My "Well that didn't work..." Drift build.
 

Hey guys, some of you probably remember my epic fail V8 swap that I got conned on a while back. Well, the car is up and running and as much as it surprises me to say it, I did the work myself. 2nd car I've ever done anything on, 2nd motor I've put together. Got it done about 5 months ago after heading to the shop every night for about a year trying to get this thing and my 240 up and running. Been in Virginia working on a film for the past 4ish months, only got to drive her for 3 weeks, but in those 4ish months it's been in the shop for a makeover... Here's a bit of the journey.

When I first got it.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7800370_n.jpg

Barely anything done to it, intake, exhaust, wheels, clutch and flywheel.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2749285_n.jpg

The 5-6 months in hell.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5162305_n.jpg

The aftermath of the guys scam.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3095954_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6477857_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3872323_n.jpg

Right before getting towed to the shop where I rebuilt the car with some friends.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6019875_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1343113_n.jpg

How it sat for a couple months while we got all the parts.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4201444_n.jpg

Pretty much everything up front needed to be replace. Check out these "oem-looking mounts." Dunno what manufacturer this guy was thinking of.
http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/230197...7_481091_n.jpg

First bit of good luck with this motor, last owner of it had an MREV2 lower plenum. Score.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6542797_n.jpg

Finally reassembled the motor.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4358155_n.jpg

Clutch and flywheel time. Exedy Stage 1 with F1 Racing 18lb flywheel.
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3049522_n.jpg

Motor in finally!
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5965596_n.jpg

Invidia test pipes. Bleh.
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4686904_n.jpg

Starting to look like a car again..
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2049172_n.jpg

Wiped down the entire interior for the first time in nearly a year...
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2626807_n.jpg

Then after 2 harnesses we finally spliced all the crap we needed to and got it running. But it was backfiring like a b*tch, we tore it down to check the timing.. Motor was CLEEEEEEEAAAAAAAANNNNN!
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6043427_a.jpg

After taking the initiative and looking at the damn harness, my friend had swapped the wire for two of the coils. Problem solved, happy with myself for actually finding out why. It was a fail moment, but oh well it was running. I was happy. Right before leaving, next to the owner of the shops sons new Z32.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/heritage.jpg

The car was running absolutely perfectly, AND the motor was a lot stronger than it should have been, even with full bolt ons.. But there is definitely something about this motor, it pulls like a mothafudger. Now for the fun stuff ;)

Got the new open diff welded by Ryan at Smoke 'Em Motorsports the night before a drift event at Mineral Wells.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7362134_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5983170_n.jpg

Got my new Momo wheel and NRG quick release the night before but didn't have time to put it on. So I put it on at MW!
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7285926_n.jpg

Did a little photoshoot of the car when I was bored about two nights after that event.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8341449_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2554522_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5535584_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6132928_n.jpg

Long overdue.... Powered by MAX Pro series coilovers. One of my cats had to check out the fat lewtz to be had.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/kitty.jpg
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023...9cd1b325_z.jpg
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020...5333073b_z.jpg

Hotchkis springs vs. PBM coils. Hmm..
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017...c61f69cd_z.jpg

Out with the old....
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125...6694f454_z.jpg

In with the new.
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137...0b551ba8_z.jpg

Hooooooooooly hell need some roll/pullage. Doing this when I get back, bought a PBM fender roller.
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002...8a1679f2_z.jpg

Left the coils pretty much stock since I was only going to get to drive on them for like, 3 days.
https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6146...c37850e7_z.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4420426_n.jpg

Yeeees yeeees, I know I need spacers..
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/350z/coils1.jpg

Right before I left snagged a Sony AppRadio. My OEM radio had turned ghetto and broken.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/AppRadio.jpg
I had left town by now, and now it was time to get nastaaaay.

