Kato Kids BMW M3 powered 71' 240Z

[KatoKid]

Thanks guys.

 

As you know John, my daughter is quite demanding of my time so its hard to sneak out in to the shed undisturbed! This is a few days worth of update!

 

Lurchos, those tin men are unbelievable....that HK 1/4 is amazing. I admire their skills very much, a true test of how good someone is at something is how easy they make it look and they do that in spades. I was going to make a puckering tool but ended up using a claw hammer initially but once you start working the metal it gets more maleable and I ended up getting better puckers using pointy nose vice grips. 

 

Jamo,thanks for the input on the tray and muffler hanging points....makes me feel much better!

[KatoKid]

Got the patch in the firewall mostly welded in and then promptly ran out of gas! Damn. Just need to do the plug welds to the apron and its done.

 

[KatoKid]

I'm using the BMW tailshaft that has the rubber guibo joint at the front and a CV joint at the rear so needed an adapter to bolt the CV to the pinion flange of the R200. Ron Tyler (RTz on Hybridz) came through again and sent me drawings of the adapter he made and I took this and the diffs and tailshaft to Rob C at Robco. Suffice to say Rob has done a great job again.

 

Included a comparative photo of the BMW M3 Evo diff next to the R200...its a big bastard! Rob C called it an R300 after lifting it onto the work bench a few times. I was contemplating using the M3 diff as the ECU needs the road speed signal from the sensor on the rear diff cover which is sent to the dash (for the speedo signal) before it is modified from a simple square wave to a signal that the ECU can use. If the ECU doesn't see this signal it goes into a limp mode with reduced RPM's, the signal is also the 155mph speed limiter. In the end I found a company in Belgium that makes a box that produces a synthetic signal for the ECU that also removes the speed limiter http://www.kempower.be/Electronic%20devices/BMW%20M%20speed%20simulation.htm The speed simulator isn't cheap but without a donor car and an oscilloscope there was no way for me to reproduce the modified signal and while I could make the BMW diff fit the cost of custom CV shafts and the extra weight and attention this would attract at Rego engineering time just wasn't worth it.

[Sirpent]

David

 

As much as I am impressed, as usual, with your work, I'm disappointed at your lack of a sense of adventure with the Evo Diff ! C'mon Buddy, whats one more dip into the unknown going to cost? maybe a couple of nights sleep?

 

Just kidding Mate, as always its the quiet achievers rather than the loud mouth posters like me that impress, look forward to seeing the Beast up close and personal again tomorrow.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

(Wheres that karma button gone, not to worry)

 

+1 karma

 

 

[mossy]

David you can borrow my bottle of gas to finish it off if you like.

[KatoKid]

John.

 

I was actually looking forward to the challenge of using the BMW diff but in the end there were too many things that stacked up against the conversion:

 

1. Desireable ratios are very hard and expensive to come by for the BMW diffs.

2. Weight: The M3 Evo diff is the biggest diff BMW use in any model, its overkill for a light weight Z.

3. I don't need to make it any harder to get the engineers to sign off, it will be tough enough as is!

4. Cost of custom CV shafts etc

5. The Kempower simulator, while it took ages to find is an easy alternative.

 

Just didn't make common sense.

 

[KatoKid]

David you can borrow my bottle of gas to finish it off if you like.

 

Thanks Mossy, but need a refill which I will get tomorrow anyway.

 

Cheers

[KatoKid]

Here's the Kempower speed simulator. Cant beleive I paid so much for a little box with a few wires coming out of it! Still, much easier than frickin around with diffs n dash's.

[Sirpent]

Cant beleive I paid so much for a little box with a few wires coming out of it!

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmm I'm sure I have heard those words uttered before........... hang on...............1983, some guy who just purchased a Brock VK with the notorious Pollarizer fitted

 

David, if it does the job and removes the limiter  but wouldn't you love to crack it open and see exactly whats inside ?

 

 

[KatoKid]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm I'm sure I have heard those words uttered before........... hang on...............1983, some guy who just purchased a Brock VK with the notorious Pollarizer fitted

 

David, if it does the job and removes the limiter  but wouldn't you love to crack it open and see exactly whats inside ?

 

I had the same thoughts regarding the Polarizer!

[Zedman240®]

9 times out of 10 they fill "little black boxes" with a dark coloured epoxy or either scratch the numbers of the chips so you cannot copy the circuit..

[mossy]

Thanks Mossy, but need a refill which I will get tomorrow anyway.

 

Cheers

 

No worries David, I'd love to pop up in the next couple of weeks and have a look at the progress though

[KatoKid]

So.....ashamed to say its been nearly 5 months since my last post in this thread.

 

The shell was scheduled to go for media blasting in the beginning of November but the blaster was too busy and I was told they were full up until Christmas which wasn't great but I was promised first cab off the rank when they returned from holidays. The panel shop I'm using had arranged the blaster as they wont use anyone else and the blaster wont do work for anyone who walks in off the street, when I was told of the delays I queried the panel shop again but they reiterated that this blaster is the only one they trust so I decided to wait based on their recommendation.

 

I eventually got the OK to take the car to the blaster last Thursday. The panel shop had told me that the blaster was very particular and requested that all sound deadening be removed beforehand so it doesn't contaminate their media and doesn't end up getting re deposited on the surface of my own car or any other jobs so I had spent ages removing the sound deadening inside and underneath.

