Anthony’s 300TT modifications:

• Engine swap now under way to replace the tired motor, stage one of removal now complete.
• New engine being rebuilt and colour coded to take it's place.

Progress update - Feb 2008

The blown engine has finally been removed and examined. We found one melted piston and three broken valves so we decided to refit a temporary engine to keep the car mobile while we rebuild the new engine. News of the new parts we have to fit to follow soon...

Progress update - Mar 2008

We've been very busy this month with the build, there has been a delivery of tyres so we can get the new wheels on. The new loom has arrived and has been fitted, we have even started the polishing of the alloy bits in the engine bay and have some pistons on the way.

Wheels and Tyres: Thanks to Marangoni for supply us with some excellent tyres - we are using the Mythos range of tyre they produce - Combined with the ADR wheels the car is transformed. You can view the full Marangoni website at www.marangonityre.co.uk.

Loom: The looms are notorious on the 300ZX for becoming brittle and failing over time so we sourced a new genuine Nissan loom from the U.S. Fitting it was no easy task but 5 hours later we were done, so no need to worry about wiring failure.

Next Month: The engine build begins with new pistons and we start to fabricate the custom exhaust manifolds…

Progress update - Apr 2008

We've been busy again this month getting the car ready for the coming show season. We have some of the polished alloy parts back, the fabricating of the templates for the custom turbo set up is done, the pistons have arrived as well as the turbo. We'll also be starting on the interior and exterior styling next month.

Polished Bits: We sent the front water pipes off to Bailey Motorsport for a spot of polishing, not normally a service they offer but as a favour they helped us out as well as returning them with a pair off dump valves for the project. You can see their range at www.baileymotorsport.co.uk

Fabricating Work: With the arrival of the T-70 turbo it was time to start fabricating the templates for the exhaust manifolds. The 1st job was to work out the route and the position to mount the turbo converting a twin turbo to a single in the cramped 300's engine is not easy but we managed a route we were happy with on the 2nd attempt. As these are only templates just tacking the tube together was ok so after 4-5 days the set up was complete although we had to sacrifice the aircon to make it fit! The template have been sent off to JP Exhausts to be copied so we will see some nice new ones soon, catch JP Exhausts at www.jpexhausts.co.uk

Engine Parts: With all this work going we need to get the engine build underway soon so we have have been busy sourcing some new parts including some amazing new psitons from Wiseco Europe. Running the sort of power we need we wanted to ensure the internals were up to the job so choose Wiseco for their reputation for quality and reliability. More details at www.wiseco-europe.com

Progress update - Jun 2008

For the last few weeks the engine build has been going on and will be complete soon. Until then we have turned out attention to some more under bonnet detailing, interior and exterior touches in time for some shows.

Interior: The 300zx only came with a drab tweed interior which was dull to say the least. We decided to fit some Corbeau seats and decided on the Forza range, we also got several metres of matching material to retrim the interior and set to work. You can see Corbeau's full range at www.corbeau-seats.co.uk

Engine Detail: We added some more polished bits this month to brighten the engine a bit more. We had some of the steel components chromed as well as fitting some stainless steel panels to cover the air intake and headlights.

Exterior: With the engine bay and interior looking good we got started on the exterior, so we headed to Cheltenham Vinyl Graphics and place the car in the capable hands of Adam. After many hours of creative work and some input from us he came up with this fantastic design. He does work for many top name Motorsport companies as well as some top Football teams. Have a look at www.cvgwrapping.com to see his handy work.

Progress update - July 2008

The engine build is nearing completion now and will be complete very soon. The cams are in and the heads are fitted to the complete bottom end so just a few more bit to add.

