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Betty White: The new 280Z racecar. Ugly Betty's autocross replacement.


HRH

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As I'm sure you've all seen if you've been checking out insomniacs and other threads, I finally broke down and spent 3 months paying on a race car.  A proper race car that was an actual race car from the chump car series a few years ago.  The motor grenaded in this car during one of their last races and so it sat for the last two years.  I had the chance to buy Joe's RX7 (2nd gen) racecar, but as much as it had a VG30 in it, all the rest was RX7, and that means I have zero parts availability for it being I had no previous RX7 of that year range, and no VG30 parts.

 

However, from having the Maximas and the fact that it's just an L motor, I had oodles of crossover stuff for Datsuns and the 280z made more sense.  Consequently I bought it minus the motor and trans and now have 2 months to get it ready for autocross.  It has a welded diff, which may or may not be better than open, but need to see if I can find a cheap R200 LSD, which is probably not going to happen.

 

Anyway, knowing I would need more power to go fast at autocross, and knowing the car was sorted for racing while within the rules of chump car, I chose to buy a 280zx turbo for cheap.  Got it working pretty well.  Cold start still has some issues I haven't figured, but the motor is there and the car runs.  Management has some issues but about normal for an older zx.  So today I'm thinking I'll be liberating the motor after fixing some of it's issues these past months.  And then we'll fix a few more issues with the race car and go about installing said motor!  Hopefully have her running well before autocross!

 

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Stupid photobucket, so glitchy.  Anyway, this is the last day the 280zx will run under it's own power.  Reluctantly put Wynona out in the mild snow, poor thing! :(  ZX is in the garage with a wonderful mildew smell from the leaking t tops.  Should have put a tarp over her.  Anyway, making lunch and then off with the hood, out with the motor!  Then I'm going to have to find someone to steer her while I tow her back to the other side of the yard.  Hopefully my neighbor will be home and willing.

 

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Yes indeed!  If it works like I think, this should give me a pretty good chance at dominating autocross.  Not that I'm counting on it.  The first season is always a little rough.  And holy crap, there are way too many peripherals on the turbo ZXs.  F me running, I thought I would have had it out already but trying to mark the various lines and connectors takes time.  Not to mention all the little tiny things that are attached that are a plain bitch to get unbolted or disconnected.  Bah!  I have almost everything disconnected except the wiring harness to the transmission.  After that, I should be able to drop the motor out the bottom on the subframe assembly.  Took a break to come in and eat dinner.  I started at noon, hour lunch, still at it.  Really wish I had a lift, that would have cut the time in half easy.  Still slow going though.  Apparently I've forgotten my inner dismantler. ;)

 

Anyway, should get this out tonight, then can work on getting the ZX out and the wagon back in while I freshen up the turbo motor.  Found lots of oil leakage on the bottom, not sure if trans, rear main, oil pan gasket, turbo fittings, oil cooler, or what.  But it accounts for the oil smell when running.  Good news is I'm not loosing a bunch of oil so obviously not a huge leak.  Oh, and found another something that may have been causing cold start issues. On of the three studs that holds the downpipe on is broken.  Only two left holding it.  Even that little bit of air could have been screwing with the O2 until the pipe heated up and started sealing better.  Not sure, but something else to address.

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Gonna be parting out some of the non race car essentials?  :poke: 

Thats going to be a fun car :thumbup: 


I did run an L28et S30 in autocross before and only annoying thing I ran into
is Id have to just roll around in 2nd the entire time on a short track to keep boost on.

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You know, I'm not sure yet.  I was going to sell the rolling chassis, but given the nasty mildew from the leaky t-tops, I'm just not sure I want to have it go to anyone.  Though I did think about selling it for a chump racer.  Not really anything good to part out unless you needed suspension parts.  Front struts for 510s of course.  You looking for anything in particular Skib?

 

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Ever wonder what those ugly 14" Maxima wheels are good for?  If you take the wheel weights off the inside lip, they'll just barely clear the zx control arms!

 

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I think this may also be one of the cold start issues.  Only two studs holding this flange instead of three.  The O2 is about 6-8 inches away from this downpipe flange.

