AggieZ

If your buying a particular car for a 'uniqueness' then be aware these things are out there..... its probably not news to many here, but its the first time I saw one for sale on the internet on a legitimate site.

This might be an old video, but it gives me a chubby. p.s. Dont drive like these guys. Its dangerous for everyone. That said.... holy shikeys batman! p.p.s. Both drivers are very good. p.p.p.s. The reason the 240Z catches the mustang in the curves is that if you mash the foot throttle out of a curve driving a mustang.... your going into the side of the mountain, or down its side. :dead:

Not the answer I expected. I am glad I asked. Thanks for finding that out and for the info Curtis240Z. I'm impressed.

I suspect the U-joints as well. The easiest way to check the U-joints is to get up to about 4500rpm and pump the accelerator (no brake afterwords). If you have a 'banging', then your likely have a bad U-joint(s). If you find a bad U-joint(s), then replace them all. Also, you might have bad wheel bearings. If you find that your problem is bad bearings, replace then all. For saftey, you need to find the problem and correct it.

I took the struts out of the strut housings and found that a couple of them literally had rusty water in them. The walls of the struts on all 4 were rusted. I used a straight stick with a rag on the end to feel the walls of the strut housings and they are very rough. I have read that it is important when installing struts to put oil in the housing, as the oil dissipates the heat from the struts. I think its important to make sure that the oil evenly coats the struts when I put the new struts back in. I am sure I need to remove the rust from the inside of the strut housings. How would it be best to do this? Should I use naval jelly? My idea is to use a drill with a long shaft with a sanding sponge attached to the end of the shaft to remove the rust and smooth the walls of the housing. Thanks for any advise on this. AggieZ

Temperature differences over time creates metal fatigue. If you are torqueing into a camshaft that doesnt have 35 years of heat and cold, then the original specs of the aftermarket manufacturer sprocket might be ok for the application. Food for thought.

I bought a 280ZX just for the engine/tranny. I have been taking it for a morning spin around the beltway about every other day for the last 2 weeks. A few days ago, I was driving down the street on my way to the beltway, and I noticed a couple of kids playing in a yard... so I slow down just in case one of them might run into the street. Once kid picks up the ball and looks, and then the other one looks. Then the mother comes out and gives me a big thumbs up. It was a great moment. The 280ZX is no looker. Its tired looking. But I think everyone in the neighborhood knows what I am doing with the 240Z and why I bought the ZX. Just thininking out loud here.

The rust points on the front of your Z are structural points. Do you have paint cracking on the windshield rails or roof where no rust is present? Does your windshield fit properly? That rust is amost terminal and it will take a LOT of time and money to restore your car. My advice? Take what is worth saving out of it and start with another 240Z. If you decide to save it, go to Home Depot and get the following tools... An angle grinder, a reciprocating saw, and a dremel with a lot of metal cutting blades.... and start cutting. Rust is a cancer that must be cut out. I'm sorry if my assesment is a bit harsh... but I think it might save you a lot of grief in the long run.

I have not even gotten close to starting the re-construction. I underestimated the Texas heat. The heat basically shut down my restoration. (and the humidity.... Anyway, here's what I found under my battery tray. Since I will be doing the welding, my thought is to cut out part of the front right fender (scrap because of rust around the edges) that will be the same basic shape and weld it onto place. I already have an original battery tray to weld in place. Thoughts?

This problem sounds a lot like a problem I had years ago with my first 240. There were multiple problems. There are 2 caps on your distributor.... one inside the distributor cap, and one outside. You should replace them both. Check the connections on both also. Second, replace the ignition coil. Check the inside of your distributor cap. If it has oil or water film inside, then you have another problem. Either your cap is cracked or deformed, letting moister in, and/or your distributor has a bigger problem letting oil into the points from below. Hope this helps.

Poindexter, I think you dont understand what I'm saying.... the money I've spent restoring/modifying this Z is approaching 20K. I didnt mean to imply that its value is approaching 20K. Even if I was offered 30K for this car when I'm done, it would be refused. Unless the market changes, you can expect to sell a Z for about what you have put into it in parts. Your labors are valueless for resell value... typically. I knew this going in. I am doing it anyway. I'm happy I did. I will be much happier when its done. It will definitely be a very good 240Z.... and it will be mine. :classic:

You should check behind the fuse box and see if an oversize wire has been run into the fuse holder.... or an additional wire into the same fuse holder. Also, check the rating of the fuse. Its probably an oversized fuse put into run an extra electrical demand like an amp for the radio or electrical fuel pump. Even if the wires in and out, and the fuse are rated ok, the melting copper around the fuse indicates that the original copper is cheap. The solution is to re-route the added electrical component through a completely independant line and new independant fuse. Or im not half as smart as I think I am.

