Sprglrd

So I acquired a 1986 300ZX for $4.5k with what I assume is an N/A engine with a turbo slapped onto it.



The car itself. This picture is nice, but you really have to see this thing in person.



Electric fans. I'm looking into possibly getting higher-quality fans, as currently, these things are run off of a switch that is positioned next to my radio inside of the car, and adding a thermo sensor.







Fuel pressure gauge. It's broke. Dunno why. Probaly gonna have to fix it at some point.

Issues include a strange fuel pressure gauge that is apparently broke as hell, a battery ground cable (if I am correct) that is frayed to all hell and back, a tendency to not want to idle nicely, and a slipping clutch (which I suspect is due to the increased engine revs from the turbo installed, and the PO just didn't want to put in a new clutch for reasons? I dunno).

I'm going to be posting things I am doing to this car, in addition to asking any hints or tips as to what I should do. Exterior wise, the only thing I'm changing is adding louvers to the back window, because Louvers are sexy as hell, and to be honest, the pictures do this car no justice. It's gorgeous in person.

There are a number of parts on there that I am almost certain came from Ebay, and are thus not really going to be reliable long-term solutions to the things they either add or fix. I'm going to have to figure out what parts I'm going to have to replace, and what parts I'm going to keep, and this is likely going to be fixed over the winter while I have the time to do so.

With the engine, I'm mostly concerned about the EFI (Someone brought up that adding a turbo and not updating the EFi is, indeed, a bad thing), the idling issue, and the fact that the clutch slips like crazy.

My experience in cars is just about nothing, except for some minor wrench-turning on gigantic diesel engines in the Navy. I am going to make this car work, or I am going to die trying.

zxguy1986

Welcome to ZDriver!

Very interesting project. Getting an '86 Z up to performance level is something I know about. There isn't anything you are facing that cannot be fixed.

Download a freebie factory service manual at XenonZ31 Reference along with the other cool docs available there.

Unless you are gonna title all your posts this well (never happens) do yourself and everyone a favor. Sign in, go to User CP menu (upper left), click Edit Signature and add your Z model, year, shifter, turbo or NA, etc. Saves you having to add it to every post. (Guys here go crazy if you don't lock your Q to your specific Z every time you post...They just ignore questions without enough info) Then click Edit Avatar and add a little Z pic under your nick. Cool. You are solid here.

Very interested to see what you find. Sounds like your prev owner was half-way to somewhere.

Nice lookin' Z though!

Thanks and welcome again!

Sprglrd

Aaaaand done what you said. Woo!

Mostly what I'm concerned about at the moment is the slipping clutch. The power of this thing is, to be honest, ludicrous. You push the accelerator and it FLIES. But if the power can't get transferred to the wheels, there's not much point in having much power, to be honest.

This thing is going to be a pain, mostly because I literally have no tools and no real experience working on this car, but that's precisely why I made the thread here, to get the help and experience of people that have been there, done that, so that I can get this thing up to par.

At least I'm not planning on making it a drifting car like multiple people have suggested. Such a waste of a car, that way.

ken99

Great looking car, but it doesn't look like a '86 model year Z31. The front sheet metal and the red cam covers indicate it is a newer model, '87 to 89. I'd find a VIN decoder on the internet and see what you find. If the PO put the wrong clutch in the car for the model year, that would explain some of the slippage issues.

Good luck.

Sprglrd

TBH, I literally have no idea what's going on with the engine, other than the fact that it runs. It could be a completely different engine ripped from a later model, because the VIN reports it as an '85 Model Year instead of an '86. It was definitely not turbocharged when it first rolled off the factory line, though. The engine was (apparently) rebuilt by a PO, so that could be the main differences you're seeing.

PredatorZ

I am guessing when it is running the gauge shows no change, oil in the dial is normal for a lot of fuel pressure gauges the one on my fuel rail looks just like that

PredatorZ

Pic

Sprglrd

I didn't notice a change, but that's a good point, if that gauge is supposed to be that way, then it may very well not be broken!

I'm a very big fan of jumping into things and taking risks and doing trial-by-fires.

rogerz

that front end def not 85. do you have four or five lug wheels. the 85 n/a came with four lug wheels. the oil in the gage is for vibration damping so actually may be a good quality gage. you must have some fuel pressure or it wouldn't run.

Sprglrd

It's got 5.

How amenable is the VG30E to aftermarket turbos?

The reason I ask is because it has an aftermarket turbo, and I kind of want to know what I want to look out for to make sure it's not gonna blow the **** up.

zxguy1986

Gotta agree with Ken99 now. That front bumper is def not an '86. Later than that. You didn't show the rear lights but that would be a good clue.

Found one of the available 300ZX VIN deciphering posts at Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com :: How to read your VIN There are others around the net. Check your VIN out. You may be in for a surprise. SO let us know what your VIN tells you. Good place to start

If I were you, I would get the clutch working 100% and drive it for a while. It's still new to you. If you get to a point where you KNOW you want more torque and response - well, there are a lot of write ups available here and on the net for ADDING a turbo to your NA engine. Lotsa aftermarket choices and systems out there.

My feeling is that this would be easier (it's a lotta work!) than switching out your motor for a VG30ET. Turns out they are not an easy switch and lotsa cutom fab parts are required - because they aren't available new or used. Pain in the butt there. If you are rich, you buy a dead turbo Z (same year) and cannibalize it. Anyway, it can be done. Has been done. Your call - when you finally know that Z well enough.

Sprglrd

Alright, so I figured out the VIN.

If I am counting correctly (None of the VIN tools have counted back to the 80's that I saw, so I counted back in the alphabet), then it's apparently a 1985 model year.

Someone did some major modifications to make this look like an Newer Z31.

zxguy1986

Let us see a photo of the rear lights. A quick cell phone pic is OK!

Sprglrd

I'll get one soon. Don't really have a real good camera to work with.