New Z Owner! (Pic Heavy)

[SteveMX09]

Hi everybody, names Stephen.
I'm in Jacksonville FL, will be moving down to Melbourne, FL next month. I just acquired a 1990 300ZX 2+2 in a straight trade for my barely-running 2001 Daewoo Lanos Sport. The guy was fine with the trade, he says that "Daewoos are awesome, they are way more reliable than any name brand cars" (direct quote). Anyway, I love this thing! It is really rough, the interior is horrible, the body is bad, there is some rust on the passenger door (and only that door), and the paint is peeling badly. The wheels are scuffed and oxidized badly, the front passenger wheel is aluminum (and on backwards) where the rest are chrome (have the last chrome rim in the trunk). The tires are shot to hell, the right muffler has slid off the pipe, it needs suspension work, and needed new steering rack bushings (he had the rack held in place by a very tight ratchet strap!!!). Interior wise, there is a lot of trim broken or missing, the t-tops leak on both sides in heavy rain, wires sticking out where they shouldnt be, a completely wide open head unit area, the shifter is loose like no tomorrow, the e-brake doesn't work, the windshield has a massive crack in it, the speedometer and odometer do not function (mileage is frozen at 169k) the passenger seat is the wrong seat for the car and was only bolted down on one side, the dome and map lights don't work, the ac doesn't work (probably just the blower motor), both electrical control pods are loose and taped together, it's just a very very thrashed car. I have always loved Z's and wanted one, and this made me sad to see. I went ahead with the trade, because... the motor runs like a top, it shifts perfectly fine, it has a new clutch, and it pulls very hard! (not that I will be doing much pulling til the suspension is "safe"). I drove it 100 miles back home to Jax from Georgia, and immediately removed the passenger seat and chucked it in the dumpster. Despite this massive list of flaws, I love this thing and look forward to (albiet slowly) nursing her back to her prime. Here are some pics I took at the place where I got the car, I'll add more later of how it looks now after a good cleaning and wipe down.

















So guys, any opinions or thoughts? I have been reading this board anonymously for about 2 years now, I welcome any and all opinions!
This is really exciting for me and the condition of the car doesn't bring me down one bit.

[nissanfreak12]

Welcome!!!

Yes, you do have a project on hand, but it will be a great journey!!!! First thing to do is timing belt, at minimum 120k service. Get a tune up, always remember, function over form. With the front end, it looks to have been in a front end collision at some point, headlights and center piece really off. If you didn't know how to work on cars, start now. These cars are finicky, and not all mechanics will know how to properly work on these. DO NOT CHEAP OUT ON PARTS! Oem or better, you will spend twice as much if you do, trust I know this first hand.

Keep us updated on the progress, and don't be afraid to ask questions, just make sure you search first. Keep the color, one of my favorite color!

Two of your wheels are on backwards.....

[SteveMX09]

Thanks! Ill keep all that in mind. About the front end, with the hood open I noticed that the headlights kind of wobble in place, and the centerpiece is missing a bolt. Could that be why it looks so off? I know the front bumper cover is ruined, the guy said he hit a raccoon last year going about 60mph and it tore the bottom right off.

[A Paratroopers 300zx]

De-grease the ever living dog s*** outta that engine bay!! It looks like you really have your work cut out for you! Good luck and welcome to NICO!

P.S. the FSM, Courtesy Nissan, Specialty Z and the great people of NICO are your best friends

[300ZXttZMAN]

Welcome to NICO! Sounds like a hell of a project. I suggest you keep the powertrain healthy and do some maintenance as stated above. Then later down the road you can swap everything over to a cleaner chassis and cut the hours you would have spent on this chassis in half.

[SteveMX09]

Thanks! Is there any way to see if the timing belt has been replaced recently? The engine looks like it was rebuilt somewhat, there are numbers written in market on the plenum and around the injectors. I will do the 120k maint ASAP, but are there any telltale signs that something could snap/fall off?

[1994_300ZX_NA]

Congrats on the car! Can't wait to see her done. You have your work cut out for you. Anyways, to my knowledge (I am fairly new to Z's), there is no way you can actually tell if the timing belt has been changed or not without physically taking everything off. I got a good tip from a friend, check if the water pump looks new. Usually when the timing belt is changed, so is the water pump. Also, check if the screws on the front plastic cover that protects all the belts are oxidized, which they look like they are from what I can see in the pictures, if they are, then the timing belt was probably not changed because whoever would have changed it, probably would have cleaned up the screws a bit. Hope this helps!

