My "new" car/project.

[bramagedained]

I pulled a valve cover to see which heads it actually has, which are crap by today's standards.

I'll be curious to see if they were re-worked at all. The still are not heads that came with the block. The heads were made from '68-'73 and the block is from '79.

Assuming a stock deck height and flat top pistons, the heads on it give ~9.7:1 compression which is up a bit from where anything in 79 would have been.

The issue is just that they don't flow well. I'm guessing this was someone's attempt in the 70's to make power, going along with the 70's vintage Edelbrock intake manifold.

From digging around, even with a cam(which would require lifters, springs, and a different converter), intake, headers, and the carb/timing setup properly it probably wont make much over 300.

I ordered new front suspension parts, not all of which is actually needed, but, it saves me from having to go through and replace everything that is probably 40+ years old.

About a month from now I'll have to actually make the decision on if I do the LS swap or not this winter, which will probably involved going past the budget I set for myself for the car this winter.

[bramagedained]

New wheel studs from ARP and open ended lug nuts on the way, along with the front suspension parts.

Looks like I'll be spending next week/weekend changing out all of the front stuff and installing the new front brakes that I've had sitting around for more than a month now.

[MorningWood]

I vote LS

[GsXkingGsX]

Nice, a fellow veteran. This thing looks insane.

[bramagedained]

Wiring is now 99% complete. I just need to add a spade terminal for the fan relay control wire and wire the dome light, which needs a bulb first.

I pulled the stock gas tank and all the related parts.

I also pulled the stock rear bumper.

I'll be trying to sell all the stuff I took out to fund the LS swap.

[bramagedained]

Welp, I decided an LS swap just isn't going to happen this winter.

I could do it, but, it would cut into my summer budget(events and stuff).

Instead, and assuming the shortblock is fine, throw heads/cam/intake/headers on the 350, which can be done for ~$1500, including a new torque converter.

This is about $1000 less than the LS swap would cost, once you add in all the little things.

Who knows, maybe I'll depart from the past and just be happy with a quick street car to drive around for awhile.

Anyway, step 1 is rebuild the Holley, I've had the kit since I had to pull the secondary bowl when the float got stuck.

It's a generic 600CFM vacuum secondary, which should continue to be fine for my setup.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0495_zpsbevj2dg0.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0496_zps01j6next.jpg


I found this right away, and I'm pretty sure I didn't do it taking it off the motor.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0497_zpsybqc6gqe.jpg

That rubber cap is under the bowl so I never noticed it even existed. The cap was brittle and falling apart.

I already disassembled the thing(gogo internet). In the process I found that the diaphragm for the secondaries would not hold vacuum, like at all.

Amusingly, I ordered a new one from amazon which shipped from Wisconsin and will be here tomorrow.

So, at best they were only ever partially open. I'm sure that's why it felt like it would fall on it's face.

The spring in the secondary was changed at some point in the past. I bought the different housing that lets you change the springs without pulling everything apart, too. It was a whole $18.



I probably could have just went to an autoparts store and bought one, but, I was buying some other stuff from amazon anyway.

Today my goal is to have everything cleaned up and re-assembled.

After that or tomorrow I'm going to drain the coolant and pull the head on the driver's side(since it's easier to do) to see what the walls and pistons look like.

[bramagedained]

I had the carb back together yesterday. Now it has new gaskets needle/seats etc.

The diaphragm came today, but, the quick change housing for the thing wont be here until tomorrow.

I pulled the intake then the exhaust and head from one side of the motor.

There is still a faint cross hatch on the walls. There is no carbon ring at the top of any of the 4 exposed cylinders.

I know there was very little use between when the swap was done in 1990 and now just based on the overall condition of things and the tires that were on it when I bought the car. It would appear that in the 11 years between 1979 and the swap there wasn't a whole lot of use on the shortblock, either.

It has flat top pistons, which is good. There is only minimal carbon on top of the 4 that are exposed, which is also good.

Due to the 1979 date of the block there was some risk of it having dished pistons for mega-low compression.

With a thin head gasket and the 64cc chamber heads I'm going to get it will bump compression to about 10:1.

From digging through the past few years worth of relevant articles from Hot Rod/Super Chevy etc it should make enough power to be plenty fun for the summer.

[bramagedained]

The carb is back together.

My stuff from Japan showed up, and just had to quick throw two of the fender flares on with tape.

I'm quite impressed with the fit/finish of the pieces. The flares are made to very closely follow the body lines of the car. Nearly all of the ones available in the US are much more generic.

There are no voids in the fiberglass on any of the pieces and everything is sanded smooth with not a rough edge to be found.

My front suspension stuff will be here next week. Once I throw that in I can play with getting the car to sit where I want and then put on the flares.

I don't know how much that will actually matter in the end, as there is certainly a sweet spot where the flares follow the contours of the car just right.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/1930534_10201274463341481_282592958959410155_n_zps u7wmdqhn.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/12742442_10201274462981472_2179762708291332552_n_z psttqc7jlt.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/12705172_10201274828590612_6133082667688335142_n_z ps2xzoqumm.jpg

[bramagedained]

The last of my suspension stuff came today.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0513_zpsaeiakibn.jpg

Front coilovers/control arm/TC rod. All of which is now adjustable. The only adjustment in the OEM Datsun stuff is toe.

The setup uses the same Koni damper that I have in the rear.

Now there is a 225lb/in spring in front and 250lb/in spring in the rear. They're generically a 2.5"x10" coil front and rear which makes for a lot of options should I feel the need to change rates.

Stock arm vs new:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0514_zpsai0eekcd.jpg

As part of changing the front, the wheel studs also needed to be changed. I was someone worried about this since the current studs have been in there since the factory, nearly 42 years ago.

To my surprise they came out quite easily.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0515_zpskdvxx3b2.jpg

I already had new ARP ones, which are much longer and also M12x1.5 to match the rear. OEM was M12x1.25.

I had the new studs in the freezer, with the hope it would make install easier. I don't know if it made a difference, but, it was pretty easy going.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0516_zps5iqlsdge.jpg

Now that I have all the parts I can also throw in the brake swap that I've had sitting around for a couple of months now.

This involved separating the disk from the hub, there are 4 bolts and it's sort of press fit on. This also came apart without drama, I expected things to be corroded together because well, it's brakes.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0517_zps4fteneqn.jpg

Im not super into the drilled/slotted thing, but, that's the only way they come with this kit.

I finished one side of the car. I could have worked on it solid and probably finished the second side today too, but, there's no hurry.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0518_zpsl9mo7ij4.jpg

vs old:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0520_zpsqpwp2n4h.jpg

I did have to clearance the dust shield or whatever it's called so the bigger caliper would fit, the backing plate of the inner pad also needs to be clearances slightly(not actually near the pad material itself). Pretty minor modification for OEM brakes from another brand that otherwise bolt right up.

[goodhart]

Tits! You get your flares mounted permanently yet?