Time To Buy A Z

[Dee_Dee]

Hi guys after all this time loving zeds i finally can buy 1 now i would prefer a 240z or 260z but think i am going to have to buy a 280zx as they are common and cheap was just wondering if any1 new where i could pick up a 240 or 260 in perth or any common problem the Zeds have Cheers Guys

Oh and also i dont wanna pay to much have tendency of getting ripped of if wats a good price for a nice example

[ZRedline]

I have heard that the 240 & 260 had some problems with carburetors but the 280’s from mid 1975 had fuel injection and provided less hassle. That could be a good reason to stick with the 280’s. They do however get a bit stinky at times.

[boyblunda]

Hi David

Not on your 280ZX query but if it is any help there is a growing group of positive and helpful S30 oriented people in Perth (Western Australia) who can be contacted on :

http://wazregister.com/

If you look in their For Sale column you will see a few threads on vehicles that are currently known to be available and the members are sometimes circulated with details of vehicles for sale from people wanting to sell their Zeds. I have found this group to be invaluable during the short period I have been into Zed ownership.

Regards

[240ZX]

I have heard that the 240 & 260 had some problems with carburetors but the 280’s from mid 1975 had fuel injection and provided less hassle. That could be a good reason to stick with the 280’s. They do however get a bit stinky at times.

I think your source on that bit of info is slightly misinformed! The only one that has issues is the 260Z, because it came with the flat-top (boat anchor) carbs. Most people with the 260s just replace them with the round top SUs. By the way, SUs are quite simple to work on and tune.

[SteveJ]

I have heard that the 240 & 260 had some problems with carburetors but the 280’s from mid 1975 had fuel injection and provided less hassle. That could be a good reason to stick with the 280’s. They do however get a bit stinky at times.

Of course, since the post is in the Australia forum, it's safe to bet that the first author is in Australia. Given that, it would be difficult to impossible to find a 1975 to 1978 Z, since Datsun kept the 2.6 Liter engine in non-US markets until the 280ZX.

By the way, where did you hear that the 240 had some problems with the carburetors? Do you have anything to qualify that remark?

[Dee_Dee]

cheers guys i found a cheap 260z but when i called he had sold it not 10 minutes earlier it was only 1660 nice yeah figured it might need a bit of work but that is the fun of it

[deadflo]

Of course, since the post is in the Australia forum, it's safe to bet that the first author is in Australia. Given that, it would be difficult to impossible to find a 1975 to 1978 Z, since Datsun kept the 2.6 Liter engine in non-US markets until the 280ZX. (quote)

By the way, where did you hear that the 240 had some problems with the carburetors? Do you have anything to qualify that remark?

I know those non-US cars dont have the bad carb issue, but didn't i see a photo of a european 260-Z and the carbs looked like the flat tops? Were they tuned differently?

Don't forget the 73 240-Z (US models) had the flat top Boat Anchors as well.:sick:

[SteveJ]

I know those non-US cars dont have the bad carb issue, but didn't i see a photo of a european 260-Z and the carbs looked like the flat tops? Were they tuned differently?

Don't forget the 73 240-Z (US models) had the flat top Boat Anchors as well.:sick:

If you watch the different boards, you'll see that you don't see the people outside of the US ever use "boat anchor" or some similar term for the carburetors. We Americans were pretty much alone with that privilege at that time. I didn't forget about the carburetors on the 73. I have also seen posts claiming that using the right techniques, the 73 carburetors were quite usable, too.

My main point was that an American 280Z owner was making comments that did not apply to the original question. Given that the poster already was publishing erroneous information, I was curious about where the rest of the "knowledge" originated, especially since it appeared to be a blanket statement applying to all 240Zs.

[deadflo]

So did the non-US 260-Z's have flat tops? If so, what set them apart from our boat anchors? I know our flat tops ran very lean.....

[Zedrally]

So did the non-US 260-Z's have flat tops? If so, what set them apart from our boat anchors? I know our flat tops ran very lean.....

Yes they did.

There is no reason that flat tops shouldn't be changed. I have 2 zeds and each type of carb, so I can speak from experiance.

I overhauled the 260 carbs (flat tops) several years ago and they run better than the round tops (which have also been O/H).

If you do a search you will find that this topic raises it's head every 3-4 months and the main reason is that the flat top carb is totally mis-understood by many in the zed community.

Mainly, I am lead to believe because of their in-ability to adjust the mixture setting (they are factory preset). All other functions amid emmission complications are the same ae round top SU's.

Perhaps the many different types of climatic zones in the US is reason enough for them NOT being successful there? Who knows? Who really cares as long as you're happy with the performance of your beast.

MOM

[ZRedline]

Hay guys,

I made my statement based on a few conversations I had with 240’s and 260’s owners. Also Lust, Then Love The Story of the New Z by Ron Sessons was also a source of information. The book had stated, Leaner carburetor settings lower compression, and carburetors more prone to vapor lock bedeviled all cars with reduced power and poor derivability – particularly frustrating in a sports car like the 240Z - page 16. The 260Z was quicker then the 240 but still suffered from carburetor vapor lock - page 23.

As the name suggests, the 280Z had a displacement of 2.8 liters, achieved by stroking the 260z’s motor by 3mm. Despite an emissions-control inspired 8.3.1 compression ration, output climbed to 149 horsepower. “No doubt the replacement of the Fussy carburetors with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection had something to do with that – page 23.

Sorry if I stepped on any toes with my statement.

[boyblunda]

Hey Guys,

The person who originally posted this thread did not even mention the 280Z but in fact indicated they might be looking at the later 280ZX as an alternative acquisition to an S30.

If I read it right, the original question was not to do with carbies vs fuel injection but more the relative price and availability of the S30 versus the 280ZX.

I do think the ensuing discussion has been interesting and useful but is this a case where the carbie issue could belong in another thread? Anyone trying to use the search function for the topic of carbies is less likely to uncover this valuable discussion unless it has its own title.

It is not uncommon to find L28 motors in Australian S30's but they are only likely to have been original equipment in used Zeds imported from overseas. Dee_Dee, if you did want the EFI gear to put on an S30 I can put you in touch with a local member who is selling all of that stuff as he has just bought triple webers for his car.

Of my 260Z's, three out of four have the round topped carbs and I believe that on at least two of these cars they are original equipment. There are flat tops on my black Zed only.

With regards to problems particular to the Zeds, rust is probably the major issue and there is plenty of information on where and how to look if you type rust into the search function for the site. Another issue might be whether or not you want a stock or relatively unmodified vehicle. Other problems tend to be those common to any 30 year old vehicle you might consider purchasing.

EDIT :

Thread on 280Z in Australia created by Zedrally

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20983