So, I just realized I don't have an official build thread haha. For those of you who don't know, my name is Morgan and I was a U.S. Army Paratrooper stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC. I picked up my first 300zx (a 1990 N/A auto) in the Fall of 2005. I fell in love with the 300zx at a young age and have drooled over them since. I drove my N/A as a daily driver for a year or so and then was deployed to Afghanistan. She went into storage for the next year. In the mean time, I researched everything I possibly could about the Z car. I later found a guy selling a 1992 TT manual in Southern Florida. So, after I got back from the Middle East, I took a trip and checked it out. She was in pretty rough shape, but I scored a deal and drove it back up to NC. The fun began and I started major restoration and upgrading. I have since been released from active duty and now reside in Salt Lake City, UT. I am doing a complete engine rebuild and plan to attain about 600whp. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have... enjoy my passion!

-Exterior-

1999 J-spec front fascia
1999 J-spec rear tail lights
eBay clear rear side markers (smoked)
IonicDynamics carbon fiber door pillars
IonicDynamics RT cowl panel
KarumaZ belt moldings
New OEM third brake light panel (debadged)
PowerTrix carbon fiber fog light ducts
Swapped hatch and nose panel from my old 1990 N/A
TwinZ Type II rear bumper with diffuser

-Lighting-

AutoVizion 6000k HID kit
LED rear markers

-Wheels and Tires-

Motegi gunmetal DP10 18x8 Front and Rear (will be changing to a much more aggressive set up)
Nitto NT555 245/40/ZR18 (same as above)

-Braking-

300 Degree master cylinder brace

-Suspension/Steering-

AMS front inner tie rods
Carbing rear strut bar
Concept Z Performance front end links
Energy Suspension bushings
Energy Suspension rear end links
PowerTrix adjustable front upper control arms
PowerTrix adjustable rear upper control arms
PowerTrix adjustable rear traction rods
PowerTrix HICAS eliminator bar
SPL front outer tie rod ends
Stillen front and rear anti-sway bars
Tein Flex coilovers with full EDFC (F-8kg/R-6kg)
Tein pillow-ball tension rods

-Interior-

300 Degree 3 gauge cluster DIN mount
Concept Z Performance polished gauge rings
Custom dash (red) and pod (blue) LED conversion
Custom SMZ replica carbon fiber shift knob
Momo 300zx hub
Momo 300zx seat brackets and sliders
Momo Millennium Evolution steering wheel
Momo Speed II seats in charcoal alcantara
Redline Goods custom shift & e-brake boots in charcoal alcantara laced in green
REV Imports carbon fiber rear seat paneling, center piece and arm rest

-Electronics-

Autometer Cobalt wide band Air/Fuel ratio gauge (x2)
Defi Blue Racer boost gauge
Defi Blue Racer temperature gauge
GReddy Profec B Spec II boost controller
GReddy turbo timer
Tein EDFC

-Deletes-

AIV system
Carbon canister
Cruise control
EGR system
HICAS system (full removal)
PRVR system
Secondary clutch bleeder line
Throttle body water bypass
VTC function

-Drivetrain-

350Z cast iron clutch fork kit
Concept Z Performance stainless steel braided clutch line
Nismo transmission mount
Shaftmasters aluminum one piece drive shaft
Specialty Z High 5-puck clutch
Specialty Z lightweight flywheel
Z1 premium short throw shifter

