five&dime

This is just a remote base tune. It needs serious tuning STAT but at least it runs! https://youtu.be/xuvIezKbdXY

Looks like the forum changed the format for posting photos so I guess for some reason, I can no longer embed them. Bummer. Not sure why all my other photos show up since they are all posted the same way. Suppose this will be the last post I make here but the build is available to follow elsewhere if anyone is interested. Full build thread https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/z31-300zx-n-a-rb25-future-build.8887442/ Features http://www.speedhunters.com/2021/04/a-z432-inspired-z31-restomod/ http://www.speedhunters.com/2021/05/project-z31-432-getting-technical/ The car is about 95% done now. I got burned out and didn't want to cut any corners so I sent the car to my friends at Driver Motorsports to wrap it up. I had the PS reservoir painted to match the car. All the engine bay wiring and fuel system are done. Most of the interior is back in. Remaining items are install of the battery, add a second lead for the crank trigger, pressure fill the engine with oil, Install front brake lines and rear brakes, install battery, install ECU, run wires to the cluster, alignment and tuning. I hope the car will be running next month. I bet yall didn't know the Z31 was available with a "fairlady" option that came in the cargo bay.. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51005438895_45515a30f4_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51074615211_97a4d0ee56_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51074615216_aa4114dcc6_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51005438910_e2efd75fa6_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51074721347_6deab703c7_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51074721352_548321a6bb_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51150304482_e67e32ea1e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51150978486_b9790507c2_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51151211838_4cded40e93_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51150977651_c8b2f51e03_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51150978261_01f28c25cd_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51150977976_6a35b7abcd_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51152085145_6f40ff8354_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51156710131_30d0dce252_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51157816300_222c2f4a36_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51157493254_a6581c1a3f_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51156043877_ea6f458558_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51156044612_0d38bdfd39_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51156710431_b44bcd05d8_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51157816625_13dbb06a84_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51157816110_d262ee3896_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51236425076_452d04510c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51237203209_ab8ecfeb08_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51236424826_bf97d43236_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51237202789_794a8df5b5_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51267116786_26108a056e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51258061936_d158fa9d19_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51270935984_98042f59fb_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51270385018_def69dbae1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51269458982_7b5d071bd0_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51270936069_fd0bde70ae_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51270384623_bb2fc353a9_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51270936204_f2d0d3e3a0_b.jpg[/img]

Finally home after 2.5 years. I could not be more impressed with the work Freed Engineering did. I think my favorite part is the hidden PS reservoir. He made a cylinder that went in the bay (first two photos) but I didn't like it so he made a crazy custom one to fit inside a cutout in the body on the driver side where the radiatior cavity is using a swan neck for the filler.

I should have the car back next week.

Header is done.

Indeed! I have been calling it octopus like header all along and now that's exactly what I got.

Progress and a JDM master installed to put the brake lines on the other side for better clearance.

Not sure about the liners yet. With the fenders rolled, we lost the mounting tabs along the arch. I don't plan to drive the car that much tbh. Went up to visit the car today. Looks so cool!

L6? You mean an L series? That was the original plan. I thought the RB would save money but I was wrong.. We routed the main OEM headlight and relay harness in the fender and put new holes to run it inside the car through the side of the kick panel after removing all the non used wires/components. This way very few wires will be inside the engine bay. The custom cluster display arrived from Mako Motorsports which fits the Haltech IC-7. Headlight motors are in along with a new throttle cable and Nismo short shifter. Then I had the car trailered up north to a shop that is making the Titanium header/exhaust. They are really moving since they have only had the car for a week! We have decided to run a JDM master cylinder to get some more clearance. They also had an aluminum driveshaft made and custom fabricated an AN line for the power steering pump. I am heading up there tomorrow to get some photos and go over the plans for the custom radiator, shrouds, PS/Coolant reservoirs and catch can.

First time working on the car again in 3 weeks. Got the passenger front side suspension and brakes installed and all 4 corners roughly dialed in at the final ride height and a very rough base alignment by eye. Steering is hooked up and got the driver side NOS door handle installed with all the linkage hooked up. Planning on getting the heater core and blower motor back in next weekend along with the dash and then it is ready to go up North for header, exhaust, radiator, catch can, power steering/coolant reservoirs and driveshaft. Then it will come back for rear brakes, wiring, fuel setup and final assembly before it goes for alignment and tuning. After all that, it will be fully wetsanded, buffed and then the entire car will be wrapped in Xpel clear film.