Engine: The old block has has had some machining done to reseat the valves and increase the cylinder bore be a few mm to fit the slightly bigger Wiseco pistons. The heads are now bolted to the completed bottom end but to seal the two together we needed something a little bit special to cope with the extra power. There is only one choice when it comes to headgaskets Cometic are the clear choice, their triple steel layer gaskets will be more than capable to handle the pressure. View their full product range at www.cometiceurope.com

With all the extra power and boost we are running then we need to get more fuel into the engine so we need bigger injectors. There are many make available but we went to the US to source some Venom Injectors. These are 800cc so are capable of flowing enough fuel for 800bhp!. The company is owned by the injection speciallists Python Injection.Their full range can be seen at www.venom-performance.com

Next on the list is the clutch to complete the build. As we speak the old engine is coming out!

Progress Update - August 2008

The new engine is finished apart from a few small jobs and the manual gearbox is fitted so we need to give the engine bay the minimalist look.

Engine: The build is fully complete in terms of the block and heads with just some finishing touches to be added once we collect it. The cam belt covers are being smoothed and colour coded match the rest of the engine hoses. The new injectors need to be secured into place with the fuel rail once the new seals arrive from Nissan, once we get the inlet manifold re-polished it can be refitted over the top of the injectors to complete the look of the engine. The engine is then ready to have the clutch fitted and dropped into place to make sure the clearance for the manifolds is ok.

Clutch and gearbox: With the amount of power we aim for with the engine the standard auto box would never stand upto that let alone the fact who wants to drive an auto! We sourced a manual gearbox from www.300zx.co.uk where you can find most parts and a huge amount of advice and knowledge for 300ZX’s from the UK’s biggest 300 club. The fitting is reasonably straight forward, with the auto box dropped out and the prop changed for the shorter manual one we lifted the manual box into position and bolted it in. Next we have to change some of the wiring harness and bridge some of the connectors to make the car think park is engaged to over ride the auto box system that would normally prevent the engine starting in gear. The clutch pedal and hydraulics for the clutch were then fitted for obvious reasons, these jobs are much easier with the engine out. The last job is to fit the manual gearstick along with the new centre console surround as it is different to the autos. Now we have a gearbox that can handle the engine power we need a clutch to join the two, there are lots of companies offering clutches but we need something reliable. We decided on one of the biggest names available which is Advanced Clutch Technology, ACT have been making top quality clutches for many years. We have gone for a 6 Pad Spring Centered race disc that can handle the power and offers good durability but quiet operating. Check out their products at www.advancedclutch.com

Engine Bay: The 300ZX engine bay is notorious for being over complicated and very busy so we decided to strip it out. As we are running a single turbo then the stock twin turbo set up is no longer needed so was removed, also the big turbo is sat where the aircon pump is so that system can be binned. Also you can’t drift with the Nissan Hicas system (rear wheel steering) so that has been stripped out. As you can see by the picture it has made a lot of room at the front for the intercooler and turbo as well as a significant weight reduction. The Hicas has also emptied the drivers side inner wing of clutter so to even it up we have relocated the fuse box from the other inner wing to balance it out. We have several other things to move or take off to make it cleaner looking but more on that next month.

Progress Update - March 2009

After a few quiet months while we sorted out a few problems and we were snowed under with work at SFS it has been all go with the project. We have changed some more wiring, removed the hicas, fitted lowering springs, manifolds finished and turbo fitted.

Wiring and Engine Bay:

We had to fit a new loom from the fuse box through the engine bay to passenger side footwell due to some damage so we decided so fit one from a manual car. This made the wiring in of the gear box easier as there are several things different on the auto loom such as a neutral switch and overdrive as well as the Auto ECU. We seized the opportunity to route the wiring differently so it could be hidden and the fuse box moved. The result is both inner wings are now free of wiring clutter and look much cleaner.

Hicas: We had already removed the hicas system from the inner wing and the piping in the engine but we still had the rear steering rack. To get rid of this we needed lockout bar which replaces the rack with a machined alloy bar which is fixed to stop any wheel movement. The rack was removed from the car, then the end arms have to be removed which was easier said than done as they put up a lot of resistance. Once off they were fitted onto the lockout bar which was then refitted to the car. The result is now the complete removal of the rear steer hicas system, much needed for our plans!

