new z31 owner!!

[rustest86]

just wanted to introduce myself to the Z part of nico. im not new here though. ive been into S13's for over 7yrs now and recently aquired 2 Z31's for free. turns out there both turbo models too. 1st one is 85 and supposenly and anniversory edition, but is apparently severly affected but cancer, ie rust, so its a parts car. the second is an 86 2 seater autotragic, but FULLY loaded and everything still works down to the digital cluster. it has 94,000 original miles on it and ran 7 year ago before the owner let it sit because the transmission went out. it has a reman transmission in it but thats as far as he got with it, hasnt moved since. i havent laid eyes on the 85 yet, but i will soon. i plan on restoring the 86 and converting it to manual transmission using the 85's. and possibly converting it to a fake anniversory ed. but we shall see.

but was wondering whats the basic things to look out for before i get too far in. i have noticed on the 86 that the injectors dont look like they've been changed yet, but is there anything else i should keep an eye out for? also i do reilize these are 25-26yr old cars, and as such whatever i do it wont be more than a show/DD. i have the S13 if i wanna go fast or sideways Thanks in advance.

also does anyone have an auto transmission dipstick tube? some how the owner lost it and i cant find one locally.

[BadQ45t]

Welcome.......first off there are no 85' Anniversary editions, that was a 84'. Youl would know it specifically as it has a very different look (post a pic). So what to look for, first mother rust. See what your dealing with, at some point if the rust is far enough along there is no sense in trying to fix up a Z of this age.

The injectors were replaced on a recall by Nissan in the mid-90's as they were lighting on fire. I don't think the recall is still going, it was on the injectors.

[evildky]

congrats on the Z's, the AE is easy to spot, they were all 2 seaters, had plastic flares on the rear quarters, leather interior sonic boost stereo model specific wheels 16 x7's the standard turbo models didn't get 16 wheels till 86 I think, similar style wheel but the ae has gold inset color, only 2 outside color combinations
http://z31.com/wiki/doku.php?id=information:84ae

rust is the number one killer, the z31's seem rust prone int he floor pan behind the seats right near where the rear crossmember bolt to the chassis, also the lower rear quarters tends to be a problem area

the rear diff is a long snout R200, same carrier as your s13 just in a different case with different gears, the rear brakes are also quite similar, the z31 rear suspension isn't as nice as your s13 but the turbo engine can make nearly 300 whp with the addition of a boost controller and an intercooler, the engines are stout

[rustest86]

all thats what ive been reading, thanks for the link, just was wanting some conformations. the supposen AE is said to be an 85, maybe its a late 84 or just something someone converted. its said to be silver and black with gold turbine wheels. so idk, like i said its supposen. i havent laid eyes on it yet. the 86 is also a 2 seater, ive checked it and its rust free inside and under, but im gonna check under the carpet asap to see what may be lurking. it does have some cancer breaking out under the hatch, damn foam wings, and has some collision damage unger the tail lights. nothing too major though. i do like that its 5 lug already. i have plenty of wheels and have an extra set of q45 brakes that should bolt right on. right now im gonna try to get it going like it is and finish the autotragic install up. i'll run it like that till i kill the auto, which seems it doesnt take much to do. i do know im ready to try tinkering with something other than KA's and SR's. and i love my SR's.

[evildky]

foam wing? not on the Z31, they were all fiberglass or plastic resin of some sort, they are rigid and hollow, the s13's and z32's got the foam spoilers

ka's are workhorses but don't survive extreme abuse, sr's are capable but they are a fanboy motor, the vg30et, is underappreciated, it's 90% of the vg30dett (also a fanboy motor) potential at 10% of the cost and effort, and sidefeed injectors are a cruel joke played on us by the nissan engineers

[rustest86]

Its a black hatch deck spoiler thing that has the relief for the hatch wiper arm made into it, and has nissan imprinted into it. Im 90% sure its dense foam. It isnt rigid by any means. Its squishy and soft just like the s13 hatch spoilers, and is holding water like an old sink sponge.
I completely agree with those points on the KA and SR, but what other choices are there that keep the weight balance? Everything else swapable is either longer or wider throwing off the weight and handling. Ive heard that the vg30et's can handle close to 450hp on a stock block ofcourse with correct supporting mods and tuning.

