Austarion

Driving a friends quite insane rb26det 280zx around, and being part of a Japanese Nostalgic Car cruise the other day made me realise I need something old, japanese, and RWD in my life. Starions were the first car I ever saw and though, 'Shit, I WANT one'... And at 18 I bought my first car, a Starion, a red and primer monstrosity that I ended up crashing into a curb and selling to pay various debts. I've had two others since then, a silver one that both myself and my father drove for 3 years with it never missing a beat, and a white one which was fairly quick, but had a bit of a shitter body. Skip forward many years and its time to own another, but now that I'm not quite so young and stupid, own it right.

Spent all week chasing down starions for sale, checking out what was available. This black one held the best hope for me, as I wanted something that was fairly original and un-played with. The pictures on TradeMe made it look pretty weird. At the last minute Starzila's project starion came up for sale again on trademe in auckland, and it is an absolutely mint body, with all the good running gear, but no motor or loom... This put me on the fence about which way to go...

However, when I started really poking around this black starion, it turned out to be much more honest and tidy than I had thought it was going to be... After some negotiation, and me paying a bit too much in all honesty, the deal was done, and it was towed home.

Wait, TOWED?

Yeah. Cant drive it at the moment. The engine goes (and actually sounds really smooth and nice), but the clutch master was buggered. Its 12:14am now, so a little late to change it, but I have a new one sitting there ready to be installed first thing tomorrow morning.



So it begins.

The best news? If you spin one rear wheel, the other spins the same way :)

LSDeeee!

Nice! Got any other photos of it, daylightish?

Is it a GSR-III with a later model front bar?

Its 6am, just woke up. Time to work on the car!

Will get some daylight photos.

Yup pretty sure its a gsr 3, digital dash, velnas, etc. Late model bar with American front lip and conquest tails.

Black Starions are the fastest.

Take those Conquest tails off, they're slowing you down...

-Robert

Waiting for repco to open... Need battery terminal and a clutch slave. I ordered the clutch slave yesterday in anticipation of needing it, hope the saturday freight comes in!

Very nice mate was wondering who picked that one up. Looks like a pretty clean car

Nice!!! :)
Retro (80's) wheels...
And the stereo! WOW.... 3 pcs?

Top is a an old aftermarket clarion stereo. Middle is the velnas trip computer, and bottom is the equaliser that would have worked with the factory stereo. I'm going to try and track down a factory stereo and add an external source input, would look cool!

That is cool! Another chch starion on the scene, good work

Ive got a heap of factory stereos, unsure of working condition of them tho. Wil try and power a couple up later if your interested.

Not bad at all!
Those little add-ons would have cost a pretty penny! The front lip (very rare), perspex roof spoiler, conquest lights & mags. At least a $grand there!

Actually, those Conquest lights do slow you down! They have metal reflectors inside the unit instead of our chromed plastic insides.
I rip them out when I clear them (usually the blinker section cleared and replace an orange globe)
:beer

Lunacy - Very keen on a factory stereo, working or not. Im an electrical engineer, so fixing it, or replacing bits of it would actually be a fun wee project in itself :)

Perrinsohc - Cheers! Really really want to get a look at yours sometime :)

JDSTAZ45 - I'm undecided on the lights... I like them, but the clear outer is actually cracked on both of them, and they have red indicators, which might fail a warrent over here... But they look quite nice. I'll get a set of standard starion lights for the moment and maybe get another set of conquest ones from the states.

Stoked about the front lip and roof spoiler

Mags are actually on loan from a friend, it came on factory 14" mags. I'll borrow these while i tidy it up and get it all running right, then get something a bit wider and dishier for it.

Awesome! :)
Nice looking car! That was quick after talking to you about it the other day at the meet!
Perhaps we need to have a Christchurch meet very very soon I think!

Very Very nice Zac!!! You did well :)

I like those mags on it to. Just need lower profile tyres and for it to sit way lower and it would be really awesome :)

Cheers Robin and Jas. Im completely stoked with it really, it just feels so right to own one again.

Clutch slave is here on tuesday, then I can take it for a drive hopefully and see what its really like. Doing an oil change right now, noticed the oil pressure sensor is buggered, will source a new one at work tomorrow as i think we have a supplier for them now.

Keen as on a meet, the last one I went to at the groynes was really good.

Super stoked to find it has an LSD!

As for the lowness, D2's will be ordered very soon :)