New guy checking in.

[wontonsean]

I decided to go ahead and sign up because as soon as Im back home in Ga Im dead set on picking up a 240, 260 or 280z and begin work on a RB25DET swap. A 240z is my first choice but will settle for a 260 or 280. Lately I have been spending copious amounts of time researching Z's and the RB swap and tracking down parts and reading as much information as I can. The only thing that sucks is that before I can start this I have to finish parting out my Turbo Miata project to fund this undertaking. The good thing about the Miata project is that I already have a few parts I can transfer over to this project I want to take on. I.E. A Garrett GT2860rs with Tial V-band turbine housing and Tial 38mm wastegate to get me started with replacing the factory Turbo manifold and turbo ( I dont like the idea of having a plastic compressor wheel! )

So far what I have in mind for this project is first getting the suspension, interior and extirior to my likeings as well and fixing any issues with the car. Then start collecting parts and get the swap under way. My biggest concern is replaceing the crank collar to fix the problem with there not being enough surface area there to reliably drive the oil pump. Seeing how ill have the oil pan off the engine to convert it to rear sump I might as well take care of it then. After the car is up and running smoothly Ill start replacinging things like the OEM Intake manifold with a Greddy or the like, Ill probly be hitting up a local shop that specializes in Nissans to fabricate me a turbo mani and downpipe so that I can use the turbo and wastegate I already have. The shop I have in mind is Lethal Motorsports. (aka. Lethal Injections) Im not looking for uber amounts of power! My goal is good streetable fun power with some trackdays here and there. 300 HP sounds like a realistic number to shoot for!

Im not here to be a stupid Noob, Im here to search, read, learn and lerk the for sale section to buy goodies for this project!

here are some pics of my turbo Miata project to give you and idea of my capabilities! The project didnt get much further than these pic though.

[nissangirl74]

Welcome to NICO. We'll help you out with your new project. See link in sig.

[wontonsean]

Welcome to NICO. We'll help you out with your new project. See link in sig.

Thanks!

Although Im hard pressed to ask any questions at all untill Im to the point of throwing my laptop across the room from not being able to find the answer on my own. Im used to not asking questions coming from miataturbo.net. Noobish questions do not go down to well there. lol

[numbnuts240]

welcome to nico. good luck on the rb/s30 project. our boss-lady has hers running, mine is still underway, and there are a couple more of us on here involved with that swap. my only advice is to map out a timeline and order of operations. handle one aspect of the build at a time. that's my problem, although i did start off doing that, my short attention span and tendency to shop for deals on parts has me doing everything on the car at once and it feels like nothing is really getting accomplished.

[nissangirl74]

It's OK not to know things, that's why we are here. n00b questions are OK if your intentions are good, and we'll know if they aren't.

Read, read, read and then use SEARCH. If you can't find what you are looking for, search for your topic with Google. Lots of times, it will give you links that lead here. There are a lot of awesome people in the RB forums. Take advantage of them. They helped us while we were building my Z.

[nissangirl74]

IMO, this is probably THE BEST build thread here on NICO. The OP's name is Gordon. Super nice guy, he actually came out to see us when we were working on my car. He is brilliant and has a flair for writing in an easy-to-understand manner. The thread in 15 pages long but you will learn a LOT if you read it. I did.
2009-240z-build-t403961.html

[wontonsean]

welcome to nico. good luck on the rb/s30 project. our boss-lady has hers running, mine is still underway, and there are a couple more of us on here involved with that swap. my only advice is to map out a timeline and order of operations. handle one aspect of the build at a time. that's my problem, although i did start off doing that, my short attention span and tendency to shop for deals on parts has me doing everything on the car at once and it feels like nothing is really getting accomplished.

That exactly what happend to me when working on my Miata. I got it as a roller and have spent a year working on it. Pretty much working on the whole car at once on my own. I got way over my head and thats the reason for me parting it out to try and start this and do the project right. Besides, Ill finally have the car I have always wanted sence I was a kid!

It's OK not to know things, that's why we are here. n00b questions are OK if your intentions are good, and we'll know if they aren't.

