PEZi720... the build thread

[PEZi]

better late than never i guess...

as most of you guys know i've been working on this thing for what seems like forever now... but i might as well have a build thread at this point i think

i'm not gonna go back into the past projects but feel free to ask about them if you like...

so... current projects:

1. the engine bay clean up: basically done... just need to remount the ignition coils and make a few more hoses look better. *** current question on this project *** can i delete the charcoal canister if i put a breather filter on the tube to the gas tank?

2. the interior clean up and new dash: i think i'll be making the new dash out of plexi for cheapness. the new gauges will be the cheapest matching (non BS) ones i can find and will contain a tach, temp, fuel, oil pressure and volt meter. this project will also include the removal of my heater core and center console thing that holds the stock oil pressure and volt gauges but will have to wait till the new dash is ready to go in.

future projects:

1. suspension: will consist of koni reds all around. custom torsion bars in the front and fiberglass leaf springs in the rear.

2. removal of all that is unnecessary (will not occur until i have another car and don't drive it on the road anymore): will include fender liners... the actual bed part of the bed (the sides will stay on)... all windows removed except windshield... headlights... wipers... this list will have more as i go along

3. engine build: new carb (best one i can get that is legal in my class... decision not yet made)... port and polished KA head... agressive cam... possible high comp pistons... possible E85 setup... custom fabricated intake for new carb (this will consist of a typical drop in (rectangle) k&n filter that comes up flush with the hood and a rectangle will be cut in the hood so it closes)... a possible scoop will cover this but i'm currently doubting it

4. aero: custom front splitter from lower valance... if the truck ends up being too tail happy i will add a wing in the rear (it will be IN the bed so it is not visible from the side and will attach directly to the frame)

5. wheels and tires: i will most likely ditch the 15's for 13's (quicker rev up)... if i do this the tire will be the hoosier a6 in a 255/40/13... if i keep the 15's it will be a 275/35/15 (i'm hoping for the 13's in all honesty... cheaper and quicker rev ups)

6. hopefuls: custom lightened drive shaft to mount up to a diff out of a titan... see how that goes.... and a steering quickener for an indy car ratio (may require custom rack rather than box)

so... wish me luck... and hopefully this won't take long!!!

[breadbox]

mmmmmm KA head. When you say remove glass except windsheild, will you replace with plexi/lexan?

[PEZi]

mmmmmm KA head. When you say remove glass except windsheild, will you replace with plexi/lexan?

i need to double check what's legal in my class... i know i can ditch the side windows completely but i may need to make the rear ones out of lexan

[s14derrick]

seems like you have a plan man. how much power are you hoping to make? and have any pics

[PEZi]

i'm just lookin to make a solid and consistent 'no worries' 200-ish wheel hp.... the lightness makes up for what power i don't have

this is my most recent of exterior pics from the june CONOC meet... still looks exactly like this... underhood and interior are the only ones that have changed

[PEZi]

i'll get some pics up soon... but my headlights are now removed and replaced with mesh

my new dash will be done tomorrow... i decided to customize my stock 720 dash instead of making a fully new one

all my emissions stuff is gone... including the carbon canister... it was replaced with a filter that took a million years to get here from k&n

all that's left to do before the race this sunday is:paint the dash... put it indrain the coolant (ANYONE GOT ANY TIPS ON WHAT TO DRAIN IT INTO?)delete the heater coreplug the holes (ANYONE GOT ANY IDEAS FOR THIS PART??? MAYBE JUST LOOP THE HOSE?)refill the coolant

[Kira-Hachi]

Ugh, draining the rad, what a nightmare.......

I suggest attaching a tube to a funnel, and grabbing a gallon container to put the other side of the tube into. Butt the funnel right to the rad where the drain hole is and open slowly. Depending on the size of the funnel you may want to keep the cap on the rad to avoid it coming out too fast. It screams out of there if you let it. I did it on mine right when I got it and what a fkin mess.

Easiest solution for the routes to your heater core is to loop, you should be able to pick up a coupler and a couple clamps from NAPA/Autozone/Partsource. (as you suggested).

[lil89ram50]

i put my truck on ramps and then drain it into a 5 gal bucket.... might wanna get some engine degreaser, and fill the rad with the engine degreaser and water mix and flush the motor....... jus put the gal of degreeaser in, then fill with water, start the motor, then let warm up, then jus keep filling with water...... it will start to over flow, then put the cap on, let it run for 5-10 mins, then drain, fill with your antifreez/water mix and your good to go! you wouldnt imagine the s*** that will come out! im going to be doing this to mine when i switch my fluids in a couple weeks..... might be a good idea to change out your thermostat, there cheap, and since your already workin on it.....

