Yeah that cleans it up well. I just bought a tig welder so might clean up some of mine. This won't be my "go to" intake so I don't expect to invest the time you have- but if I did it would look something like yours

I have another stock intake as well. I was also contemplating a second built motor with triples but I may just go injected with a new engine management system to boost the power.

That is a sharp looking setup wheee!. I love the AN fittings and they make it so clean and bullet proof

Thanks! This engine will be more "show" than "go" as it will be basically stock output. I just couldn't stand the thought of the stock rats nest on the intake...

That's gonna look great!  Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous that I can't do the same sort of stuff over here without running afoul of emissions laws.

Welcome to 'berta! (Alberta)

My next plenum I will probably run a vacuum block , but for now I'm going the easier route.


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I have an airline distribution block for my air compressor that is billet aluminum and would probably be the exact same as the vacuum blocks I see online.
I will mount one and see how it does. I can always remove it if it doesn't perform well.
Unfortunately it will probably be a year or more before I can find out...

Trying to decide whether it's worth using this patched piece to replace this other patched piece...



Got the nose piece off this donor rocker. It was almost as bad...

I like your intake and fuel rail. Can't alter the stock stuff in California. I would fail the visual inspection. I'm getting lucky with my header. Probably because I have an egr and egr tube that connects to the header which I bought from MSA.

I'm tempted to try it though. If I don't alter the "finish" then maybe it'll look stock to some of these smog shops.

Isn't there a way to modify the car as long as the emissions are clean? No visual mods? I'm never coming to California!

6 minutes ago, wheee! said:

Isn't there a way to modify the car as long as the emissions are clean? No visual mods? I'm never coming to California!

You'd think so -- based on how, ya know, reasonable that sounds -- but no.

The two main components to the smog check are the sniffer and the visual inspection. In California, you must pass both.

With the visual, in order to be smog legal, any emissions-related modifications (which is basically everything that connects to the engine) needs to get a CARB sticker.  That's an expensive, long-term proposition, so generally only the major aftermarket manufacturers will bother with it and only for parts where there's a good market.  For everything else, parts are sold as 49-state legal or for "off road use only."  Needless to say, there is not a single part for the 280z that has a CARB exemption.

For people with non-legal modifications, the usual way to pass is to either find a shop where they don't tend to care about the visual inspection and/or will pass you for a couple hundred bucks.  For us Z owners, there's also the possibility that the tech won't even realize a modification is made.