~July 2008 Ride of the Month Winner~

[07G35S]

Congratulations Andy Turpen, known as Booztd 3 on FreshAlloy. This Illinois Z is sure to make a lot of noise on the site. Andy came to own this 1990 Nissan 300ZX one month after graduating high school and learned about cars as he turned this ride into a true masterpiece. It looks like he learned a lot, and thats why his Z was chosen as the July 2008 FreshAlloy.com Ride of the Month.

Modifications/Upgrades:

Engine/transmission/

RB26 Swapped!
ARP Headstuds
Tomei Headgasket
Tomei Type A Cams
Full Race Twin Scroll Manifold
Garrett GT4202 Turbo
(2) Tial 44mm Wastegates
Custom 4" Downpipe & Test pipe
Greddy SP Catback
Custom 3" IC Piping
XS Power FMIC
Tial 50mm BOV
JGY Fuel Rail
Titan Motorsports 1000cc Injectors
Aeromotive 1000 Fuel Pressure Regulator
Custom SS Fuel Lines
AEM EMS
(2) Walbro 255lph Fuel Pumps
Custom Radiator/Dual 10" Permacool Fans
DXD 6-Puck Clutch
300ZX trans mated to RB26 Bell Housing
Z1 1 Piece Driveshaft
Richmond/Leader Gears (final drive = 4.10)

Suspension/Stopping:

Hawk Pads
SS Brake Lines
Powertrix HICAS Eliminator
Powertrix Adj Tension Rods

Exterior:

5 Zigen FN01R-C wheels (17x8,17x9)
Avon Tech Tires up front
Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials in rear
1999 JDM Nissan Fascia
Stillen Type 3 Sideskirts & Door Fillers
JDM Nissan Tail lights

Interior:

Full 8-pt Chromoly Roll Cage w/Removable Door Bars
Polished Battery Box in Trunk
Complete Black Interior Swap
Sparco Speed Race Seats
RCI Platinum Camlock 5-pt Harnesses
Custom Suede Wrapped Interior
Nismo Shift Knob
Defi Link 2 w/Defi BF Boost Guage
AEM Wideband O2

I purchased the car roughly 5 years ago, one month after graduating high school. I was 18 at the time, and knew hardly anything about cars. I had previously been driving a ’93 Civic EX, which was bone stock, but was hesitant to spend money on it because of the minimal power gains for the price (that and I was a broke-ass).

My older brother owned the car for 3 years prior to my ownership, and after being married for a few months his wife decided he should get rid of several toys. He phoned me giving me the opportunity to own the car first, since he didn’t want to see it leave the family. I sold my Civic in order to buy the Z.

The first year of ownership was very trying. Roughly 3 months after I bought it, a few of the stock injectors decided to die. Me not knowing anything about cars, took the car to the dealership for diagnosis. $75 dollars later they told me I had an injector going out, and handed me an estimate for over $1000 bucks! Extremely scared of that large of a bill, and only being 18, I decided it was best if I learned how to start wrenching. After all, my father used to be an old gear-head, and obviously my brother was into the whole car thing. I learned how to do the injector replacement off of a very familiar website, www.twinturbo.net


Shortly after the injector death, I upgraded to ‘Stage 3’. This consisted of a reprogrammed ECU, Greddy Sp exhaust, and up boost to 14psi. It ran great for about a month and then the stock clutch decided to go on strike. Needless to say it was back to the learning board on how to do a clutch replacement. This being a much larger task, requiring a broader range of tools, my brother assisted me with this.

