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Keep it clean, spray underneath it well each time you wash it and get right in the wheel wells. It won't be the end of the world if you drive it in the winter. You have to get it running first though. I will caution you (although you probably have figured this out already): This could be a real money pit. You WILL learn to wrench on it yourself or you WILL go broke paying others to work on it for you. Get that shop manual and a Haynes. Learn to troubleshoot and work on it. You might also want to consider giving yourself a $$ you are willing to spend on it before you cut your losses.
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Dec 15, 2014 04:26
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You need to go over the car thoroughly and learn a little bit more. I would recommend carefully examining every single part on and in the car, and every time you see a part that you don't recognize and also understand basic operation and repair of, go read up on it. This doesn't cost anything and you'll very rapidly begin to understand how the car works inside and out.
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Dec 15, 2014 04:40
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Agreed with all the above. Above all else, MAKE SURE YOUR COOLING SYSTEM WORKS. The battery dying and not being connected (hell we've told you like 19 times how to fix it) is secondary, worst case it nukes another battery that's under warranty when driving around like a dingdong assuming your cooling system is fine because you can keep it from overheating by turning on the heat is the best way there is to turn that possibly-good-rebuild-possibly-redneck-idiot-rebuild engine into a doorstop.
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Dec 18, 2014 02:10
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Bad news is, the fan that puts air against the radiator is not turned on by the thermostat. GOOD NEWS IS, there's a switch right next to the radio that you flick on at about 180 degrees and it turns on the fans, keeping it cool. In other news, I think I found my winter beater car. It's a 1980 Nissan 300X for about 800 bucks. never mind rabbit doesn't have gauge cluster fishception fucked around with this message at 10:02 on Dec 18, 2014 |
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Dec 18, 2014 09:59
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Sperglord Firecock posted:GOOD NEWS IS, there's a switch right next to the radio that you flick on at about 180 degrees and it turns on the fans, keeping it cool. ahahahahaha
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Dec 18, 2014 11:39
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Sperglord Firecock posted:In other news, I think I found my winter beater car. It's a 1980 Nissan 300X for about 800 bucks. So you are going to put away your old, temperamental Nissan 300ZX for the winter and buy a...even older Nissan 300ZX?  Dis gon' be good
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Dec 18, 2014 15:06
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That's no Nissan, that's a Datsun! The suspension, frame, and door sills on the older Nissan can rust out, and when it gets too bad, he can use parts to keep the newer Nissan running. Hell, if it runs, get it.
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Dec 18, 2014 15:20
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Safety Dance posted:That's no Nissan, that's a Datsun! It runs, but apparently there's a fuse and/or wire broken leading to the heater that is broken, so the heater isn't putting anything out. I'm sure I could look up what fuses the 1980 300X uses and possibly just flip in a new fuse. Edit: Turns out it's a Datsun 310. There is no 300X. fishception fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Dec 18, 2014 |
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Dec 18, 2014 19:25
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This thread provides both amusement and bemusement.
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Dec 18, 2014 19:28
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If this were a war movie, right about now is where you tell us you can't wait to finish your tour, so you can go home to marry the sweetest gal in Illinois and start up a restaurant selling down-home cooking, just like your pappy.
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Dec 18, 2014 19:50
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Sperglord Firecock posted:It runs, but apparently there's a fuse and/or wire broken leading to the heater that is broken, so the heater isn't putting anything out. If you can't/wont figure out the wiring on your first car, why are you looking at ANOTHER car with wiring issues.
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Dec 18, 2014 20:01
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Sperglord Firecock posted:I'm sure I could look up what fuses the 1980 300X uses and possibly just flip in a new fuse. Laughed pretty hard at this.
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Dec 18, 2014 20:06
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InitialDave posted:If this were a war movie, right about now is where you tell us you can't wait to finish your tour, so you can go home to marry the sweetest gal in Illinois and start up a restaurant selling down-home cooking, just like your pappy. Perfectly frames the dread and/or schadenfreude I'm feeling in this thread. poo poo, if I'M feeling dread you know something's wrong.
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Dec 18, 2014 20:31
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Adiabatic posted:Perfectly frames the dread and/or schadenfreude I'm feeling in this thread. This is literally the reason I named the thread this, because I knew this was going to end up as a series of bad choices. And considering the reaction to the 1980 Datsun, I may revise to something different in the Chicagoland area. I WAS looking at a 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel, but it has no instrument cluster. Having a Speedometer is kind of a necessary thing.
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Dec 18, 2014 21:10
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Having a Speedometer is kind of a necessary thing.
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Dec 18, 2014 21:25
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InitialDave posted:In a non-turbo early-eighties diesel? No, it really isn't. None of the gauges matter honestly.
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Dec 18, 2014 21:43
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If you're that worried about it, get a cell phone holder and use one of those GPS speedometer apps. I'm a bit worried about the heat on that other Z being an electrical problem. You're sure it's not a cooling system problem / someone bypassing the core because it leaks? I don't know these cars specifically, but you probably don't want to do a heater core as your first job.
