I've read several times about other peoples' projects similar to mine, and one thing they don't recommend doing is adding up the receipts, cause once you see what all you've spent it's enough to make you sick to your stomach and/or a single man if your significant other finds out. I haven't added everything up yet, but it's a lot. The main reasons are because I did not want to throw a stock SR20 in there, I wanted to do it right the first time, also since I'm in Japan a lot of little things I've had to buy and ship from America because they just don't sell it here. You'll see that it's not a awesome, beautiful install...all clean and orderly and neat, and that's mostly because of being in Japan, they just don't have the small materials and odds 'n ends stuff to piece things together like they do in the US. In Japan everything is sold as a "kit" and there is very little do it yourself -ism, and things are really expensive here. Of the pieces absolutely required to do the install I would estimate:

$500 for driveshaft
$1200 for engine/tranny/wiring/radiator
$300 for intercooler
$200 for piping/hose connectors
$500 for modified Greddy intake (not necessarily required)
$50 for metal for mounts
$300 for Unorthodox pulleys
$300 for fuel lines and pumps

Total of easily over $4000 for just the required things.

Then add in new hoses, connectors, odds and ends, and an exhaust, etc. I could've gotten away a lot less than I did, but I couldn't go cheap on stuff and I didn't want to have to replace anything anytime soon, so it's costing a lot more than that! The good thing is, it's been spread out over a year or two so you don't notice the monetary drain as bad as just jumping into something really quick and trying to get it done.

I know everyone's anxious to see more, but I have to wait until Wednesday for the shop to open up again, so hold tight! I'm just as anxious to finish her up!!

-Andy

I'm very happy for you! Good work.

Does anyone know who can host a video for me? I went and worked on my car all day today, I got the electric fan hooked up and the Blitz Dual SBC boost controller going too. I'm still running really rich, I think it just needs to be tuned is all, but today I finally got to drove it longer now the the fan and boost is set up, and I took video. It's about 13.5 MB's, I have a smaller file too but the quality isn't as good and it's only 414 KB's if anyone can host either of these somewhere that would be awesome, let me know if you can or know how I can do it!

This car is absolutely amazing!! With the boost controller installed I at least get a good idea how it's going to run. It's running pig rich right now so I know I'm losing lots of power, but regardless it's stinking fast. The ECU and injectors are set up to handle 1.2 bar and I have boost set at about 1.1 bar. While the clutch engages beautifully and easily, the gas is SO touchy that it's hard to keep from jerking around at low rpms but that will come with time. I only got to do two quick passes down the road behind the shop, but boy I was impressed. It's actually kinda scary how fast it is, you can see in the video when I shifted to 2nd and got on the gas it started trying to go sideways. I wants to burn out through most of first gear and second too I guess. I got to 3rd gear on the return leg in what only seemed like 3 or 4 seconds, I don't have my speedo hooked up yet because I need a gear from a Skyline, but if I remember right 3rd gear in my 180sx was somewhere around 100 or 120 kmh

I ran out of road so fast that even my upgraded B310 brakes seemed pitiful so I couldn't go any faster than just barely touching 3rd gear. I gotta get that exhaust hooked up too, it's just too dang loud!

Tomorrow I'm going to install my Apexi SAFC 2 and try to get working on the brakes/suspension/rearend. I'll be installing a 3.9 ratio Nismo H165 LSD along with a Pitroad 280ZX (82-83 S130Z) rear disk brake conversion kit and newer KYB shocks, and then in the front I'm putting shortened 280ZX struts/brakes with Matsuoka's coil over/adj. camber setup, Tokico HTS strut inserts and Goodridge stainless hoses all around. It's going to take a little while to do the suspension/brakes but I'm hoping to have it done and ready to be tuned after this weekend.

So, if people want to see this thing driving I need someone to host the video(s). I have two right now but one is kinda lame. I also took a few pictures of the engine bay.

Okay here are some pictures, but I still need someone to host the videos.




Have to Click to see these ones:

Side Shot Engine Bay

Interior (dirty and still in progress)

Right side shot

Great car, love the work you are doing. I get back from SWA in a few months and am going to be building a 79 210, not sure of the engine I want to run yet. Thanks for keeping me motivated.

Okay, today I started the rear disk brake conversion and the Limited Slip Diff swap. I'll probably do a little more write up after I take pictures tomorrow when it's complete.

The Pitroad rear disk brake kit only includes the brackets, E-brake cables, axle sleeve thingys, clips, rubber brake hoses, and axle bolts. You supply the calipers, pads, and rotors from an 82-83 280ZX, as well as new oil seals for the axles, wheel bearings, etc. It's pretty straight forward, you have to pull off the old drum brake assemblies and put on their new bracket just before you put the new wheel bearings in. You do have to drill two really small holes on the E brake cable holder, but other than that it's really easy. I'll post pictures tomororw, it looks great! The 1200 should've come stock like this!

Quote:

I've agreed to host the video. More details shortly.

These words make me want to leave the office, and head straight for my garage to get mine running properly. My Autronic is stll running on a base map/tune. So there's no "big" power yet. Although I expect they'll be no boost until 4000rpm anyway

I'd like to have used the pitroad kit, but unless it can be fitted to a bigger diff, you might be breaking the diff more often than you'd like. But it'll be interesting to see how it goes.

Today I finished installing the rear brakes, it looks nice! I will have to wait until Wednesday to do the fronts and put the 280ZX Master Cyl. in too. As it is, the rear brakes are dragging, I think I remember someone saying that you had to remove a small check valve of some kind inside the 1200 master cylinder when you install rear disk brakes, otherwise they would drag like they are currently doing

I'm still trying to get the front struts cut down and rewelded in order to install the front suspension/brakes but I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow so that on Wednesday when the shop opens back up I can just bolt it all on, bleed it, and go (easier said than done of course).

So here's some pictures of the brakes:

What's hiding behind those wheels?

Here's a shot of the brakes with the wheel off. They from an 82-83 280ZX, earlier setups are different and won't work, using Pitroad's bracket kit.

Wheel Off

Here's a shot from behind the brakes, you can see Pitroad's bracket a little easier along with my Goodridge stainless hose and Endless Type-M pads.

A Shot from behind

And here's a picture of the finished
transmission tunnel/driveshaft/etc

For the keen:

A 13MB clip of Andy's first run

What'd you guys think of the video? Comments?

Oh man I can't wait to get it all painted up, it's going to be AWESOME