[PEZi]

well... i got the heater core out... looped the hoses... and refilled

everything went pretty well really

When you gut the bed, its gonna get flimsy.

yeah i know... i've yet to figure out how i want to reinforce it... its under my 'to do list'

[PEZi]

headlight delete



dash

[daxon22]

Did you wrap your dash or paint it ?

[PEZi]

painted it

[daxon22]

Looks prety good ! Also i like the truck ! Its funny ive been planning on painting my '86 720 flat black and now i know what it will look like lol !

[PEZi]

Just make sure you do it right... i did it in a booth... most matte jobs end up pretty bad because it is much harder to make look good than gloss

[daxon22]

Yeah i know what your sayin . Im actually going to have my brother spray it with U-pol Raptor spray on bedliner ! People say im crazy but i dont care, ive seen some cars and trucks done like this and i like it ! Heres a link to a couple of cars done . What do you think ? http://forums.vwvortex.com/zer...96877

[PEZi]

hmm... seems like it may be a better idea than what i did... mine scratches too easy and i'm guessing that doesn't really scratch

[daxon22]

Yeah my brothers a body man and i told him i wanted to do flat black and he mentioned that it scratches easy and brought up the idea of bed liner . My trucks painted that brown metallic and its faded badly ! So i figure if i take my time in preping it should look 100x better ! Plus ive got some nice Titan wheels to go on it ! Hopefully it will turn out lookin as good as yours !

[PEZi]

i'm sure it will... the titan wheels look good on the little trucks... i use smaller diameter wheels for autocross though

[daxon22]

I would have gotten smaller wheels but i came across these at a price i couldnt pass up ! I kinda wish i did buy smaller wheels cause the price of 18" tires is expensive ! Oh well anyways what kind of gas milage do you get now that youve eliminated all the emissions crap and is it better than before? Also does it seem to have more power ?

[PEZi]

it pulls harder... but the gas mileage is actually a little worse... supposedly it is common in the z24 to get worse mileage... but yes... it pulls harder

[seang]

yeah i know... i've yet to figure out how i want to reinforce it... its under my 'to do list'

I think light duty, thin wall square steel tubing with lots of triangles in the design. Aluminium tubing would be even lighter, and just as rigid. Maybe a space frame type setup. It can probaly be made with fairly few pieces.

[Kira-Hachi]

Just make sure you do it right... i did it in a booth... most matte jobs end up pretty bad because it is much harder to make look good than gloss

I can relate, I tiger-striped the hood of my truck, and the box shows it as well. My fenders and doors turned out well until the doors got scratched lol.

[PEZi]

just a quick update... the 'how it sits as of now' pics

the front (without headlights)

the rear

interior

and the under-hood

[seang]

I'll take it!...figuratively speaking

BTW, did you ever price the fiberglass leafs?

[PEZi]

no not yet... no need pricing them if i know i don't have the money...

i also need to do some 'spec' work... because when i get them i'm going to have the leafs do all of my lowering and ditch the blocks... so i'll need to figure that out

[seang]

Do you have any axle wrap? If so, I have an idea for the glass-fiber leafs. Make the front part of the leafs a little beefier than the back part so the flex occurs primarily at the rear of the springs. This would make them act more like a control arm, and less like a big bendy off-road leaf. To savor this setup even more, you won't get "roll bind" like you might if you actually used control arms. Do you see what I mean? Also, 4 link setups can also have roll bind, so in a way, proper leafs are the way to go here.

[PEZi]

i don't currently get any axle wrap... but apparently i would if i made more power so i figured ditching the blocks like everyone says to do will happen when i do the leafs

[flinterman2000]

Was considering using radius rods and air-bags to remove the leafs all-together. Saw it done to a Ford Ranger. They cut the chassis where the axle comes up and installed half of a 4" Sch 40 pipe as the curve of the pipe would decrease the chance of the chassis breaking where its cut.

[PEZi]

the problem using bags is that when pushed as hard as mine is through a corner... it just doesn't act right

[seang]

Was considering using radius rods and air-bags to remove the leafs all-together. Saw it done to a Ford Ranger. They cut the chassis where the axle comes up and installed half of a 4" Sch 40 pipe as the curve of the pipe would decrease the chance of the chassis breaking where its cut.

Quit hating on the leafs!