In the early 80's I began the restoration of my first car, an early 1974 Datsun 260Z. Due to poor work by a restoration shop after the car was stolen, the project was put on hold for a few decades. Now, I expect the project to be completed in the late spring/early summer of this year. For the first time in 27 years, the engine came to life with a glorious song last week. I was wondering if the learned readers of this forum could estimate the engine horsepower and rear wheel horsepower from the following drive train description.

Air box: K&N Lamborghini 3-carb filter in aluminum housing with Mikuni air horns

Alternator: 60 amp

Camshaft: Racer Brown SS-54-110 – 236 degree duration at 0.025” lift with 0 lash, 110 degree lobe centers, and 0.480” lift net, and valve spring/retainer package

Carburetion: Mikuni triple side draft, 40PHH with 32mm chockes and custom balance tube

Cylinder head: Decked 0.020”

Bronze valve guides

280Z intake valves, 0.173” dia.

280Z exhaust valves

Valves and seats grinded

Built by Floyd Link, Torrance, CA

Exhaust:

Header: Euro Car Anti-Reversionary, 1 ½” dia. tubing, 3 into 2, 2 ¼” dia. collector outlet

System Dia.: 2 ¼”

Resonator: Borla resonator

Muffler: Borla turbo muffler

Ignition: New stock coil

New stock distributor

Taylor 8mm Spiro-Pro

NGK Iridium spark plugs

Oil pump: ZX-Turbo unit

Pistons: Datsun 0.040” over, flat top

Differential: R180 limited slip, 3.545 R&P set, Bob Sharp Racing spare

Transmission: 280Z 5-speed

Thanks for your help.

FixItMan

A photo of the installed engine is attached.

FixItMan

there are guys gettting 250HP out of mildly built L-28s with good indution and exhaust systems. This should be close.

nice looking motor? is this on the standard L26 block? with that assumption, i would place the HP to be around 200 or so at the crank. that's a rough guestimate, though. the only real way to know is by shoving it on a dyno (rawr!)

What C.R are you running ? 10:1 with your other mods and after being properly tuned on a dyno should yeild 200-220 bhp.The key is proper tuning , remember a lean engine will last less than a new years resolution.

The block and head are the original that Datsun intended for this 260Z. I believe the compression ratio calculated out to 10.0 or a little higher. What is the proper tuning process? I'm assuming you mean on a chassis dyno at this point.

Did you notice the fuel rail? The original brackets have been reused with stainless steel tubing for the fuel return, fuel supply, vacuum and vapor purge. The PVC valve is installed under the carb heat shield and connects to the balance tube.

FixItMan