i'm thinking of buying a stock 260z that's in very good condition

i'd like to squeeze more performance out of the stock engine

being a novice mechanic, what modifications can i do that will give me

the most provebial "bang for my buck"?

what kind of improvements can i expect from dressing up a stock 260z?

can i get reasonably get the 140hp up to 160 or 170?

can i even improve gas mileage at the same time?

(i know the 2 are usually mutually exclusive.. but hey, i'm dreamin here)

i've tried to do a search of the forums but haven't found any concise answers

would love some of you old pros to make me a list of things you would do

to a stock 260z first to get the most improvement for the least money

just from my limited knowledged about cars in general

i know carburation, air intake, and exhaust are places to start

but would love specifics from you wise shamen 'o the Z

list away!

and thank you!

anthony g

(potential new 260z owner!)

oh.. here's my possible new baby

she's quite a looker eh?

pros:

paint, body, and interior look good

no rust that i can find

engine looks really clean and runs well

original rims

stiffer body & better electrics than 240z

eveything works except for clock

only about 76k miles (if that's accurate)

cons:

automatic

stricter emissions control than 240z (bad carb)

want more power

want better gas mileage

and i'm REALLY gonna miss my t-tops from my old silver 86 300zx

custom 260z t-tops anyone (i'm sure that would be a nightmare undertaking)

the guy wants a little over 3K

what do you think?

does it look good?

should i go for it?

It looks to be good shape, but rust is our cancer. Check the frame rails and floorboards as they are common rust areas. And sense your California, 3k might be high for a non-east coast car (they're more rare on the east coast and rust belts, so thus the price is higher). I would try to haggle to $2500, don't pay more than $3000 unless the body is in perfect, and I mean mint, shape. It's a good idea to have a body guy or someone from this forum check out the car- some people have a nasty habbit of trying to rip people off by just covering rust spots with Bondo and/or paint. This doesn't fix the rust, it actually seals it in. Rust is like a bacteria and spreads, so if it's sealed in by paint of Bondo, it will just dissolve the car. You can sometime tell if rust has been covered if there is bubbling under the paint or rough patches that don't blend in with the rest of the coat.

Z's aren't the most expensive cars in the world, but they aren't the cheapest. They're getting more rare and the price is slowly climbing. It's true, if you spend say 3k on the complete car and another 8k on parts and installation, that would total 11k and for that much you could by a complete Z-rod already done and in good condition, no doubt. But for most of us, tooling on the Z is half the fun. And, you will save money if you can do your own labor.

I agree with jackbox that going to a muffler shop and getting a full 2.5" custom aluminum or stainless steel exhaust is the best choice, but it usually cost more than a pre-fab bolt-on system (I have heard some fitmit issues with MSA's kits). You don't want to have to get a custom-made header though, those usually price north of $600 and take a long time to make.

The main deterent to this 260 is it's automatic. A manual swap can be done, but it's pricey on most occasions. I would say if you can haggle the guy to around $2500 go for it, otherwise keep looking for what YOU really WANT. Don't settle or you're end up kicking yourself in a few months, or when you're dropping that manual trans in and plunking down the cash for it. Just a thought.....

Dave

hm. feedback?

So what is it about this specific car that makes you want it so badly anyway?

I ask because for 3000 dollars, theres quite a few Z's to pick from, in as good condition as this one, yet maybe has the manual tranny already, or early carbs, or perhaps a 240 or early 260 with small bumpers etc etc..

i spent about 2-3 months looking for the right Z this time around, and Im happy with it because its just what i was looking for..all my previous ones were more "spur of the moment" buys out of the local paper..

just a thought as I was browsing ebay Z's for sale this morning.

dont settle

JacK

<<

The flat tops are called boat anchors, and it is a myth, because no one really knows or takes the time on how to tune them properly. I cannot remember exactly the bore of the 70-72 carbs are but if I remember correctly, the stock bore of the 73-74 carbs are 10mm larger.

Note performance gain?

>>

That's funny...the stock round tops don't bottleneck performance until 250+ hp...heh.

<<

The flat tops are called boat anchors, and it is a myth, because no one really knows or takes the time on how to tune them properly. I cannot remember exactly the bore of the 70-72 carbs are but if I remember correctly, the stock bore of the 73-74 carbs are 10mm larger.

Note performance gain?

>>

That's funny...the stock round tops don't bottleneck performance until 250+ hp...heh.

anyone have a set of flat tops they can measure the bore with? im just wondering i dont want to flame > 10mm just seems a lot...and how would that work in comparsion? round vs square intake measurements..are the flattops perfectly square like 55mm x 55mm?

Jack

I have a set of flat tops- I'lls check tomorrow.

PS: Are we talking about the ventire opening bore? I would assume so but just want to be possitive......

Dave

Hey-- for what its worth you west coast guys have a big advantage over us east coast guys ! Im in massachusetts--- for me to get a calif Z to my door step with current fuel prices at least 2 grand taked on top of the selling price -----

The flat tops are called boat anchors, and it is a myth, because no one really knows or takes the time on how to tune them properly. I cannot remember exactly the bore of the 70-72 carbs are but if I remember correctly, the stock bore of the 73-74 carbs are 10mm larger.

Note performance gain?

I see a lot of talk about bolt on mods, and well only one person said the right thing about that, it will not do much of anything without engine work to make use of it. Just because it feels faster doesnt make it faster.