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Dec 18, 2014 21:43
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I honestly don't know if it's a cooling system problem or not, but it doesn't overheat when that fan is on, period. So for the moment, it's not a very big issue in my mind, because the coolant is flowing through the system, the air's been bled out of the system, and it's remaining cool.
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Dec 18, 2014 22:00
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Just get a Corolla/Camry/Accord/Civic FFS
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Dec 18, 2014 23:06
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Sperglord Firecock posted:I honestly don't know if it's a cooling system problem or not, but it doesn't overheat when that fan is on, period. I am going to be perfectly blunt here because you haven't listened or just plain don't understand every other one of the dozen posts saying this. IF YOUR loving INTERIOR HEATING UNIT IS ALL THAT KEEPS YOUR ENGINE COOL YOUR loving ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM IS hosed UP AND YOU ARE GOING TO loving SLAG YOUR MOTOR stop being a doofus and FIX IT PROPERLY instead of doing this. This is like treating cancer with tylenol, it only stops the pain/symptoms and you are going to regret it. I fully expect this to be ignored as well, at which point I shall tell you "haha maybe you should have read this" when your engine seizes and you need a whole new one for a couple thousand dollars instead of a loving cooling system repair.
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Dec 19, 2014 00:44
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Kastein's post might seem abrasive but honestly he's telling the truth and only trying to help you.
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Dec 19, 2014 00:48
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I agree with the gist of your rant Ken, but the way I read it there's a switch in the cabin for the electric cooling fans in the engine bay. Either way SF, all it's going to take to kill the engine is one instance where you're not paying attention. The fans should be automated and you need to find out why they aren't.
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Dec 19, 2014 00:55
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It may be, in which case I apologize for some of the abrasiveness of my rant. Either way, it needs to be solved the right way not the wrong way or bad things will eventually happen. Cooling, brakes, and steering are IMO the most important parts of a vehicle - brakes to avoid hitting things, steering to choose what to hit if that fails, cooling to keep your bank account from getting 4 figures lighter rather abruptly. Things that make the car actually GO are more negotiable, since not going just means it stays where it is till you fix it  I learned this the hard way - I ignored a non-operational temp gauge during my post-purchase inspection on one of my vehicles, then drove it 550 miles home. Only realized that it had thrown a belt (is this sounding familiar yet...?) when it ran out of air pressure for the horn+brakes and I noted that the tach and battery voltage (hmm... getting closer) were nonfunctional or minimally functional, after driving on the highway for 25 to 35 miles with absolutely no cooling system functionality. By that point it had fatally wounded my head gaskets, possibly damaged the block and very slightly cracked the heads, and blown half the coolant out the overflow. And that's on a vehicle built to be abused by minimally trained draftees while being shot at. Your engine is nowhere near as tolerant of this kind of abuse. Don't make the same mistake I did. kastein fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Dec 19, 2014 |
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Dec 19, 2014 01:06
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It definitely reads like the PO installed a switch for the car's electric fans- which makes me wonder. The OP didn't mention the overheating until a day or two after he got the car, right? So presumably the PO or whoever turned them on for the drive home. And then the battery kept mysteriously dying? ...Did you leave your electric fans on?
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Dec 19, 2014 01:10
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This thread is like some kind of enthralling mystery that keeps getting revealed layer by layer.
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Dec 19, 2014 01:15
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Seat Safety Switch posted:This thread is like some kind of enthralling mystery that keeps getting revealed layer by layer. Noooo shiiiit. so this magical fan switch. does it operate the friggin' heater for you, or the engine radiator fans? E: PM your addy to me so I can send out the gauge. 
cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Dec 19, 2014 |
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Dec 19, 2014 01:35
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Seat Safety Switch posted:This thread is like some kind of enthralling mystery that keeps getting revealed layer by layer. It's not a lemon, it's an onion
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Dec 19, 2014 01:37
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A slightly less lovely way to rig up that radiator fan would be to have the coil side of a relay hooked up to the "on" position of the ignition, and the load side feeding power to the fans. At least that way you can't forget to turn it on/off and overheat/kill your battery.
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Dec 19, 2014 01:38
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Seat Safety Switch posted:This thread is like some kind of enthralling mystery that keeps getting revealed layer by layer. This is the AI version of Serial Edit: Tune in next week to find out what really happened to the 300zx's cooling system behind that Best Buy
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Dec 19, 2014 01:39
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I read it as that there is a manual toggle for the radiator fans, and the heater is non-operational. To me, that sounds like the heater core is busted and bypassed, or hella clogged. He says it's a wiring problem with the heater though, which I am skeptical of. It means either I don't understand the situation, or he doesn't. Agreed that just hooking the fans to always run when the ignition is on is an OK way to do it, but it's not the best. Better than forgetting to turn them on, though. I'd take overcooling to undercooling any day of the week.
