Just bought her, now need to fix her.

[New-to-240z]

Hey guys,

Excuse me for anything i may ask that may sound stupid, I'm just starting out with my 1973 240z. I have never had a car this old, and want to make sure this thing is strucurly (sp?) solid! I have been reading here day and night relentlessly for the past 3 days! I have read tons of guides and so forth, but I still have 2 questions.

The first and formost is of course the body. I have been reading up on rusting and so forth, and where to look for it, but as to how to fix it . . I'm at a loss. I have NO welding skills (never tried or had anyone to show me) and I want to make sure that i don't miss anything. From what i have notice, there seems to be only a little rust on the rear fender well, and a tiny bit on the pillar that extends on the lower part of the middle of the car. I was hoping to find a few members that live near me (Orange,CA) and get their opinon on what i should do. Maybe a few beers for your time will ease the mind?

Second, the engine has recently (within the last year) been rebuilt and has maintained the original 73 Carbs, and well I want her to have some power. I'm not looking for insaine power, but i would like to have around 230-270 hp and a nice amount of TQ. Is the original L24 capable of doing such power with mods, or would i be better off swapping in the L28 or a diff engine for that matter? (I know the Diff, axles, driveshaft, etc must all be upgraded as i move the power up, but i am just wondering about the engine right now.)

Wow, sorry for such a long post I'm just sooo excited about my 240z!! I got the biggest smile!

I hope to learn a lot from everyone here, and will contribute as much as possible when i do feel I am getting the hang of things.

-Matt

[beandip]

Well since I am first in line here , Welcome to the club and it is great that you found what sounds like a good Z. As to the question of the HP you want the L-24 will not do the job. In fact a 280ZX built will barely make the grade. You should consider a V-8 . There is another web site that is more into this type of mod. Hybridz this is not how it is spelled but I am sure some one will jump in and correct me . Good luck in your quest . Gary:rambo:

[71ZZZZZ]

Hey New-to-240Z...

Sounds like you got a good one...if you really want to catch a brainful, you should check out the West Coast Nationals in two weeks in Anaheim, hosted by Motorsports Auto. Check out their site. (I can't make it this year as I just got my car back from paint/body and it is not driveable yet.) This will give you an amazing look at what's possible with Zs. As a counterpoint, if you are concerned about structural soundness, putting that much horsepower in the stock Z body may not be a safe thing. You will have to reinforce many areas on the body to withstand the increase in torque...also changing the engine will set forth a chain of mods that you need to be aware of before you start. Ignition, transmission, suspension, wheels/tires/brakes, etc. Do alot of research, there are many who hybrid their Zs with great success, just be informed. Like beandip said:

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?

Welcome and buckle up, you're in for a fun ride!

:beard:

[New-to-240z]

I have been reading up and what amazes me is i found that the SR20det is actually a good swap into the 240z. And, what's more. . . I have a 240sx with a SR20 fully built that i could drop into her. But, like you were saying 71ZZZZZ, the body of the 240Z can't handle that kind of power without reinforcement. Do you know what main points of the body need to be reinforced? And, what the costs of doing such a thing will be?

I will DEF. be at the West Coast Nationals, I live not even 15 min away from Anaheim!

Beandip,

What kind of power could i expect to get out of a rebuilt L24 with 72 Carbs, some new cams, P&P head, and some new pistons? I really just want to make this car a nice Daily Driver, and have the ability to take her to the track and have some fun around the corners. With the weight being soo low, i could deal with less Hp and Tq.

[71ZZZZZ]

From what I've read, you would have to reinforce the metal areas that the tension/compression bars mount to. The diagonal rods that connect the front suspension to the body. You would probably also have to get some strut tower braces to stiffen the front part of the body but also one for the rear towers as well. Depending on the engine weight you may have to fool with different front/rear spring ratios to balance out the car. The Hybriders on HybridZ are all over this concept and can point you in the right direction should you choose this route.

If you want a daily driver but also a track machine you may have to make compromises. Not trying to dim your enthusiasm but reliable daily driving and track cornering are two opposing purposes and your setup would be different for each...just encouraging you to explore all aspects of the Z before you throw down your $$$...it can be done, just plan your attack, there are many who have been down this path and can save you money and headaches...have fun at the WCN!

[beandip]

Beandip,

What kind of power could i expect to get out of a rebuilt L24 with 72 Carbs, some new cams, P&P head, and some new pistons? I really just want to make this car a nice Daily Driver, and have the ability to take her to the track and have some fun around the corners. With the weight being soo low, i could deal with less Hp and Tq.