-Power Plant-

300 Degree fuel rails with stainless steel braided lines
ARP connecting rod bolts
ARP L19 head studs
Blitz oil cap
BDE motor mounts
BDE solid exhaust cam valve cover plugs
Cometic metal head gaskets (0.060 thickness)
Concept Z Performance 2.5" aluminum intercooler piping kit
Concept Z Performance (Concours) polished upper intake plenum (machined inlet ports to 58mm to accommodate the Z1 throttle bodies)
Eagle connecting rods
Holley adjustable fuel pressure regulator with 100psi gauge
Jim Wolf Technology pop charger intake filters (x2)
Jim Wolf Technology tuned ECU
JUN adjustable intake and exhaust cam gears
Koyo Aluminum radiator with CZP stainless brackets
LaMco oil tree sensor adapter
Mike Smith turbo exhaust manifolds
Mild Intake and exhaust port work on heads
Nismo 740cc injectors (95+)
Nismo thermostat at 62ºC (143.6ºF)
OEM 95+ EFI harness, CAS & PTU
Power Enterprise kevlar timing belt
Ramey Z heavy duty idler studs
Selin dual MAF translator with elbow kit
Specialty Z (Sebring) 3" 5 bolt stainless steel expansion down pipes
Specialty Z (Sebring) 3" stainless steel test pipes with dual wideband bungs
Specialty Z (Sebring) 3" stainless steel quad round tipped cat-back
Unknown Coatings powder coated parts in Illusion Green
Unorthodox Racing crank pulley
Unorthodox Racing overdrive water pump pulley
Wiseco pistons bored to 88mm (0.040 over)
Z1 bronze valve guides
Z1 EGR block off plates
Z1 GT675RS turbos
Z1 HL-15 cams (270º duration and 0.385 lift)
Z1 lower radiator hard pipe (chrome) with silicone elbows
Z1 magnetic drain plug
Z1 oil cooler
Z1 polished 58mm throttle bodies
Z1 side mount intercoolers
Z1 silicone accordion hoses
Z1 silicone hoses and lines
Z1 stainless steel engine bay bolt kit
Z1 valve springs

-Miscellaneous/Fluids-

ATE super blue DOT4 clutch & brake fluid
Concept Z Performance battery tray
Dewla Design throttle cable cover strip
HKS Limited Edition Black SSQV blow off valves (x2 recirculated via HKS 29mm fittings)
Redline MT90 transmission fluid
Z1 aluminum door lock actuators (left & right)

And now the pictures!
From this:



To this: (not too bad for a weekend of work!)











Suspension work:












Misc.










Still very much in pieces and a huge work in progress but, I will try to update as often as I can. Thanks for looking!

Looks amazing!!! Basically what I originally planned to do to my car (same turbos and everything) but I then decided to not get all the internals lol. I'm very jealous man! that engine looks sooo clean lol. keep us updated!

This is going to be so sweet, great job so far man.

amazing build, hope everything goes well with this

looking good man! that engine looks brand new

When were you in Afghanistan?

Good lord, the before and after pics of the block are astounding! Who's building up the block and did you just redeck it, hot tank, then paint it black? What's your budget for the build, and just for the rebuild if you don't mind me asking.

vikesfankevin1986 wrote:When were you in Afghanistan?

I was there from Dec. 2006 to Jan. 2008. Bagram airbase and Kandahar. Were you there?

bartZ32 wrote:Good lord, the before and after pics of the block are astounding! Who's building up the block and did you just redeck it, hot tank, then paint it black? What's your budget for the build, and just for the rebuild if you don't mind me asking.

It's a Z1 stage II block so I take no credit for the actual block build lol. They are actually two different blocks. Old s*** one is stock and the new clean one is the Z1. The budget is quite large. I like having room to play haha.

I was at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan in 2005-2006. I know typically troops stop there when going to Afghanistan. Thought maybe ya passed through when I was there.

looks like a stage II short block @ $2900 from Z1. with shipping, its a little over $3k

i've been there... engine & mods alone can be spent upward in $20k

ps. i heard NA squirters are great replacements over TT ones

A Paratroopers 300zx wrote: It's a Z1 stage II block so I take no credit for the actual block build lol. They are actually two different blocks. Old s*** one is stock and the new clean one is the Z1. The budget is quite large. I like having room to play haha.

What are your plans for the heads?
Thanks for clearing that up, I am just wondering because I'm in the process of getting my Z up and running..either need to rebuild or swap so I'm thinking of just swapping a good used motor. Anyways, keep up the good work!

na oil squirters are like 100 for a set of 3.

i also got some stupid stuff like new lifters and bde cam gears since the engine's out, they're like 1,300!!!

geez.

^^ yes. it cost twice as much because Z's need to double up on parts

s*** gets $ very fast

vikesfankevin1986 wrote:I was at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan in 2005-2006. I know typically troops stop there when going to Afghanistan. Thought maybe ya passed through when I was there.