[evildky]

hmmm, I've never seen a foam z31 spoiler but maybe they tried it for a year or 2? all the others are hard plastic/fiberglass

I'm a fan of the vg30et, the car as it is is actually very well ballanced, the center of gravity is just forward of the shift knob, with driver it should be dang near center of the car

the vg30et stock is 190 hp (crank) with a boost controller and an itnercooler 300 whp is achievable, thats nearly double stock for very little cost or effort!

beyond that, your are looking at upgrading the turbo, injectors, ecu, maf (assuming you continue running an ecu that requires a maf), yes north of 400 whp can be had on stock internals but these are cast pistons and at some point become the weak link

the later "W" series engine are more desirable, they use floating wristpins, and have some other minor improvements, the stock turbo inlet and downpipe are both points of restriction, satan manifolds or similar will allow you to relocate the turbo and overcome those issues

as for other engines, well, if you like GM the LS is popular in all manner of cars these days and fits nicely beneath the stock hood of most cars, I'm sure it's been done, but it's cheaper to modify the vg

[rustest86]

no im by no means a chevy man, i have respect for LS motors, but there not my cup of tea. anyway i have very mild plans for the 86, at the most 250-260hp. but heres a few picks shoing the spoiler since you havent seen one, maybe a rarity?


i havent checked under the carpet yet as its raining and suppose to rain till saturday.

[rustest86]

So, checked under the carpet and trunk areas and have found rust in the normal areas, but it isnt threw and threw yet more of just right under the paint. so im gonna strip the interior so i can fix it before it gets too bad. and im gonna put it on a lift next week to check everything under it for rust. i got it started today too!!!! its sound sweet with an open dump pipe. brake cleaner through a vac port cause the fuel pump is dead or rusted up. i also located a dipstick tube for the autotragic yesterday so maybe in a couple weeks i might be able to drive it.

[evildky]

I was reading az zbum's site on the spoilers (surprised he hasn't chimed in yet?)
http://www.az-zbum.com/information.differences.shtml
apparently the 84 and 86 has the foam spoilers, I guess I never looked closely at the older turbo cars

[AZ-ZBum]

I was reading az zbum's site on the spoilers (surprised he hasn't chimed in yet?)
http://www.az-zbum.com/information.differences.shtml
apparently the 84 and 86 has the foam spoilers, I guess I never looked closely at the older turbo cars

I don't read this site as often lately.

The 86 spoiler is plastic, as is the 87-89 spoiler. As stated on my site, the 84/85 spoilers (I'm guessing you meant 84 and 85, not 84 and 86) have a metal frame over which a padding between it and the smooth covering. It isn't all foam and you can only do that with the edge.

The VG30ET came 200hp (rated) from the factory.

And yes. There is no such thing as a 1985 50th AE model. They were lied to or mistake by a fake badge. And obviously that 85 isn't silver and black.

It's holding water because the drain hole is clogged. This is probably also going to cause the underside to rust and warp the spoiler. I would take it apart (when it dries up a little) and clean out the years of gunk.

Yes. People have over 400 rwhp on stock VG30 blocks.

If you want to keep the power/weight, there is always the VG33. Came in a variety of the Nissan trucks. 10% more displacement means 10% more potential power from the same mods.

[BadQ45t]

Yup, they are foam type materials, but my 84' is not nearly as flexible as that one is.........like I said, if it is an AE it has to be a 84 or someone made it look like one. The best way to tell is to look to see if the bodysonic controller is still on ther center stack. It should also be imprinted on the leather seats. I know 100% cause I wanted to buy one brand new 28 years ago and couldn't afford the insurance on the turbo model.

