Nizm0zed's coupe

[d3c0y]

So how much HP are you hoping your 250Z is going to make?

[nizm0zed]

about 110kw.  (standard power output)

Maybe a bit more with the free flowing exhaust and pod, lets call it 130kw

[nizm0zed]

You read that in his voice didn't you   

 

IT RUNS!!!!!!

had a bit of a wiring issue where the coils woudn't power up because i missed a wire when looking over the wiring diagram, but once identified, that was easily fixed.

Then it would only start on aerostart, till i realised i had put the fuel lines around the wrong way (oops)

But, once that was sorted, she fires first go!!!!

It runs quite nicely, revs freely, sounds like a skyline though so i'll have to do something about that.

ITB's should fix that! 

 

Only big thing left now is to connect the radiator up and put some coolant in it, then maybe a sneaky drive down the street.

[Fairlady Z]

Haha i did that as well on my rb install. Wouldnt start. Got puzzled had spark had fuel it ran before fine out of jerry can but now wouldnt run out if it own fuel tank. Thought blocked line checked that was getting fuel but... Than realised i was geeding the fuel into engine fuel return line. Swapped it and she came to life.

 

Nice work by the way. Looking very schmick.

[nizm0zed]

update time!!!!

 

Its been a while, i have had plenty of other stuff to occupy me.

In my few free moments i have slowly worked on installing my Speedhut gauges.

 

So, pictures!

First, i removed the stock gauges and removed the innards.

I cut off the backs of the metal back shell, making sure i kept the lower mounting tab intact.

I left about 3-4cm of the shell, enough for the plastic front piece to mount back onto.

Once that was done and all cleaned up, i pushed the gauge bezel into the shell.

At first was trying really hard to make sure i pushed them in so they would be straight and level, But then i realised it only needs to be close because you can twist the gauge within the bezel to level it out.

The shell for the tach and the speedo are different, the speedo wouldnt push in as far because of the small screw holes stopping it from mounting deeper, whereas once you pop the white screw mount plugs out of the tach it'll push further in.

As i discovered later, this doesn't make any difference to the installation.

 

For the front of the gauge, i removed the plastic lense. The gauges have their own lenses, and buttons on the front that i wanted to be able to access.

The inner plasic piece comes out, then the lense is removed, then the inner piece is put back in.

I glued the inner piece back in, chamfered the edge off it, then bogged over it to smooth it all out and remove the gap where the lense used to sit.

After that, i painted it all, then reassembled the metal shell into it.

It was a pretty tight fit, so i didnt put the screws back in it.

 

For the centre gauges, i hot glued the bezel to the front plastic part.

Obviously i unscrewed the bezel from the gauge, so as not to damage anything.

I learned the hard way with one of them that you really need to make sure its positioned correctly, because when i went to screw the gauge back together, once tight the gauge was upside down. oops.

Good thing hot glue is easy to remove.

The original back metal shell is cut open in order to provide access for the wiring, then mounts back onto the plastic front as per stock.

 

Once done, i mounted the gauges back in the dash, using all the standard mounts.

The wiring is pretty easy, with the power and lighting daisy chained together.

For the dimmer, i cut the shaft off the old dimmer, then mounted the new dimmer in its place and connected the old shaft to it with a bit of rubber hose.

This allows it to keep the stock dimmer knob in the stock location. Sorry, no pics of that, i forgot...

[nizm0zed]

for the wiring, its obviously a little different on my car, the speedo is wired up to the speed sender on the gearbox, the tach is wired up to the tach output from the ECU.

Considering those wires were already in place for the ECU, i simply tapped both of them from the ECU wiring.

The oil pressure sensor screwed straight into the factory spot on the RB block, but the coolant temp required a M12x1.25 to 1/8npt adapter.

I havent wired up or calibrated the fuel level sensor, but it just needs to be connected to the original sender in the tank. It can calibrate to its settings.

[Retro Z]

Im looking to get speedhut gauges for mine aswell. Can you tell me what size the gauges are?

