He got the build bug. He wanted to do an engine swap into a 240SX. We decided to try to find one. After about a year, he located this rust-free original paint coupe in Miami, Fla. We made a road trip all-nighter from Miami about two years ago in February, 2009. While he was searching for the car, he decided on the vq35 engine swap. We went to work locating a donor car for the swap. I found this 2008 350Z on an insurance auction website about 3 months later, in Salem, Mass. My wife and I made the round trip in a day, hauling it back on a rented car hauler trailer, to my shop in Lakewood, N.Y. After we got it home and looked at it, we decided it had so many things that would work in the 240SX coupe, that we would do a lot more swapping. It has been about two years now and the swapping is done. We ended up using the 350Z engine, tranny (six speed), clutch master cylinder, steering column, entire dash, rear diff and entire wiring harness and emissions system. We started by stripping the S13 down to the sheet metal, cataloging all the parts as they came off. Then we started rough fitting components just by eye, to see how things lined up. First was the engine fitting; it was pretty tight, but it fit, we decide early on to remove the top cross-member above the radiator and fabricate bolt flanges to make it easy to get it in and out. The engine mount cross-member needed to be modified by cutting, lowering and re-welding to use the original Z engine mounts. We also fabricated a new tranny mount, and reworked the rear diff sub frame to use the Z limited slip with 95-98 five bolt hubs and custom axles from the Drive Shaft shop. They also supplied a custom driveshaft. We looked at the dash and gauges and, thought about the options, and decided to use the entire dash and wiring harness. We used the 240 gas tank and modified it with a second riser and flange to accept the two sending unit harness. We also used all emissions systems. The dash was just a little too wide to fit but we just cut it short and fabricated. The exhaust didn’t fit but with a little chopping and welding it just clears the firewall. We also kept all of the heat/air controls and slipped them into the dash. Allen wanted to get 265’s under all four corners, and we soon determined we would need to fab our own strut cartridges and coilovers, and rear coilovers as well. Some research on the web, and my son had the info on what struts, springs, shocks, and wheels and tires would work. We made our own camber plates and strut braces as well. There have been a lot of other little things along the way. One thing that we did come to realize was just how many things were compatible from these two cars built 16 years apart. The wiring harness chassis ground points lined up, the bolt pattern and screws on the sending unit were exactly the same, the steering column splines, the axle splines, just a lot of things worked out nice. We are finishing up the interior now and will probably drive it for a year or so then get it painted. We already painted the engine compartment Millennium Jade, the color he chose. He has plans for a body kit and some other mods later, but we’ll see. Now I’ll try and post some pics with explanations http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0194.jpg this is the day we brought it home http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0344.jpg we worked over the winter and pulled everything off http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0392.jpg not much left of the Z http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0362.jpg the donor car , a 2008 350Z http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0744.jpg the cross mount was modified, slots are where engine mounts go, here it is primed with brush on enamel http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0402.jpg we also fabricated a new tranny mount using original chassis points http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0568.jpg the headers were shortened to clear the firewall http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0586.jpg I fabricated this coupler so we could use stock cat converters http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...zheadermod.jpg here it is installed on engine, I added extra heat shields on firewall because it's pretty tight http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0463.jpg this shows the stock shifter support, and our shortened steel one http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0523.jpg the shifter sits a little farther back http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0452.jpg this is the rework of rear subframe to house Z limited slip diff http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0440.jpg we reused the z rubber mount and added a brace that will also carry exhaust hanger, as shown above. These two show the bottom side as we worked on it http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0466.jpg since we are using all of the Z wiring we decided to keep both sending units in the tank http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0474.jpg one is also the fuel pump unit, here fitting it to spare tire area, it will be soldered and then sealed http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0483.jpg closing off the spare tire area, this top will be bolted together in case of service access, no room for spare, but we can use it for tools and storage http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0557.jpg we bought a radiator from Griffen, and built our own shroud from .060 aluminum, used 350Z fans http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0648.jpg we also built a radiator overflow tank http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0657.jpg making our cold air intakes http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0700.jpg this will be capped off on top, air draws from front, we used dry type cone filters, the box is sealed around the tube with foam