[Rager]

when the nissan dealership did my timing belt they put a sticker on plenum or on the rad fan shroud with the mielage and date, i forget. that or some sort of documentation is the only way of knowing what service has been done to the car.


good luck. look in the classified adds. i bet you can put that thing back to gether with a little loooking around

[BigTDogg (MA)]

Judging by your location, the previous owners love of Daewoos, and that shift knob, you traded cars with a meth head.

Best of luck with the restoration. It'll be a long, long (but VERY rewarding) project. Check the classifieds here, and post a WTB add if you need something in particular. I myself have a few odds and ends of OEM parts in storage.

[300ZXttZMAN]

I also have a large amount of OEM parts. Just post a thread when your ready to buy things.

[SteveMX09]

Hi everybody and thank you for your kind offers! I will definitely get back to you all when it comes time to start buying replacement parts. I have here some more pics that I took today, as well as a short youtube clip. I haven't really been able to do much, I live in an apartment complex but come May, I will be living with a family member who has a garage and lift (and all my income will be free of ridiculous apartment rent.). I have gotten around to changing the steering rack bushings, replaced them with Energy Suspension bushings. They were really soft, and the drivers side one had only half of it left. (Speaking of the drivers side, it took me almost an hour JUST to get the bracket back into position )

Youtube Clip -

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyI1jKGlaJA[/youtube]

This is at idle, with the engine warmed up. There is a squeaking noise, probably the belt (inaudible while the engine is cold).

And here are the pics I took today.

Pics of the rust on the passenger door. Salvageable or will I need a new door?




Pics of the trunk




Interior Pics


(No seat anymore)


Trim peeling off on both sides at that location


Both T-Tops are missing all their trim and handle covers (can that be bought separately? I can't find it anywhere)


Crappy shift boot, the shifter seal thing is not even on tight, you can feel engine and exhaust heat coming through there while driving




Head unit area with a ton of wires (normal?)


Both controls are loose/taped




Door panel, passenger side is missing the cover over the vent


Should I relocate all this to another post? A "Progress/pics" post perhaps? I'm not sure if I should be doing all this on my introduction post haha.
So, does anything look/sound off to you all? Also, what would be the best way to remove all this BROWN staining all over the plastic pieces? I have tried Armor All Wipes, and after a few days it just returned to brown. Any tricks for that? Thanks in advance!

[300ZXttZMAN]

No it would be best if you continue your post here. That way we can look back and see the progress as it happens all in one thread.

The door should be replaced.

Idk how to remove the brown stains. It depends on what stained it.

But if your serious about restoring this car then you should just start ripping s*** out and replacing it.

[Ace2cool]

Nah man. There's rust on the rockers. That's too much cancer. Best bet would be to get a rolling chassis and swap any good stuff over.

[Rager]

this is probably one of the roughest Zs ive seen posted here in a looooong time.


good luck my friend

[Ziggy1621]

Welcome to the madness! And look me up when you move to Melbourne. I'm 30 minutes north of it. And we've got a group of over 40 Z32 guys around here.

And it will be rewarding! Mine was in rough shape as well (not quite as rough ) but I'm driving if now (still working some mechanical bugs out) and I love it!

[SteveMX09]

Hey all! Sorry I have not really posted anything lately. The car has mostly been sitting for the past two weeks as I have been getting set up for the move. I have started it up every day to make sure it's good, and it starts right up every time. Tomorrow, I'm getting new tires and an alignment, as well as getting the suspension looked at to see what is shot and what is alright for now. After that, I am driving it down to Melbourne! I have noticed an idle issue, demonstrated in the video below. It isn't all the time, very intermittent and not happening at all when the throttle is depressed. What could be causing that and should I be worried ?

Ziggy, good to know! I will get at you when I'm down there.

The video was taken in the parking lot after a short trip to taco bell.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhXD5_LXJT4[/youtube]

[H1tman]

DANG SON! I think is awesome you're going to revive a Z.

Its going to get pretty pricey but with Z homies, you can get some sweet deals on interior parts and stuff.

[DCaff300ZX]

Wow...holy crap man, that's easily the worst shape I've seen a Z in, such a shame...but it sounds like it's luck has changed with a caring new owner.
I'm amazed that you have the balls to take on the battle you have ahead, keep us posted!

[StockTurbosFTW]

Start with a TT swap...then make it half way presentable...

[zswap0429]

I disagree. Your engine works now how it is. Fix the major problems first before they spread any more. Rusted panels, cracked glass, these kinds of things are more important than changing the engine. "Dont fix it if it aint broken"

[StockTurbosFTW]

I disagree. Your engine works now how it is. Fix the major problems first before they spread any more. Rusted panels, cracked glass, these kinds of things are more important than changing the engine. "Dont fix it if it aint broken"

Smoking someone is a beat up car will break anyone's heart...It is all about priority...Personally, I am going motor because I can make vast improvements for less than I can make my car an eye killer...

