Help preparing 240z Vintage Racer

[SEK]

Hello

I'm new to this site so please bear with me on some of my questions. I am currently working on a 71 Z that I'm preparing for Vintage Competition. I have to follow the "basic" rules for SCCA 1973. I have a few initial questions I'm sure someone will be able to help me with, first can anyone tell me what body panels where made of fiberglass during that time period and any suspension pieces or changes that will help me get off to a good start, also any recommended suppliers. I have been reading as much as I can find about BRE and Sharp racing, but many of the items they suggested in the books and magazines I have read are no longer available. I was hoping some of you can help jump start my project !

Thanks for any Input

[DatsunDoc]

I race a vintage 240Z in CP group 8 with SVRA. First off, no fiberglass. You can go to the SVRA website and look at car specific preparation rules. They are looking for period correct air dams and spoilers and stock brakes in CP. Modifications beyond that and they will move you up to BP or AP.

Mike Unger

[preith]

Yup, SVRA wants an all steel body including hood.

The traditional BRE spoilers (front and rear) are available at Motorsport Auto.

front: http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7AD1/50-1522

rear: http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7APP08/50-1527

SVRA allows the later style front spoiler/airdam in their 74-78 260/280Z rules, also in group 8 but a/p, b/p:

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7AD1/50-1402

rules:

http://svra.com/SVRA/SVRAHome.nsf/attachmentweb/EJEN-67XNFX/$file/Datsun+240Z.pdf

http://svra.com/SVRA/SVRAHome.nsf/attachmentweb/EJEN-67XNFY/$file/Datsun+260Z-280Z.pdf

You're allowed some flexibility with suspension stuff such as coil-overs, but stock control arms are required, i.e. no fabricated tubular ones.

[DatsunDoc]

You can also contact Les at Classic Datsun Motorsports for spoilers. He has parts made from the original BRE molds:

http://classicdatsun.com/

You can email me directly at DatsunDoc (at) aol.com for specific questions about car preparation. Most of the BRE and Sharp modification can be replicated in preparing a car for vintage racing. I encourage you to keep your car to CP specs and come out and have some fun! A period legal CP 240Z can be fast and competitive. We have to keep the CP Porsches and Loti honest!

Mike

[preith]

I encourage you to keep your car to CP specs and come out and have some fun! A period legal CP 240Z can be fast and competitive. We have to keep the CP Porsches and Loti honest!

Mike

I reluctantly have to agree. If I was to start over again I'd probably go that path. A well tuned 240 is lighter (200 lbs per SVRA rules) and arguably better handling. It will give the 260-280 a run for its money.

Edited October 29, 2009 by preith
grammar

[SEK]

I appreciate everyones input. I do plan to run group 8 cp svra and some vrg events. I do have the rules for svra, but I thought I read somewhere that BRE or Sharp ran a fiberglass hood ? My understanding is if a part was used or was available during the 1973 season it is legal ? (1973 scca rules)

I agree with both of you, I have three friends that compete (two in group 8 and one in group 6) I am doing this because my wife and I have a great time traveling to the different events and making new friends. I have been crewing and doing track days for 3 years, it's time to race !!

Again Thanks for the input, any further info is greatly appreciated.

I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

Scott

[Ron Carter]

Look at the rules for the organizations you are going to run with and prepare your car based on those rules. 1972 is our cut off date on the west coast, so rules do seem to be quite different depending on where you are racing.

BRE in 70 and 71 did not run fiberglass hoods on their Z cars.

[rdefabri]

Scott,

Are you the guy that owns the car currently being worked on by Terry Lippincott?

[Kronoss]

Resist the urge to over-modify your car, and stick to the pre-72 SCCA GCR (or SVRA group 8 GCR), you'll be glad you did.

I rebuilt my car initially as a legal CP car (except for my L28 block) and had great fun with it. Eventually blew the engine, and what should have been a straightforward engine rebuild turned into a episode of extensive modification and fabrication. I now have a non-legal body (all fiberglass except the roof section), non-legal brakes, suspension, transmission, wheels, tires, etc, etc. Luckily the sanctioning body I run with still accepts it as "vintage", and I can also run in their GT2 class. SVRA has accepted it for group 10 as a IMSA GTU car, but I currently have no plans of running group 10.

The buildup was challenging and fun, and the car is still in the teething mode every "new" race car goes through. The few clean laps I made with it this past season proved the car to be very quick with predictable handling and great brakes (after some sorting).

But, the same was true of the "old" car (well, except for the brakes), so my 2 cents is to stay legal (and reliable)...and you'll have a blast, plus the car will be accepted just about everywhere you want to race.

I'm now atoning for my "sins" by collecting era-correct parts for a '66 Corvette basket case race car I recently purchased, to be rebuilt as a by-the-book B Production racer...no "tricks" this time around.

[Ron Carter]

Mark's advice is very good. Be sure to lock down your plan and do not over modify your car...

[derherr65]

What engine modifications are required to be competitive?