Project Z

[280Z Turbo]

I actually have a different color in mind now, but I'm not going to say what it is because I know that I'll probably change it again later.

Once the car is in primer I think it will be safe to announce my decision.

[S204STi]

I actually have a different color in mind now, but I'm not going to say what it is because I know that I'll probably change it again later.

Once the car is in primer I think it will be safe to announce my decision.

Haha.

Don't blame ya.

[280Z Turbo]

Oh BTW, here's an old vid I found on my PC of the car when it was running:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v733/280Z_Driver/?action=view&current=280ZTest.flv?t=1170651977

[S204STi]

Oh BTW, here's an old vid I found on my PC of the car when it was running:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v733/280Z_Driver/?action=view&current=280ZTest.flv?t=1170651977

Sounds nice with the exhaust you have on there.  I like I-6s.

[280Z Turbo]

It's a lot meaner souding out on the road under load.

[S204STi]

I bet.  Is there a good forum on the web of Z car owners and enthusiasts?

[280Z Turbo]

Yes.

Zcar.com is a good database for searching, but there are a lot of newbs and some jerks that you have to watch out for.

HybridZ.org is a newer format website like this one, but it has too many sub-forums, IMO, and the search function never works as well as Zcar.com.

If you have a problem with your heater core, go to Zcar.com. If you want to know if a 500 cid Cadillac V8 fits in a Z (it does, BTW) go to Hybrid Z. There are more racers on Hybrid Z than Zcar.com.

[S204STi]

Yes.

Zcar.com is a good database for searching, but there are a lot of newbs and some jerks that you have to watch out for.

HybridZ.org is a newer format website like this one, but it has too many sub-forums, IMO, and the search function never works as well as Zcar.com.

If you have a problem with your heater core, go to Zcar.com. If you want to know if a 500 cid Cadillac V8 fits in a Z (it does, BTW) go to Hybrid Z. There are more racers on Hybrid Z than Zcar.com.

Very cool. Thanks.

[280Z Turbo]

She lives!

I finally got around to buying that USB->serial adapter for my laptop. Someone is letting me use a chipped ECU so I can work on my bin file until Nistune is officially out.

I know a guy who got me an advance copy, so I used it to run my car on an '88 300ZX tune. It sounds pretty healthy, especially considering I haven't run it in so long. It warmed up a little roughly, but it smoothed out and reved up good:



This is the Nistune interface I can use to adjust my maps. Once I get a wideband 02 sensor and get the map tracing to work, it will be awesome! Make no mistake, this is hardcore tuning software, it's definately not push a button and the car goes fast. It will be good practice for my mechanical engineering classes!


I updated the brakes, as I mentioned before. Bendix rebuilt calipers with genuine Nissan hardware, Earl's stainless steel braided brake lines, and Hawk HPS brake pads:


The rear drums needed attention too. Carquest premium brake shoes with Beck-Arnley hardware, rebuilt brake cylinders, and the previously mentioned stainless steel brake lines:


The interior comes next. I bought an MSA carpet kit I haven't got around to installing it:


I also tried to bleed the brakes today. The old plastic on my brake fluid resevoir was fatigued and brittle and split at the parting line of the mold. I got brake fluid all over the place. Brake fluid is bad for paint, folks.

Now I wish I would have paid the extra money for a new brake master cylinder instead of a rebuilt.

[280Z Turbo]

This is odd. I tried to upload a video on Sunday (it didn't work) so I gave up. Now it shows up on my photobucket a couple days later:



Anyway, this clip was shot a few minutes earlier than the other one. It was before I bumped up the idle and let it warm up.

[S204STi]

That Nistune software looks neat.  I would love to learn how to use software like that to tune vehicles.  That seems to be a somewhat lucrative business.

[280Z Turbo]

That Nistune software looks neat. I would love to learn how to use software like that to tune vehicles. That seems to be a somewhat lucrative business.

Me too.