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Dec 19, 2014 01:47
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Propaganda Bob posted:It definitely reads like the PO installed a switch for the car's electric fans- which makes me wonder. The OP didn't mention the overheating until a day or two after he got the car, right? So presumably the PO or whoever turned them on for the drive home. And then the battery kept mysteriously dying? This is what I got as well from this post: Sperglord Firecock posted:Bad news is, the fan that puts air against the radiator is not turned on by the thermostat. Which makes it sound like the P.O. did it in the most rear end backwards way possible.
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Dec 19, 2014 01:48
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Dec 19, 2014 01:51
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Propaganda Bob posted:It definitely reads like the PO installed a switch for the car's electric fans- which makes me wonder. The OP didn't mention the overheating until a day or two after he got the car, right? So presumably the PO or whoever turned them on for the drive home. And then the battery kept mysteriously dying? Nope. I forgot the switch existed. The reason the battery "mysteriously died" was because the alternator belt actually mysteriously vanished. Don't ask me how. Then the battery died. cursedshitbox posted:Noooo shiiiit. The heater actually works on the 300ZX. Pushes out a nice amount of heat into the cabin, although the face-level vents don't push anything out, which makes me kinda sad. It gets pretty toasty in the cabin, though. kastein posted:I am going to be perfectly blunt here because you haven't listened or just plain don't understand every other one of the dozen posts saying this. I'm going to see what I can do, but I am bad at this, and this is entirely a giant massive learning experience. :<
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Dec 19, 2014 02:10
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Jesus man, That small fan in the front of your radiator is NOT meant to be your cooling fan, that's for your AC which you do not have anymore by the pics I saw of your engine compartment. It's just some jerry rigged POS if that's the case. Your cooling fan is driven by a belt, it's the big fan shaped thing in front of your engine. Fix your god damned cooling system. Make sure the air is all burped. If it is, flush it, replace the thermostat and if you are really ambitious the water pump if it still doesn't work. Get the cowl/shroud from the PO if you can. Buy some from a wrecker if you have to. This is not rocket science. e: I am ASSUMING the previous owner did not actually remove the engine fan for some crack head reason. You do still have a fan on the front of your engine don't you? I am assuming it's just hidden in the first photo of the OP behind the crossmember. That was my center console, but I don't remember the knobs quite like that on the bottom. Faux woodgrain though, absolutely! slidebite fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Dec 19, 2014 |
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Dec 19, 2014 02:50
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OP, post some real pictures of the engine bay and give detailed descriptions. None of this cryptic one sentence bullshit. Everybody wants to help you in spite of your desire to blow up/ruin this car but you have to help us help you. Don't get too overwhelmed, either. Cars aren't that bad once you break down the different systems (brakes, cooling, steering, suspension, etc) and understand how they function and go together. What I tell anybody who's never worked on cars is that it's all just nuts and bolts. It looks like the fan is driven off the engine and not electric (GIS is kind of inconclusive but it looks like the radiator is way far forward and the fan is in the engine bay behind a long shroud), so I'm curious what the wiring of the other fan to a toggle switch is about. It really wouldn't hurt to make a list of questions and call the PO about them to get some answers/history. Suburban Dad fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Dec 19, 2014 |
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Dec 19, 2014 04:02
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slidebite posted:Jesus man, There's a switch next to that AC switch. It leads to the main fan-shaped thing in front of my engine. The fan is not covered in a shroud.
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Dec 19, 2014 04:13
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POST PICTURES. People are trying to help you, but they have no good info. Pictures will help tremendously in figuring this poo poo out. Otherwise, people are going to start peeing in the well.
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Dec 19, 2014 04:19
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The fact that the engine cooling fan is run off a switch instead of the most simple relay/thermoswitch makes me seriously concerned about what the inside of that engine looks like and how the turbo is set up 
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Dec 19, 2014 04:19
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Something tells me the previous owner was praying for a guy like the OP to come along. "Oh yeah flip on that switch there if you think the engine is getting too hot, just don't forget lol."
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Dec 19, 2014 04:25
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I'm going to go with: there is no mechanical driven fan at all. Here is a picture of one with the mechanical fan, sans shroud. http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/850/1961/2123480025_large.jpg It looks like the clutch should be driven by the pulley that we can see just peeking up in this picture: I kind of doubt the entire fan is hiding behind the top radiator brace due to perspective. http://www.xenonz31.com/Images/Clutchfan/Coolingfanfull.png Your engine seems to be missing the fan clutch too, as we should be able to see it mounted to the water pump pulley in your engine bay picture. Hit up a wrecker and find a fan shroud, fan clutch and fan. Or be prepared to cook your engine. The AC fan won't pull (or push, depending) enough air to keep your engine adequately cool.
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Dec 19, 2014 04:31
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