Suspension: The car sat to high for my liking so needed to drop, I just couldn’t decide how much. As the project is a little wild we went the whole way and dropped 50mm with a set of springs from Megan. While fitting the springs I found two shock absorbers were finished so sourced some replacements before fitting the springs. I have also sourced a camber adjustment kit to keep things in line and prevent uneven tyre where. Some picture of the new ride height next month!

Manifolds: After a few days of cutting and tacking the last two patterns were ready to send off to JP Exhausts to be welded up. They were redesigned again until I was happy with them before they went off.

The finished manifolds came back, all they need is a polish and they are finished. A great job done by JP

Turbo: With the manifolds back and fitted in place we couldn’t help but fit the turbo to see how it sat. Just a slight tweak needed to the fitting flange but essentially the fit is good. So before getting the manifolds polished we will plumb in the turbo intake, intercooler and rad. More on that next month but some pictures just wet the appetite.

Next month we will have more details on the turbo/intercooler fitting and the body kit is back from the paint shop ready to be fitted….

Progress Update - May 2009

It’s been a bust two months so the update is a little late. I have now finished the turbo installation as well as the intercooler, radiators and coolant system. All the parts are back from the body shop and have been fitted. The ECU was sent away to have a base map installed to cope with the modifications and stop over fuelling from the 740cc injectors. I was paused for the big start up, so a turn of the key and….. more about that later.

Turbo Installation: With the manifolds done and turbo fitted in place I positioned the intercooler and bolted it to the crash bar behind the bumper and started on the hosing. The main problem was getting around the turbo to feed both banks of cylinders, so I needed a Y shaped hose. I managed to find what we needed in our extensive range of tooling and got to work. I used a range of standard SFS elbows and reducers, which goes to show you can make almost any combination from our range. All the parts were joined using alloy joiners/t-pieces from Bailey Motorsport and incorporated the fitting of the twin Venturi dump valves. Once that was done it was time for the radiators.

Cooling System and Radiator Installation: With the limited space I couldn’t reuse the standard 300zx radiator so I opted for two smaller ones instead. Both were positioned behind the intercooler but enough room was left between them for a hi-speed slim line fan. The whole system was then plumbed in again using our range of standard bends, straights and alloy joiners.

Body Work: All the bumpers and side skirts came back from painting and were quickly fitted. This was the easiest job I’ve had for a long time.

The Start Up: With everything in place it was time for the start up, I had already turned the engine over quite a few times with the fuel pump fuse removed to get the oil circulating and the pressure up without it starting. So with the fuse fitted it was time for the start up, I turned the key and it turned over but no start, not even a hint!! After much trouble shooting, well a lot actually there was no spark at the coil packs. There were several phone calls to Geoff at www.zedworld.co.uk as he is the Guru on all things ZX. I had to test each component including, PTU, CAS, relays, fuses and earths – all were fine? So next I bridged some connections in the EFI relay which restored a positive feed to the coils which was previously missing, this narrowed it down to two things- faulty loom or faulty ECU. Since the ECU had been remapped I decided to start with the loom, I was lucky – the first wire I traced had a break in it! So 30 seconds of soldering cured several hours of fault finding. Now with a positive at the coil it was time for attempt number 2. So 3-4 turns and the engine spluttered into life, SUCCESS!!!! No bad considering not all the hose clamps were tight so there were some air leaks, the intake system wasn’t finished and no exhaust.

Next month we are finishing the exhaust system and twin intake, fitting the gauges, stereo and a few other bits.

Progress Update - June/July 2009

Well another few busy months, we have got the exhausts and downpipe finished, the new brakes on, brake lines fitted and a new front bumper.

Exhausts and Downpipe: As the car has a completely custom set up there isn’t an aftermarket exhaust system available so we dropped the car to Pro-Speed Exhausts which is just down the road. You can see examples of the top quality work they do at www.pro-speedexhausts.com

This is quite a tricky job to squeeze in a 3 inch down pipe and the massive external wastegate in such a tight space, undeterred Charlie got cracking. He decided the best route for the exhaust was 3 inch all the way to the centre of the car where it then split with a ‘Y’ to the two Blitz back boxes.