[zswap0429]

I agree with smoking someone in a beater. But if the car itself isnt taken care of. He will end up like me with a working tt motor sitting in a parts car.

[tm624]

Should I relocate all this to another post? A "Progress/pics" post perhaps? I'm not sure if I should be doing all this on my introduction post haha.
So, does anything look/sound off to you all? Also, what would be the best way to remove all this BROWN staining all over the plastic pieces? I have tried Armor All Wipes, and after a few days it just returned to brown. Any tricks for that? Thanks in advance!

There is a cleaner I have used for years that will remove a lot of stuff most cleaners won't. It's called "Awesome", or "Totally Awesome". You can find it at Dollar General, Family Dollar, and now even Wal-Mart has it. It's cheap, and works great. I've used it for all kinds of stuff, and even degreased engines with it. I'ts about all I use anymore, and swear by it.

[SteveMX09]

Hi all! Safely in Melbourne after a 6 hour drive from Jacksonville (had to route through gainesville for the bumper). Big thanks to Aroche25 for selling me his bumper and giving me lots of useful information to use in the future! He pulled codes for me, and I am going to start working on them ASAP. First order of business though.. I have a huge exhaust leak that is blowing into the cabin. It made me sick yesterday, by the time I got here I had a splitting headache and was vomiting. I'm gonna take it to a muffler shop and have them pinpoint it and give me an estimate.

Also , no TT swaps for me, not now anyway. As much fun as it sounds to smoke people in a beater, I would much rather have a car that I can use around town while I work on it.

Thanks for the recommendation for Totally Awesome! I will give it a shot, I think with a proper cleaning I can salvage quite a few nasty looking trim pieces.

Pic of the car as it sits now!

[DCaff300ZX]

I disagree. Your engine works now how it is. Fix the major problems first before they spread any more. Rusted panels, cracked glass, these kinds of things are more important than changing the engine. "Dont fix it if it aint broken"

I agree with zswap's point, that you will be best off prioritizing your efforts and first concentrating on what isn't working before taking on upgrades and modifications, unless they fit into a repair procedure such as wrapping/tucking wiring or painting/cleaning up details in the engine bay. Things like your exhaust leak, and other things like that sure to surface are most important, as well as exterior things like broken glass that may attract the wrong kind of attention (PO-lice).
Get it cleaned up as best possible so you can see the sore spots and work on them effectively, and be sure to think long term on what you do and how you do it!

[t.mcginley.jr]

Dear God your Z has had a hard life!! I haven't seen this thread yet but I just read through it and damn! It's far from a wreck but it's also far from perfect but that's just the way I like to get my cars. That way when you're done you can look back on how it used to be and how it is now. Good luck with it!!

Also if someone hasn't already mentioned it, there are 2 parts groups of facebook for buying/selling parts:

Z32 Marketplace - https://www.facebook.com/groups/134244406692956/

Z32 buy/sell parts - https://www.facebook.com/groups/227766473927972/

And of course the classifieds section on NICO and twinturbo.net

[aroche25]

Just take care of those codes and exhaust. It will make such a difference. It was nice meeting you too Stephen, best of luck on the Z

[SteveMX09]

Well an update. I've replaced the shifter bushings with new ones from Z1, such a huge difference. I've also installed a knock sensor bypas plug from Z1 (for now) to eliminate that particular code. Now for the bad news. I need all the help you can offer! I drove over to a friend of mines house to do some basic work on the car. I am starting on gutting the interior (everything that is not essential to driving) so that I can clean it from te inside out and better spot rust that needs to be fixed. I gave it a good wash, and did some degreasing on the engine bay as well. I used a normal garden hose nozzle on the weakest setting very lightly to rinse off any extra degreasing solvent. Now the problem.. It won't start. All the gauges work, signals, lights, it will turn over and over but will not crank and fire. I don't hear any signs of combustion at all, just the starter turning the engine. I immediately thought I got some connectors wet so I went over every single one I could find, and they were all dry. Quite a few searches later, I get mixed answers ranging from a ground, to the PTU, to the CAS. None of these make sense as their connectors all were dry, and worked fine before I washed the engine?????? Help!

[SteveMX09]

In regards to my above post, I've figured out the issue (I hope). After lots of poking and prodding with my multimeter, the PTU failed the stickied testing. I don't know if it had anything to do with me cleaning the engine, or if it was one big ol' coincidence, but it's no good. Two channels don't read within specs. Now I'm looking for a known working one that I can swap in and make sure I'm right before dropping $150 on a new OEM PTU. Anyone around here have one I could try?