Read, read, read and then use SEARCH. If you can't find what you are looking for, search for your topic with Google. Lots of times, it will give you links that lead here. There are a lot of awesome people in the RB forums. Take advantage of them. They helped us while we were building my Z.

I got lots of time to research and read. It will be a lil bit before I can start. Its a good thing cause it will allow me to get a proper game plan going!

[nissangirl74]

I got lots of time to research and read. It will be a lil bit before I can start. Its a good thing cause it will allow me to get a proper game plan going!

A whiteboard is your friend.

Good luck with your build. Hit me up anytime you need something.

[wontonsean]

I got lots of time to research and read. It will be a lil bit before I can start. Its a good thing cause it will allow me to get a proper game plan going!

A whiteboard is your friend.

Good luck with your build. Hit me up anytime you need something.

I for sure need to invest in a BIg white board!

Thanks, and will do! Oh and thank you agian for the links. Been reading since you posted!

[nissangirl74]

Thanks, and will do! Oh and thank you agian for the links. Been reading since you posted!

YW. Oh and just for reference, in choosing which S30 to use as your platform..... you just can't beat the original.

240 > all others.

[wontonsean]

Thanks, and will do! Oh and thank you agian for the links. Been reading since you posted!

YW. Oh and just for reference, in choosing which S30 to use as your platform..... you just can't beat the original.

240 > all others.

No doubt! If I have to drive to a nearby state to get one I will! the only deal breakers on a plateform car is previously wrecked and really bad rust issues. I dont care if its running or not, although it will be nice to get one in running shape to get a feel for the car and how it drives.

[nissangirl74]

Your best deal on chassis / running cars will be found in the SW part of the country. AZ and So Cal. Low humidity = less rust. Almost everything east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon line has cancer. Sad but true.

[wontonsean]

Your best deal on chassis / running cars will be found in the SW part of the country. AZ and So Cal. Low humidity = less rust. Almost everything east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon line has cancer. Sad but true.

Yeah, I know! I have pretty much been staying out here in San Francisco for a lil while now and have been checking out what the market has to offer. Needless to say it is plentiful, but getting one out here and bringing it home will be a chore. With that said I have been looking at what the south east region has in the way of rust free cars and there are a few nice cars with minimal rust but they come with a price. Its a lil give and take....

[Ace2cool]

There's a guy up towards Sacramento or San Jose or somewhere up there that was selling 2 240Z's for like $3,000 and both of the ran, just not really driveable. One had a water pump failure, and I'm not sure what was wrong with the other. The bodies were beat, but rust-free. I'll see if I can dig up the ad.

EDIT: Screw what I was talking about, buy this, NOW.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2269316780.html

[wontonsean]

There's a guy up towards Sacramento or San Jose or somewhere up there that was selling 2 240Z's for like $3,000 and both of the ran, just not really driveable. One had a water pump failure, and I'm not sure what was wrong with the other. The bodies were beat, but rust-free. I'll see if I can dig up the ad.

EDIT: Screw what I was talking about, buy this, NOW.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2269316780.html

WHY GOD, WHY DO YOU PUNISH ME!!!!! I dont have anywhere to store the car while Im out here! Im staying in the middle of San Francisco right now....

[nissangirl74]

Not to step on your toes Aaron, but I would ask for more pictures of that thing before slapping down any money on it. I don't like the looks of that bumper.

[wontonsean]

Not to step on your toes Aaron, but I would ask for more pictures of that thing before slapping down any money on it. I don't like the looks of that bumper.

I dont think its that far from me and it may be worth a quick look!

[drksolest]

Hai

Welcome to the formus

[wontonsean]

Hai

Welcome to the formus

Thanks for the warm welcomes!

[nissangirl74]

Not to step on your toes Aaron, but I would ask for more pictures of that thing before slapping down any money on it. I don't like the looks of that bumper.

I dont think its that far from me and it may be worth a quick look!

Even better. Take your own pictures and let us know what's up.

[wontonsean]

Ill see about givin him a call tomorrow! The only bad thing is, if it is in a decent shape.....how the hell am I gonna get it back to GA!? lol

[Ace2cool]

Freight shipping on something like that would probably be about 500 bucks, since it's already a light car, and there's no engine. I might be wrong, but they wanted $700 for my friend's S4, which is 3800 lbs. A 240Z with engine barely broke 2300.

