Say hello to my $900 rust bucket of a Z31

[N00BARU]

So after about 2 years lurking craigslist for a decent car to make a project I finally found a 1988 300ZX Turbo for $900... (130k original miles)
Look at the pictures and you'll see why it was so cheap...


Look at all that rust and bondo and I don't even know what else




Air vents for the added 5 horsepower


It had a rear end collision and the PO used a lot of bondo to fix it...






Gonna make a sticker that says "Insert Rust Here"


No leaks through the T-Tops, which I'm pretty impressed about, I actually let it outside and it poured all day today. went to check any leaks, and none...




Analog gauges, Everything works


Boost gauge moves but it doesn't get passed 0...


Had like 10 pounds of carpet all stashed in the back and rotting away, so I just threw it out... Weight reduction Stage .5


And the anticipated engine bay shot


I need a new battery


T- T- T- Turbo

So there it is, not much of a looker, but it does the job fine...

Pros:
It's a manual (Still learning)
Electronics surprisingly work, the electronic lumbar support still works, windows work, side view mirrors work, all lights work, radio works, and the AC blows but not cold
Rear wheel drive, I drive a 2013 Base Corolla Auto, not very fun
Nissan, I like Nissan and want to work on them in the future, so I thought this would be a good starting point
T- T- T- Turrrbo Vg30, that has some work to be done

Cons:
The freggin' body looks like Frankenstein's monster
I don't know how deep the rust runs
Engine runs, but it's hesitant and loud
Fuel sender unit must be bad or leaking injector cause I'm getting like 5 mpg
A friend and I believe the u-joints are bad
Starter doesn't work
Smells dusty
Speakers suck
I believe back right suspension is collapsed
Hasn't been registered since 2002
and some other things

I'm a student for Auto Tech so I'll have a look at it on Wednesday when we have shop days and I work at Ford as a Lube Tech so I'll be doing coolant flush, oil change, diff fluid, brake fluid, and check for any other mishaps...

For now it's just sitting in the driveway waiting to get registered and get a new starter put in...

Future plans: (Please guys, tell me recommendations because I'm not so fluent in 80's Nissans as I'm more of a Subaru fanboy, but Subarus are hard to find here)

New Starter Motor
Registration
New Battery (I would like to relocate it as well to the back)
Rims and tyres (My friend wants the current rims and I'm not a fan of them anyways)
U-Joints
Get suspension sorted (Cheapo coilovers are my idea)
Clean out intake and throttle plate
Some Seafoam
Check how bad the rust is holding back performance
Replace Timing Belt, Spark Plugs, fuel pump and injectors
I believe there's a misfire too so I gotta check that out.

And then from there on just some sanding down the body, cutting out the rust spots and rivetting some metal plates, then a rattle can paintjob

And that's it for now

I'd also like to meet with anybody in the area to tell more in person about this car, I never liked this model, but recently I've had a fetish for them...

- Steve

[frapjap]

Howdy, Steve! Welcome to NICO!

I was going to say that I hope you're capable because you're going to have your hands full- but I think you've got this just fine! There isn't a thing that you won't learn about a car by working on that Z. Its going to be a hell of a journey and will solidify you as a bonefide enthusiast when you bring her back to life.

That said, with all of those things wrong with the car, at least it has great condition late model 300zx wheels on it. Don't sell those until you see what they're going for on the used market!

Enjoy the journey and start a build thread to introduce yourself in the 300zx Z31 section.
300zx-z31-forum-f1240.html
If you document your mods or even replacements of the simple stuff like the starter with some photos, we'll publish it into an article for you.

There are a lot of good folks there who will be able to help you out with specific questions. Get to know this link well- it will be your bible in the near future! Factory Service Manual for the Z31.
looking-for-z31-factory-service-manuals-t581173.html

You're always welcome over here in Gen Chat, too- this is an excellent community to be pa part of. Especially if you need a quick, general mechanical knowledge answer.

[OriginalWheelman]

Welcome to NICO. That is a BIG project you have on your hands there.

Boost gauge moves but it doesn't get passed 0...

Vacuum leak

The freggin' body looks like Frankenstein's monster

Yes. You are a braver man than I.

I don't know how deep the rust runs

Hate to be negative, but probably pretty deep.

Engine runs, but it's hesitant and loud

This is normal. Even running perfect the single cams do not like to rev up under 3k.

Rims and tyres (My friend wants the current rims and I'm not a fan of them anyways)

Be careful here. The stock offset is different on the Z31 than 90s Nissans. The Z31 uses a 20mm offset, and the later Nissans use 30+ offset. If you get wide wheels they will rub on the inside and if you get normal width wheels like the stock Z32 wheels you have on it they will be tucked in.

Get suspension sorted (Cheapo coilovers are my idea)

Not as easy as you think. The rears can be swapped for S13 rears, but the front doesn't exactly use a traditional McPhearson strut system. You will need to breakout the welder to mod the monotube to receive a coil over collar or seriously mod a set of S13 struts and the hub.

I'd also like to meet with anybody in the area to tell more in person about this car, I never liked this model, but recently I've had a fetish for them...

- Steve

They do grow on you.

[Jesda]

Oh man, the era of fake interior plasti-stitching.

You have a lot of work ahead of you. Personally, if it runs, I'd just drive it until its dead. Use it as a grocery getter/beater and hoon the piss out of it.