Yes I stayed there in staging for roughly a month in Dec. 2006. Maybe passed by you on the way to the chow hall a few times haha.

ztommyx wrote:looks like a stage II short block @ $2900 from Z1. with shipping, its a little over $3k

i've been there... engine & mods alone can be spent upward in $20k

ps. i heard NA squirters are great replacements over TT ones

Yes indeed, it's a stage II from Z1. And it does have the NA oil squirters.

bartZ32 wrote:What are your plans for the heads?
Thanks for clearing that up, I am just wondering because I'm in the process of getting my Z up and running..either need to rebuild or swap so I'm thinking of just swapping a good used motor. Anyways, keep up the good work!

I plan on going with the Z1 stage II heads as well. I may change out the cams if I don't like how they operate though. I figured that getting them already built by Z1 was just as expensive as getting all the parts individually and machining them. I also wanted to keep down time as little as possibly because I haven't driven my Z in almost 2 years. God I'm jonesin soooooo bad haha. The thing you have to realize about swapping in a used motor is; you never know what you are going to get as far as internals. Could have a spun bearing... or shot lifters... could have a turbo that looked like my driver's side: If you have the time, patience, budget and equipment... I would strongly recommend a rebuild. That way, you know everything is good and fresh.

^^ true. i would've done it like you and go with a reputable shop (Z1, IPP, etc.)
but we don't have money growing in the backyard like you do

i collected my parts for 4 years and then finished it in a year after

i've got about $20k+ on motor alone... and you're not too far off

ztommyx wrote:^^ true. i would've done it like you and go with a reputable shop (Z1, IPP, etc.)
but we don't have money growing in the backyard like you do

i collected my parts for 4 years and then finished it in a year after

i've got about $20k+ on motor alone... and you're not too far off

Ya no kidding. I just came into a large amount of money so, I set a bunch aside to finish my project. I still want to check yours out sometime man and get some inspiration haha

^^ not a problem, when the weather is good maybe i'll drive up to your shop

no inspiration here, everything is packed in there!

Short little update:

BDE motor mounts installed. Z1 turbo oil lines installed. OE brackets and such cleaned and installed.

ztommyx wrote:^^ true. i would've done it like you and go with a reputable shop (Z1, IPP, etc.)
but we don't have money growing in the backyard like you do

i collected my parts for 4 years and then finished it in a year after

i've got about $20k+ on motor alone... and you're not too far off

how did you spend $20k+ on the engine alone?

even a top-notch ipp engine is only 10+?

i have new lifters, arp stuff, pistons, rods, bde vtc cam gears, and that's probably just 8k+.

are you including maybe new turbo's and nismo's injectors as part of your calculations?

^^ Greddy turbo kit alone is $4500, plus Border 850cc injectors, just guess...
then adj. cam gears (need four), Greddy pistons, rods, head gaskets (2 @ $200 each), lifters, arp studs...
bottom and top end machine work... plus all new OE internals, misc hoses, gaskets, etc... i have a wall of list.

how much do you think the above is already?
does not even include labor.

IPP is great. i've bought a lot of stuff above from IPP and kyle. i've personally talked to kyle during my engine work at the time.
he's helped me a few times.


para: looking good!!

ztommyx wrote:^^ Greddy turbo kit alone is $4500, plus Border 850cc injectors, just guess...
then adj. cam gears (need four), Greddy pistons, rods, head gaskets (2 @ $200 each), lifters, arp studs...
bottom and top end machine work... plus all new OE internals, misc hoses, gaskets, etc... i have a wall of list.

how much do you think the above is already?
does not even include labor.

IPP is great. i've bought a lot of stuff above from IPP and kyle. i've personally talked to kyle during my engine work at the time.
he's helped me a few times.


para: looking good!!

ok, so that's not really 20k+ on the engine alone. you're including turbo's, injectors, etc. as part of your calculations.

that makes more sense since 20+ on the engine alone is outrageous.

for the turbo's, why didn't you go with the specialty-z exp-900 turbo's? they're "only" 3.5k and i would imagine can match what the greddy stuff can do?