Next part was to fit in the external wastegate in the space that was left, that meant tapping into the secondary manifold just before the turbo and then feeding it back into the bottom of the downpipe. It was a tricky fit but Pro-Speed managed a very neat job that looked great. They also re-studded the heads for the exhaust manifolds to get rid of a few leaks. The car sounded great with no leaks, perfect job!

Brakes: With all the power planned for the engine to make the car go fast it was time to turn the attention to the brakes to get it to stop. After looking around at various set ups and conversion we decided on a conversion that had been done before with good results. We took the calipers from an EVO 9 and the discs for a Nissan 350Z which are much bigger. After sourcing the calipers from a 3000 mile car we needed discs, we decided on EBC discs with Yellow Stuff pads. While we were at we decided to upgrade the back ones to EBC discs and pads. You can see EBC’s full range at www.ebcbrakes.com. The stopping power has vastly improved and is more than capable enough to cope with the track days we have planned.

Front Bumper: We have decided to change the front bumper to something a little more subtle than the current one. We do need to make a few changes to this one to get it to fit around the intercooler and inlets. Some more pictures on this next time as we are still busy with the fibreglass and filler to get it spot on.

Next month we are finishing the front bumper, fitting the electronic boost controller, a trip to Zedworld to iron out a few issues and maybe a new radiator.

Progress Update - December 2009

It’s been a mixed few months for the project with some major steps forward and some annoying set backs but on the whole things are shaping up nicely. We have fitted the new front bumper, air filter, MAF, radiator and a new chip with a different base map. We’ve also binned two air filters, a radiator and a MAF. We also have a load of goodies from Armour Auto, the home of Mutant.

New Bumper: We decided the current bumper was just too much for the lines of the 300 and decided to change it. We opted for a more subtle Veilside item but it still gives the front an aggressive look and allows enough cold air for cooling. The look is much better so all we need to do is get it painted properly but we are waiting for a full respray for that.

Engine: Although the engine was running, it didn’t run particularly well so we sent the car off to ZedWorld for them to check. There were a few different issue to sort, including adjusting the Throttle Position Sensor, static timing and the balance between the throttle butterflies. We also had a twin intake system but we have removed this as it wasn’t working well. As the intake was changed we had to get a new base map so we changed the eprom chip. With all this done the car ran better but it still felt like it was missing and it was difficult to get the turbo to boost. So when the car came back we had a look at the intake system, we stumbled across the fault by accident while it was apart. A quick call to Pipercross for a big foam filter and the problem was solved; a restrictive filter not flowing enough air was the cause. To see the full Pipercross range log on to www.pipercross.net. Now the car was running properly the other issue was the fact it was still running to warm in stationary traffic even with the two radiators. The larger of the two radiators was upgraded to a bigger size but was a very tight fit. We are also going to fit some vents in the bonnet to help the heat escape.

We had a weekend to put some miles on the car especially as it is still being run in, all went well on the Saturday. In fact the car was great fun to drive although we couldn’t push it to much. The weather soon stopped play for the day, the rain continued over night with torrential down pours. Sunday was a dry day so we planned to do some videos of the car, so armed with a camera we headed out to the car. With a turn of the key the car spluttered into life and ran appallingly, with blue grey smoke before dying and refusing to restart? After several attempts the car still refused to start so we had to work out what was wrong. We found the engine was flooded so removed and checked the coil packs, plugs, ecu temperature sender, injectors and live feeds, all were fine. We eventually discovered the MAF had filled with water in the circuit board section which is why the engine was flooding. So a two week wait for a replacement and all was well again, so time for more testing.

Ice: Although the car is about performance we still like our creature comforts so we are still going to have a decent ice install. We already have a touch screen head unit so decided to mate that up with Mutant speakers, amps and subs. More on that next time but to see their range go to www.mutant.uk.com/