hello everyone,

i have a 1972 datsun 240z, im new to the whole "Z" world...

can anyone suggest any performance upgrades, that would be my best bang for my buck...

everything i have right now is bone stock,

just wondering what you guys recommend, as well as the websites i could purchase them from, i have been at zstore.com, are there others? i've been searching and it seems like they have the best selection

thank you

I will give you the same advice anybody else would give first. Make sure all the rubber in the system is good. Check the brakes and ensure they are good. Give the engine a good tune up and fix anything that comes up. After you do all that, then we can talk performance mods. You cannot hope to make any gains on a car that needs routine maintenance.

Urethane suspension parts (appx $300-$400)

Electronic Dizzy (appx $80.00 if you're patient)

Internally regulated alternator + conversion plug ($70.00).

Make sure the carbs are tuned correctly.

The curvature on the electronic dizzy will help the car pull a lot better, and the pointless ignition will give a better spark. The alternator will be more reliable, give more juice to all components, and headlights won't dim. This list can go on forever, but that's where I'd start. There is plenty to read about on this and other sites.

Since the subject has broached elec. dizzy I was wondering. If you put a 280 dizzy do you still run the large resistor? My sons early 260 appears to have an elec. dizzy but still has the big ballast resistor with 3 wires. Something tells me this is not quite right.

If you are running a pointless dizzy, there is no need for the ballast resistor.

With the Mallory UniLite - you run two ballast resistors. One for the electronics in the distributor and another for the coil.

If you are running the 280Z distributor, make sure you have the 280Z coil as well.

The ballast resistor is there so that the ignition supplies 12v at the START position of the ignition switch - then reverts to 6v to RUN on the 240Z. If you run the 240Z coil without the resistor you'll soon cook it.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited October 2, 201014 yr by Carl Beck

My favorite mods in random order; Unilite distributor, 16" Panasports (thinner sidewalls really help), SU carb throttle shaft bearings (ZTherapy), E31 head, R200 3.9 rear end and 5 speed tranny, Dave's stuff (headlight wiring upgrade, RT diff mount, 280ZX alternator), Honda heater fan, urethane tranny bushings, sway bars, ATE Super Blue brake fluid.

My favorite mods in random order; Unilite distributor, 16" Panasports (thinner sidewalls really help), SU carb throttle shaft bearings (ZTherapy), E31 head, R200 3.9 rear end and 5 speed tranny, Dave's stuff (headlight wiring upgrade, RT diff mount, 280ZX alternator), Honda heater fan, urethane tranny bushings, sway bars, ATE Super Blue brake fluid.

The E31 head is really a significant improvement over the E88? Or was your E88 in need of a work anyway? I thought the only real difference between an E31 and an E88 (from our era) was that the E31 had a smaller-chamber and, therefore, higher compression and more power. My '72 was built in 11/71 (I think my car and yours would have had the same variation of E88) and I've been doing some consideration of what performance mods I'd like to make, just like the original poster. Based on my other vehicles being V8 torque monsters, I think I'd like to build some variation of an L6 and am thinking of keeping my L24 instead of using an L28 to build an engine that favors being revved over adding torque. Is an E31 worth tracking down or would getting some valve work and shaving my E88 to raise compression be my best bet with the idea being that I wanna build a motor that loves to rev? I think a light flywheel is also in my future, based on wanting a motor that revs.

If you are going to have significant head work done - in the end - either E31 or early E88 are the same.

According to the guys on Bob Sharp's team - when I discussed this subject with them circa 1975/6:

The E31 castings suffered micro cracks, usually around the exhaust valve seats. So you have to have any E31 inspected closely and carefully before you start pouring money into it.

The E31 was a popular swap back in the day - only when one was just swapping heads. In that case, yes you could pick up a coupe tenths of a point in compression. The E88 was a better casting and did not suffer the micro cracking that the E31 did, the intake and exhaust port runners were also improved in the E88.

Both BRE and BSR used the E88 after 72. Not that the E88 was so much better, but rather because that was the current head - as I said, both teams modified the heads so much that they bore little resemblance to stock anyway.

FWIW,

Carl B.

The E31 head is really a significant improvement over the E88? Or was your E88 in need of a work anyway?

I have 3 heads, 2 E88's and a E31. I bought the E31 off the internet Z car club list and it was probably the first internet purchase I ever did (early 90's). I had it redone and sitting up in the attic for years when I developed a bad valve guide oil leak. I popped in the E31 and was very impressed at the time I did the swap. The E88 I was running may have had more issues than the oil leak (valve leak, cam lobes, rocker adjustment, etc) making the comparison invalid. It is still one of my favorite Z projects I ever did because I pulled the engine apart, ate dinner, and fired the motor back up before 11:00pm!

Best bang for the buck on a bone stock Z with 40 year old parts?

Handling:

1. Ball joints/tie rod ends/alignment

2. Wheels/tires

3. Springs/struts

4. Poly bushings

Interior:

1. Steering wheel (can't stand the stock wheel)

2. Seats

3. Gauges that are accurate

Engine:

1. Tune up

2. Exhaust

3. Camshaft

Brakes:

1. Replace rubber hoses (stainless?)

2. New pads/shoes

3. Rear disk upgrade

What is the most important? First thing IMO would be to replace all the rubber fuel and brake lines and check the pads and shoes. Then I'd go for the ball joints/tie rods/alignment. Then the tune up. After that I'd work down the lists in whatever order I could.