LeonV

Tire "bouncing" would be a symptom of a bad shock. I would replace the shocks, maybe the rears only for now (I'd do all 4). Have someone drive next to you and observe what the wheels do. Do you have a warranty on the shocks? Do you know what shocks are in there?

Congrats Julio! Sorry I missed out, got a call this morning about a surprise birthday party for a friend. There's always next year. Nice job representing the Z-car community!

What do you mean by uneven ride? Can you describe exactly what you're noticing while driving? If the car is hitting the bump-stops, the ride will feel harsh, and you'll get some "crashing" over large bumps in the road (spring rate goes very high).

The car is back on the road as of the start of June! Driving impressions are that it handles great, but I really need to avoid larger bumps in the road. I hit one big enough to dislodge the coil-to-distributor wire from the coil! The front bump stop definitely gets used, but it is currently unshaved. I plan to take off 3/4" to maybe 1" off the front bump stop, it should help to take a bit of harshness out. The rears seem like they have more travel (can't see as progressive coils are bound there), considering that my early 260Z rear struts match the 240Z (unlike the fronts). I could run the rears as-is but shaving the stop 1/2" or so wouldn't hurt. The suspension really transformed the car and keeps it very well planted. I need to finally go to an autoX to really see what it can do! Before After I also made a couple of comparison videos, just to have some sort of reference for what it was when I got it. Before: Mute this video until after the glitch at about 0:03! http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u345/LeonVin/RLS30-004406/?action=view&current=P1010942-1.mp4 After: (Drivetrain changes include 3.9 R200 (was 3.54), full suspension rebuild, triple Webers, wheels) Enjoy, and yes, I do need a new exhaust!

Door latches are the same '70-'76, with the only difference between those years being an extra reinforcement beam inside the door. So your passenger door locks but it has the updated latches, if I understand correctly? If it's rust-free and works, I would not change anything. Follow what others suggest, and do the more important things first (like fixing the brakes).

The full VIN would be HLS30-12968, meaning a fairly early example. There were some small changes made around VIN 21000, so 240Zs made before then are considered the "early" ones.

Hybridz did a windtunnel test of the S30. There were only two air dams tested, BRE and MSA type3. Data shows that the MSA type3 was twice as effective at reducing lift (no downforce in Z cars, unless highly modified) compared to the BRE. I have a feeling that the MSA type1 is also more effective than the BRE.

No problem comrade. Lada was tops on my list growing up! Of course I had no idea what a Z-car, or even a Nissan, was back then.

Not a problem, I'll just take the Lotus.

Nice avatar Blue! Although the last word should be автомобиль.

The move to MS is justified by the huge increase in system tunability, not a gas mileage increase, that would be a bonus. You can put in as much fuel and spark advance as you want at any point of your engines operating curve with the press of a button. And since when does MS cost $1000? You can put together a system at less than half, maybe even a quarter of that price depending on the hardware you get.

I'd expect at least 30mpg on highway trips, given that the tune is done well. And no, you will not gain anywhere near 100hp from removing the AFM and installing a larger throttle body, but that's not what Art was getting at. That much power from an NA L-gata will take an engine build, but MS has the power to support all sorts of engines, and therein lies its beauty.

Bingo, nice find!

I think it's the combination of rear toe-in and negative camber that causes the middle wear. Setting rear toe to zero will likely solve this problem but it might create another. I know S2000s can be twitchy so setting rear toe to zero, from a previously toe-in setting, may make it less stable during hard driving.

I have a comp tester, where are you located? Compression should be pretty even across the board, don't worry about the numbers as much. If it's not even, then there are some more diagnostics to go through. Make sure to check and adjust valve lash to spec if necessary.

It would be more modern (good thing), but that doesn't mean it will look it. The ECU will go somewhere hidden, perhaps in the location of the current ECU (you can probably even make it look like a stock ECU! I think TonyD has done some sneaky stuff like that). You'll have to integrate a couple of sensors but those can be made pretty inconspicuous as well. No need for that bulky flow-restriction called the AFM! I completely understand the allure of old tech, I have triple Webers and enjoy understanding and working on them. The sound is awesome and the look on people's faces is even better! Still, the draw to go ITBs, standalone ECU and adjustable coil-overs is almost too great to resist!

Around here dyno testing/tuning runs about $90-$100 per hour, and I consider it money well spent! If I were going for a regrind, I would just send the cam to Isky (they have a ton of experience with Z cams), resurface rockers, get some matching valve springs, lash pads and be on my way. My point about the dyno is, what sort of "bang for your buck" will you be getting with the mild cam change? If I decided to change cams, I'd want something more. Call Isky and talk to Ron, maybe you'll change your mind. Otherwise, you can try the local place, or just drive your car the way it is.

That tire size (225/50-16) typically works even without coilovers, but of course depends on wheel offset. Coilovers will give you more room for increased wheel backspacing.

Do a compression and leakdown test. Procedures are widely available online, make sure to take out plugs, plug fuel lines and WOT for comp test.

Sarah, go standalone, you will not regret it! You will have control over the whole fuel map (and spark, if so desired) with the flick of a finger. No need to mess around with different circuits and try to make an ancient EFI system more adjustable and efficient. With MS, set cruise leaner and higher load operation richer and voila, it's that easy!

The exhaust manifold is not stock, but it's hard to tell which one it is as I can't really see the pipes very well. Maybe snap some pics under the carbs with flash on?

I would recommend putting the car on a dyno before and after to see what it actually gets you. It would be nice data to have. How much is the shop charging for the cam regrind?

While we're on this topic, increasing lift will not hinder performance. The only detriment to increasing lift is higher valvetrain acceleration, which in turn increases valvetrain stress and affects stability. The lesson being: go as high lift as your hardware safely allows.

If those are your choices, there won't be much of a difference between them. The MSA one may come on at slightly higher rpm. Number one and two are almost identical, with #2 probably shifting the powerband up a tiny amount. Why do you limit yourself at .460" lift, valve springs?

You're not going to get much negative camber in the front of a Z by just lowering it, other measures are required. My 260Z is lowered about 2" in front and I have -0.5deg of camber. If you plan to do a lot of autoX and track work, I would highly recommend switching to adjustable coilovers. Instead of spending valuable time trying to make a setup with very limited adjustability work right, just spend the time and money now on the coilovers if you're truly serious about this. Otherwise, minimal changes in the current setup will yield small (if any) gains.