It's just one guy down in Australia doing this. They're $380 AUD each which is about $320 USD after shipping and paypal commission. He's put a lot of time into this and seems like a great guy, so he deserves it.

[280Z Turbo]

Damn! I hate drum brakes.

They are the worst to adjust. Discs have no adjustment, which is nice.

The driver's side rear is being a bitch. I have one spare drum that doesn't fit at all, and another that does fit, but it looks warped and grabs intermittently. I'd convert to discs if it wasn't so $$$$. Not sure what to do now.

[S204STi]

Damn! I hate drum brakes.

They are the worst to adjust. Discs have no adjustment, which is nice.

The driver's side rear is being a bitch. I have one spare drum that doesn't fit at all, and another that does fit, but it looks warped and grabs intermittently. I'd convert to discs if it wasn't so $$$$. Not sure what to do now.

Yeah they suck.

If you can get a set that aren't warped the best way I have found to get them into proper adjustment is to use the "back up real quick and slam on your brakes" method.  Just get the adjustment close beforehand, without the rotors dragging, and then do several quick stops in reverse at a decent clip.  It works on dual-servo drum brakes anyway...

[JWC]

Man, you guys would hate old Beetles.

Four wheel drum brakes and no self adjusters.

Once you get used to doing it, it is a ten minute job....I see it as another way to bond with my car.

[280Z Turbo]

Man, you guys would hate old Beetles.

Four wheel drum brakes and no self adjusters.

Once you get used to doing it, it is a ten minute job....I see it as another way to bond with my car.

Some guy on Zcar.com was talking about that.

He said if you adjust them wrong, you have no brakes at all!

[S204STi]

I hate drum brakes.

[TheIntrepid]

I hate drum brakes.

Right. ABS FTW

[93JC]

ABS?

That has nothing to do with drums or discs. You could (can?) get drums with ABS...

ABS blows by the way. Useless in winter, unnecessary in summer: I can't find any reason to ever want it.

[TheIntrepid]

I don't think you can get drums with ABS anymore.

[93JC]

Probably one or two vehicles we just don't know off the top of our heads. There's nothing stopping it from being done, but I think most companies like to bundle ABS with optional disc packages.

[Danish]

Right. ABS FTW

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[ro51092]

WHAT HE SAID

[S204STi]

ABS?

That has nothing to do with drums or discs. You could (can?) get drums with ABS...

ABS blows by the way. Useless in winter, unnecessary in summer: I can't find any reason to ever want it.

You can only make ABS work well with disc brakes, so a car with rear drums will have front-only ABS, from what I have read. Could be wrong.

[93JC]

In fact, as far as I know many trucks in the early '90s equipped with disc/drums and ABS would have ABS on the rear wheels.

[Tave]

I never realized how horrible ABS was until I was driving my parents Durango around in the snow. I can easily envision them getting me into a wreck.

Sometimes being locked up is better than not braking at all. Those pulses kept putting me further and further into intersections. Screw that.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yes, I am not the biggest ABS fan in the world, although I think it would be great on a motorcycle.

[Eye of the Tiger]

In fact, as far as I know many trucks in the early '90s equipped with disc/drums and ABS would have ABS on the rear wheels.

My Ranger had rear ABS drums, non ABS front discs. Pretty retarded if you ask me, but I guess it's to keep idiots from spinning out when the bed is unloaded.

[Soup DeVille]

Some guy on Zcar.com was talking about that.

He said if you adjust them wrong, you have no brakes at all!

No, but you could concievably only get one wheel braking.

[The Pirate]

My Ranger had rear ABS drums, non ABS front discs. Pretty retarded if you ask me, but I guess it's to keep idiots from spinning out when the bed is unloaded.

Mine did too, except the system was kinda messed up, so when it engaged, it was really slow.  There'd be a second in between the engage/disengage cycle, and you could feel it working throughout the whole truck.

Made for some interesting dynamics in hard braking.