The Virtue Z

2010-08-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

So Today I thought I would just get the motor officially mounted, bolted in etc.

I keep messing with it a couple of mins at a time but I havent had anyone to help me with placement etc so I have just been putting it off.

I figured I could probably mount it if I just got patient so I did.

It took forever rocking the trans and motor moving it up, down, teetering it, pushing it back, and overall shoehorning it into the car.

Finally I got the motor mounts all lined up and in but then came the problem, The trans MOUNT IS NOT THE RIGHT ONE! I am pretty sure that Jason had a 73, and the mounts change between 70-72 and the 73+. So I guess It's time for another call to Mckinney to see if they ll break up a mount kit and sell me the Trans mount alone?

To Give you an idea, Here is as high up as the mount can go with both bolts threaded in maybe two turns?

Left:

I know the first thing anyone will say is, "Just drill it out," but the shape of this thing will not permit for a modification.

Here is my next worry, Not sure if the motor should tilt that much? The trans seems level though as does the shifter mount, so maybe it's fine?

It is nice that I could get the hood on though again and it all seals right up!

Catch up!

2010-07-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

4/15:
Guess what? I put the Oil Pan on today! And aside from a bolt hole or two, it fit perfect. Not bad for a custom pan made by a guy that doesnt even have the same motor! It was hard because he used a different set of holes than the ones the original pan used. Next question, why would that motor have two sets of OEM oil pan holes? Very strange indeed. Probably because they use that block with a few different cars?

5/22:
The Motor mounts dont line up to the block though so on one side only three bolts will go in. Pretty strange seeing as Mckinney made the mounts for that specific car! Anyways IT is in just enough for the move, then it will have to come back out, have a bunch of lines replaced, etc etc.

I suppose the most comforting part is that the transmission actual lines up so I wont have to cut it out to have a shifter!

7/10:
Finally got this pulled so I can get the motor mount replaced. It might look like the hole is close, but it's not close enough to screw in! So I have to have them fix it or send out a new one.

7/17:
So guess what my wife and I did today?

Yeah she and I got this bad boy back in. Mckinney overnighted me a new mount and told me the old one was the worst built one they have seen in 8 years of making these! I am very proud of how well she did! Aside from a spark plug change on a ae86 this is her first real mechanic work!

Hood Finished, Oil Pan on!

2010-04-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Finished the Hood work! Cleared and framed! In fact people like it so much they have started paying me to do theirs!

Ok so for the oil pan. We pulled off the oem pan Saturday, but there was an issue with the transmission pinching the rear of the pan so we pulled the transmission and it came right off. Then we went to put the pan on and the bolt holes didn't line up! I called the guy that made it and he let me know that it was built for a different set of holes you can see in the picture below. I guess this motor has two different patterns. WHY?! So Today I Jacked it up and put that pan on!! Perfect fit, but I couldn't get to the rear bolts, so I will probably pull the trans and put those three bolts in later.

So what's next? I need to get some replacement lines, and throw that other mount on! I love shopping for JDM parts....NOT!

Finished the Engine Bay/ Finished the Under Hood!

2010-03-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

I decided that I wanted to have a Tanuki theme for under the hood. The teal lettering says "Tanuki" and is the original paint from my first Corolla "the Chola." The Giraffe print reads "Virtue" representing the VirtueZ. Finally the top print is "Zoo," which you will understand later.

As For the engine bay I got it all prepped and sprayed. The paint went on really well so that is a bonus. Everything is ready now so the motor can go in friday! The Paint code is from the R35 GTR. It is the Gunmetal used on them. I purchased the Automotive paint in the form of spray cans at Jones Paint and Glass. They sell the Dupont Auto Paint in spray cans which is very convenient for these projects.

Catch Up Post!

2010-03-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

2/9 Cutting Fenders and Mounting Wing!
ok well I just man'd up and started cutting. I was a little apprehensive, but I think it cut out just fine. Also it doesn't have to be perfect as the actual line is formed by the fender flare not the grinder cut. I just used a wheel cutter? I call it a grinding wheel. Anyways, I mounted the wing, cut the front two fenders, and am taking a break while the etching primer dries before I rivet on the flares.