Buddy dropped the car off at UpRev in Austin.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/350z/uprev.jpg

Snagged a Cobra Imola race seat with Cobra side rails, as well as some Muteki extended lug nuts.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/350z/cobra.jpg

Driftworks 5 point Harness..
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/harness_small.jpg

Bought a Chargespeed rear replica and legit JP Vizage Type-N front from people off here, got them shipped to Smoke 'Em for paint.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/chargespeed.jpg
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/vizage.jpg

Drift spares... 6 XXR 521's 18x10 +25 for the rear. Love XXR's, cheap and I've seen them withstand hell. Sorry, but not spending $2000+ on wheels. I'm a nub.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...30895528_n.jpg
Felt kinda bad, 6 boxes sent to my buddy Jeremy's house.. SURPRISE! :P
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...77430532_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...67432258_n.jpg

Got two white Rota Grid's coming from the UK for the front, 18x9.5 +20. Now is when sh*t got real at UpRev.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/interior.jpg

Tiffany (who owns a G and runs CupCake Meet here in Texas) snagged this photo when she was visiting UpRev and ran into my Z.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...58776435_n.jpg

Then UpRev posted this pic on their facebook with the caption: "Because racecar." I spy myself and Edafe (Royal_T)'s rides.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...36606004_n.jpg

Found this street here in Virginia by our production office. Wanted to share.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...43744131_n.jpg

New test pipes in progress from Russell at VTSI Fabrication/UpRev...
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/IMG_2994.jpg

Cage action <3
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/IMG_5192.jpg

Russell doing his thing.
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/weldin.jpg

Done!!
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/IMG_7679.jpg
http://insertmatthere.com/Pictures/IMG_7891.jpg
You can see Russell's sick drift STI in the back there.

Just bought pretty much full SPL arms yesterday, UpRev is gonna install them, an oil cooler, then tune the car. Then it's over to Smoke 'Em to get the bumpers and such on! Cannot wait to get back to Texas and drive this beast again.

Full mod list as of today 10/28/11:

Engine:
VQ35DE Down-rev (prepped and reassembled by myself with help from Kang Automotive and friends)
Motordyne MREV2 Lower plenum
Motordyne 1/16th inch plenum spacer
Generic air intake
VQ35DE Rev-up fuel rails/injectors
OBX Headers
Custom 2.5" test pipes by Russell at VTSI Fabrication/UpRev
Invidia G200 Exhaust
UpRev Oil Cooler
Oversized Power Steering cooler
Oversized full aluminum radiator
Mishimoto hoses
Tuned by UpRev in Austin, TX

Drivetrain:
Exedy Stage 1 clutch
F1 Racing 18lb flywheel
Differential welded by Smoke 'Em Motorsports

Suspension:
Powered by MAX Pro-series coilovers
SPL Front Uppers
SPL Tie Rods
SPL Rear Camber Arms
SPL Rear Toe Arms
SPL Eccentric lockout kit

Interior:
Formula D spec roll cage by VTSI Fabrication
Cobra Imola S race seat
NRG blue Quick Release 2.0
Momo Suede Race 07 wheel
Driftworks 5-pt harnesses
Sony AppRadio

Exterior:
Seibon HR-style carbon fiber hood
JP Vizage Type-N front bumper
Chargespeed rear bumper
Vertex sideskirts

Wheels:
Muteki extended lug nuts
Street - Rota P45 up front / Rota P45R in rear
Drift - Rota Grid 18x9.5" +20 / XXR 521 18x10" (6) +25

Tires:
Street - Nitto INVO 245/40/18 up front / Nitto INVO 275/45/18 in rear
Drift: Nexxen N3000 245/40/18 up front / 265/35/18 in rear

More to come! :)

I'll just leave this here....
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...09156961_n.jpg

nice build.
from the very little driving you did, what do you think of the PBM coils?

how much power it make?

I absolutely love them. Sharp as can be and VERY comfortable. After getting them on and cruising I was actually afraid they were going to be too soft, but after a couple clutch kicks I fell in love with them. So responsive it's not even funny.

I'll know next week, not sure when UpRev is planning to dyno tune her but they got my oil cooler a couple hours after I posted this, so we'll see soon!

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...16571144_n.jpg

i almost got those harnesses, how do you like them?

I haven't gotten to try the harnesses yet, I'm in Virginia and all the parts have been going to my friend Jeremy's house back in Texas until I get back. They'll be on the car a little later this week so I'll let you know what he says.

can you tell us more about what happened with that first motor, why does it say **** on that manifold

Sure. My first VQ35 blew up while drifting because my friend who works at a Mazda dealer stripped my drain plug while hooking me up with a free oil change. I feel like an idiot for never checking and then buying a new one, but oh well. I got to drive the car for 3 months after I first got it, that oil change happening sometime in the 2nd month. Went drifting one night and bam, engine blew.