First of all the with the L24 block you are limited in what you can bore the block. Second the crank has a shorter stroke than the 260 or 280 engines . The longer stroke crank can be used with the L-24 block but you will need to relieve it some so that it will clear . I have been told this but not done this my self. Usually builders just use a 280 block and crank. If you were to want to build a stroker the '73 rods are what is used if available. Robello builds some vary astounding engines with these engines. However if you wish some fun on a track the stock engine will provide ample power to have some great fun Auto X ing . Suspension and tires are more important than the HP of a big engine . Although you can never have enough of that. How fast do you want to spend ?? Gary:knockedou

[71ZZZZZ]

(dupe post...ignore)

[FairladyZS30]

for rust check your floor boards and under your doors those are main spots and power?...id say the cheapest and esiest way to go is getting an L28et from a 280zx . it will bolt right on and since the s30z is a light car it will pull

[ktm]

If you are going to swap engines, check out Hybridz.org. There is a wealth of information on that site regarding SR and RB swaps, SBC and SBF swaps, L28ET swaps, and L28 swaps.

As Gary indicated, the L24 is not able to achieve the horsepower numbers you desire. A simple L28 swap will not (easily) net those numbers either. At a minimum, you are looking at boring out to 2.9L to see those numbers. A stroker crank will push it out to 3.1L and make it a little easier. However, trying to extract those horsepower numbers out of a N/A L28 will be expensive.

Remember, these cars only weigh around 2500 lbs. You do not need all that much power to see a significant increase in performance.

[280z1975]

Matt,

My suggestion ... work on the body first ... get the kinks and underlying problems of the car worked out. You can follow the link in my signature to see a lot of pictures of my car during it's breakdown and rebuild.

Also, read up on Por-15 ... great stuff ...

Then after your car is all solid and there are no structural problems drive it for a year and during that year save up the money for the engine and parts. First I would do a suspension upgrade, then the rest ... you need to be able to handle all the power you add.

Carry a pad and pencil (or pen) and write down all the problems you run into during a month of driving it, then go to work ... There is plenty of help here to be found.

[New-to-240z]

You guys all give good words of wisdom. I have been trying to contact a person who actually lives in OC, just like me, but he is very . . . well . . . not talkative. Everyone on here is much more helpful, and i wish someone was around in my area. I know a little about cars, and I learn VERY fast when someone has the time to spread the word onto me. But, I've search quiet a lot, but found very few who live in Orange,CA.

280z1975,

I have been to your site and read up on everything you have done, FANTASTIC MY FRIEND!!! I wish I had the know-how that you have. I'm only 22 and still learning, but I hope to someday be on the same level as some of you. I want to be able to rely on myself rather then a mechanic at a shop, becuz i trust myself. I have purchased the video from Ztherapy and will be watching over and over. Does it have anything on how to weld/fix rusted metal?

Ktm,

I've been floating around that site for many days now! Its a wealth of information. But for some odd reason, not a lot of in depth information. Its more opinions that anything else. (especially when it comes to the SR in the 240z) But, there has been some good ones i will say that. I just got in touch with Adrien over at Vildini Motorsports in Mission Viejo and the price of the labor isn't too bad. I'm a little strapped for cash, but i think i can handle it. I am lucky enough that i already have the engine, FMIC, tuners, and so forth already in another car. They are willing to take both cars pull the engines, do the wireing and so forth. I will keep you guys posted on the progress of the cars. Hopefully, this will all turn out for the best.

FairladyZ,

When you mean check the floorboards, do you mean under the car or actually under the lining inside the car? Can this be done without tearing the car apart? Seeing as I am picking up the car on Tuesday. (Also, I'm paying 3K for the car, one dent on the side about the size of a dime, 2 rust spots on the entire car, and then also the dash is has 3 cracks, all of which are on top of the 3 gages. The engine has been rebuilt and brand new shocks, struts, and springs all around.)

Beandip,

It seems that i am going to ditch the L24 for the Sr when the time comes. I think i will drive the L24 around for a little while here and there until i can save up enough $$ to do the swap out and so forth. Do you have any ideas as to what kind of $$ i can get for the L24 with a fully rebuilt engine and carbs? (I know the 73 carbs suck, but they have been completely rebuilt) A ballpark figure would be nice, i know it won't be much but anything will help!

Once again you guys thanx for the help and words of wisdom. I will keep you all updated on what's going on. U are very helpful, i just wish one of you would actually be located in Orange,CA or around me. Hell i'll drive anywhere in a 100 miles to talk with someone in person about this car! I LOVE IT!

[71ZZZZZ]

Here's another site/store near you:

http://www.classicdatsun.com/

Les does some amazing work, restorations and customizations. Might be fun to check out what he has on the rotisserie but call first to see if he can accomodate you...