[dat240z]

I love these and the defi ones... Looks good mate

[nizm0zed]

the gauges are 4" for the tach and speedo and 2 5/8th for the centre gauges

[nizm0zed]

Update time!!!!

 

So, Between playing the PS3 a lot, doing house stuff and working i havent done much on the car,

But lately i have had a bit of a spark to get something done.

I turned my attention to the aero part of the car, mainly because i got some 3mm alloy sheet at a very good price and i wanted to use it on something.

So, First up i built an underbelly pan. It was originally just going to be a bit of bracing to stop the xenon air dam from folding up at speed, but then it became easier just to go all out and build a full pan.

That has been on the car for a month or 2 now.

It doesnt leak oil onto my garage floor anymore, it all pools on the bellypan. I'll fix that one day...

 

For the last week i have been doing the radiator ducting,

I decided that i wanted to pull the intake from between the bumper and bonnet edge, and block up the lower section.

Personally i think it'll look better this way. The angles also work better.

 

First up was some CAD (Cardboard Aided Design) to work out where things were going to sit and to make a template i could transfer to the alloy sheet.

Its pretty looking huh...

 

I had to move the horns as they were in the way. Easiest solution was to fab up 2 90 degree mounts and lay the horns down.

 

Next, i made the lower part of the duct,

First you start with a flat sheet of alloy, scribe up some lines, then start cutting.

After that, its a matter of folding it up.

I do all my folding by hand on the edge of my bench, clamped down with wood.

 

After it was folded up, it was time to test fit it and trim the edges up a bit.

 

Next came the side fill parts, Same deal again, cardboard template folded up into shape, transferred to the alloy sheet, cut, fold, test fit.

 

I still need to make one more side, maybe tonight, and then make up the top cover that will close up the ducting.

Underneath a filler panel will bolt to the underside of the duct, side fill sections and the top of the airdam.

Later on, i am planning on incorporation some proper brake ducting from the front of the dam to the front wheels.

There is also a plan in the works to incorporate some 100mm HID spotlights in the upper grille, on the sides.

I liked the look of my lightforce lights behind the bumper but they are just too big...

 

More pictures and updates to come

[PeterAllen]

Fabulous... love it.

 

Keep the pictures coming so I can copy it.

[chris240]

Hey Alan what side of town are you in ?

Its been a heck of along time between drinks...need to organise a get together.

[nizm0zed]

Im southside, but Canberra is a small place anyway.

Definately need to catch up for drinks 

[Sirpent]

"Noice Alan, very noice!"

 

The gauges look the part and I like the intake defuser work 

[chris240]

Al

Pm me your mob and email...

[vorn70]

Great to see you back. I have been waiting for you to get back to this build. The gauges really look the part. I went back into your build thread, I had forgotten how far you have already come with this car. keep it going mate.

[nizm0zed]

update time, because i have done a few things...
I came to the thread to fix a bunch of pics that were missing, but it seems like i have neglected this for a while haha.

So, as the last post i was doing the front radiator ducting.
It is mostly finished at this stage.
I made up the other hinge cover and a lid to cap it all in with, i still need to bend it slightly but due to its size and thickness, its not something i can do neatly or easily with simple hand tools, so im in the process of building a panel folder.



I also made up a coolant overflow bottle that fits next to the radiator, a heat sheild for the exhaust, a trick little air duct to feel air up into and around the exhaust and I replumbed the intake into the airbox, connected up the catch can and got it running better.









Does it drive?
yes, sort of...
Over the time i have been working on it i could never get it to fire on all its cylinders properly.
Eventually i discovered that someone had changed 2 wires going into the spark ignitor module on the engine, so i fixed that up.
Next, i couldnt get it to stop running lean, i tracked that to a massive air leak on the IAC fitting on the bottom of the manifold, so i sealed that up.
At this stage, it now revs freely and strongly, doesnt run rich and doesnt misfire, however when i take it on the road it gets over about 40kph or anything over 2k in 3rd or higher and it goes super lean and cuts out.
Its like a massive fuel cut. I had a theory that the speed sensor is wrong and making it think its hitting its speed limiter at 40kph, so i disconnected it.
Its slightly better but still doing it.
For now, i has annoyed me enough that im playing with other toys until i can wire in a diagnostic port and set up a proper diagnostic cable to my laptop.

