240, 260, or 280

[rice is a food]

alright so im buying a z in the near near future for the intent to swap in a v-8 and make it a drag/somewhat show car for local shows... and i was wondering which should i get out of the three... theres a 280ZX for sale up the road from me im thinking about buying... and which has the most aftermarket or substitutable parts like hoods, front ground effects ect. and which is best to invent my money into making a streetable racer money isnt an option though i got about 20g for the project im gunna gut the engine take the body off and start from scratch so which one fo the cars is my best option...and most importantly which has the largest engine bay

[jcdozier]

If you're thinking V-8, you will have to be concerned with body strength (although you will still need to do some strengthening work). I suggest you stay away from the early Type-I 240s and look for a '72 or later - Datsun added some "beef" the the later models.

I'm not sure about the 280ZX's, but the engine bay in the 240/260/280 is the same size. Others here can corrrect me it that's wrong. There are several V-8 Z sites with useful information - just takes a little looking.

[hmsports]

The 260 and the 280 add several hundred pounds over the 240. So, since you will have to strenghten things anyway, why not start with a lighter car so you end up with something that can get off the line quicker?

[Zvoiture]

And the zx is another couple hundreds. The ZX is probably stouter, and the engine bay is at least as big..I have a ZX shell sitting in my garage and it is put together really beefy...Parts? I don't know. The ZX ws not made for as many years as the 1st gen, but there were a ton of them but they are not collectable and they are really cheap, and everything is different body and susp-wise, but it changed again completely in '83......so you see there are arguments either way as far as parts availability. Smog requirements on a '79-83 model year would be something to check out...

steve77

[zorro]

To dodge emmission laws in our country anything prior to 6/76 doesn't have to have pollusion controls. For that I would you a 260 shearly due to it's extra weight and strength over the light and nimble 240. You probably are going to roll cage it or strengthen it though somehow so maybe that won't be an issue.....

[240Zlover]

wat about a 240z 1971 car???? can u put a V8 in it?

[jcdozier]

Short answer - yes, you can put a V-8 into a '71 Z.

Longer, better answer found by re-reading previous posts - a '72 or later Z is better because they are "beefier" compared to the Type-1s. Less welding, less work, less trouble.:classic:

[Ivan]

240z are light 2355lbs (compared to a 280zx with it's 2825lbs), with a lot more weight reductions you can do (although v8's weigh heaps)

[rice is a food]

ive located a 71 240Z that meets my needs im most likely going to purchase it

[Ed]

If you are planning to use this car for drag racing you might want to consider using one of the 2x2 (backseat) models. They have a longer wheel base.

[240Zlover]

nah

[hmsports]

The difference in beef from the 240-260-280 is pretty much isolated to the doors and bumpers.

The later cars, I think starting in 73, added door beams. The 280 added more structural weight in the bumper mounting areas. The new telecoping/shock absorbing bumpers required a heavier mounting location.

The rest of the car is pretty much the same for all - that's why they are so swappable between years and models. Most of the weight added to the 280 was bumpers, R200 rear, fuel injection, catalytic converter, 5 speed transmission and such.