In 1980, I was working for a local Datsun dealer when this
car came into the body shop with the Roof caved in by a
tree. The insurance totaled it, so with dealership
connections, I was able to purchase it from the insurance
company pretty cheap. The rear quarter needed replaced as
well so, The guys in our body shop went to work on
replacing the whole top and passenger side rear quarter
panel for me. After it was finished there I drove the car a few
months until I was able to gather the main parts I thought
I would need to start my first big block conversion.
Starting the project
In the meantime I had opened a repair shop with another co-
worker and we both left our positions at the dealership. I
would work in the evenings and weekends on my Z fitting
the big block 427 and turbo-400 I had chosen to be its first
power plant. I think I spent a month or two building mounts
and brackets to accommodate everything until one day it
was ready to light off. I wished I had documented with lots of
pictures, but that was just not my thing at the time. I just
remember thinking at the time, It really wasn’t all that big of
deal. There was plenty of room for the engine, and I only cut
the transmission cross member perches, moved them back
some, and re weld them to the floor. I removed the engine
mount perches as well, but in hindsight, I wished I had used
them. Instead I mounted the engine with front and rear
aluminum plates. Can you feeeel the vibration?
car came into the body shop with the Roof caved in by a
tree. The insurance totaled it, so with dealership
connections, I was able to purchase it from the insurance
company pretty cheap. The rear quarter needed replaced as
well so, The guys in our body shop went to work on
replacing the whole top and passenger side rear quarter
panel for me. After it was finished there I drove the car a few
months until I was able to gather the main parts I thought
I would need to start my first big block conversion.
Starting the project
In the meantime I had opened a repair shop with another co-
worker and we both left our positions at the dealership. I
would work in the evenings and weekends on my Z fitting
the big block 427 and turbo-400 I had chosen to be its first
power plant. I think I spent a month or two building mounts
and brackets to accommodate everything until one day it
was ready to light off. I wished I had documented with lots of
pictures, but that was just not my thing at the time. I just
remember thinking at the time, It really wasn’t all that big of
deal. There was plenty of room for the engine, and I only cut
the transmission cross member perches, moved them back
some, and re weld them to the floor. I removed the engine
mount perches as well, but in hindsight, I wished I had used
them. Instead I mounted the engine with front and rear
aluminum plates. Can you feeeel the vibration?
In the beginning
The next few years
I spent the next few years racing it almost every weekend. The quickest the car ever went was a
twelve flat spinning half way through second gear. The small R-180 rear end had left the scene
early in the game with its replacement R-200 still going strong until the car came apart some 4 or 5
years later to start on the frame. I am not sure that would have been the case had I ever ran anything
other that regular radial tire on the car. In the few years it was together this way, I had installed an
under dash A/C unit, Nitrous, and various other odds and ends making it a little faster and road trip
enjoyable, until one day I got the urge to have big tires, roll cage and all that STUFF!
Sometimes I wonder….What was I thinking!!!
I spent the next few years racing it almost every weekend. The quickest the car ever went was a
twelve flat spinning half way through second gear. The small R-180 rear end had left the scene
early in the game with its replacement R-200 still going strong until the car came apart some 4 or 5
years later to start on the frame. I am not sure that would have been the case had I ever ran anything
other that regular radial tire on the car. In the few years it was together this way, I had installed an
under dash A/C unit, Nitrous, and various other odds and ends making it a little faster and road trip
enjoyable, until one day I got the urge to have big tires, roll cage and all that STUFF!
Sometimes I wonder….What was I thinking!!!
First Paint Job
After the exhaust was finished I drove the car around only a short time. Just to work out a few bugs
here and there, and then into the body shop it went for its first paint job. I selected a very beautiful
gold pearl white finish that looked great for about a month or so. Then I started seeing some yellow
spots all over the car. Long story short.. The pearl had started moving around in the paint. I never
heard of such a thing, and disappointing to say the least. Well, after some head scratching, the
painter was left with no other option but to paint it again. After that ordeal it went back Just White.
No Pearl. I had acquired a set of ZX wheels to put on the car and once it was done it really looked
like a sleeper.
After the exhaust was finished I drove the car around only a short time. Just to work out a few bugs
here and there, and then into the body shop it went for its first paint job. I selected a very beautiful
gold pearl white finish that looked great for about a month or so. Then I started seeing some yellow
spots all over the car. Long story short.. The pearl had started moving around in the paint. I never
heard of such a thing, and disappointing to say the least. Well, after some head scratching, the
painter was left with no other option but to paint it again. After that ordeal it went back Just White.
No Pearl. I had acquired a set of ZX wheels to put on the car and once it was done it really looked
like a sleeper.
~ Back home ~
Exhaust
Once it was running I needed to get some
exhaust on the car. I had used two cast iron
manifolds from the drivers side of an early
model Chevelle. I just turned one around
backwards on the passenger side to get
away from starter clearance issues. The rest
of the exhaust system was a crossover then
a single 3” pipe to the rear that ran through a
Flow master muffler.
Once it was running I needed to get some
exhaust on the car. I had used two cast iron
manifolds from the drivers side of an early
model Chevelle. I just turned one around
backwards on the passenger side to get
away from starter clearance issues. The rest
of the exhaust system was a crossover then
a single 3” pipe to the rear that ran through a
Flow master muffler.
 |
