Ok... Im confusing myself...

[Sp4rt4n]

Im looking into so many different options on what I can do with my car that ive now got myself confused. So im looking to you guys for help.

If you had an Automatic '85 NA, and would NOT like to put turbos in it or swap the engine in it... What would you do either performance-wise or cosmetic-wise?

For now Ive got about a $1000 budget... So go easy on me at first...

Pictures of the current car:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2270461

Thanks for your suggestions

EDIT:
I was thinking of buying a parts car to do an auto-manual swap, but will the differences in performance be worth it?, cause that would suck up all my current budget, plus some. Or should I just stick to manually shifting through 1-2-D?

[300zxt]

$1,000 will go practicallly nowhere making an NA fast. The best you can do is to get a 2.5" full exhaust, intake, upgrade suspension and call it a day. Anything further is going to cost you ball loads of cash and not yield alot of performance increases until you get into seriously modifying the engine.

[homestar]

auto-> manual swap will make a huge difference and it is honestly the best performance option in my opinion. I'd also recommend a full 2.5" CM exhaust. I'd also recommend that you get a fidanza flywheel as it will significantly help your 1st gear pulls.

You can also cheaply free up a few extra free hp and decrease your weight by doing the following:

Take that thermo fan off and replace it with an e-fan, this can be done incredibly cheaply if you find a junkyard fan and custom install it. A cone filter will help slightly and isn't expensive. Yank the air conditioning equipment out as well, that'll free a good 50lbs of unneccessary weight.

Out of curiousity, why is it that you're so against turbocharging?

I turbocharged my N/A and it was the best thing I've ever done. Warning though: once the boost bug bites, you'll empty your wallet. It never stops once you start with the turbo.

[300zxt]

I turbocharged my N/A and it was the best thing I've ever done. Warning though: once the boost bug bites, you'll empty your wallet. It never stops once you start with the turbo.

Aint that the truth, you can never go back lol

[MrwassmanNA2T]

Not on one of our old Z's
Gimme a all motor 350Z and i won't complain

[Jason84NA2T]

fast, quickly and cheaply.

full exhaust, lots of nitrous

For how long? Probably until the 4n71b gives out.

[Sp4rt4n]

Well.... Im seriously considering going manual... But the main reason I dont want to go turbo is, I dont have to time, money, or the equipment. Ive replaced trannies relatively fast before, but engines are too time consuming to do to your daily driver.

[MrwassmanNA2T]

I am a college student and WAS a high school student a few months ago and I pulled it off. I bet you could too

[300zxt]

Well if you can change out a tranny easily, then you shouldn't have any trouble doing the turbo swap. Jason has a real good write up about it, check it out...

http://www.redz31.com/pages/turbo.html

Dont get me wrong, an NA is a fun car to cruise in with the basic mods I mentioned above and for an extra kick using nitrous as Jason suggested but for anything past that it's gonna cost a nice wad of cash for any decent gains. My first Z31 was an NA, I too was stubborn at first about going the turbo route and I didn't like everyone telling me not to waste my time in an NA, pretty much what you're going thru right now I would imagine. Honestly people dont do it to be discouraging, it's just true that's all. As soon as I stepped on the gas in my 86 Turbo which was running 10psi unintercooled when I first got it, it was just a whole different world. You "see the light" so to speak...

[Firehawk]

Install a really nice stereo system. Find good used equipment, and you can have a kick ass system for under 1k. There is more to cars than just going fast.

[FreeLanceBum]

I did my auto to manual conversion for about $300. Junkyards are your friend, only thing I got new was the clutch.

swap to a manual(It's a sports car, it wants to be a maual), 2.5" exhaust, cone filter, and adjustable cam gears from TSS.

[Sp4rt4n]

Well... I found a donor car for the parts that I need, but its 1.5 hours away. Its got about 100k miles on it, but everything except the motor and the fenders are in tact, and the guy wants $500 for the whole thing... Plus he says it has a black interior!!! Depending on how good of shape its in, maybe Ill do an interior swap too... I love black interiors...

[84z31]

heres what i have done to my 84' NA.

electric fan conversion
chevy alternator swap
3" intake piping with cone filter that sucks air off the front headlight
removal of emissions crap and all AC stuff
88 NA computer with resistors
2.5" exhaust system, no cat
removed all the excess fat
advanced the timing.
clutchmasters stage 1 cluch
kumho 225/55/15 tires

including the cost of the car i have spent $1600. it runs perfect. if i ever get enough money i may spring for a turbo conversion.

future plans:
computer tune with romulator
custom intake
cam gears
cams
port and polish
a better battery

i know that what i have done has made a difference in power. i have driven other Z's and can compare them buy the seat of the pants. i have never been to a dyno. i won't do that until i finish the engine.

and when the motor dies. i'll be looking for something newer in terms of a motor. probably a japanese v8 or v6. i like the v6 due to weight placement.

[ZDaddy]

Sp4rt4n wrote: Im looking into so many different options on what I can do with my car that ive now got myself confused. So im looking to you guys for help.

If you had an Automatic '85 NA, and would NOT like to put turbos in it or swap the engine in it... What would you do either performance-wise or cosmetic-wise?

For now Ive got about a $1000 budget... So go easy on me at first...

Pictures of the current car:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2270461

Thanks for your suggestions

EDIT:
I was thinking of buying a parts car to do an auto-manual swap, but will the differences in performance be worth it?, cause that would suck up all my current budget, plus some. Or should I just stick to manually shifting through 1-2-D?

Well in my opinion here's what I would do to stay NA.
1. Cams
2. Adjustable Cam Gears
3.Team Green Cone Intake Filter

4. from best to least best
Gutted Intake Plenum/or Pathfinder Plenum/or Maxima Intake

5.Headers

6.ECU Fuel management
7. NOS (all good until you are broke or use it improperly)
I hate NOS by the way....

With all this you could probably at most reach 200HP at the wheels, just click here. It's been done before but in all honesty you can do the same amount of work and have it turbo charged and get waaaay more HP. Unless you are die hard Naturally Aspirated (and many are, and are very respected) theres no reason to stay NA if you are looking for power.

[grahfz]

Sp4rt4n wrote: Well.... Im seriously considering going manual... But the main reason I dont want to go turbo is, I dont have to time, money, or the equipment. Ive replaced trannies relatively fast before, but engines are too time consuming to do to your daily driver.

By that quote alone, I'll tell you to leave your car alone. You need ALL of those things to make your car faster. Put a manual in it if your auto craps out.
Without time,money, and tools, you'll NEVER get it right. I'm not trying to crap on ya, it's just a fact of life.

Buy some audio equipment for it.