280Z ITBs - Parts

I hadn't really planned on doing this for the 280Z, it was more of just a long term dream.  But then the exchange rate was good, so I pulled the trigger on some ITBs from Japan:

The kit came with everything you could possibly need - including this nifty vacuum block:

The quality of the ITBs is excellent, I can't wait to get these on the car.

One key component that's not included is the fuel injectors.  I picked up some second hand RX8 injectors, which should give me plenty of fuel flow:

I had the injectors cleaned and flow tested, all six of them getting a clean bill of health with matching flow rates.  It's still regularly snowing in Minneapolis, so anything I can do indoors is welcomed right now.  With that in mind, I spent a pleasant Sunday morning fitting up the fuel rail and injectors.

Next up was changing the TPS connector over for a plug that matches the rear of the wiring loom:

Bottom is the TPS adapter for the GM unit I won't be using, top is the ITB TPS.

Finally, I looked at figuring out the fueling situation.  The FPR on the car right now isn't going to cut it, as it's hard to relocate (plus it's ancient).  So I've picked up a Aeromotive unit that will give me 30 - 70 PSI:

Fitted up the fuel fixtures using Permatex No. 3:

And the plan for the fuel system looks like this:

New ECU

I have long terms plans for keeping this car, so maintenance, cost and availability of parts is always a concern.  Thankfully, there's a solution - enter the FAST EFI kit.

This replaces all the sensors in the engine bay with newer, cheaper, and readily available (as in walk in to Autozone and buy a replacement that day) GM parts.  The rest of this post isn't going to be very interesting, as it's more for my reference later on if I need to buy anything.  The nice thing about this kit is it comes with all adapters you need to hook straight up to the L28 engine, which is a huge convenience.

First up, coolant sensor and thread adapter:

TPS sensor, adapter and wiring loom adapter:

MAP Sensor:

Idle valve and K&N filter:

And a couple of elbow joints with barbs for routing this to a vacuum point:

Air intake temperature sensor:

The MAF is deleted - there's a nice aluminium pipe for that:

A load of vacuum points will also be blocked off, as all the cold start stuff comes off as well:

Fully labelled loom (yes, all the sensor wiring is also replaced throughout the car):

Wiring for the touchscreen:

RPM Converter:

Spare wiring conduit to tidy everything up - I really appreciate small touches like this:

O2 sensor - if anyone knows the part number for this, I'd appreciate it!

The ECU and touchscreen display:

And finally, the first thing I can actually tackle... the O2 bung:

Next up will be removing the exhaust manifold to have the O2 sensor bung welded in.

280Z Winter Update

Winter is definitely here in Minnesota.  We've been hitting under -30°C on a regular basis, and as the car is stored in some unheated storage, progress has been slow.  I've been slowly picking up parts from sales and stuff to fit when it gets a bit warmer.
That hasn't stopped me visiting the car and starting it up every couple of weeks to make sure everything is still good.

Sure, it's a little dusty, but it's been surviving winter just fine.  It's actually fired up first time every visit.

First up with the purchases - I got a replacement dashboard from Facebook for a steal, with the eventual plan of tidying up all the cracks and refinishing it.

Next up, I finally fixed the crooked steering wheel.  I managed to do the hub up so tight that I had to use a hub puller, which involved pulling off a bit more interior than expected.

And fixed:

Also, I finally took stock of some of the parts that came with the car:

I've never been happy with the driver's seat in the car, as it has a metal bar right at the base of my spine, which makes long journeys less than pleasant.  I've always had a thing for fixed bucket seats, and wanted something period correct that I could fit without modifying the rails in the car.  Enter Planted Technology:

They make brackets that bolt into the original locations in a car, and then provide mounting points for aftermarket rails.  Initially, they sent me the wrong bracket, but quickly resolved their mistake.

I test fitted the bracket in the car, and it lines up perfectly with the bolt holes from the original seats.  No pictures of that, as it was freezing and I couldn't feel my fingers.

Next up, we'll need a seat.  

I ordered a Cobra Classic RS, made in the UK, along with some universal sliders.  I'm 99% sure this will fit in the car - I might lose a little leg room, but I'm not tall enough for that to be a concern.

The build quality of the seat is excellent, and it is very comfortable.

For the price, and limited room available in the cockpit, I think this is a perfect seat for the 280Z.

However, I ran into a problem when it came to fitting the Planted Technology seat bracket - the holes are about 1/8" off lining up with the Cobra rails.

I contacted Planted Technology with the photos, and they discovered that they have an error in their design for these particular adapters.  It's not a big deal for me, as I can just drill the hole out in the rail to fit.

Next time, hopefully I'll be putting the seats in the car!