With the car running great for several months in a row, I decided it was time to make my first ever drag strip appearance. My first two passes I clicked off some mid-high 13 second runs, however following my string of luck with this car, it decided to develop rod-knock at the end of the 2nd pass. I could feel my stomach in my throat at that point. Literally 5 minutes after limping it back into the pits, it started pouring and everyone left for home. I had to desert my baby 3 hours from home. My brother and me returned 7 hours later to pick it up on the trailer

With the car now needing a rebuild I decided I wanted to go all out. I didn’t want this type of thing to happen again, so I spent the entire next 12 moths saving and putting my engine together. This was also my first time messing around with internals so I was not the quickest on getting it back together. When it was all said and done the car came back out with built block, bigger injectors, bigger turbos, and piggy-back engine management. After break-in the car was making ~475rwhp and in 2005 it bested an 11.5@118mph at IRP Raceway in Indanapolis IN.

In the winter of 2005 my thirst for more power grew, and I decided to complete the motor build by porting my own heads, adding a set of Jim Wolfe Race Cams, and doing some aftermarket manifolds. This was a very rough period for me because I spent hours and hours (over 50 to be exact) learning how to port heads, it was very dirty as well.

I put the car back on the rollers and it put out 540rwhp on pump gas. In mid-June of last year the car ran a best of 11.2@124mph at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet. Shortly after, another clutch took a crap, and I was tired of pulling engines, transmissions, so I decided to stop with the car for a few months. I was debating on going to even bigger tubos and around December/January I finally decided I wanted to go RB.

There was really no information out there about the RB26 swap into a Z32. Plenty of guys had done it to older generation Z’s, as well as 240sx’s. There certainly were no wiring diagrams, no engine mounts, etc. I ordered the motor in Mid-January and received it about a week later. It was spotless, and I even found a new OS Giken Triple Plate clutch behind the motor all for free!

Over the next 4 months the car underwent a complete transformation. I ripped the old engine out, parted it out and sold it off in pieces. I completely threw away the old red interior, and began prepping it for the roll cage. The roll cage process took about 2-3 weeks, and after receiving it back, I went to work on doing the custom vinyl that replaces the tweed pieces on the doors.

Shortly after the roll cage was complete, I began work fabbing the motor mounts. Since I had discovered that the RB bell housing would bolt on to the Z32 transmission w/out any modification, it made the motor mount process very simple. I was able to utilize the stock 300ZX trans mount, drive shaft, sensors, and shifter. After everything was in place I completely deloomed the RB26 wiring harness and removed all of the AWD electrical components, and shortened the harness by about 4’ overall.

The car took its first breath of life shortly after and I spent a few weeks straightening everything out to make it road worthy. To date the car has made 560rwhp on pump gas and 680rwhp on race gas.

The FreshAlloy team would like to thank Andy, and all the members who submitted their rides, for entering the contest. Think you've got a ride worthy of enough for next month's competition? Submit your ride tofreshalloy_rotm@yahoo.com

Winners are entered in the FA Ride of the Year contest, voted on by all Freshalloy members, the winner receiving a grand prize yet to be determined. Additionally, keep in mind our friends at Nissan Sport Magazine will be watching the ROTM threads for prospective vehicles to feature in their magazine!
The Spring edition features NismoDave, February 2008 winner!

[Wahhaj]

Amazing work, reminds me of the one I had. You did an amazing job w/the RB swap.

[koukimonster82]

OMG! What a story. Congrats to andy and props to a very unusual mod in the 300zx. Keep it up!

[Booztd 3]

Awesome, got an email today informing me of this!

I was encouraged to throw up some more info on the car.....

It recently underwent some changes, most notably a Nitrous Express Wet Kit, and a GM TH400 auto transmission.

Some Updated Pictures:

Cleaned up the vacuum wiring, and made a custom nitrous solenoid bracket on the passenger side frame rail



TH400 Shifter



Custom made pan to cover over spare tire well. The carpet is now reinstalled



Videos

First Fire-Up

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/B...rst_164892.htm

Some Real low boost cruising

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/B...X-2_164889.htm

680rwhp @ 24psi Dyno Vid

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/B...yno_164887.htm

Me breaking an output shaft at the drag strip

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/B...How_164891.htm

Me breaking a shift fork on the streets, open downpipe

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/B...w-a_164890.htm

TH-400 Lazy First Pass - 11.7@125

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/R...ass_166221.htm

[Kaufman32]

Wow the car looks great and is putting out serious numbers. Definitly Ride of the Month material. Keep up the good work!
Jay

[Hawaii200sx]

Andy is a great guy. Anyone that is interested in more information, you can head over to rbz32.com (?). There is a lot of cataloged info on his swap and what it took to do it. I would love to do this to my Z.