Chickenwafer, did make a great suggestion though, first thing you should do is get your car in good tune first. Magnecores and Taylors arent necessary for the wires though, as I am using NGK NE61 wires on my turboed Z at 300HP and have no worries with them at all. Then worry about getting the car going and stopping perfectly and set up your suspension to handle your extra power.

The thing that makes these cars perform is work to the head, you can leave the block stock for the small gains you are looking for and work your head with a cam and larger valves better springs and a bit of port work will get you all you need for what you want.

Good luck with whatever route you choose and I hope you enjoy your car.

I have dual Webber boat anchors on one of my z's, I take alot of crap for it but hey it was on there when in bought it and it seems to run pretty damn good. Better than my friend that has the same year as mine with su's.

I have a set of flat tops- I'lls check tomorrow.

PS: Are we talking about the ventire opening bore? I would assume so but just want to be possitive......

Dave

if by venturi you mean the intake side...(where the air comes in) thats what i meant.

JacK

it's really helpful and puts things in perspective.

i'm learning a lot!

gratefully,

-anthony g

jack, to answer your question:

"So what is it about this specific car that makes you want it so badly anyway?"

i think it's the appearance of the car

i think i've developed an emotional attachment HAHA

to the orange color and even that lines of the big heavy bumpers

and original rims

you know, it like when you see a car and you say "that's me! that's my car! that's my style!"

i'm glad you forced me to answer that question

i've gotta put it in perspective

i guess the question is am i willing to pay a premium for this SO CALLED emotional satisfaction?

for example, there IS another car that is a better value:

a 1971 240z (better carbs, stick) it great shape with expensive rims

and really babied by its owner (great stereo, the whole 9 yards)

for $4000

but it's BLUE (and a nice blue too)

and for some reason i'm stuck on the orange

i feel like it would somehow be sacriledge to repaint it orange

like bad car karma! like the car would hate me!

of course i would think twice about ripping the engine apart to improve it

kind of a hypocracy, eh?

crazy huh? i've really got to stop all this silliness :stupid: HELP!

thanks ari!

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-280-260-240-Z-ZX-Header-280z-240z_W0QQitemZ7999036233QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">ViewItem</a>

is this a good choice?

i might be able to get it on the cheap

thanks ari!

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-280-260-240-Z-ZX-Header-280z-240z_W0QQitemZ7999036233QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">ViewItem</a>

is this a good choice?

i might be able to get it on the cheap

well depends on how you look at it...that header is a 3 into 2 style that requires a "collector" at the end of it prior to the final exhaust tubing. any muffler shop can weld up a collector while doing the rest of the exhaust.this setup is better than a 6 into 1 style header from a performance standpoint. its more "free flowing" than a 6 into 1 style, a 6 into 1 has a "all at once" bottleneck at the end of the header.. and though it may not make a whole lot of difference on a stock motor, if you get to doing some internal performance upgrades it can add several more horsepower going 3 into 2, into a collector, to your 2 1/2" exhaust.. than 6 into 1 straight into your exhaust tubing. So if your able to get it for close to the 29.00 bucks, and dont mind doing a little refurbishing...id get this header over a old rusty 6 into 1 anyday. (which i happen to have for sale )

does this make sense to you? i understand it but its my brain but...my translations to text sometimes dont quite seem so clear..

I can send you a pic of the way a collector should be setup/made..if you like

JacK

if your stuck on orange-ish Z's with the big bumpers (the those orginal slotted mags arent all that hard to find by the way) i was bored so i went to see whats on ebay..

Orange..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1976-Datsun-280z-with-low-miles-Show-winner_W0QQitemZ4572938529QQcategoryZ6187QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I kinda liked this one (based on the current bidding close to 3k) if the reserve is low enough..and its a 1 family car but its the wrong color etc...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-Datsun-240Z-ORIGINAL-OWNERS-Excellant-Daily-Driver_W0QQitemZ4573611774QQcategoryZ6187QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

heres another orange one...

AND finally whats wrong with the BLUE! (mines blue ORGINAL paint. so im biased)

anyway, I totally understand what you mean, about getting a feeling about a car...soon as i saw mine i was sold. and i wasnt looking for blue at all...i didnt really have a preference that way, i was more worried about finding a nice orginal owner, clean, un butchered wiring, orginal interior, no rust, etcetc

Good Luck to you,

i'll be waiting to see what you finally buy.

JacK

it's really helpful and puts things in perspective.

i'm learning a lot!

gratefully,

-anthony g

jack, to answer your question:

"So what is it about this specific car that makes you want it so badly anyway?"

i think it's the appearance of the car

i think i've developed an emotional attachment HAHA

to the orange color and even that lines of the big heavy bumpers

and original rims

you know, it like when you see a car and you say "that's me! that's my car! that's my style!"

i'm glad you forced me to answer that question

i've gotta put it in perspective

i guess the question is am i willing to pay a premium for this SO CALLED emotional satisfaction?

for example, there IS another car that is a better value:

a 1971 240z (better carbs, stick) it great shape with expensive rims

and really babied by its owner (great stereo, the whole 9 yards)

for $4000

but it's BLUE (and a nice blue too)

and for some reason i'm stuck on the orange

i feel like it would somehow be sacriledge to repaint it orange

like bad car karma! like the car would hate me!

of course i would think twice about ripping the engine apart to improve it

kind of a hypocracy, eh?

crazy huh? i've really got to stop all this silliness :stupid: HELP!