DJZ's 280ZX

[DJZ]

The part of the intercooler piping I hate the most is the bit on the left with the blue silicone bend, not quite sure what I'm going to do to fix it, the angles are a bit deceiving in the photo.

I've ordered some black silicone radiator hoses from Aliexpress which should get here next week. I also took the plenum off, removed the three barbs underneath and drilled, tapped and plugged the holes as I don't need them.

[DJZ]

Mount intercooler properly - check
Swap BOVs with the DR and hope it fits - check
Mount power steering line - check (2nd time around as I stripped the rivnut the first time)
Make downpipe - just about to go down to work to finish welding it and hope I can get the bolt that I dropped out of the exhaust without taking it off completely
Smash little finger and break finger nail in half so that nurse Gwendy had to cut it off - check

[2 doors]

ohh fingernail crush is the worst, so much hurt, love how your always tinkering away with this, makes some builds (like mine) look like they are going backwards.

[DJZ]

Alright, exhaust is done and doesn't seem to be leaking, air temp sensor is mounted but probably only temporarily.

Tomorrow I need to:

Book it in to get the wastegate pipe done as I can't be bothered doing it myself
Book it in for a warrant for Wednesday
Sort out some tyres
Put the bonnet back on after work
Take it for a test drive

[DJZ]

Got the tyres sorted today, 235/45/17 Nitto NT555s thanks to the guys at Tyre General Blenheim Road. Swapped the front wheels over this evening, the LMs have a removable insert in the centre to suit different hub sizes so I have to swap those over too.

Gwendy helped me put the bonnet back on and I roughly lined it up, put the old front skirt on as it was the easiest option at this point.

Took it for a couple of laps around the block, it's still as loud and uncomfortable to drive as I remember. Got into boost a little bit, wastegate seemed to be opening pretty early but I don't have the boost controller hooked up, just relying on spring pressure at the moment.

Feels like it might need the brakes bled. It has a slight noise at idle which I think is coming from the cam belt, I possibly put it on just slightly over tight even though I backed the tensioner off from the factory spring pressure, the RB20 did this as well. It may stretch a little bit and the noise might stop but I think I'll pull the covers off and back it off a little bit more.

[85_Z31]

Does the cam belt complain only once its warmed up ?

Or is it all the time ?

[DJZ]

Seems to only be once it gets warm, it's actually gotten quieter I think, it wasn't as noticeable when I got home yesterday after a reasonably long drive.

[DJZ]

Got a warrant on Thursday, did a couple of little things today in preparation for the Z Club cruise tomorrow.

1. Swapped over the center console lid hinge as it got broken not long before the 2012 track day and was always falling off
2. Put the turbo beanie back on, I wasn't looking forward to it as it was a pain in the ass with the old exhaust manifold but the new manifold puts the turbo further away from the head so it wasn't too bad
3. Finally gave the car a wash after 14 odd months, one of the back wheels has a little bit of oxidation now, I think it got bird crap on it while in storage

Took it for a bit of a drive out to Lyttelton and back, it seems to be going pretty well so far.

[Bartman]

Does it go hard?
I still haven't been for a ride in it yet.

[DJZ]

Not as well as I remember but I'm taking it easy at the moment, it's running a Chinese wastegate that's untested so have to be a little bit careful.