03/23/11 Update:

I received the EGR block off plate and manifold plug to complete the removal of my EGR valve. I decided to stick with the stock exhaust manifold for the time being. I threw the stock exhaust back on and bolted up the new parts and started her up. It sounded like it should again instead of a Harley like it did before without the EGR plug for the manifold. Well I decided I would go for my first REAL ride in her so I hopped in and headed out...... About 1.5 miles away she was dead on the side of the road. Like a moron I never checked on the condition of the V belts while I was working on it and it even slipped my mind while buying all the parts for a tune up. Turns out those little belts were COMPLETELY dry rotted and decided to part ways with the car on the highway. They also put a nice gash in one of the transmission cooler lines. Sigh...

I managed to limp her back home without the belts by starting the car, going about a 1/4 mile and then shutting it off to let it cool down for 5 minutes. It took about 6 times in total of doing this to make it the 1.5 miles back. But I was able to do so without overheating the car or needing any help so I can't really complain considering it was mostly my fault. I ordered new belts and bought a new section of rubber hose for the transmission line and installed them the other day. She's running like she should be but I noticed someone previously attempted to remove the A/C bracket and compressor. 3 out of the 4 bolts that hold the bracket to the block were gone and the 4th bolt was about 3/4 of the way removed itself. This means the entire bracket, A/C and all, was moving around about an inch or so! Considering I had turned the A/C on right before my belts said "see ya" I think I have a better idea of what happened. I turned the A/C on and the pressure from the A/C clutch engaging must have caused the A/C belt to slip off and take the other 2 belts with it. No biggie, they needed replacement anyway. I will have to try and hunt down the missing 3 A/C bracket bolts at some point though.

Well after fixing those issues I was finally able to go for a proper "first" drive in my new 240SX and I've got to say.. She doesn't ride/run too bad at all! The power seems like it might be down just a tad but I could be wrong. Also the previous owner/s put FOUR mismatching tires on the car and currently the front has 215/65/15s and the REAR has 195/60/15s... That will be fixed shortly as well because it's awful. At any rate, with the motor running like it should be my concentration has now turned to fixing the damage to the driver's side quarter panel. I began today by rough sanding the area and throwing an initial coat of Evercoat filler on it. Keep in mind this is a VERY rough first coat and obviously not done but here's some pictures so far..

So in the coming weeks I will be continuously sanding/reapplying filler/sanding again until the area is smooth and inline with the rest of the body. After that it'll all be taped and primed up then shot with a fresh coat of black paint. Oh wait, I forgot I need to fix a few small dents/scrapes in the OEM bumper before that happens. Well that's all for now, more updates to come.

 

Welcome to the forums and nice Car. I recently bought a 1996 240 also a base model auto but I got the crappy 4 lug rims lol, nice job and goodluck. How many miles on your car btw?

 

wow i can't believe i read all of that. lol welcome, and post lots of pics for us :lol:

 

Thanks for the welcome guys! Collegekid, shes got 155K on the clock and is also sporting 4 lug wheels. I've got a set of nice 17" unilug wheels siting on my 02 RHD Saturn I am contemplating swapping on it though. I know they fit and I HATE these wheels so I may go ahead with it. More pictures to come as I progress further!

 

Minor update 05/24/11:

Okay so work has been progressing pretty slowly with the 240. I work 6 days a week and have other more important house projects and general life crap to deal with so i haven't been able to work on it as much as I'd like. However it is coming along and starting to look a little better. So far I've applied about 3-4 coats of filler, each time sanding it down completely smooth and getting any imperfections out. As you will notice in a few of the pictures the bare metal shown has minor surface rust because there is no way in heck I am going to spray primer on it in between each coat. I always sand it down to bare metal though before applying any further filler.

The panel is actually starting to look decent. Each time I sand it down smooth it is closer and closer to being in line with the rest of the car and the passenger side panel. It's a lot of work, but it's coming along and the filler seems to be holding up really well. Evercoat is good stuff. I'd say I have maybe 2-3 more coats left to get the panel completely built back up to factory level and then maybe 1-2 "touch up" coats to make it perfect. So I'm about half way done I guess. I'm in no rush though and my girlfriend and I are actually driving the car every now and then without any issues. We always let the filler have a good 2 days of drying before driving it though, just to be safe.

