New owner from Asheville, NC

Hi. My name's Neil, and I'm a z car owner.

I currently own a 85 300zxt (for those of you who may be in the asheville area, it's the loud obnoxious one with red and white body panels) and it's been a great car: a good project to get my hands dirty on and to the learn the ropes on. But it's always been a temporary project until I could find am s30 in decent enough condition.

I found one on the local craigslist going for a really good price. I immediately called and went to look at it in person. The exterior needed attention (surface rust on the roof and rocker panels) and so did the engine (misfiring cylinder) as well as the brakes not working at all (needed a MC), but the interior was in near perfect condition, everything was there, and it hadn't been butchered for some a propsed 350 sbc swap. The gentleman was nice enoguh to let me make payments on it (it was a bit of a tough time for me money wise) and 3 months later I was the proud owner of a 1975 Datsun 280z 4speed.

When I got it home, I immediately got to work on getting it ready for a test drive. I replaced the brake MC and rebled the system, and went about diagnosing the misfire problem (which turned out to be the spark plugs needing replacing). My plan was to get the head rebuilt (ALOT of ticking lifters) and doing the timing chain and related parts and installing a MSA 3-2 header with twice pipes. I managed to find a guy in hickory selling a rebuilt n42 head with schnieder springs, but a worn isky cam and a MSA header/twice pipes combo and a 5speed tranny. I thought, great, everything I need from one guy and I'll do the tranny swap too! Long story short, the guy has been impossible to follow up with and I decided to go a different route...

Whilst scanning the local craigslist again, I stumbled upon a 1983 280zx turbo for sale. I immediately called the guy and was told that he'd promised it to another buyer already who would be picking it up that saturday. I told him I could come on the friday and offer him $50 more. Money talks I guess... I went and took it for a test drive: engine ran really really smoothly (those hydraulic lifters I guess) and the turbo pulled like a champ. The transmission felt solid too. I gave the guy the cash and drove it straight to a storage center near where my 75 is.

So I guees I'm doing the turbo swap now. I figured I'd rather have a low strung turbo'd motor puching good reliable power than have a high strung built N/A motor that will cost an arm and a leg to get anything over 190hp out of.

If anybody in the area has experince with this swap, let me know because I have little time these days due to work and would like to get this completed over two weekends. Lot's of beer and good times will ensue, I promise!

PICS!!!!