[PEZi]

HAI... do you make good wontons?

[wontonsean]

Freight shipping on something like that would probably be about 500 bucks, since it's already a light car, and there's no engine. I might be wrong, but they wanted $700 for my friend's S4, which is 3800 lbs. A 240Z with engine barely broke 2300.

I guess I should start calling some freight companys. It will probly be more trouble than its worth. I just need to pony up and budget to spend 4k to 6k to get a decent running Z. (be alot less headaches)

HAI... do you make good wontons?

Nope, dont even eat them. Wonton just rims with sean. Although im kinda bothered becasue I usually just use wonton for my SN, this is the first place that I have signed up where it was already in use.

[nissangirl74]

I guess I should start calling some freight companys. It will probly be more trouble than its worth. I just need to pony up and budget to spend 4k to 6k to get a decent running Z. (be alot less headaches)

That depends and varies widely. You probably won't be able to find a Z with an RB in it for that little. If you're gonna do the swap, you're gonna have to gut the whole thing anyway so no use buying more than the shell IMO.

Just my .02

[wontonsean]

I guess I should start calling some freight companys. It will probly be more trouble than its worth. I just need to pony up and budget to spend 4k to 6k to get a decent running Z. (be alot less headaches)

That depends and varies widely. You probably won't be able to find a Z with an RB in it for that little. If you're gonna do the swap, you're gonna have to gut the whole thing anyway so no use buying more than the shell IMO.

Just my .02

I was meaning just getting one that still has a factory motor and all that good stuff so I can actually drive the car and enjoy it in its classic form before I rip into the car. Eventually Ill work on things that wont require the car to be down long in prep for the RB swap. Like, upgrading the rear end, stiffining the chassis, repairing any rust and what not! The bad thing about getting a shell is the issue of getting the car back to GA. Right now I pretty much have 2 options, Buy a rust free car out here and drive it cross the country home or pick up a rust bucket back in GA and restore it.

Im probly going to be out here in the bay area for another 3 months at least so I have plenty of time to save up money and get some of my Miata parts sold. Then buy a 240 with the least amount of rust as possible that still runs then prep it for a cross country trip or just hold onto my money and buy somthing back home.

On another note, I found a 72 240z for a really good price. It just needs a head gasket according to the seller. I may see what I can do about getting that one and renting storage shed to put the car in and work on it.

[nissangirl74]

Freight shipping on something like that would probably be about 500 bucks, since it's already a light car, and there's no engine. I might be wrong, but they wanted $700 for my friend's S4, which is 3800 lbs. A 240Z with engine barely broke 2300.

My Z weighed 2750 lbs from the factory with the L24 in it.

Shipping costs depend less on weight and more on distance traveled. Other factors are the length and width of the car and whether it drives. L/W - simply because you don't want to take up more than one spot on a transport. Drive-ability because if your car can be driven onto the trailer that saves time. If they have to wench it or do anything special just to get it onto the trailer, that's a PITA. PITA costs more money.

[wontonsean]

Freight shipping on something like that would probably be about 500 bucks, since it's already a light car, and there's no engine. I might be wrong, but they wanted $700 for my friend's S4, which is 3800 lbs. A 240Z with engine barely broke 2300.

My Z weighed 2750 lbs from the factory with the L24 in it.

Shipping costs depend less on weight and more on distance traveled. Other factors are the length and width of the car and whether it drives. L/W - simply because you don't want to take up more than one spot on a transport. Drive-ability because if your car can be driven onto the trailer that saves time. If they have to wench it or do anything special just to get it onto the trailer, that's a PITA. PITA costs more money.

Exactly! I got quotes to see how much it would cost to have my Miata shipped out here in case I decided to stay out here in CA and it was in the neighborhood of 900 bucks to 1200 bucks to get it out here from GA. I think the a Z may be a bit more. I think a Z is longer and just a lil wider than a 1st gen Miata.

Im tending to lean towards whatever way that robs less money out of my wallet.