Swapping 280 to a 240

[SCCA_racer]

I am looking at putting most of my 280z (1977) race car onto a 240 tub. I am curious what I should have on my shopping list and what will fit.

Things that I know are different.

Dash

Tranny

Differential

Radiator

bumpers

hood

harness

rear brakes

motor

exhaust

fuel tank

fuel pump

door latches

tail lights

Some of those things are more crucial to have right on a race car than others and some just plain won't fit. anybody familiar with swapping back and forth who can give me some more clues?

thanks

Bryan

[St.stephen]

I don;t beleive there is a place to mount the 280 fuse block on the passenger side of the 240.

[SCCA_racer]

I am on that, I was thinking that the fuseblock is part of the complete harness.

Thanks for the input. Anything else I might be missing?

thanks

Bryan

[2ManyZs]

Couple things on your list in the first post will work.

Tranny, they are all the same, unless you are running a 5 speed, which will be illegal in a 240 in ITS. The 4 speeds are all interchangeable, but it is better to use the later B model than the early A model with the "monkey motion" shifter linkage.

Does you 77 have an R-180 or R-200? Later 77-78's had both, so if it has an R-180 it will work.

Radiators are different, but either can be made to work and shouldn't result in a protest as radiators are free in the rules IIRC.

Rear brakes are the same, as are the fronts.

Exhaust is the same, except in the case you have a N-47 with the round exhaust ports, but the rest of the exhaust is the same.

Fuel pumps off a 280 will work on a 240, they were actually used on the 73 models, so only a wiring issue on an earlier model.

Fuel tank might work, if you use the straps from the 280... but I would run a fuel cell instead for safety.....

The fenders and hatches are the same.

Hoods are the same except for the hood vents, they might be protestable under the IT rules.

You should be able to use the suspension with no trouble if you are using coil-overs, the sway bars should work, the rear might be the only one as the 240's had two different sway bars, one that mounted in front and one behind the diff.

Too bad you can't get away with the L-28 in the 240, it would help get the 240 back in competition with the RX-7's etc.....:devious:

[SCCA_racer]

I am running the 280 to its legal limit. I have an r200 diff, I have a 5 spd.

The radiator opening is different is what I was told and what I was mentioning. Either way I will need a new radiator as mine was crushed. Rear drum is the same but there are a slew of internal parts which are listed as being different between early 240 and 280. I think that tha 73 brakes may have been the same internally. I may have the round ports. I forget which head I have but I think it is a pater p series head (zx?)

Fuel pump and fuel tank were merely observations. The tub has been butchered to install a fuel cell. So I will have to go ahead with that.

I think that if you pour money into an L24 it will make more power than the RX7 but will either car be a legal IT car when you are done?

Lets here more suggestions. I don't want to get stuck midproject with suprises!

Thanks

Bryan

[dogma420]

Electric fuel pump wiring on a 240 isn't an issue; at least for me, my early 71 240 already had the wires / place for bracket to bolt on in the back....just went to the junkyard and got a pump/bracket off of a 280z and bolted up and snapped wires together. Works perfect.

[St.stephen]

Now that I think about it, a 77 fuel tank will not fit into a 240 tub and it;s not a strap issue. The 77 280 has a collapsable spare tire therefore the tank is thicker tank. The 240 has a full size spare and the tank is thinner where it lies under the spare tire well. Check around carefully as the 70-76 Z cars all had full size spare tirewells so you may be able to interchange one of those years.

FWIW Just a thought to research