3/15
Well I was talking to a friend on my way home today and kinda got excited to do some work on my car. The only issue was getting done before the sun went away. Anyway, I got home and found something horrible, my hood had tipped over onto my passenger fender flare and cracked the flare! I definitely don't think I'm ready for kids as they say this is the daily chaos you deal with.

I suppose it's not horrible, but to me it is. I will probably wait till i finish the car and get the body painted before I replace that fender.

Anyways, after crying for about 10 minutes over the fender it was time to work. I scrubbed, sanded, and primered the engine bay. Now this weekend, or maybe as early as wednesday, I can finally spray the engine bay and get ready for the motor to go in! This is my 3rd engine bay to paint, so I basically taped and went to work! Looks to have applied very evenly so I hope the paint does the same!

I am pretty happy with the result so far. It is nice because with an engine bay most of it isn't even visible, but I am still pretty picky about stuff like this. If the orginal car color wasnt silver, I would pull the fenders and paint in behind them as well, but it is already silver/ metalic so I wont hassle with it.

Carbon fiber parts, Pulling the Motor, and Custom Oil Pan!

2010-02-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Today:
As we all know, or maybe not? The RB26 Oil pan was made with AWD in mind. It even has the hub for the front axle in the pan. So I needed a pan that would be a rear sump clearing the cross member, while allowing the motor to function correctly. At first I thought of doing an RB20 pan or something along those lines, but I found a guy named Pat on Hybridz and he made me a pan from scratch! Customized to my exact specifications!

1/30/2010
Ok so today the work started. Thanks to Micah, we were able to get the motor and trans out in under 2 hours!

Also, for the sake of showing exactly how clean this car is, I posted images of the floor pans, wheel wells, and a few other parts. Rust Free!

1/27/2010
All of the body parts came today!!!! Finally! So Saturday I will pull the motor and cut the fenders up so that it will be ready to paint next week.

Unwrapped the Motor

2010-01-24T22:19:00.000-08:00

I decided I should unwrap the motor today and see if it really did come in one piece or not? Everything looks to be ok aside from a few cut wires here and there, but aesthetically I am thinking we are good. The real test comes once I compression test it.

Here are the pics of the motor upon opening:

Towing Problem

2010-01-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not know, I have had a recent towing problem. The Virtue needs to be towed at a minimum, the following trips:

From my shop to the Paint booth
From the Paint Booth to my shop
From my shop to be wired
From wiring back to my shop for final installation

So I needed something to complete all of this. I wanted a Previa because I love how they look done up, but I decided it would be smarter to go with a bit more power. So I looked and found a 93 Ford Econoline 350 for $900. Really you can't beat that.

Presenting: The Ptolemy

I wanted to represent Turtle Factory because in essence this is a Work Van, so here is a mock up of how I want it to look:

And here are a few pics of how it stands after a day's worth of Spray Paint.

Then Came the Engine!

2010-01-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well I took the pictures yesterday, but I am posting today. THE ENGINE CAME! The shipping company met me at my house in a semi, and dropped off the power plant! I was going to rip off all the wrap and make sure it was all there, but what am I going to do, refuse delivery? It looks to all be there though looking through the wrap. Because it is not a heated garage though I am going to leave the shipping packaging on the car until I am ready to put it in. The lift I am going to use is not available for a week or so though, so next weekend I hope to start pulling it all apart. It is very strange though because the car doesn't even turn over now that the new motor is sitting there. I think it gave up the ghost!

1/13/2010 Gauges Came!

2010-01-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

Parts started coming in today! The R34 GTR Cluster came from J Spec Auto. I was really surprised to find that it is in immaculate condition. I can only wait till it is all installed to see the actual mileage.

Kit

2010-01-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

I ordered the J-Spec kit today. I really wanted to keep the original lines on the car, and just enhance them.

I am doing the carbon fiber fenders and the carbon fiber BRE wing in back. It wasnt much more to upgrade from the fiberglass.

Exterior...

