What are the cheapest/easiest (weekend project with limited tools) ways to increase a 1978 280z horsepower?

get a 2nd head, cam, valve job, port it.

To do it right it is still not cheap! Call Dave Rebello at Rebello Racing - he is one of the masters at squeezing every ounce of HP from our engines.

Im looking for easy ways to increase the horsepower, nothing drastic

For these motors, most HP is in the head. A header and intake will give you a little but head work and cam is what you will have to do.

A good coated header will set you back $300 to $1000

A good efi intake will cost $300-$600

You can upgrade the EFI and tune for more HP but that is more complex and $$$$.

The only other way for easy HP is to swap out the motor for a 280zx turbo motor.

The cheapest horsepower is simply to press further on the pedal and run ~1,000 to 2,000 rpms above where you normally drive.

Try some new plugs, 8mm wires, performance coil (remove the ballast resistor), run premium fuel, adjust the timing and adjust the valves. After that you can try a K&N type air filter, header and 2.5" exhaust. And remember that reducing weight is like adding horsepower. The '78 Z has some pretty big bumpers...

Chuck

What's the budget? There is a simple formula to remember: Hp=$

Will the stock EFI will handle any significant increase in HP? I thought that if you start putting go-fast parts on the early FI cars you had to go with an aftermarket system like Megasquirt.

The only thing you can do is give it an extremely accurate tune up .

Nothing will give it more power the way you describe you want to do this .

Fresh filters , oil , plugs, wires , cap + rotor etc. might free up something .

Fresh gas with the right octane helps too .

If your passenger weighs more than 100 pounds , open the door and give her a boot ( kidding ) .

More horsepower and tourque ( Canadian , eh ) are achieved by a performance rebuild and planning , not ''bolt on'' stuff.

In other words cbuszesk in post 6 says it too .

Edited May 10, 201212 yr by Unkle

Unkle,

Is that 100 pounds Canadian or American? I think I'd allow up to about 120 lbs if properly proportioned.

Question about octane--if a car is not pinging on low or mid grade, will a higher octane really give more power?

The only thing you can do is give it an extremely accurate tune up .

Nothing will give it more power the way you describe you want to do this .

Fresh filters , oil , plugs, wires , cap + rotor etc. might free up something .

Fresh gas with the right octane helps too .

If your passenger weighs more than 100 pounds , open the door and give her a boot ( kidding ) .

More horsepower and tourque ( Canadian , eh ) are achieved by a performance rebuild and planning , not ''bolt on'' stuff.

In other words cbuszesk in post 6 says it too .

Exactly! Go through the FSM and give every system a tune up. The results will far exceed those from throwing bolt-on parts at your engine.

Unkle,

Is that 100 pounds Canadian or American? I think I'd allow up to about 120 lbs if properly proportioned.

Question about octane--if a car is not pinging on low or mid grade, will a higher octane really give more power?

Answer: a resounding no.

A bump in octane will help if and only if you have pre-ignition or detonation at MBT timing.

Unkle,

Is that 100 pounds Canadian or American? I think I'd allow up to about 120 lbs if properly proportioned.

Question about octane--if a car is not pinging on low or mid grade, will a higher octane really give more power?

OK 120 then . On the octane statement , I did say the correct(right) octane ( for the motor's current setup ) , not higher rating .

Edited May 10, 201212 yr by Unkle