What makes a Z a Z? What modifacations go too far to be called a Z?

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Gosh I love the Gnose on that thing! Some day...

GnoseZ, how was the fit of the MSA kit?

[5thhorsemann]

My Z is pulling daily driver duty for now, the paint is trashed, there are patches of spray bomb primer all over it and in general the car is not "complete". It looks like the work in progress that it is.

That said, 99% of the time I stop at a public place I get some sort of positive comment about the car. I'm constantly getting horn beeps and the old thumbs up at traffic lights and stop signs. At least once a day I get someone saying "don't see them cars around any more" or the like. It's a very common thing to walk out of a store and find people doing walk arounds on the car, even found a guy crawling under her before. And like I said, she is a little rough still. So, you don't need to have shiney brakes or a corvette motor to get attention, I actually get more than I like.

It ain't a pissing contest, it's an oppinion thread.

[hls30.com]

...

Will-

I remember the snow plow, but I don't remember the image! haha

That is so wrong, I may have to edit your signature and put that picture in it! JK-not about the "thats so wrong though!

[MotoManMike]

/\ Stanley that is the funniest thing i've seen thus far today, awesome. Born to follow, there are thousands of those drivers out there

[Mikes Z car]

I tend to think of anything that is reversible as being okay but depending on a person's skill level almost anything is reversible. I also like the idea of anything goes to overcome no longer avaialble parts.

[TomoHawk]

I also like the idea of anything goes to overcome no longer available parts

That's beginning to be a problem lately. I do some autocross, and the tech guy is getting strict. You try to explain that the car has been out of production for almost 40 years, but the tech guy just says, "It's not stock, according to the SCCA rules" to your aftermarket part, and he puts your stock S30 into a more expensive class, like ESP (E Street Prepared.)

So either you build a full-out competition car to compete in the modified class, or build a time machine to get factory parts, or you buy a new BMW, to go to the local autocross.

But for regular street driving, I would just go with whatever will make the vehicle functional, reliable, and safe, and still allows you to maintain the Z-ness. Most spectators don't know the difference, or will mis-interpret the part as a mid-model-year correction of some sort (the casting lines on the intake are supposed to be "corrective welds" so I was once told.)

Edited August 1, 2012 by TomoHawk

[John Coffey]

That's beginning to be a problem lately. I do some autocross, and the tech guy is getting strict. You try to explain that the car has been out of production for almost 40 years, but the tech guy just says, "It's not stock, according to the SCCA rules" to your aftermarket part, and he puts your stock S30 into a more expensive class, like ESP (E Street Prepared.)

So either you build a full-out competition car to compete in the modified class, or build a time machine to get factory parts, or you buy a new BMW, to go to the local autocross.

If you're trying to compete in D Stock then yes, you need stock (or stock equivalent) parts. All of those stock or stock equivalent parts are available to build a 240Z to run in D Stock. We have a couple here in Cal Club that legally run in D Stock. What most likely happened is that you added a couple non-stock 240Z parts (like maybe those rims on your picture which are 1/2" wider then stock) so your car gets classes accordingly. SCCA's Solo2 classing systems doesn't exist to make any marque specific group happy. There is no guarantee your car will be competitive but they do guarantee a place to compete. And the 240Z is still reasonably competitive in Street Prepared and in the new Street Touring categories, although no one is really trying in those categories anymore. Its still the dominant car in FP.

[TomoHawk]

My car is a '78 John, and I'm in class E (E stock.)

But I would say all the parts are stock equivalent. It's just the little nitpicky things that tech people are concerned about, like the missing emblem that was never on the hood, since I bought the car. It makes you feel as if they don't want you there,. The rules make some allowances,mentioning "provided that the weight of the car doesn't change significantly," IIRC, but from what I've been told, the weight of a hood emblem is significant on a 2600 LB car?

The rims are from a ZX, and are the same width as the steel ones.

I considered STR or STX, but the cost of the new tires required is outrageous.

This autocross stuff should be in another topic, probably.

Edited August 1, 2012 by TomoHawk

[John Coffey]

Sounds like your tech guys are ****heads. I have never seen the CalClub tech (of which I was in charge for a bunch of years) every take issue with a missing emblem. Those kinds of issues are left to the competitors to work our on their own or through the protest process.

[doradox]

Thanks......

You are very welcome!

[gnosez]

I think I got the last gnose that MSA had and it was terrible. I got a partial refund which I gave to the body shop. Of course they didn't have hinges so I had ones reverse engineered from an original set Mike K loaned me.

The front bumper is one that made for the gnose.

[LeonV]

Since I have a heavily modified 240Z, let me list as many as I can remember and you can decide which one(s) move it into the "no longer a Z" column.

Engine: 3.2L Rebello, triple 44mm Mikunis, TWM air box and K&N air filter, Pertonix in a euro dizzy, MSD 6AL and tach adaptor, MSA jet coated header-wrapped, AZ 6-qt oil pan with Brad Penn 20-50w green oil, GM 120amp one wire alternator, Coolflex hoses, AZ Z radiator, twin fans, custom dampener, 8mm mag wires, NGK plugs (#7), and Mallory comp fuel pump.

Suspension: TTT LCAs, TTT T/C rods, AZJDM outer tie rods, AZ Z RCAs, STS front and rear sway bars, bump steer spacers, poly bushings, GC biscuit style camber plates, cut down struts, Tokico HTS shocks, 275F/250R GC springs, PDK front strut bar, roll bar and MSA rear strut bar, 2.2 neg front camber w/4 degrees caster - 2 degrees neg rear, 0 toe, and corner balanced.

Drivetrain: 1980 280ZX tranny, race balanced drive shaft, Rod Tyler diff mount w/GM ploy bushing mount, 3:90 diff w/Quaife, 300ZXT CVs with MMS stub axles, BBS style CWW 16-inch wheels w/ Yokohoma 225/50 fronts - 245/50 rears.

Brakes: 280 booster, 15/16 MC, Wilwood fronts and 240sx rears (Porterfield pads all around)

Body: MSA g-nose w/headlight trim and covers, custom hinges, FG rear bumper, Classic Datsun rear spoiler, custom gnose airdam and splitter, custom mini-rear flare, paint, left side mirror reversed to fit right side, and AZJDM tow hooks

Interior: Cobra seats, Race Quip 3-inch harnesses, 280 tach, Panasonic radio/CD and Boston Audio speakers, Classic Datsun carpets, dynomat, and CF pedals.

Electrical: H4 head lights, LED rears, Zonthebrain relays, Pilot fogs, and Hella horns.

If not listed it's still stock (un-cracked dash, wiring harness, tail lights, etc.).

Without the since added headlight covers, trim and splitter.

So is it still a Z?

CF pedals??? That's definitely not a Z anymore. That just pushes it over the line for me. LOL