Edited September 20, 2016 by nizm0zed

[Sirpent]

Uncanny

 

The last time I posted to your thread was exactly a year ago today............

 

Slowly but surely Alan, you aint the only one with a long term project but its the quality not the speed you build to 

 

Cheers

 

John

[nizm0zed]

updates!!!!
Sort of haha

 

So, we left off and i was working on the intake ducting.
Since then i have done more work on the ducting, almost finished it all.
I built the lower valance piece under the scoop, bent the top lid and made a grill.
Im waiting for some delrin rod and bolts to turn up to finish the grill mounting.
Once i have made sure the grill sits where i want it to, i'll pull it all apart and paint the ducting, satin black on everything, raw aluminium inside the radiator duct..
The grill will stay as pictured, just polished up a bit.

 

I also made a better fan shroud for the radiator, mounts the fans nicely and should make them a lot more efficient.

I have also been working on the interior.
Many years ago i saw a S30 with a 180sx dash in it, and i loved the look of it.
I wanted to do something similar but i like the look of the R34 skyline dash. I have also never seen one in a zed before.
So, chances had it that a R34 dash came up at a very good price (almost free) and i decided to give it a go. if it didn't look good or i couldn't cut it down, no big loss as id still have my old dash.
End result though looks pretty damn good, so im going to keep at it,
Ive grafted the stock centre console onto the R34 lower dash, trimmed the edges off the dash (only 2cm either side) and trimmed a lot off the top edge of the dash to suit the profile of the bottom of the windshield.
I am in the process of making up some aluminium centre console panels, and i've made up one ready for the instrument cluster.

 

Filling in airbag and vent holes.

 

Sand it and shape it, ready to be recovered

 

Beginning the graft of the centre consoles.
This bit took a lot of measuring before cutting, then a lot more measuring before joining them together, and even after that its still got a slight twist to it...

 

Looks pretty good once all the other trims start getting fitted in place.

 

The centre console, this bit of alloy is actually the template, its been scratched, cut, drawn on ect.
I'm currently making a 'proper' piece that'll stay wrapped safely away from scratchy things until its time to fit it to the console.
Im even going to attempt to keep the original ash tray compartment because its just too cool.

 

Next update in a year or 3 lol

[dat240z]

Haha, Good stuff on the dash mate. Id say you took the gamble and are winning so far!!  You're metal skills are also very tidy. I may need you're help (for $$ of course) making a bracket to attach a rear strut bar to my new coil-over plates. The strut ends were made for the stock 3 nut suspension... Now I have the adjustable coil over plates with 4 holes!

[nizm0zed]

Cheers mate!

Im sure I could help knock something up, so long as you dont need any aluminum welded. I dont have the equipment for that.

I was planning on making a rear strut brace that is welded to the mounts that bolt on top of the struts, where the seat belt retractors bolt on.
That'll do until I put a half cage in it

[dat240z]

Im sure you're metal skills would be much more professional than mine! Well, judging by the work you've already done on your Z anyway! Plus its a good excuse to come check out your Z.

 

You're going a half cage huh?

[nizm0zed]

im thinking a half cage will do wonders to stiffen up the chassis, look cool and not get in the way of the seating area.
Im getting too old to be crawling over roll cage bars to go for a sunday drive

[nizm0zed]

just a little update this time.
Im still plugging away at the interior, but part of that has meant buying a sewing machine and learning how to sew haha
Ive finished the center console, glove box and lh lower side of the dash and covered them in a suede type material.

[dat240z]

Coming along nicely mate