[palmerwmd]

What a kick-as.s Z!!

Congratulations to Andy for Freshalloy Ride-of-the-month!

This is not a trvial swap and this unique Z32 really got a well deserved win!

Fred..

[Hawaii200sx]

FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why???.................. Lucky for who ever buys it.

[ZYAL8R808]

Originally Posted by Hawaii200sx

Andy is a great guy.. I would love to do this to my Z.

Maybe you should have some body work done first.

[Hawaii200sx]

you shouldn't talk either....

[Mongkey007]

wow good work man.. looks pretty.. especially the rb swap..

[s13SRmadness]

i love the car
but seriously












the wheels HAVE to go.








serious




this car begs for some nice wheels/better fitment
shoot even stock 2006 z33 wheels would be an improvement

[ZYAL8R808]

I don't see anything wrong with those rims. I like the simplicity of them and the fact that they probably help performance. 17's suit this car fine with the street radials he got on there.

[Booztd 3]

Originally Posted by s13SRmadness

the wheels HAVE to go.

A few things...

- Mickey Thompson does not make a street radial tire in anything bigger than a 17" wheel. I NEVER will run anything less than that tire, while making over 500hp. A tractionless car is no fun...

- An 'expensive' set of wheels would be great, but try driving in Illinois roads for a day....I dont feel like trashing a $500 wheel on a silly pothole. These wheels are relatively easy to replace if something like that actually happens

- Even though the car has a few 'nice' things on it, I always say function over form......

[ZYAL8R808]

Originally Posted by Booztd 3

A few things...

- Mickey Thompson does not make a street radial tire in anything bigger than a 17" wheel. I NEVER will run anything less than that tire, while making over 500hp. A tractionless car is no fun...

- An 'expensive' set of wheels would be great, but try driving in Illinois roads for a day....I dont feel like trashing a $500 wheel on a silly pothole. These wheels are relatively easy to replace if something like that actually happens

- Even though the car has a few 'nice' things on it, I always say function over form......

AMEN. Keep it real my friend.

[Hawaii200sx]

this car begs for some nice wheels/better fitment
shoot even stock 2006 z33 wheels would be an improvement

you must not be a member of tt.net huh.

[SouthStar019]

wow. a real car. nice Z man. making me want one. rare cars.

[Riffster]

Originally Posted by Booztd 3

A few things...

- Mickey Thompson does not make a street radial tire in anything bigger than a 17" wheel. I NEVER will run anything less than that tire, while making over 500hp. A tractionless car is no fun...

- An 'expensive' set of wheels would be great, but try driving in Illinois roads for a day....I dont feel like trashing a $500 wheel on a silly pothole. These wheels are relatively easy to replace if something like that actually happens

- Even though the car has a few 'nice' things on it, I always say function over form......

First of all congrats Bbooztd 3 - we need more Illinois winners!

(ain't going to be me - always about the go, don't give a **** about the show - besides the G35C is pretty enough stock.)

About the wheels .... Amen!

This is why I don't buy over 17" - you're throwing performance away 90% of the time. The lightweight quality performance wheels (for autox, track and strip) are almost all this size and smaller.

As to appearances - that is in the eye of the beholder. And as you write, the roads in Illinois can punish flimsy show wheels brutally. You need a tough performance wheel to ride out those bus-eaters on Cicero Avenue.

Congratulations again - nice work on my favorite model of Z.

Riff