 

Because the blaster was so particular I had the panel shop guys come and look at the job I had done on removing the deadening back in late October and they had said it was fine......but when I delivered the shell to the blaster last Thursday they said it wasn't good enough (underneath was OK just the really thick stuff inside needed more work)! I had used a heat gun and scrapper to remove the deadening inside but not all of it comes off cleanly, he said I could leave it as it was but they wouldn't get it all off with the blaster so I decide to take it home again and spent another 6 -7 hours over the weekend with a scrapper and kero and rags cleaning the remainder off. It was kinda worthwhile as it revealed beautiful shiny virgin steel underneath!

 

So the shell was finally delivered this morning. The blaster is very particular and only does a few cars a year for the restoration and hot rod shops , we had a good chat and the more I spoke with him the more I think Ive made the right choice...but the proof will be in the finished product.

[KatoKid]

In my own defence, November and December were really hectic at work and then I was away camping for a couple of weeks in January so it has been hard to find the time.

 

One of the jobs I did get done was to make a new bonnet catch bracket as the standard one interferes with the injector rail on the M3 engine.

 

First up was to make a template of the position of the original bracket. I then used used some 100 x 100 x 3 SHS to replicate the original bracket as this has plenty of stiffness without the need for any diagonal bracing that causes the interference with the original bracket. The bracket is bolted to the firewall at the top and bottom. The bottom bolts will have captive nuts welded inside the plenum and go through a reinforcing piece so this is strong enough and the top bolts will have captive nuts welded to a piece of strap that will spread the load. When bolted in place the bracket is plenty strong enough and the only flex is in the actual firewall itself which would be the same for the standard bracket. Yes, its a bit heavier but in my mind its a neat solution.

[KatoKid]

Last two shots....

[PZG302]

I eventually got the OK to take the car to the blaster last Thursday. The panel shop had told me that the blaster was very particular and requested that all sound deadening be removed beforehand so it doesn't contaminate their media and doesn't end up getting re deposited on the surface of my own car or any other jobs so I had spent ages removing the sound deadening inside and underneath.

 

Because the blaster was so particular I had the panel shop guys come and look at the job I had done on removing the deadening back in late October and they had said it was fine......but when I delivered the shell to the blaster last Thursday they said it wasn't good enough (underneath was OK just the really thick stuff inside needed more work)! I had used a heat gun and scrapper to remove the deadening inside but not all of it comes off cleanly, he said I could leave it as it was but they wouldn't get it all off with the blaster so I decide to take it home again and spent another 6 -7 hours over the weekend with a scrapper and kero and rags cleaning the remainder off. It was kinda worthwhile as it revealed beautiful shiny virgin steel underneath!

 

 

So you haven't heard of the dry ice and hammer method? A lot easier than the heat gun and scraper method.

 

Basically cover the deadener in dry ice and let the dry ice melt away, when it's gone you can then use a hammer to shatter the deadener off, or use a screw driver to get under a corner and lift off the deadener in relatively big pieces. It comes off nice and clean leaving only shiny metal underneath.

[KatoKid]

Yeah, I have Matt.....and in hind sight, knowing now how clean the blaster wanted it I should have gone that way!

[luvemfast]

Just wondering recently about how you were going with Bavarian #1 and John with #2.

You've both dropped off the planet or been too busy 

The shell looks pretty good in the floor.

[NZeder]

Keen to make another one of  those bonnet brackets? The new 260z that I got has the same issue as the engine has been installed a long way back so the original bracket has been cut off.

 

Cheers

Mike

[handsandwhich]

It was kinda worthwhile as it revealed beautiful shiny virgin steel underneath!

 

The blaster is very particular and only does a few cars a year for the restoration and hot rod shops , we had a good chat and the more I spoke with him the more I think Ive made the right choice...but the proof will be in the finished product.

 

You're not kidding there, the inside probably doesn't need blasting now it looks like it just rolled out of the factory. I had good results removing the interior deadening using an air chisel. managed to rip the deadener up in big chunks.

 

It's good to be so busy in business that the blaster can pick and choose what work they take on. But what do they do if they go quiet I wonder.

[KatoKid]

Well ....its done.

 

Woke up this morning with a feeling of great trepidation..... excited to see the shell in all its blasted glory but also lothing to see the "surprises" that I'm sure the blasting will have revealed. In the end there were a few surprises but it could have been much worse.

 

I had to take it from the blasters to the panel shop so they can shoot the etch primer straight away so I only got a few photos and when it is safely in primer I will catalogue all the repairs that need to be done.

 

I'm absolutely stoked with the job the blasters have done, very very thorough and no damage to any panels. It was well worth the wait.

 

By the end of today it will be in primer so I will go and take another peek when that's done.

[KatoKid]

Couple more....

[mossy]

Wow, looks very clean

[Lynton]

Man it has come along way!! 8)Lynton

[jamo240]

Looking great Dave...you'll be ready to TIG the exhaust soon...!

 

I get the final plated parts back and my new radiator on Friday, so I'll post a few more picks of mine then. Doing the wiring now, and then it's time to kick it in the guts!

 

Jamo