# (re)building my new / johns old 280z
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331
**Category:** Builds
**Created:** [April 20, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331 "2012-04-20T19:58:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 10
### Author:  [@Birdman64](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Birdman64)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/181 "2012-08-17T04:58:27Z")
How do you manage to do all of this without access to a garage lol
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### Author:  [@1QIKZ](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/1QIKZ)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/182 "2012-08-17T05:15:01Z")
Take your time. Do it neat and do it right.
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/183 "2012-08-17T05:46:10Z")
I have a 2.5 car garage in Derby but its usually got some projects of my fathers going on.
right now the cars at my moms, I’m too lazy to tow it to my dads to work on it. its also easier going back and fourth to the machine shop (less driving)
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/184 "2012-08-17T18:02:18Z")
small update
ceramic coated my headers, going to bake them tomorrow
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got my M/T valve covers, bead blasted
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sprayed with motherfucking VHT WRINKLE
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and before / after shot after i scraped the paint off and sanded it a bit
I’m debating if i should take my time and anodize the visable aluminum the same color as my wheel centers when they come in the mail… i think it would tie the motor in with the rest of the car nicely
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/185 "2012-08-22T20:00:19Z")
Another small update, my rotating assembly will FINALLY BE BACK tomorrow
I forgot to order lunati springs, so heads are going to take another couple days…
getting shit together
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i got my paint in for the diamond racing wheels, it has a very obnoxious look at me tone to it. i like it
It’s a two part paint, metallic + candy. Here is a color test on my old shift light
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and finished the M/T valve covers
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with any luck i can have a running motor by friday, and run it at dunn by weds. provided the diamond racing wheels arrive before 5pm
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### Author:  [@turbojohnny](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/turbojohnny)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/186 "2012-08-22T21:27:55Z")
are you aware that M/T stands for Mickey Thompson?
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### Author:  [@1QIKZ](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/1QIKZ)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/187 "2012-08-22T21:30:07Z")
It actually means “empty”.
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/188 "2012-08-23T05:18:30Z")
> [@turbojohnny](#):
>
> are you aware that M/T stands for Mickey Thompson?
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### Author:  [@cougarspeed](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cougarspeed)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2012, 5:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/189 "2012-08-23T05:20:21Z")
LOL Flawless
I am glad this thing is being put back together and quickly it seems too!
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### Author:  [@turbojohnny](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/turbojohnny)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2012, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/190 "2012-08-23T07:36:54Z")
> [@robftw](#):
>
> 
Well you kee referring to them as m/t covers
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2012, 10:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/191 "2012-08-26T10:28:37Z")
Bought a new stand, got my stuff from klispie
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1quikz saved my ass yesterday, he let me use my press so i could assemble the shortblock
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filing rings for days
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2012, 10:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/192 "2012-08-26T10:36:24Z")
Sorry for the shitty pictures, i worked into the night torquing arp bolts 4x each on the rods
never again.
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[ATTACH]21800[/ATTACH]
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/193 "2012-08-26T19:05:18Z")
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/194 "2012-08-30T18:47:01Z")
Got my heads back from klispies, they did some amazing work here.
4 new valves, lunati spring kit, new retainers, valve seats, and seals.
The cleaning process they use took off 4 coats of paint / oil / grime and then put a rust inhibitor on it, labor was 350$ + parts i think its somewhere around 550$ i paid.
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Painted them up
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Test fitting everything before i torque it down
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/195 "2012-08-30T18:49:22Z")
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No its not running yet. i yanked the entire wiring harness from the car and am starting from scratch with a painless kit, too many unused wires.
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### Author:  [@95dime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95dime)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/196 "2012-08-31T15:15:46Z")
i thought youre supposed to check ring gap with the rings on the pistons?
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### Author:  [@Copper280z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Copper280z)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/197 "2012-08-31T15:33:12Z")
Don’t think so, bore circumference and ring circumference are what sets end gap, pistons don’t have anything to do with it. You can actually check bore taper with a ring, a feeler gauge, and a little math, very accurately too.
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### Author:  [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/198 "2012-08-31T17:06:53Z")
just finished up a few minutes ago. ordering the painless kit as soon as I get a chance to.
I haven’t fired it up yet both batteries I have are dead and the fuel tank is empty
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### Author:  [@AShort](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/AShort)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/199 "2012-08-31T17:42:26Z")
> [@95dime](#):
>
> i thought youre supposed to check ring gap with the rings on the pistons?
you check ring gap by putting each ring in the corresponding cylinder, then check the gap with feeler gauge, file if needed.
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### Author:  [@Wahoo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Wahoo)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/re-building-my-new-johns-old-280z/222331/200 "2012-08-31T18:41:22Z")
Nice quick work!
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