I haven't done much else to it except install another automatic shifter to replace the original one that had a broken "gear release button". If you shifted from reverse to drive without holding it in it would fly out and usually end up under the seat. You would then have to find it before being able to move the shifter back into park lol. So yeah, that had to be fixed. Well, that's all for now. More updates to come as the car progresses.

 

thats alot of bondo.

 

More shots of the Miata. I love the damn things. lol

 

stamps31757,

I'm using Evercoat light weight body filler. But yes, it is taking a lot of it to make the panel inline again.

DreamN,

Heh, no problem. I LOVED this car. I really wanted to do a BEGI Stage 3 turbo system on it. All I wanted was around 225-250 HP. But I had to sell. I may still end up buying an 04-05 MazdaSpeed edition someday. Anyway here's more pics..

 

You can use the Multiquote and Quote buttons, but also please don't change the default font...

 

I have no idea how to change the font color back to normal. It changed it when I copied one of the image links and I can't figure out how to get it back to normal. I have already tried to make it as close to what it was before. What do I have to do to fix it?

Edit: Hold on.. I think I might have got it..

 

Small update:

The body work is progressing slowly and starting to really take shape. I'm almost to the point where I need to start priming the areas so that I can make sure the lines are perfect. Besides that, I have installed an older Pioneer head unit in place of the decrepit stock tape deck. I also found out that the automatic shifter assembly I had purchased to replace my broken unit is NOT going to end up working. It's been installed for a few months however the overdrive button is of a different design than the 95-96 units apparently and will not work. Using a 97-98 shifter makes the overdrive button unusable from what I can tell. Siiiigh. Time to hunt down a 95-96 shifter.

I also purchased another used drivers side headlight assembly to replace the one that was on there. The previous owner/s installed a high beam light incorrectly and it melted the plastic around it that secures the bulb. I figured I'd take a buffer to the passenger side light and see if I could clear it up a bit since it was SEVERELY yellowed. Here's a picture showing what both lights looked like when I got the car:

This is what the passenger side light looks like now after about 25 minutes of buffing with Mother's plastic polish, a drill, and a foam attachment:

Not perfect, but a heck of a lot better than what it looked like when I got it. The best part is it was free and only took about 25 minutes. I plan to do the same thing when the driver's side light arrives and then give a set of HIR (yes HIR) headlights a try. More updates to come later.

 

the lights look a hell of alot better.

 

Thanks man. I had read on here how easy it was to buff them up and figured I'd give it a try myself. All I can say is it was DEFINITELY worth it. All Zenki owners should give this a shot. All you need is some plastic polish, a drill, and a foam pad and your lights will look 90% better.

 

One more picture showing the driver's side light buffed out:

And one picture showing both lights:

Sanded some more today. Nothing else to report.

 

Update: Okay I couldn't resist.. Here's a few teaser pics of two of the parts I picked up yesterday:

I got a Nismo 270R Front bumper, Silvia grill, Veilside side skirts, Veilside rear valances, and a 3 piece Navan rear spoiler all for $460. All genuine pieces and the guy I got them from had them on his black 95. I'll be installing the spoiler and valances soon but the skirts will have to wait until the body work is completed obviously. I'm usually not a big fan of aftermarket body pieces at ALL, but I'll admit the Nismo bumper changes the entire attitude of the car. It went from tame to tough REAL quick. The other pieces are really nice too and nothing is outrages at all which is exactly how I like it.

I ran some numbers and here's what I have into the car as of today:

Car: $730
Towing to my door: $100
New radiator: $115
Fluids, oil, filters, and transmission fluid: Probably about $200.
Body filler: $30
Tune up: $100
Used driver's headlight: $45
Body kit: $460

Total invested in her so far is right around $1780. Granted, I'll still need other parts and a paint job. But I'm really happy with the car so far.

EDIT: The white spot on the bumper is chipped paint not damage if anyone is wondering.

 

cmon bro u know u want that 5 speed swap done. I bought a shit load of parts and i want to start my wn build thread but im too lazy lol

 

Haha, yeah the automatic is really killing me. I'm already trying to hunt down the parts to do it. It will be the first "performance" mod I do to the car as soon as all the body work is done. Followed very shortly by a modest DIY KA-T build. I'll be looking for about 225-250WHP.