rubber to allow engine shake, air can only enter tube thru filter end,even if foam wears out http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...onttire007.jpg Allen wanted to get 265/40/17s on all four corners, to get enough clearance we fabricated our own strut housings with about 1 inch more offset at the lower ears http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...ngperch004.jpg we also made our own threaded coilover converions http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...utbrace002.jpg we ended up with about 3/8 " tire clearance http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...gcollar001.jpg we used koni shocks and struts, the rears are an eclipse model,with adjustment at the top, same as the front http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...tpieces002.jpg our camber plates, stainless steel with 5/8 spherical bearing and a 1 and 15/16" thrust bearing. with our custom spring top hat , we tucked the spring in above the tire http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...stalled001.jpg no room for the battery http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...ngperch001.jpg here you can see the strut tower braces..... http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...terybox008.jpg so it went in the trunk in this sealed and vented stainless battery box we made. the vent goes out the cabin vent panel in the rear wheel well area of the trunk http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...kshield007.jpg the other side of the trunk, this protects the stereo amp and radio/phone/antennae components http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...idplate002.jpg we needed to protect that low sitting aluminum oil pan http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...ndwiper006.jpg so we built this skid plate, the mesh is painted stainless steel http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...console020.jpg some work on the interior, I am building the center console http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...console009.jpg fitting it to the Z dash http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...stalled012.jpg after I covered it in black vinyl http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...stalled004.jpg here is the headliner, I recovered it with headliner material that had a foam backing, that is the Z mirror This just about brings it up to date...the carpet is in and I am installing the seat belts...two side panels of the dash need to be fabricated and covered in vinyl...package tray needs to be covered...I'll post more pics shortly I have hundreds of photos so if something strikes your interest and you want more details on something, let me know Thanks |
Bravo young chap. Bravo.
|
this is insane! there have been cool build threads on zilvia... but i really like this one.
Good work! |
Good shit!!!!
|
great build! it's good to see more real builds going on zilvia!
|
Um may I be the first to say............
HOLY SHIT BATMAN!!!! Welcome to zilvia, we need more like this. |
My friend who bought some stuff from you (I think a ka and some other stuff) was telling me about this..
wow.. |
This is amazing.
|
Quote:
how is he doing on that project? Those three kids who came to get the engine were great kids....funny to see them stuff it into the back of that mini van....there wasn't any room left to sit and they had a long drive home, I think the day before father's day a year ago |
wow this is an awesome build.
looks like it won't be able to go very low though due to how low the engine/tranny sit :-/ |
Sick build!! Crazy workmanship :cool:
|
I've got a few pics here of the car on wheels
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...srolled008.jpg http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...srolled010.jpg http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...srolled009.jpg we rolled the fenders and lowered it to allow the tires to just miss the inner fenders by about an 1/8 " at full bump coil bind and this is how it looks there is about 3.5 inches from the skid plate to the ground the rears aren't rolled yet in this picture |
Wow looks awesome. A lot of good fab going on here.
|
Very sick build thread.
|
only on zilvia would someone be sad a car cant go low when it was built like this smh....
i saw this car in person and this swap is scary clean... it just looks great... cant wait to hear what it sounds like... but that f**king garage is... AMAZING!!!! if only it wasnt a 6 hour drive :( Heh Don we had to lay that KA to rest but the trans lives on. lol |
..... and that roadster of yours is sick!!!!!
|
pics of roadster.
please. |
Quote:
|
this build looks like such an epic win it disgusts me...subscribed
|
Quote:
|
Wow .. the Fabrications are awesome!!!! the Fan shroud and the suspension are my fave ! good job sir!
|
Quote:
the trans is what i wanted but the price was to good to not get both from you... his build is going good i'll send you the pics of that.. my build is just a pile of parts now but soon to come together |
the subie is posted in chat now
|
Quote:
Also, you could make a killing selling those consoles |
Quote:
hope all is well with you and your cousin and friends you are allways welcome to stop in if you are up this way I'll be looking for the pics |
Top notch build. Very great attention to detail here.
Also kudos for offering a refund on a transaction over a year ago :bigok: |
Quote:
that console has probably a weeks work in it I couldn't build it and sell it for a profit...oh well |
Quote:
If you don't mind me asking, what do you do professionally, like for a living? |
This is great work so far!
|
I am thoroughly impressed which I dont say too often here on Zilvia with alot of build threads.
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:21 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2021, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
vB.Sponsors
Copyright © 1998 - 2019, Zilvia.net™