Thread: Meet my 90, and share the adventure.

When you get bored of wiring your own can, feel free to come round and wire my Series3 wipers and winch, my D90's rear work light and another cig on the dash, and my camper trailer. I'm happy to have your level of "Jerry-rigging"

Intermission

The sound track to this post is below. Hit play and sit tight!
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUDgtt-f5h0[/ame]

As a Land Rover Intermission, I've spent some time working on the whip. My 1991 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo.




I've had a long association with the 300zx, after I found the light coming from Commodores (My first car was that VN Calais)






The silver one was my first, and probably cleanest (Unmolested) Z- A Series 2, 1993 model non turbo, slicktop. Most have the removable targa top.

To this date, I'm still hanging onto the Black Twin Turbo, and have been (suffered) through many tials and tribulations with the vehicle.

This particular vehicle was purchased some time in 2009 from the previous owner, who had spent considerable money and time rebuilding the engine, paint work, exhaust, suspenstion etc. She is a well modified beast.
It's from (IMO) the golden era of japanese sports cars, the time where power ruled, when emissions were not as big a deal, and having a 3L V6 with two turbos strapped to it was a recipe for a desirable grand tourer. I'm not complaining, as it's a great ride, comfortable even with the lowered bilstein coilovers in it, and still modern enough inside to be considered bearable (I daresay moreso than the defender!). It's been the primary vehicle with which I've learned to work on and modify cars. There is not much on the Z that I have not unscrewed, removed, worked on, sworn at, spilled blood over or cursed when no one was around.
Factory specs for this particular 1991 model included Fuel injected, 3L V6 DOHC engine with Twin Turbo / intercooler engine, power seats and mirrors, climate control, cruise control, 4 wheel steering, (optional) bose stereo, targa top roof, 5 speed manual, and no cupholders

Being that this vehicle is now 25 years old, some of the features require some work. Cue today, where I've got annual leave up my sleeve, and the annual pink slip rego check is looming...

The last few days were spent changing fluids and overhauling the power steering pump, which sounds simple on face value... until you see an engine bay like this (stock image):


I'm not fishing for sympathy (but if you got any to give, please send my way!), but the power steering overhaul was a pain in the ass to do. The Factory 4 wheel steering system is hydraulic (later models with 'Super HICAS' used an electric rear steering rack) and runs off a dual circuit power steering pump. This powers a rear steering HICAS solenoid seen on the guard top on the LHS of the photo, and runs back to the rear subframe and rear steering assembly. To get to the pump, it sits right in the middle of the engine, in front of the turbo, above the alternator, and below all the turbo pipework which includes no less than 8 separate pipes and joins...

Steps involved adding the radiator flush and oil flush fluids, warming the car up and then draining both engine and oil. The radiator needed to come out, as well as all the associated power steering reservoirs, and other paraphernalia... which led to me getting a shower of Dextron 3 on two seperate occasions

After a good few hours of swearing and busted knuckles, laying uin a puddle of Dexron ATF, and getting continuously dripped on by a radiator pipe that just wouldn't drain completely, the deed was done.



I now have normal 2 wheel steering in the vehicle, with a simple pump, and a simple reservoir.

Proof that I actually drive it...
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More pice to follow

Sympathies extended. My Nephew has a Nissan thingy like that. I'll find out if it's the same one. My brother has done a fair bit of work on it.

60 bob
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The usual suspects
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The jerry holder also doubles as a muddy max trax holder. Somehow these ended up car not in the back of the owners ute
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So the weekends festivities took place in the Sugarloaf state conservation area, muddy hole road is what i believe it was called. Just off the m1 and near Freemans waterhole (the Toronto exit of the freeway).
The usual suspects were myself in el burro, my mate in his shortened 60 series, shrek the fj 40, and a navara with a 4" lift.
The start of the track was near Freemans waterhole, and was just mud holes which we slogged thru with winches and max trax for 3 hours, even though there was a perfectly good chicken track nearby. The holes were full of a clay mud which stuck to everything.
The landy proved competent in most obstacles but fell short in the deep mud due to clearance and clay clogged tyres.


The remainder of the track was a good mix of rocky steps, mud ruts and shallow water holes. All up about 6km and lots of fun for a Saturday afternoon.

It's been one month since my last confession...

After the shennanigans up sugarloaf back in march, I noticed that my track rod was FUBAR.
This was perfect timing, just a few days before I was due to depart to Orange for the cannonball run to Melrose for easter.
Being between a rock and a hard place, I toddled off to a tyre shop for a wheel alignment.

This is what they had to work with:




This is what I ended up with:


Despite all the metal grinding noises where the track rod was grinding against the diff guard, things were workable. A few minutes with the elusive 15mm spanner had it removed in no time, and off I went to Orange bound for Melrose shortly after. Admittedly I asked the tyre shop to have it drivable until I could get a replacement item for them to fit. The vehicle had 10mm of toe out, which wasn't doing my tyres any good...


Throw more parts at it!
Had a good yarn to Ben from APT fab at Melrose, about his products, what in the pipeline, and how my gear has been holding up. What a top bloke. I'd recommend anyone who is building their own defender to get to know our talented local fabricators and support Aussie manufacturing.

Ben put me onto his 4130 cromolly track rod which is a beefier version of the factory item. It works with his existing diff guards and is significantly (i think up to 5 times?- don't quote me) stronger than the OE track rod. Seeing how easily I bent my stock rod tells me this will be a good investment.

Spent today doing the car shuffle between work, the tyre shop and doing my usual travel duties for work, but ended up with a fresh APT track rod and alignment.




Now I get to test it out at Taylors Arm this weekend!

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

It's been one month since my last confession...

After the shennanigans up sugarloaf back in march, I noticed that my track rod was FUBAR.
This was perfect timing, just a few days before I was due to depart to Orange for the cannonball run to Melrose for easter.
Being between a rock and a hard place, I toddled off to a tyre shop for a wheel alignment.

This is what they had to work with:




This is what I ended up with:


Despite all the metal grinding noises where the track rod was grinding against the diff guard, things were workable. A few minutes with the elusive 15mm spanner had it removed in no time, and off I went to Orange bound for Melrose shortly after. Admittedly I asked the tyre shop to have it drivable until I could get a replacement item for them to fit. The vehicle had 10mm of toe out, which wasn't doing my tyres any good...


Throw more parts at it!
Had a good yarn to Ben from APT fab at Melrose, about his products, what in the pipeline, and how my gear has been holding up. What a top bloke. I'd recommend anyone who is building their own defender to get to know our talented local fabricators and support Aussie manufacturing.

Ben put me onto his 4130 cromolly track rod which is a beefier version of the factory item. It works with his existing diff guards and is significantly (i think up to 5 times?- don't quote me) stronger than the OE track rod. Seeing how easily I bent my stock rod tells me this will be a good investment.

Spent today doing the car shuffle between work, the tyre shop and doing my usual travel duties for work, but ended up with a fresh APT track rod and alignment.




Now I get to test it out at Taylors Arm this weekend!

This makes me excited! I ended up ordering one as well... must mean that mine isn't too far away either!