[rustest86]

i was told that the car pictured is suppose to be an 86, but running the vin says its an 85 GLL. production date is 6/85. and no that one obviously isnt black and silver, but im getting 2 cars and the other one is suppose to be an AE. we shall see how true that is as i will be finding out tuesday or thursday exactly what year it is and taking a pic of the vin to run it. im not holding my breath though on it being a real AE. but hey ya never know.
the wing is prob that flexiable because its water logged. im iching bad to get started on these cars. one thing i have noticed is that the red 85 hasnt had the injectors serviced yet under the recall. idk if they would still do it, but ive been looking at the eairly 90's maximas and the have side feed injectors like my SR. i have plenty of stockers laying around to have a full set of 370's for it. i already plan on getting a nistune board for it as i already have the software for my SR. does the maxima rail drop in place of the top feed setup? and what yr maximas have the intake that would place the throttle body at the front of the motor? seems they have 2 different intakes for VG maximas.

[300ZXttZMAN]

Welcome to Nico!!

[evildky]

side feed injectors are a cruel joke played on us by Nissan engineers, I'd avoid them at all cost but that's me

the later Z31's came with a goofy dual feed injector, might be what you're thinking of

[rustest86]

oh no not the z31 style side feeds, those are fonky. i know those wouldnt be compatable with the newer style side feeds that are found on most every other 90's nissan's and some subaru's. the newer style are more plentiful and have upgrade options. i know people use the top fed rails with non hose barb style injectors, but i really dont like that idea. to me its asking for a leak. im pretty sure the 92-94 VG30E maximas used the newer style side feed injectors, and like i said i have PLENTY of stock SR side feeds that are rated at 370cc and have some for the KA that are 270cc. while they still arnt as reliable as top feeds, they are a way better design than the z31 side feeds. and ive never had one go out on me, so far.........

[evildky]

92-94 max got the vg30de, so yes it's side feed no it won't work

I'm no fan of the dual feed z31 injectors either, and reliability isn't a huge issue with any of them, the side feeds are just soo difficult to service, and then there is the issue of when the lower O ring failure as is typical in the VG30DE, KA SR, and VH, the only advantage of the side feed injectors is packaging, they made them to fit in low clearance areas, if they could have fit standard top feeds I'm sure they would have

the standard top feed bosch injector has long been a standard and is cheaper and more available, there are boutique suppliers that make top feed O ring rails for the Z31 but the stock 260cc's will support 250ish whp only that's after you add an intercooler! many people simply cut the pintle cap off of top feeds to use them with barbed rails

[rustest86]

Your thinking about the 93-94 VE engines. Those were the cross over between the VG's and VQ's. That was an optional motor for the maxima in those yrs. The VG was the base/or only engine for the 89-94 maxima's. The reason for the lower oring failures with the newer sidefeed injectors is that the lower oring is supported by the pentle cap, theres no grove for it. And they get brittle fairly quickly. I have had that issue on my SR a few times, but i have a baggy full of new caps and they get changed anytime i pull the rail or injectors for any reason. But the main reason im looking towards that route is that i have plenty sitting around, space savings, and no rubber lines between the injectors and rail. Ive looked but havent looked too hard for a normal top feed rail yet, but if the VG maxima can be made to work. It seems to me like an easy drop in affair, as long as the lower intake works out correctly. And there cheap as dirt from pullapart!!!

[rustest86]

so........ took a good long time but........ heres some photos of the A.E.!!!! its shot though, more cancer than i care to continue looking for. but a good parts car. VIN #jn1cz14s9ex007146 verifies its a real 50th A.E. has the bodysonic seats still








anyone need parts??? im keeping the turbo, transmission, fenders, driveshaft, sideskirts, and fender flares. it will be parted out soon

[AZ-ZBum]

That 50th looks rescuable. Why do you want to get rid of it?

[rustest86]

the rear quarters are just paint no metal left, i can see light through the door jam because of the rust, and the floorpan is gone behind the seats and i can see the ground. and thats what i seen without even looking under the car. i think it got some salt water on it at some point, thats the only way i can see that much rust that badly. or the fact that its been sitting in a field since 97...... idk, but its got usable drivetran and a reman turbo on it already.

[AZ-ZBum]

Ouch...Well... If you scrap it out, please add it to the Z registry as a goner.....

http://www.thezregistry.com