Opinions on mild to radical modifications

[Ben]

quote:I even have a video tape from a years ago that shows a 113 with a Nissan 280Z motor very comfortably placed and running in the engine bay. Although I can't confirm it, according to the owner, Nissan bought the rights to the original M127-130 motor castings so the late 70's Nissan Z motor is almost identical.

.......I heard this also and at a recent car show I inspected the motor from the "Z" car. It looks VERY similar except the cylinder head has its spark plugs and exhaust on the opposite sides. I cant remember if it was a crossflow design. The water pum and ditributor drive and various other parts are near identical !

 

quote:Set up a dial indicator and verify that you have at least .9mm clearance between valve & piston

......I understand dial gauges but how exactly would one verify this ??

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.
'03 CLK Kompressor

[J. Huber]

Here's a fairly mild but important modification to my car. As an early Euro, it had no seat belts. When I had my seats and carpet redone, the guy threw in lap belts for 20 bucks... No, they are not the famed Kangols but they keep me in my seat...

I call them the Mercedes-Bendix variety:



Download Attachment: mbbelts.jpg
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James
63 230SL

[JamesL]

just following up from Tom/Hauser's contributions below on Mechatronik....

I dropped them a line and discovered...

Their AC system - hidden in the existing structure of the original dash is about €8,000 and they need a couple of weeks

To take your car and put the modern bits (V6 engine, new Auto box etc) under the hood and into the chassis is about €65,000. (I can post the email if anyone's interested)

Sorry if that steals your thunder from the article Tom, but I could not resist asking them the question once I had (yet) a (nother) surf through their website.

Now, where's my lottery ticket?

http://www.mechatronik.de/english/index_en.html


Have to say that as I am not the most mechanically skilled person, there really is a certain appeal to an old car with modern bits. And there's a few outfits out there doing some specialist work, for example:


www.spydercars.com do an old Lotus with new chassis, engine, brakes etc

Beacham cars and JD Classics both do MkII and E-type (XKE) Jags

None cheap though - although relatively, the Lotus conversion is a steal at about £18,000 for a complete car (they supply the original)

[70chevelle]

Mikey - Is the 280 Nissan engine from the 70's the same as the one in the 89-9x Nissan 280SX? I have a 1990 280 SX available, although, I don't know if that would be the route I want to go.  Anyway, my pagoda is in driving condition.  Needs bodywork and paint, new carpet, and a few pieces of chrome.  I drive it often and it runs ok.  It may need a true rebuild, or just rings or valve guides.  (Blue smoke on hot startup, nothing while cold)  The tranny shifts fine, although it could probably use some new gaskets & seals.  I've repaired the floors to pass inspection, and be safe, installed a new exhaust,and changed fluids.  I've had the car for 2 years and enjoy it.  I just broke the tranny on my 70 Chevelle, and I am having the tranny rebuilt, and building a 400 small block.  It took me an hour to remove the tranny, and the new motor and tranny fix is going to cost around $2,000.  I'll spend half of that in rebuild pistons for the MB.  Any estimates from the gurus on what I could expect to get, dollarwise, from my engine & tranny, if I were to sell it?  I would probably part out other pieces that I would not reuse in the transformation.  Seats, guages, hard top, door handles, emblems, hub caps, wheels, etc.  Bottom line is... I would have to invest more money in this car than what it would be worth when completed, and I do my own work.  And, for the purists, maybe one pagoda could be resurrected with my drive train that otherwise wouldn't be.

70 Chevelle 13.7 @ 99.7
70 280 SL Silver/Black top
05 C230 Kompressor
03 Dodge Durango SLT

[n/a]

quote:Originally posted by 70chevelle

Mikey - Is the 280 Nissan engine from the 70's the same as the one in the 89-9x Nissan 280SX? I have a 1990 280 SX available, although, I don't know if that would be the route I want to go.  Anyway, my pagoda is in driving condition.  Needs bodywork and paint, new carpet, and a few pieces of chrome.  I drive it often and it runs ok.  It may need a true rebuild, or just rings or valve guides.  (Blue smoke on hot startup, nothing while cold)  The tranny shifts fine, although it could probably use some new gaskets & seals.  I've repaired the floors to pass inspection, and be safe, installed a new exhaust,and changed fluids.  I've had the car for 2 years and enjoy it.  I just broke the tranny on my 70 Chevelle, and I am having the tranny rebuilt, and building a 400 small block.  It took me an hour to remove the tranny, and the new motor and tranny fix is going to cost around $2,000.  I'll spend half of that in rebuild pistons for the MB.  Any estimates from the gurus on what I could expect to get, dollarwise, from my engine & tranny, if I were to sell it?  I would probably part out other pieces that I would not reuse in the transformation.  Seats, guages, hard top, door handles, emblems, hub caps, wheels, etc.  Bottom line is... I would have to invest more money in this car than what it would be worth when completed, and I do my own work.  And, for the purists, maybe one pagoda could be resurrected with my drive train that otherwise wouldn't be.

70 Chevelle 13.7 @ 99.7
70 280 SL Silver/Black top
05 C230 Kompressor
03 Dodge Durango SLT

I'm really not an expert on Nissan's. I'd have to go back to the tape to see if the guy comments on which years are most compatible with the 113. I've been meaning to dig out the tape and have it transferred to DVD anyway. Once I find it, I'll watch it again to see if there are any other clues I can give you.

Being on the same road you are considering, it's been my experience that there are very few people interested in a "questionable" used drive train. I think that you'll find that you could not replace the driveline for what a buyer would give you for it. I'm holding on to mine for this very reason.



Mikey

[Malc]

quote:Set up a dial indicator and verify that you have at least .9mm clearance between valve & piston
......I understand dial gauges but how exactly would one verify this ??

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.
'03 CLK Kompressor

Ben
Er by working out the position of the piston top relative to the top of the block at the number of degrees before TDC, then working out the position of the cam at that angle (valve timing) and measuring the "lift" of the cam lobe, hence the amount the valve opens. then measure that distance from the cylinder head to the valve bottom and compare the two distances for the clearance.
Don't forget the gasket thickness has to be taken into account too, but measure the thickness of a used one not a new one

OR

Measure the maximum lft of the cam and how far the valve opens and use that figure.

For maximum power it is the "rate" at which the cam opens,plus the overlap of exhaust and inlet opening times that are critical rather than the amount that the valve opens.
By using a flow bench and dial gauges, plus lots of time it is possible to work out the best opening "rates" and overlap for valves. Then you have to spend a fortune getting the cam either reground or a new one made[:p]
Malc

[Ben]

Okay I didn't realise these measurements were done with the cylinder head seperated from the block. I couldn't figure out how it could be done otherwise !

I understand the other processes fully !

Ta !

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.
'03 CLK Kompressor