Dude, this build is legit. Mad props

vulcanrush wrote:
ok, so that's not really 20k+ on the engine alone. you're including turbo's, injectors, etc. as part of your calculations.

Turbo's, injectors, etc. are not parts of an engine?

usually, i just think of the short-block and upper-end when doing a refresh.

that's just me being dumb, because i allocate for the turbo's and injectors on their own.

what an awesome build, btw.

esp the powertrix stuff.

i ran outta funds after getting new intercoolers and exhausts, and now have to wait, lol.

what radiator/oil cooler did you go with, if i could ask?

ztommyx wrote: how much do you think the above is already?
does not even include labor.

para: looking good!!

Thanks man! And the above goes like so:
Z1 stage II block @ $3500
BDE mounts @ $390
New OEM stuff @ ~$800
Suspension stuff @ ~$4600
Z1 IC's @ $600
Interior things @ ~$2600
Exterior things @ ~$1400
Random parts like turbos and things pictured on my floor @ ~$4000

Total pictured so far: ~$11000. Labor has all been done by myself. And that's not even close to complete haha.

car nut wrote:Dude, this build is legit. Mad props

Thank you! I'm stoked!

vulcanrush wrote:usually, i just think of the short-block and upper-end when doing a refresh. that's just me being dumb, because i allocate for the turbo's and injectors on their own. what an awesome build, btw. esp the powertrix stuff. i ran outta funds after getting new intercoolers and exhausts, and now have to wait, lol. what radiator/oil cooler did you go with, if i could ask?

I appreciate it man! I haven't purchased any cooling stuff yet, but when I do, it will be a Koyo radiator and probably the Z1 oil cooler.

vulcanrush wrote:

ztommyx wrote:^^ Greddy turbo kit alone is $4500, plus Border 850cc injectors, just guess...
then adj. cam gears (need four), Greddy pistons, rods, head gaskets (2 @ $200 each), lifters, arp studs...
bottom and top end machine work... plus all new OE internals, misc hoses, gaskets, etc... i have a wall of list.

how much do you think the above is already?
does not even include labor.

IPP is great. i've bought a lot of stuff above from IPP and kyle. i've personally talked to kyle during my engine work at the time.
he's helped me a few times.


para: looking good!!

ok, so that's not really 20k+ on the engine alone. you're including turbo's, injectors, etc. as part of your calculations.

that makes more sense since 20+ on the engine alone is outrageous.

for the turbo's, why didn't you go with the specialty-z exp-900 turbo's? they're "only" 3.5k and i would imagine can match what the greddy stuff can do?

i got all this stuff even before Z1 even come out with all the nice turbos

it does add up quickly. i've only listed half of the parts

looking awesome and clean too. When you going to be terrorizing the streets?

This looks like a fun and amazing build! I really like yo rims! they look like g35/work emotion cr-kai and i absolutely love that style of wheel on our cars.. the 'after' block is gorgeous! OH! steering wheel! What kind is it!? its the most tasteful aftermarket one ive seen on the z32.. kinda has the stock lines..

SarahLovesHer300zx wrote: OH! steering wheel! What kind is it!?

Rare_f8 wrote:looking awesome and clean too. When you going to be terrorizing the streets?

Well, I hope within the next few months or so. Still needs a lot of work. I want to get the proper break-in mileage done before this next Winter hits.

SarahLovesHer300zx wrote:This looks like a fun and amazing build! I really like yo rims! they look like g35/work emotion cr-kai and i absolutely love that style of wheel on our cars.. the 'after' block is gorgeous! OH! steering wheel! What kind is it!? its the most tasteful aftermarket one ive seen on the z32.. kinda has the stock lines..

Thank you Sarah! The only bad thing about all this is: I have very expensive/quality tastes haha. Gets damn pricey! I wish those wheels were in a more aggressive stance... I love the look of them as well. As for the steering wheel... it's a Momo Millennium Evolution. I absolutely hate the look of the factory airbag one. Looks like it should be in a grandma's Buick haha.