[jbracy7]

Plenty of hard work ther the z31 is a bit of a money pit,like a hard drug you don't know how bad your in until you wake up in rehab

[WDRacing]

Love it. Not bad for 900 bucks imho.

Welcome to Nico!

[G-E]

Depending what you want to do with the car, and what kind of budget you have, I make a ton of parts for it -- a bunch of crazy new projects just landed too

PM me anytime

[nissangirl74]

Welcome to NICO! Nice starter project you have there.

The good news: it runs!!

This will help it run better. how-to-seafoam-your-engine-the-right-wa ... 26583.html. If you have never used Seafoam before, don't be scared of the cloud. It means it's working. (We fogged up the entire neighborhood and we live in a desert!)

The bad news: if there is rust anywhere, it's everywhere. Be prepared to have to replace body panels. Sometimes replacing is cheaper / easier / less frustrating than trying to fix them.

Get it up in the air and see what the underside looks like before you tear into this thing, make sure you didn't bite off more than you can chew. It it's going to cost you $20K to make it right, you might want to reconsider....or just find a kickass welder and convince him to become your new best friend.

Good luck, keep us posted and drop a link in here when you start your build thread in the Z31 section.

[Dattebayo]

I remember my old VG needed front and rear main seals, and at least one of those leaking was pretty common among all the other cars I'd seen while I was in the buying process still... Along with tons of vacuum leaks, of course.

[SHIFT_Z]

Welcome to NICO!

Former Z31 owner here.. x3! (88 2+2, 86 slicktop, 85 Turbo)

Some things:
-Check UNDER that battery for rust.. that's a favorite hiding spot for it.
-Check the rubber boots on the rack-and-pinion assembly once under the car; they like to decay.
-Check under the spare tire, and very well in the hatch area for rust.
-The signal for boost to the dash is electronic- it isn't super reliable. Get an aftermarket vacuum operated boost gauge to accurately see if your turbocharger is producing boost. (For an 88T, it's around 5 psi)
-Faulty distributor or failing sensor (Exhaust related, or sometimes more of a headache-- cylinder head temperature sensor)

+1 for being careful about the wheels.. Not a TON of choices for rims out there, but you just gotta look. Some will fit with proper spacing, etc.. But take into consideration the rear camber as well, as your tires might wear quicker and unevenly.)

Get it mechanically sound, do all you can to salvage the body... then there are some easy mods that you can do to free up some neglected horsepower!

If the thing is plagued with rust, get it running sound then try and flip it for a few hundred profit and find another one. Check local newspapers, as that is a first choice for listings of elders. (That's how I found 2 of my 3 Z's... and they were nicer then anything else within the tristate on Autotrader)

Great support and information here! Good luck!

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

You sir, put the project in projectile vomit. Is that a Shiro front air dam?

[N00BARU]

Be careful here. The stock offset is different on the Z31 than 90s Nissans. The Z31 uses a 20mm offset, and the later Nissans use 30+ offset. If you get wide wheels they will rub on the inside and if you get normal width wheels like the stock Z32 wheels you have on it they will be tucked in.

Oh, Ok, so I plan on getting Cragar V5 rims anyways that are 16x7 with 0 offset in front and 16x8 0 offset in the rear... Those would fit right?

Not as easy as you think. The rears can be swapped for S13 rears, but the front doesn't exactly use a traditional McPhearson strut system. You will need to breakout the welder to mod the monotube to receive a coil over collar or seriously mod a set of S13 struts and the hub.

Did not know that... I talked to a guy on wednesday who can do the monotube weld, and I'm going to follow this guy's path http://redz31.net/pages/coilovers for the rest...

They do grow on you.

This model has now become my favourite..

You have a lot of work ahead of you. Personally, if it runs, I'd just drive it until its dead. Use it as a grocery getter/beater and hoon the piss out of it.

This is quite literally my plan... I'm not gonna bother with the body, just gonna fix up the essentials to get the car running strong and then see if I can find a shell later on and transfer everything to it, or look for a S12 and swap everything out...

Depending what you want to do with the car, and what kind of budget you have, I make a ton of parts for it -- a bunch of crazy new projects just landed too

PM me anytime

Will do... I got a list of things to do in a notebook and it's like two pages long...

Get it mechanically sound, do all you can to salvage the body... then there are some easy mods that you can do to free up some neglected horsepower!

Yup, my plans so far...

You sir, put the project in projectile vomit. Is that a Shiro front air dam?

I'm not too sure... It looks like a knockoff, but I know the body kit isn't stock, and I saw that wing on a Kaminari body kit so...

and here's a link to my build thread: sir-rust-a-lot-t589721.html

[OriginalWheelman]

That is a good write up for the rears, but this one is better for the fronts.

http://www.z31.com/mods/coilover.shtml

I prefer the s13 rear swap to this guy's method of modding the rear but between the two guides, i think they nailed it.

[WDRacing]

If the motor can be fixed relatively easy, then the motor and trans alone is worth the 900. This is a wicked good way to start a project. Especially if you're going to find a shell someday down the road.

If this project dies or you lose interest, shoot me a PM. I'll buy that motor/trans off ya!

[Heavy]

stance makes coilovers for the Z31...

http://www.stance-usa.com/sus/products/ ... supersport

[OriginalWheelman]

For $1300 with a 9k spring rate...