Finally coming into the home stretch. Should be done by spring. \

Velocity stacks are made and should be shipping to me this week. ITB's are torqued and the nturally aspirated linkage is installed along with the TPS. The wheels fit (barely) with the 20mm spacers. You can hardly fit a business card between the back of the spoke and the caliper. These tires are too wide as well so will be able to get pretty low with the 195's. Got the diff and axles in as well. First day in a long time working on the car where everything just went as planned.

Eh, I don't know that I would say it feels good on the budget part ? It's a slippery slope building at this level and then you get to a certain point where you just can't cut corners. I don't intend to ever build a car to this level again to be honest. Too much time, effort and money. I tend to like to build a car I can either break even or make money on. This will have little to no chance of either. But I do enjoy the build and part of me is getting bummed out that it's getting close to being done because it has been such an amazing journey.

Thanks, Jeff! I am going back over to work on it Sunday. We are trying to get the masters on, wiper motor in, pedal assembly in and the heater core so the dash can go back in. Next month it will go up to MD so that Freed engineering can build the custom one off Titanium Octopus header and full exhaust. It will be work of art and sound similar to a sport bike/F1. Ti has such a unique and exotic sound in addition to looking beautiful and saving weight. It's about time to install the Infiniti M30 rear R200 VSLD 3.91 diff along with the new S14 240sx CV axles I ordered some time in the next week. Here is the S13 240sx slim brake booster which was powdercoated, the new brake master cylinder, the freshly plated hood hardware and coolant connecting pipe as well as the freshly powdercoated coilover top plates. The green clashed with the look of the car so I had them done gunmetal. The place in Sweden has finished 5 of the 6 carbon kevlar velocity stacks so they should be on the way soon too. It's coming into the final stretch now.

RB is finally in the Z31! My buddy modified the OEM trans bracket to work and the shifter on the R34 transmission lines up dead center in the Z31 hole! We did run into an issue where the Z31 3 row radiator I bought will not fit so wil have to go full custom from the company that will be making the header and exhaust.

The ZR crossmember is in the US from Japan. Just need to get it coated and then the engine can go in the car. I have a complete extra set of OEM parts needed to swap an RB into a Z31 as well so will have those coated and sell the set on ebay for quite a bit since you just cannot find the parts. Took me a year to get them all! Finished the wiper motor restoration and very proud of this one! It came out better than OEM!

We plan to shoot each car in coming weeks all in different locations.

Been working hard to improve my photography skills so I shot my dad's orange Z this morning. These are my favorites. Shot with a Canon 6D.

No, I want to keep the engine bay as clean and minimal as possible. I don't really use A/C in anything but my daily drivers anyway. Always prefer to just put the windows down.

Turns out the NA 300zx crossmember doesn't work ? I thought I checked the part numbers and they were the same with NA 300 and a ZR. I have found a full ZR drivetrain in Japan that I am trying to buy though and then will have my guys there strip all the parts I want off and trash the engine/trans etc. We did install all of the accessories and only the starter is left. It looks so good! Coffee table worthy.

Got a lot of work done but didn't have enough time to get it in the car today. Swapped out all the front incorrect hardware with the proper fasteners, modified the front heater hose port to go straight back instead of out, swapped the clutch mechanism in the trans from pull type to push type, drilled and tapped for new slave cylinder location, drilled the plug out for the rear sump dipstick tube, installed the pilot bushing, flywheel and clutch along with the transmission. We have decided to put the crossmember on the engine and then put everything in from the bottom.

All my intake parts, vaccum rail, water necks and wiper motor housing have been restored and holy $hit! He also removed the bosses off the top of the vacuum rail that the stock harness case mounted to since everything will be tucked. Then he re-textured. All aluminum was vapor blasted and coated with corrosion inhibitor, all re-plated hardware, OEM sticker and factory paint/QC marks. It's incredible! First photo is how they looked when I got them. And remember, the ITB's were bored to 48mm and the intake manifold was port matched to the ITB's and head work. Engine will be in the car Sunday or Monday!

Engine is going in the Z next weekend! I had all the aluminum parts on the engine vapor blasted and cannot wait to see them back on. While we wait, here is a cool video of the Skyline along with the dyno run.

Some more photos I took of the wall hanging. It's amazing and I am glad it was done in the best color ever ;)

Still waiting on the engine mounts from Japan but the engine is getting really close to being complete. Just waiting on the Ross water pulley to arrive along with the LS alternator kit then I just need an alternator and starter and that's about it. I have a tinted acrylic Watanabe oil cap on the way too. The next photos are of a Nissan D21 hardbody speedometer sensor which fits the NOS R34 5 speed transmission since the Skyline uses an electronic speedo and the Z31 uses a cable. I will just need to figure out the correct gear once the car is driveable. Lastly, my R30 parked next to a JDM Supra at my friends house and then a night shot I took of the 30 as well.