 

ur my twin i swear, i have another 96 motor and im looking to go ka-t on it or just save up for a swap but idk how i would pass inspection/emissions with a swap or going turbo

 

I should hopefully have some SR injectors, T25 turbo, a Walbro 255 fuel pump, and a brand new bottom mount turbo manifold in the next couple days for about $320. That will be a good chunk of the parts I need to turbo charge it right there. Hopefully all the deals go through.

 

ew bondo. you should go widebody

 

lol not Bondo. Widebody is a little too wild for me. I honestly wasn't even planning on the kit I have, but I really like the way it looks now. I usually prefer the sleeper look.

 

Looks really nice
I like the Nismo front end. Hope to see this go further.

 

Thanks! I'll keep everyone updated with the progress.

 

Some new parts arrived today..

SR 370s:

Walbro 255LPH fuel pump:

I have a nice T28 coming within the next week hopefully and a T2 manifold. I'll have most the big ticket items for my kit at that point, minus the FMIC.

 

turbo already? Did you even get a catback yet? I'm not gonna lie, this will be one of the nicest Zenkis on this site, but aren't you gonna engineer it?

 

LOL, well no I haven't heh. In fact the body work isn't even done completely yet. I'm just gathering the parts for the kit right now. I won't be installing it until I have everything I need. In fact, I'll probably wait until it's swapped over to a 5 speed before it's installed. But if I can't find the parts in time to swap the trans I WILL turbo this auto until it dies :gc-Popcorn_Smiley_b.

Here's how I have the engine build worked out so far, keep in mind it's not completely set in stone with exception to the turbo choice for now:

225 - 250RWHP goal.
Bottom mount T2 turbo manifold.
Garrett T28 turbo off an SR.
Aftermarket SR downpipe. Leaning towards the Greddy pipe at this point.
Hi flow cat.
BRM 3" catback. I fell in love with the look and sound of this exhaust. No ricey sound here.
SR 370 injectors.
Walbro 255 fuel pump.
Cheap SR FMIC. I'll probably go with whatever decent ebay intercooler will work since it's just an intercooler. CXRacing is good with FMIC's from what I hear.
Piping will again be ebay stuff since it's just pipes.
Bypass valve will almost certainly be a nice Greddy recirculating unit. I want sound but not a vented one.
Tuning... Well that's the only really tough decision I've yet to make at this point. Since my build isn't too wild I've got plenty of options but I want the car to be pretty reliable. I was considering either a rom tune or a piggyback such as the eManage. I could alway go SAFC, but the one thing I don't want to cheap out on is the tuning. At least not cheap out TOO much anyway.

That's it really. I'm really just looking for 225 - 250 RWHP to start. Then I'll update everything else such as the suspension and brakes and most importantly... Learn to maximize that power as best I can on some road courses auto-x and the such. We'll see from there. Feel free to drop any opinions on the parts list or suggestions. Oh, and I already know I'll here "get the T3 now, you'll want it later anyway" lol. But I'm starting off slow and steady with this car so T28 should be good for awhile.

 

What did you use for the dents?

 

"Evercoat Lite Weight Non Clog Filler" Part #100156. <-- Good stuff.

 

6/19/11 small update:

Okay, the last significant coat of filler has been applied to the quarter panel. After I get done sanding it smooth it will finally be time to prime the panel and then begin hand sanding it till the lines are perfect. Not much else to report, still waiting on the T28 and elbow to come in before I order my manifold.

On a side note, I was able to remove the plastic lens from my old driver's side headlight housing. I am going to buff the inside of the lens as well until it looks perfectly new. I might make a quick write up of how to remove the lens from the housing, buff everything up, and then reapply the lens to the housing with sealant. If it works out like I'm planning it will be a very easy way to restore even the most faded lights back to new for next to nothing. Anyway, happy Father's Day everyone and I'll be back later with more updates!

:beer2:

 

how much was all your turbo stuff?

 

Here's what I've got in the turbo kit so far..

SR 370 injectors and Walbro 255LPH fuel pump: $100
S15 T28 turbo and stock elbow: $120
Godspeed manifold: $120

Total so far: $340. Everything is used except the manifold is new. I'll still need a bunch of odds and ends but the only expensive stuff left to buy is a FMIC and a ECU tune. I'm hoping to have an entire kit for less than $1000. Although that doesn't factor in the really nice BRM catback I want that is about $500 :icon_rolleyes: