so... as title says, I want to build up an old car. This probably wont happen for at least another year, I just don't know which route I want to go with at this point. The car has to be from 75 or earlier (smog not required then ), and has to be RWD and fast. So I have 3 cars in mind: Datsun 510, Celica/supra of this age (I really like the 73 celicas), or beemer 2002. Now obviously, i'm not trying to do a full restoration back to stock or any of that bullshit. I really want to build an engine and then find a rolling chasis and work from there. Of course it will be lowlowlow (why else would I post on here?). Basically I want pic dumps/ideas/etc. on which route to go with. And if you have an idea outside of the listed 3, tell me!!!, anything of this vintage is welcome. Also, I may be doing an engine building class in my highschool and if I can get an engine for one of these cars for cheap cheap cheap (anyone have one?), as long as it can be saved with a rebuild, then that will basically be what decides what I do. Who's got ideas? . Oh and with this one, i will still keep teh mini so i will have a DD/fast FWD car too (which i acctually like...).

hmm... 73 corolla added to the list as well . I also realized that it doesnt really have to be fast stock... since I will prolly itb, and do other crazy shiznit with it. lol stock 510 only had 95 hp. what else would I be happy with?

you couldnt just search for pics on google?

all those old cars you listed go for a lot of money btw, and generally are in pretty rough shape, usually requiring EXTENSIVE rust repair.

save yourself the headache if all you want is a cheap fast car and get something newer.

I did search all over google, but I figured people on here would have seen some cool ones around other forums or even on here. And yes, they can be a bit pricey... I have found some for fairly cheap though.

Well the plan is to completely strip the whole thing down, and probably weld the whole thing up... I was already planning on doing tons of repair work... the idea is having a total work in progress for when I get bored (can't do that with the mini since I need it every day). And it needs to be 75 or older so I don't have to deal with all the CA emissions bull shit... that way I can run all sorts of crazy shit (itb, catless, etc.) and never have to change it all back.

vq35dett Datsun 510

too expensive . I have decided to add a datsun 240 to the list of contenders. Maybe I can find an engine to rebuild

what about a 1970-1973 Nissan 240z? front engine, rear wheel drive, 2.4l L6, 151hp/146tq w/ 4 spd manual and a weight of like 2,500lbs. Not too expensive, compared to a 2002 or a 510.

a z will probably have more rust/problems than any of the cars.


you will have to do a ground up resto just to get the body not rusted. you cant just weld metal to powder. you have to replace complete sections of metal, which is like doing a complete restoration.

ask zach for pictures of his inner fender on his 510.

nvm heres one:


by the time you make the car driveable, you'll be past the car fad.

If your going to get an old car, get something that you truly want. I was raised with my grandmother/grandfather roadracing old Z cars, while my mom was a muscle car girl with a 64 El Camino until I was about 12. So it's in my blood.

Why I chose a 510, I don't know. But it should be gone this week and I will probably be picking up a 53 plymouth to finally start a restoration project I'll truly enjoy.

Old cars require a certain taste, they aren't cheap. So only do it if you really want to.

Ya I have pretty much decided on a 240z.... I have always loved the looks. They are fairly inexpensive... Right now I'm trying to decide on an engine. I am planning on doing a ground up resto... this won't be a quick project... I plan on at least a year of work.

Well like I said, trying to decide on an engine... I kinda really want a 1jz or 2jz. But they are kinda pricey. Maybe an sr20... I'd also want to build a vtec engine, but I cant find any reference of anyone doing this. a v8 might be cool, but isnt really my style. Who has an idea of what I could get that would be awesome in a 240z and not too expensive for one that needs a rebuild? pretty much anything would be able to fit.

Build a KA-t. Cheap, makes good reliable power, and i'm sure its been done before so the info is out there.

forums.hybridz.org

the guys there are assholes, but they know their shit

Ah that is a good idea... suprised I didn't think of that. found one for $45 about an hour and a half from me. The KA is the SOHC, right? or is it the dual?




Been surfing on there a lot... it's funny, these guys do engine swaps like mini people do air intakes! bahaha.

Both were options. 89/90 were sohc, everything after that was dohc.

well which one is "better"? I'd prolly bore it out a little, hotter cam, ported/polished head, small turbo, etc. etc...
I'm new to the whole engine swap thing... but I'd have to use an ecu, right? or would I be able to make it work without one?

regarding 240s, i've only messed with sr20s, but every ka-t build i've seen has used the dohc engine, so i'd suspect that the dohc would be better than the sohc.

you basically listed every possible engine there is save for a rotary.

all of these questions your asking are all over the internet. i choose not to tell you what to get because its your decision, and i feel its really not hard to search. you couldnt find anything for rwd vtec? not one thing?

it sounds to me like you don't have any real experience messing with this kind of stuff, so my advice would be slow down or your project will never even get off the ground. if you get a car that you have to build from the ground up, with absolutely no prior experience, you will lose interest very fast.

i'd get a newer car. smog sucks but there are ways around it. i've enjoyed my car for 5 years and i have to smog it.

my $.02

I think your kinda missing the point of my build honestly... and yes I have never done this before. Besides all the shit I've done to my mini, I really haven't worked on cars. I never take my mini in to anyone else. I'm not sure if you've ever worked on a mini before... but they are extremely difficult to work on... so I have gotten some experience from there. And I did look, haven't searched like crazy. I am going slow on the project, the plan is to go slow with it... untill its done .

I am keeping the mini, and I don't want to have to get a car that I will ever have to smog. smog takes so many possibilities out for me, such as catless, among other things. I know what I want to do, I'm just trying to figure everything out. I've only been researching this for a couple days. I haven't gotten my shit all together yet, but I'm trying to get an engine soon. At this point I think I'm going to go for a KA. A guy on hybridz put a KA24DE-T in a 240z with a budget of $1500, and he got like 351 hp and 375 tq. I don't need even that much power, I just want something fun.

I am a handy guy, I've done a lot of mechanical stuff in the past and I work at a bikeshop. I know a car and a bike are two very different things, but still, I can handle this project. Its not meant to be a daily driver, nor a race car. It's going to be a full-on build. I know quite a few people who have a lot of experience with cars, some who have done professional mechanic work in the past. The teacher at my school who will help me rebuild the motor has rebuilt over 100 engines. This can all happen, and I have no time limit.

But I appreciate you not being a dick about telling me i'm gonna be over my head, anyone on any other forum would be lol. Anyways I'm gonna make it happen, you may not believe me, but I will. Oh and I don't know if its just this zip code or not... But I have to get the smog done every 2 years here. I have a code for an o2 sensor right now. I know for most of you on here, and o2 is like a 20$ part. It's a 400$ part on a mini. In my opinion, it's not a part I need on the car. But in the opinion of CA, you can't drive the car without one. I know the engine also gets controlled based off of how the ecu reads the o2 sensor too, but still. I dont like having to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a part for smog.

Anyways, thanks for the reply. Hope I didn't come across as a douche....

forget your smog. if it's a primary O2 sensor then yes it's an important sensor for making sure your car operates with a correct AFR. you obviously want your car to actually work, right? so stop complaining about needing a part for smog, you need it because your car is broken. if your car was misfiring due to a bad ignition coil, your CEL would be on for that also and your car would be running like crap, would you complain then about how you think you don't need ignition coils for smog?

no offence, but being able to bolt stuff to a Mini, while cool, doesn't mean anything for showing ability to tackle a ground up resto of an old car. I can bolt stuff onto a car, too, but the kind of work involved in such a project is way over my head.

you can say all you want about how this is going to happen, but it's pretty much a waste of time to do so. you don't have anything to prove here, so why are you trying to? just ask your questions and keep doing your thing.

P.S. I don't know if you're a CA native, but any place in CA that has smog checks is biannual. the only places that don't do smog checks in CA are places like out in the desert where nobody lives. and statements like about your O2 sensor make me *facepalm*

well im sorry that i cant prove myself on the interwebs... lol. Thats not at all what im trying to do. whatever I was just asking questions to people who may know more than me. You dont have to help me, thats fine.

keep asking them. we'll help you, it's just stuff like this:

we hear that all the time. just do it.

i'd have to say im a prime example.


heres the thing. all of those old muscle cars you see around...? they all have remanufactured/reproduction parts. basically they can buy whatever they need, thats why there are still so many around. you ever tried to find rear lca bushings for a z? they dont exist, and nobody makes any replacements. so basically your fucked because of a would be 20 dollar part.

we tried to find wheel cylinders for a 69 corolla at the shop the other day. dont exist anymore, so the car is pretty much obsolete and worth nothing.


this is why i say search, because although these cars may seem to sell somewhat cheap compared to a classic american car, they take A LOT of time to find parts.

a 25 year old dash for my corolla ready to crack will sell for 300 dollars. now imagine trying to ever find one for any kind of a datsun, which has one of the biggest cult followings of any car ever produced.

i've worked on z's before, and i'll tell you from personal experience, you better have a ton of patience and a lot of time.

If your going to do it, just do it and prove us all wrong.

thats why resto-mod is popular. fabricate modern parts on old rides.

easier said than done.

Well I found a motor... picking it up this weekend if the guy doesn't bail on me. But I do have a lot of patience and a lot of time... there's no real deadline... even if it takes 5 years. There was a guy on hybridz that put s13 sub frames and a V35DETT in a 240, it looks pretty dope. We'll see what I end up doing... it'll be a while before I get a shell and what not. So we'll see what I end up with. Also I guess I do see how that would come across as being something that won't work out... But with cars, I'm a do-er, not a say-er. Although... sometimes I do get stupid as fuck ideas. For now though, the mini will stay as it is and I will focus my attention on the z. Until I get the motor though, I will refrain from posting more of my ideas on the interwebs . I also won't start the build thread until I get the shell, but you'll have to stay tuned on that for a while before seeing slammage and shizz. Ok one question, rims for the z... what do you guys like? ssr's are cool, but I don't think they'd look good on a Z. I'd prolly go 15" rims.
Thanks geuyz
Oh and I know that finding some parts will be horribly frustrating... But I see it as just another thing that holds you back with a classic car build. I'm sure theres a way around it...(make the part!)

Well a lot of confusion and time conflicts delayed getting the engine, but it is now sitting in my garage . Also got a hoist and stand as part of the deal. Pulled the mani's and the valve cover and everything is looking pretty good except for a bunch of carbon and varnish buildup. The block is the one I wanted... But the head is a lower performance one, so I might change it out. But I might just use it for now. Anyways, gonna get started on the rebuild and saving for a shell. Both parents gave the go-ahead on everything and my mom is even gonna buy me a nice little mig/wire feed welder for my birthday near the end of this month. This project is comin together. I have an ever-changing list of everything I plan to do... But I'll save that list from you guys till I get a build thread started (once I get a shell)

well... may have just found my shell.

just buy hamburgArz insead!!!

hamburgars are good

I don't think any of you are taking me seriously (or really care). But what the fuck, I'm getting my chassis tomorrow (a little birthday present for myself ). Maybe I'll stop on the way for some nice, juicy hamburgarz. Expect to see a build thread soon

like we said, when i see it i'll believe it.

some people talk like these huge aspirations and the car ends up being in 100 pieces when they give up.

more power to you to finish, but dont expect everyone to be all excited that you got a wild hair up your ass to build a car and ask questions about motors without putting any real thought into it first (I can tell you hadn't, otherwise you wouldn't have had the questions you did).

good luck.

haha well the interwebs is quite a funny place. When I was first posting these questions (a month ago), I was still deciding what I wanted to do. Then I got my motor and figured out what I was gonna do. I've got most of it all figured out, in terms of what I'm going to do with everything. I mean its at least planned out... doesn't mean I'll follow it like a bible lol. Anyways once I start gettin shit done then I will post my handy little list of my basic plans. I wasn't really expecting everyone to be all excited... but I also wasn't expecting the "ya, you're an idiot n000b" attitude. whatever haha I'm just gonna do it.

well good luck and im looking forward to seeing the build. way to be chill and optimistic in this thread

yep well the car is sitting in my driveway. and god damn is it clean. one big hole in the drivers floor pan and one broken hinge on the hatch (bfd for both). Was extremely surprised how low the roof is. even with no engine, the roof is 6 inches shorter than my MINI with lowering springs. And you should see the wheelgap!!! LOL. anyways that'll be fixed with some s13 coils

Get crackin', should be cool.