Silver rat look 240z

[johnymd]

Thanks Rob. For me, the enjoyment is always in the challenge. It's never about achieving something in the easiest way but often the most interesting and challenging.

 

[jonbills]

Deffo better than a leaky pair of SUs!

 

[johnymd]

Modified an exhaust today so it fits without cutting the rear panel.

 

[jonbills]

What was the mod? Looks good like that.

 

[johnymd]

The pipe were side by side. I seperated the 2 silencers and welded them 1 above the other then shortened the pipe to it. This is how it was.

 

[johnymd]

And how it is now.

 

[jonbills]

Tidy work with the grinder & welder

 

[johnymd]

I've carefully hidden some of the less pretty welds from the camera

 

[johnymd]

Been tidying up a few bits in the engine bay this week and managed to spend half hour yesterday mapping the ECU. It now starts drives OK to get me going. The basic fuel and ignition maps are close enough for now. Setup the lambda targets and turned on lambda control so there's no fear of going lean anywhere. The ignition map will probably need the most work to get the benefits from the engine. It's currently only maps on throttle angle/RPM. Next stage is to get it controlled with manifold vacuum as well for load sensing. This is all wired in and active but not controlling ignition so it's like driving a standard 240 with the vacuum advance disconnected. Rang my mate and got the car booked for an MOT so I could drive to Benfleet and back legally and the car behaved itself quite well.

Here a vid of it warming up before the drive.

https://youtu.be/OkVZLM03kn0

I think I will need to change the exhaust though so currently looking for options.

 

[SacCyclone]

That is a quite cool set up you having going there John.

Love those Cali plates, looks like it is sitting in a lot in Sacramento...LOL

 

[Huw]

Sounding sweet loveliness John. Echoing what Rob has already said about how you've over come the issues the car has had, great stuff must be very satisfying.

 

[johnymd]

Thanks.

Although I love driving the cars, I get just as much pleasure from creating them.

MOT'd now so I can get on with driving it. Got quite a few smiles whilst in the car today. I don't think people really knew what to make of it.

 

[johnymd]

I've not updated this for a long while so it's well overdue.

It's now running fuel injection which consists of:
Twm throttle bodies
Ford injectors
Jenvey throttle position sensor
2 Saco map sensors
Generic crank sensor
Weber air and water sensors
Bosch lamda
Life racing f88 ecu
Custom engine loom by me and my mate Ian
Fuel injection pump
Bmw filter/regulator

I'm using the existing distributor but only the ht side. Firing the coil from the ecu.

It all runs pretty well but the throttle bodies stick a little when hot and I don't want to run a stiff Spring so I am currently looking at running bike itb's.

The car will be keeper so I'm always looking at upgrades. The current one on my mind is in the engine department. I'll be sticking with l-series but would like a bit more go. I don't have much money to spend but have various engines that I could just drop in. I've a low milage 280 that came in the recent 280z or a recently purchased 280 without a head. I do have a rebuilt e88 that I could bolt so that sounds like the favourite option at the moment. With the 2 2.8's, one is US and the other UK. Which would give the best performance or is there no difference?

I guess this would be a good time to drop one of my 5 speeds in as well.

 

[jonbills]

I think the differences with L28 are not so much uk/us, but are they dished pistons and which head (for chamber and valve sizes)? I've also read earlier cams are a bit livelier (although that could be rubbish).
What valve sizes are they on your e88? 33 and 42 or larger?
The bigger 35/44 valves I think are worth having so that might argue for you low mileage 280z engine

 

[johnymd]

I really don't know Jon. I'll have to dig the heads out and have a look.

The other option is to get someone to build me a 2.8 engine. Just too many options!!!!

 

[johnymd]

BC's arrived this week so started stripping the struts today. It seams a real shame to destroy a great set of original painted, rust free legs and still have the factory stickers on them but needs must.

 

[johnymd]

I started striping the car last sunday and created a big pile of bits that wont be going back on. I have a spare set of parts that are already powder coated so they went straight back on the car with all new bushes, once I had resealed the underside with dinatrol hard wax.

I cut the struts down and had someone weld the BC's on for me. Swapped the 4 speed gearbox for a late 280zx 5 speed and replaced the diff with a 3.9. It's so nice assembling everything with nice newly plated hardware. I finally got it all back together tonight with the exception of the fuel tank which I've left pickling with acid. I'll check it in the morning and neutralize it with baking soda tomorrow, which I didn't do last time.

I'm itching to get it back on the road and try the new setup so aiming to be up and running before the weekend, work permitting.

 

[jonbills]

Very nice. Patina on top, but not underneath.

 

[AliK]

Great job JMD!!

 

[candy red]

Nice job John you have been busy