 

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Make sure to tag and bag it!!   :D

 

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 Note the broken furniture dolly from harbor freight.  Should have put a piece of plywood or metal plate on it.  Oops. :(  Went pretty smooth, a little iffy.  I did forget one ground strap on the oil filter side, and annoyingly remembered everything else except the stupid steering shaft!  Wondered why it decided to kick to the side when I had it almost all the way down.  Probably fucked the rack and pinion, had a bit of fluid leakage from basically putting the motor weight on that shaft.  Oh well.

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Bottom  :thumbup:  I installed the SR in my 510 on my own the same way. I used a come along bolted to the rafters of my shop though. For the class your running in autocross, do you have to keep all the smog equipment, or can you strip it down/modify a bit? 

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I believe those two little cans are unique to the 280zx turbo, but I could be mistaken.  I'll save some stuff, I'm trying to put it back exactly the same as when in the car, however my plans may eventually be derailed and I may go for lots more boost too.  I'll let you know if I plan to throw anything out Skib! :)

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Yeah, I got all the lowdown on that, but it would be much easier to control with a megasquirt.  We'll see.  Game plan is just to get her running at the moment.  Going from 3200 pounds to 2300 pounds should make a huge difference even if stock.

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Very true!  It's funny how long the ZX is compared to the Z.  Didn't really think that much until I got her in the garage tonight and had oodles of room!  Got the wiring harness yanked out of the ZX, not terrible, though there is another on on the side that I need to remove also.  As much as I wanted to keep this stock, I am beginning to think about running a Nistune or Megasquirt or something just to make it easier.  So many little bullshit things that would be nicer left off.  Like the boost sensor.  It's on the fenderwell by the coil, but has a separate wiring harness running up the inside of the fender, I suspect to another little computer box up near the ECU.  I need to read up in the FSM and see what it's supposed to do.  Just a vacuum tube going to it and then a two wire connection.  I'm guessing it's for spark timing control, retarding if you get too much boost or whatnot.  

 

Anyway, Mohammed came over and helped out.  Got the garage semi-cleaned on the floor at least and the ZX pushed around to the front yard and tarped.  Z car is now in the garage.  Sadly, Wynona is stuck outside.  Poor wagon.  But the weather has been pretty nice lately.  We've been seeing almost 50 degrees here today.  Felt like spring!

 

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Looks SOOO much better!  :)  Even with the dinked hood.  We'll fix that.  I do think I'm going to have to raise the car.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  I have to run it up on 2x4s just to get my low-profile jack under the diff.  It's really low.  The front looks good now only because of no motor and trans, but I suspect I will see massive underbody carnage on the street when I drive it to autocross if I don't raise it up a bit.

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boost sensor is just for the electric gauge.

 

That big can on the intake is your over boost protection lol

it pops open and dumps all pressure if you over boost, set for around 9lbs.

 

Theres not a whole lot needed for the swap.

 

 

Theres a knock sensor to adjust timing if theres issues but thats about it.

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FUCK SHITTY FLARING TOOLS!!!  I went up to the Northside NAPA to buy the good SER Flaring tool kit.  The other shit version I had left 14 trials, with one good flare, then on the car, fucked it up immediately.  The new flaring tool had better inserts and wow, made the flare right the first time!

 

So then I ran my new piece of fuel line, which looks like a rat's nest now, which irritates me to no end, and I finally said fuck it.  No pictures, no nothing, the line's in, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, you're cool, and fuck you, I'm out!!

 

So yeah, the motor is not in the car nor is the car ready for the motor yet.  Bah.

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Sure, I have no particular to the side mirrors.  Sell 'em to you cheap, or I can maybe drag to Canby unless you'd like them sooner.  However, I seem to remember one of the mirrors is cracked on the glass.  Housing is okay, just the glass.

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Ok, what time frame you need them?  Car's tarped at the moment, I can bring them to Canby or ship them if you need them sooner.

 

And today is a race car work day!  Rose is coming over to help, so we'll see how much I actually get done today.  Best case, I get the motor in the car.  Worst case, I get the motor ready to go in the car.  We shall see!  Oh wait, can't put motor in the car.  Still have to get a transmission.  Forgot about that.  On the other hand, maybe I should put the trans in from the bottom.  Hmmm.  I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

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