2010-01-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

So it looks like I may be getting a great deal on paint work, so now I have to start gathering the exterior bits before the car goes to the shop. I don't want to worry about paint matching etc after it is all together. So here are the two kits I am considering. I also started looking at wheels, but just briefly.

I am still favoring the J-Spec Kit.

J-Spec Kit
http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7AP/50-1502

or the MSA Type 3 Kit (I can't decide if this is too ricey though)?
http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7AP/50-1500

Some Inspiration

2009-12-31T14:12:00.000-08:00

Someone brought this to my attention today:

http://www.rockyauto.co.jp/
http://www.rockyauto.co.jp/stock/detail.php?id=8104

Wow right?

Cluster/ Gauges:

2009-12-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

I feel that the interior of the car really decides the feel you have while in the car. I have decided that I will be doing DEFI Gauges, a GTR Cluster, and Suede wrapped Dash. I think that these will update the car nicely and really clean it up.

Here is a mock up of the dash look:

I ordered the R34 GTR Gauges this week, hopefully I will see it soon so I can begin the measurements/ fitment.

The Power Plant:

2009-12-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of different Z's out there, and everyone of them is unique. One of the most common thing done with the Z is an engine swap. I knew from the very start that I wanted to keep the motor within the Nissan/ Datsun family, even though a lot of guys go with the American V8's and a number of other motors. I am going to go with the RB26 from the R33 GTR. I wanted the newer model of the motor as the first generation from the R32 GTR had an issue with the surface where the crank meets the oil pump was machined too small, eventually leading to oil pump failure at high rpm. This issue was improved on the late model R32's, R33, and R34 motors.

So the Search begun.

Dec 28th
"I got started in my search and sure enough the motor was advertised as an R33 RB26, but in reality was from an R32 So now I am back on the search for a motor/ trans. The guy at JDM of Miami was very very easy to work with through the confusion including a full conversation of 3-6 emails on Christmas day. I was given a full refund within a couple of hours of talking to him as well. I did not have to file a dispute or pressure him. He admitted it was an accident and gave me my money back. Now to find something else!"

Dec 29th
" So I got the new motor ordered today. Yes I studied this one out and it is everything I wanted.

Here is the ad:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

I had Sam at Best of JDM run a compression test as well and shoot me an email with the results. All cylinders fell between 160 and 165! So the motor is in great condition!

Here is the invoice email:
"

Thank you again Brent Cheney for your business.

Please find attached pictures for the engine.

Your engine is scheduled for shipping today, but we are not sure if the shipping company will pick up or not since they said that there is not many pickups and if the shipping company did not pass then it will be shipped on Monday January 4th.

Regards,

--

Best of JDM
www.bestofjdm.com
Tel: 1-877-965-0888
Tel: 514-325-0888
Fax: 514-325-3555"

Paint Ideas:

2009-12-31T13:21:00.001-08:00

As of right Now I am considering a two tone black/ gunmetal paint scheme.

Here is an idea of how I would like it to look:

In the Beginning...

2009-12-31T12:20:00.000-08:00

The Virtue Z
Make/ Model: Datsun 240z
Year: 1972

Project Virtue Z:
The intent of this project is to create a modernized classic. The project will involve an updated interior, newer power plant, as well as updated suspension and brakes. The idea is to create a modern day sports car using the chassis of a classic sports car.

Phase 1:
I have always wanted to take on a 240Z project, but have never had time, money, or a proper donor vehicle to take on the project. Recently I posted a want ad locally to see if I could find a clean shell. It took a week or so before I was contacted:
"I have one that you might have missed. It is a 1972 California car No rust runs great and under 80,000 miles. I may consider selling if your truly interested. Thanks Joel 435-232-3974"

So I had him send me a couple of pictures and this is what I received:

This seriously reminds me of this:

Whats funny about the first one is that the Previa/ Estima will be my next project! So that is exciting to find the two in one pic!

You can only Imagine how excited I got when I received this pictures! I called him right away and scheduled to pick the car up that weekend. I had finally found my Z, and it really was close to as rust free as described!