I pushed the 280ZX a little more today. Listening for any little problem or hickup.... didnt hear or have one. This engine is running good. I have'nt timed it yet... or pushed it real hard... but I'm guessing that it will make 0-60 just under 5 seconds. When its in the 240.... my guess is at about 4.2

This link is pretty much the authority on what you can do with a stock 240Z and swap parts around to get as much as you can. Other than what others have said, you can increase torque and HP in the low end of speeds with a differential. Now, some may dissagree that increasing the differential ratio actually increases horspower.... well.... it does at the low end of the engine rpm. HP= ft lbs/time. This is why there is a difference between flywheel HP and rear wheel HP. http://datsunzgarage.com/engine/ Its a good read. Enjoy.

My Z car is approaching 20 grand... and it still in pieces in the garage. Restored Z cars are definitly undervalued.

I just happend to catch this on youtube. I like the concept except for the exhaust on the back end. (fugly) The exhaust should be vented out behind the rear wheels (on the side) with a stealth style slotted vents. Oh.... and the exposed windshield wipers need to go under the hood. :ninja:Enjoy.

Beware the sand that remains. It will hold water and create the rust you want to avoid. If your shell is sandblasted, be sure it dries in a humidity free environment and is gone over with high pressure air blasting. Also, the minute grains might put a bit o' grit in a surface of paint. Sandblasting is like going to the beach... the sand is going to get into every nook and cranny just to irritate you. :cheeky:

Socialism has a way of killing innovation permenantly. :beard:

I bought my '73 240Z intending to restore it and be happy with it. A bit of nastalga and an every other day driver. I put my efforts into upgrading the suspension and handling. A daily driver should ride good... and I put a bit of money into it. Then I started thinking about how I would miss the horsepower. Handling is great, but hp is better. So I started looking at the upgrades available for stock 240Z's. I was thinking in the + tens of horse power upgrades. I started thinking about the cost of the "+tens" and it just didnt make sence. Sooooo, I started thinking in hundreds of horse power. I looked at V8 conversions, Skyline engines, and the ol' tried and true 280ZX turbo and its aftermarket. An American V8 in a Datsun just didnt sit well. I have nothing against American muscle.... but it just didnt feel right. A skyline engine would be very good, but its a very expensive upkeep for any part that fails..... which lead me to the 280ZX turbo. Inexpensive (releatively) for the HP gain. I waffled between the skyline and ZX option for about 2 months... but I have made my decision. The ZX car that this engine is in is a decent car..... its about 500 pounds too heavy and it aint a 240Z :ninja:

Welcome Mikewags. Even from the low res pics, its easy to tell your Z has a good paint job. Very nice. Even fromt he low res picts, I would recommend getting rid of those government mandated bumpers. They are no longer mandated I think, but check your states laws. Oh.. and the rubber antena... yeah.. that should go. Danglybanger... great color.

I'm interested in upgrading my alternator to as many amps as it can go. I ran across this web site and it got me thinking..... http://www.zcarcreations.com/howto/voltreg.htm The 240SX alternator at 90 amps seems that it might work. I have seen that some 240SX owners have put 110 amp Quest alternators in. Soooo, the question is... is it possible to put a Nissan quest alternator on a 240Z without fabricating a new bracket.... or other unforseen complications?

If your fan clutch is going out, you might want to consider replacing the fan clutch with an electric fan. Particularly if you spend a lot of time in stop/go traffic with an air conditioner running. If you do this mod, you will also need to upgrade your alternator to at least a 60 amp... which is still pretty whimpy.

I am restoring a 1973 Z. It will have new floor boards, so it wont have to have the stock seat mounts. It is being built for an occasional driver occasional racer. Stock engine this year, but next year it will likely have an RB25 or 26. Its suspension will be very tight with Tokico adjustable struts and 17" wheels. I am 5'11" tall and weigh 225 lbs (yeah, im on the chubby side) Can anyone recommend good seats for this? I want to spend under $400 per seat. AggieZ

Bart, I am impressed. Thumbs up! Keep the pics comming.

I will have my steak dinner!