Most of my friends back then only had 240's and Z32's, and two of them had VH45 240's and one was getting ready to do a VH45 swap to his Z32. They convinced me to try VH45 in my car since I needed a new motor anyway. Stupidly I decided to, and my friend with the Z32 suggested going to this guy in Austin and having him do it because he had talked to the guy and said the guy was pretty damn good. Again, stupidly I said yes considering I had not done any extensive car work and didn't have the time to learn while doing a swap that's never been done before to my only car. For 5~ months or so he conned me out of a LOT of money, and pretty much ruined the front end of my Z. He had sold my VQ and it's tranny to his friend without my permission, so when we went over there and towed the car back to my friends shop we were left with a multi-colored VH45 that was no where close to running just sitting on the ruined crossmember inside of an engine bay that was completely ****ed.

So that's where everything was at in that picture of the blue manifold, my friend who had the shop wrote "Thanks Craig for the **** up" on it because I was over at their shop pretty much every day telling them my concerns and suspicions about the guy in Austin so they were pretty much right there with me the entire time.

The build thread for that motor is still on this forum somewhere, it's called "My 450z Build Thread." You get to see my optimism and stupidity just listening to what the guy in Austin was telling me and buying it all, then you get to see how absolutely furious I was afterwards. After I had gotten the car back I had to deal with the guy for about another 4 months harassing me via text and calls saying he was going to sue me for slander online and how I'm an idiot and stole his project from him, yaddayaddayadda.

Like I said up by the pictures: the 5-6 months of hell.

^wow sounds like a bunch of bs, but imglad you held through, you've definitely had your fair share, and you eserve to have this thing kicking ass

U sure that's a MREV2? looks like a stock non rev-up plenum to me. or its just the angle of the picture.

http://vincentmorin.ca/350z/Mrev2_Pl...r/DSC00733.JPG

Yep, I'm sure.

sure is! though you're comparing a non-rev vs revup in the picture above. the MREV2 is a normal non-rev lower plenum, the difference is the metal is shaved down on top of 2 of the runners.

dayum, thats such a nightmare. glad to see everything is looking like it's working in your favor dude. Can't wait to see the end product. Oh, do you know Tiffany? Pretty cool girl, and a pretty girl lol.

True story, reason I'm so adamant that is an MREV2 is because the friend that brought it to my attention when we were putting the lower plenum on replaced the lower plenum on the non-rev in his S14 with an MREV2, and knows quite a bit about them.

Thanks man! Yeah dude, Tiffany is awesome. Yes, very cool and very pretty haha not to mention owns a sick G as well. Was hoping to "release" (so to speak) my car at CCM11 in San Antonio but I'm still in Virginia and will be until the first week of December :( I might have my buddy take it out there for me, but UpRev still hasn't gotten back from SEMA so the car is still not done there and needs to body work done by Smoke 'Em Motorsports as well..


Y U CAR NO WORK??? ..... BECAUSE RACECAR!!!!!!! Hahahahaa

sick man, you mentioned shooting a film, are you an actor or part of the crew?

I'm a stunt man, so far have done tons of sword fighting and dying as a slave, pirate, english soldier and an evil Italian doctor. Been fun, still got a month left!

No updates yet, Rich just got back to UpRev from SEMA and is going to give me a call tomorrow letting me know whats up with the car. Hoping to get it over to Smoke Em Motorsports by the end of the week to do the body shizz.

Got back and the car was purely awesome. Haha that's it in short. Oil cooler installed, no dyno because UpRev called me and let me know my old exhaust was screwing me out of a lot of power. Ordered the Exoticspeed R1-T, when it gets here I'm heading back over to UpRev so they can make me a custom y-pipe and dyno tune the car.

All last week though was spent putting all of my SPL suspension arms on, raising the car slightly and fixing the coilovers (aka setting them up right). This thing felt AMAZING. Went to a drift session at Mineral Wells on Sunday and the car felt great; super stiff, super solid, and the motor never missed beat. Drove it 4 1/2 hours up there starting at 5AM, drifted all day, drove it 4 1/2 hours back at the end of the day. Felt as tight as drum the entire way. Loving my car right now.

Here's a vid I made of the event. Trying to figure out what direction I should go with the car when I need more power, getting my super angle kit next month or so, hydro ebrake this month, and then I should be set for local competition. Once I start XDC and other competitions like that next year I can definitely tell I'm going to be needing more oomph...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq8PO...WBKstE6763Aq_F

Enjoy! More to come.

rick rollin I see

Glad it worked out in the end...nice vid!

haha @ rickrollin!