Advice: What to do? Piazza Turbo

roz85 · tinkerer Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Posts: 230

Ok this is how it is. About 6 months ago i crashed my car -86 Piazza turbo. Now 6 months on, having paid 1k for panels to get the car back on the road, im having a change of mind about continuing to modify my car.

This is the way i see it. Its going to cost me 4k for a decent paint job to get teh car to the condition it was before i crashed it (all bodywork etc to get all panels straight). Then various other things need to be done which in my opinion will cost another 1k. I purchased the car for 5k a year ago, and seeing as i crashed the car, i see that to repaint the car, i am spending way too much on the car. I dont see the reasoning behind spending 1k on panels, 4k on paint, another 1k on various other things just to get the car back to the way it is (cause i didnt have comprehensive insurance). Im wondering whether i should cut my losses now, and maybe chuck the engine into a gemini.

This is the good things about my car im thinking of:

.Perfect condition 4zc1 engine/gbox with 130,000k;s on it with mods including: custom manifold, r33 turbo with steel exh wheel, custom 3" dump, bov, boost controller etc. I just finished this upgrade on the engine and have all the fitings etc

.Piazza LSD, Brakes etc

.About 5 autometer gauges including speedo, tacho, boost, a/f, oil temp

So basically at this stage i have a perfectly running car that needs work to get it to look good again.

Should i take all the stuff listed and throw it into a gemini - engine, g/box, diff, brakes, make a custom dash up and will have myself (once the engine is boosted) a 12sec car (turbo is good for 210rwkw on rb25 engine) so im guessing my engine will make around 150kw atw with upgraded fuel supply.

Problems involved throwing it into a gemi:
.Dont know if engine will fit straight in (intend on doing some research)
.Need to pay for engineering at the end for engine, box, seats, diff etc
.Have never done anything like this before - e.g fitting engine, box etc, though am pretty witty when it comes to anything car related - as i said, completed turbo upgrade recently, wouldnt say that was easy.

Costs involved:
.Prob get a good rolling shell with new paint, interior for 3k.
.engineering - 1k.
.Fair bit of work i wont be able to do myself - 1k

So either way ill be spending about 5k to get either the piazza or a gem done. Power levels as i said before will be around 150kw atw in a 1300kg shell or 150kw atw in a 950kg gemini shell (is this the right weight of a gemini?)

Any advice appreciated, though do not want any shit that isnt relevant to this topic.

Cheers

Anthony

Stock TE · backyard mechanic Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 853

If it was me I would put everything from the Piazza in a Gemini. The motor and gearbox goes in fairly easy, small amount of work on the firewall to make the motor fit, ask Rust3, and the tunnel needs changing to keep the remote shift. You could also use the Piazza exhaust, brakes and diff [diff needs a little bit of work to make it fit].

GeminiCoupe · tinkerer Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 172

In my opinion keep the piazza, not many of them left now. 4k for paint!!!??? for that money id hope its a full 2pac respray and oven baked. Most workshops ive rung up in melbourne quoted me 2k, oven baked 2pac all top quality shit just as long as i prep the car myself.

strip the car down, give it a full respray in say Acid Rush off the BA Falcon and there you go - i can garuntee there will be nothing like it on the road.

Nick-

roz85 · tinkerer Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Posts: 230

4k is what i have been told to expect for a top quality 2pac respray and prep - if i am going to paint it, im going to do it properly was what i was thinking.

I can strip the car down of all parts etc and then give it a sand back but cant do the panel beating - not much to do, have got rid of all the rust, just need a few little dings looked at.

if i could get a job for 2k then id keep the car i suppose! True there is nothing else like it on the road, and perhaps id be able to sell it for more once its been painted. I worked out what i think id be able to sell it for - came to a figure around 4k if i seperated everything. I rekon id be able to get 7500 or so once i painted it so maybe it would be in my best interest to paint it and then sell it.

Once boosted im pretty sure the thing would be able to do 13.5 1/4 mile, and i suppose you dont see many 13.5 second piazza's let alone good condition ones.

Thanks for the idea.

Anthony

rod · tinkerer Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 380

id keep the piazza get the body ready for spray painting
bog it up all nice and straight. spray undercoat it as u go along

and get a hold off that dude that does $500 paint jobs, he usually advertises himself regulary on here

*shrug

FLYINLoW · backyard mechanic Joined: 08 Oct 2001 Posts: 924

no offence
piazzas are ugly
wack the setup in a gem

rod · tinkerer Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 380

yeh thats also tru flyinglow

roz85 if u want u can pull all your stuff in my gemgem for me

Smile

maDGeMvAN · tinkerer Joined: 06 Oct 2001 Posts: 452

You don't need to touch the firewall! Use a holden shuttle distributer backing plate behind the piazza dizzy and you have perfect firewall clearance. "Beasty" on this site has done this mod (I have seen).
The backing plate on 4ZC1-T, 4ZD1 & 4ZE1 leans into the firewall, 4ZB1 (shuttle) points up.

Oh yeah, put it all in a gemi Wink

Gene FJ20DET

sounds like madgemvan is more excited then u Wink

_________________

maDGeMvAN · tinkerer Joined: 06 Oct 2001 Posts: 452

I'm addicted to gemini's and anything gemini related ;o)