Morgan Evanar
Mar 30th, 2013, 08:44:56 AM
March 11:
I loved my 240SX in the ~5 years that I owned it. The main thought in my head after I had gotten used to the car: what if it had much more power? I bought a FI SBF 5.0 and T5 with visions of swaps in my head. I discovered some crazy Mexican had done it, so why couldn't I? I was only forced to sell it because I lost my decently paying job right when I finally had gotten my own space to actually do it. A year later I sold the 5.0 SBF and T5 I acquired to another goon. With the exception of minor mods and maintenance to my Saab/Subaru and a track day, I haven't done squat carwise. I worked part time and went to school.
I've got a bit of spending money again, so it was time for a project. The big American heart fell into my lap.
http://panicked.org/240sx/01.jpg
A coworker had a Mark VIII with a dying transmission but a motor that ran well. I decided I had entirely too much free time, so I bought it for $400 with the agreement he could remove the aftermarket suspension he had put on it recently. Known good motor with all the wiring bits I'd probably need? Sounded like a overall deal for everyone involved. The Mark VIII's Teksid aluminum block wouldn't add any noticeable weight over the stock iron block KA. I'd be moving the battery to the back and getting rid of the A/C anyway.
The more I tore into the car the more I realized that it wouldn't be difficult to drop 500+ pounds from the car. Ford put sensors and wiring for damn near everything, and the interior and exterior panels were simply heavy, often for no reason I could fathom. I had brief thoughts of keeping the chassis and turning into an overweight manual transmission beast. I knew I'd never be happy with something so physically large and heavy, and the front suspension is known to be fragile. Not ideal when the previous cars I've owned are all small, light and comparatively durable.
http://panicked.org/240sx/02.jpg
Over the course of a few weeks a friend and I gradually wrenched the heart of the beast free. I've decided to keep as much of the Lincoln wiring as possible, despite the extra weight it might add. I've never been interested in doing wiring, and despite doing things the hard way, I want this as plug and play as possible.
This weekend I finally got the engine free.
http://panicked.org/240sx/03.jpg
http://panicked.org/240sx/04.jpg
Glorious. Ford engineering left me scratching my head several times, but it's done now.
I have a big list o' crap to buy:
Lincoln Continental Oil pan/pickup - need the front sumpyness
Might need a timing chain tensioner
AC delete pulley
TR3650 manual transmission + flywheel and clutch from a 05-10 Mustang. I'd rather not do a cable clutch conversion, and these have hydraulic clutches.
Custom driveshaft
Custom exhaust
Plugs, but not wires, those are less than a year old.
I have valve cover gaskets ready to go in and it needs to as one of the plugs is getting oil fouled badly.
Optional things:
Upgraded LSD
Upgraded seats.
Eventual things: cage
I need the S-chassis after I finish stripping all of the wiring I think I might need from the Mark VIII, but that's not going to happen until the Mk8 shell is gone. I'm still trying to decide on S13 or S14. Ideally I'd find a manual 5 bolt hub car with no sunroof and go from there.
I loved my 240SX in the ~5 years that I owned it. The main thought in my head after I had gotten used to the car: what if it had much more power? I bought a FI SBF 5.0 and T5 with visions of swaps in my head. I discovered some crazy Mexican had done it, so why couldn't I? I was only forced to sell it because I lost my decently paying job right when I finally had gotten my own space to actually do it. A year later I sold the 5.0 SBF and T5 I acquired to another goon. With the exception of minor mods and maintenance to my Saab/Subaru and a track day, I haven't done squat carwise. I worked part time and went to school.
I've got a bit of spending money again, so it was time for a project. The big American heart fell into my lap.
http://panicked.org/240sx/01.jpg
A coworker had a Mark VIII with a dying transmission but a motor that ran well. I decided I had entirely too much free time, so I bought it for $400 with the agreement he could remove the aftermarket suspension he had put on it recently. Known good motor with all the wiring bits I'd probably need? Sounded like a overall deal for everyone involved. The Mark VIII's Teksid aluminum block wouldn't add any noticeable weight over the stock iron block KA. I'd be moving the battery to the back and getting rid of the A/C anyway.
The more I tore into the car the more I realized that it wouldn't be difficult to drop 500+ pounds from the car. Ford put sensors and wiring for damn near everything, and the interior and exterior panels were simply heavy, often for no reason I could fathom. I had brief thoughts of keeping the chassis and turning into an overweight manual transmission beast. I knew I'd never be happy with something so physically large and heavy, and the front suspension is known to be fragile. Not ideal when the previous cars I've owned are all small, light and comparatively durable.
http://panicked.org/240sx/02.jpg
Over the course of a few weeks a friend and I gradually wrenched the heart of the beast free. I've decided to keep as much of the Lincoln wiring as possible, despite the extra weight it might add. I've never been interested in doing wiring, and despite doing things the hard way, I want this as plug and play as possible.
This weekend I finally got the engine free.
http://panicked.org/240sx/03.jpg
http://panicked.org/240sx/04.jpg
Glorious. Ford engineering left me scratching my head several times, but it's done now.
I have a big list o' crap to buy:
Lincoln Continental Oil pan/pickup - need the front sumpyness
Might need a timing chain tensioner
AC delete pulley
TR3650 manual transmission + flywheel and clutch from a 05-10 Mustang. I'd rather not do a cable clutch conversion, and these have hydraulic clutches.
Custom driveshaft
Custom exhaust
Plugs, but not wires, those are less than a year old.
I have valve cover gaskets ready to go in and it needs to as one of the plugs is getting oil fouled badly.
Optional things:
Upgraded LSD
Upgraded seats.
Eventual things: cage
I need the S-chassis after I finish stripping all of the wiring I think I might need from the Mark VIII, but that's not going to happen until the Mk8 shell is gone. I'm still trying to decide on S13 or S14. Ideally I'd find a manual 5 bolt hub car with no sunroof and go from there.