Saving a 97tt Z32 (dial up non friendly)

[mungyz]

This old girl used to belong to a club member.

She suffered from a fairly common disease that has symptoms of: parts disappearing and prolonged periods of neglect/abandonment.
I'm not sure if this "disease" has a name yet - maybe it's more of a syndrome rather than disease, yeah maybe I'll call it "old Z syndrome" for now

Anyway the previous owner no longer had enough love for the car to keep it with him so offered it up for purchase on the 300ZX forum, I snapped it up and set about putting her back on the road......

As she arrived on the trailer behind my ute:






Damn rats ate the lining inside the hood



So before she left the trailer I gave her a good wash to see how the years in the garage had treated her:







The wheels are just so it rolls, I may steal a set off the other project I have

Oh noes oh well, full leather kit and the best of my vast collection of spare seats should help sort this mess out:


A little cleaner but I can see there is a fair bit of work going to be needed in here.



Interior going back together:


Took this lot out and went with stock gear with slightly lower springs:


Pretty pretty:




A LOT of work going in to the front, bits n bobs missing all over the show


Nice height IMO:




Flush enough:



some surgery:











Think I figured out the slightly rough idle

I put this extra pedal in because all the cool kids have them:


(obviously the extra pedal comes along with a manual gearbox etc )

Threw away the old heater pipes because this:


Is not good at all, turbo cooling lines completely blocked.

Before:


After:







Older picture from just prior to start up so no hose clamps etc in case it all had to come apart due to problems or what ever.


Got the car all road legal and tuned her with a new 300ZX specific G4 plug in and play ECU and made a healthy 193Kw at the hubs on what is otherwise a very stock system, has a pod filter and a manual conversion but nothing to make more power other than the tune.

Next year I will build a full custom stainless exh system and fit the next model up 300ZX Link G4 for testing of the built in knock block and boost control systems etc, the aim is to have a fully developed kit for 300ZX owners that will include boost control with minimal fuss - all pretty cool stuff from Link

ANYWAY back on topic for the car, she needs the seats recovered in leather and needs the aircon sorted - WAAAAY to hot without that working

Plan was originally going to be do it up and sell it, wifey likes it too much and it's now being donated to her in return for her Prelude - I think I'm getting a bum deal there

[BRONZEE]

So good to finally see that Z looking like a car again. Think your wifey did get the better deal, especially being one of the few 97's around.

[Jibber]

Thats nice Glenn, well done! Looks very, very smart!!

[mungyz]

Thanks guys, still a long long way to go before it will be anywhere close to super tidy BUT as it's going to be a daily driver there is not much point in getting carried away with it, as long as it's all one colour and shiny with no serious scratches or dents then that's suitable for Hamilton

Had a short drive yesterday with the t tops off reminded me of my first Z32 I had back in 1999, they still turn heads now the same as what they did back then

[SMZ]

Great work once again

[Tapp's]

Dr Z strikes again!
Great transformation G, I have often said to my kids, nothing happens unless you make it happen!
What a neat example.

[Jibber]

Thanks guys, still a long long way to go before it will be anywhere close to super tidy BUT as it's going to be a daily driver there is not much point in getting carried away with it, as long as it's all one colour and shiny with no serious scratches or dents then that's suitable for Hamilton

Had a short drive yesterday with the t tops off reminded me of my first Z32 I had back in 1999, they still turn heads now the same as what they did back then

They sure do - I get lots of attention in mine, had some one come up to me the other day in Sth Auck and tell me my car was really cool.

Of course, thanks to Glenn mine you know mine is coming too!

[mungyz]

As seems to be a tradition for freshly saved Z32s wifey took her New Z32 down to Taupo today and gave it a little work out on the big track

The only thing that went wrong was a sticker fell off one of the wheels after the wheel got a bit warm from the brakes

So she passed that test and to cap it all off the previous daily driver for the wife was sold and driven away when we got home tonight, all in all a pretty good end to this stage of the project

Next step is getting the air conditoning back up and running - I might even get that sorted on my own car

[BRONZEE]

As seems to be a tradition for freshly saved Z32s wifey took her New Z32 down to Taupo today and gave it a little work out on the big track

That's great that she's had the Z on the track already, even better after being stuck in dismantled state for years.

[mungyz]

Yeah wifey isn't really in to track stuff but I told her she had to get used to RWD instead of FWD as one day if by accident the back end steps out she might have a better chance of recovery rather than disaster. She seemed to be doing OK and had a smile on her face so all was well

As for the car, there were promises of it turning into a full on race car at one stage & although it's far from that at least it's alive and kicking and got to see the track at Taupo relatively soon after its ummm rebirth? recovery? wakening?

looks REALLY nice on the road as it cruises past, I would have filmed it but no cell ph operation while driving etc damn shame would have made a nice vid.