BTF/PTM

Hi again, I have a new question. Unfortunately the aforementioned vehicle was in fact an '81 auto-trans car until it was given a manual out of an '83 model, and I have since found a potential '83 auto-trans donor car. Can an '83 manual-trans ECU be plugged into the engine/harness out of the '83 auto-trans car and run normally other than the difference in rev limiters since both car and computer used the same-year electronics? Thanks!

Thanks again, everyone! I may be picking up a fully operational donor car soon, I've got someone who says he has an '81 zxt but he also says it's a manual transmission car, so either he's off on the model year or the car had a gearbox swap at some point in its life so I'm working those details out. I'll hold out for an 82-83 model if it does turn out the car is truly an '81, it sounds like the benefits of those later years are well worth it. I'm not worried about the challenges that come with figuring it all out, I'm in no rush to complete the project so taking my time and doing it right are my priorities.

Freaking awesome, thanks to both of you! I'd heard about the limiting resistors for the injector bank, so now that question is answered as well - if I use an 82-83 setup I don't have to worry about it. Here's another question related to the topic: Did the zx computer require the instrument cluster in order to operate? Again refering to much newer swaps, jumpers are often required to various instrument cluster inputs as otherwise the computer won't allow the engine to start.

Hi everyone, I've begun a search for a preferably operational L28ET with all its electronics to use as a swap platform. Many things will get refreshed and/or replaced along the way, of course. Here is my question: Are there differences between ECM's and/or AFM's as pertains to manual- or automatic-transmission donor cars? Was the automatic transmission controlled by the computer, or were these cars old enough that this wasn't the case? Thanks, everyone.

I'll chime in to bump the thread as this is something I'm researching as well. The folks at Rebello racing told me that they use Pacesetter headers on many of their street L series builds. On one hand, public opinion matters and I have also heard that Pacesetter has not been known for its quality over the decades. On the other hand, if a builder with decades of experience in the right combination of goodies to get power from an L series is using them regularly, how crappy can the headers really be?

I talked for a while with the folks at Rebello today, thanks for the tip! We covered too much info to dump it all here, but definitely suffice it to say that they'll play a part in the build I go with

If I find a short block I'll use the whole assembly rather than transfer pistons from one block to another - assuming all is undamaged, of course. Maybe I can trade my F54 turbo block for an F54 n/a block. Any takers? I really wish I could find new factory slugs to go .020 oversize and eliminate all risk of excessive wear, but I'm a few years too late. To add on to my initial questions, anyone have advice on the best way to diagnose whether a block and pistons are usable after all its years? I know the rule that no scratch should be big enough to catch a fingernail, but are there other pointers?

Hi guys, I'd like to do a mild but fun L28 street build which would entail a combination of a flat-top-piston L28 block and a milled P90 head to get an even 10:1 compression ratio. There will be a cam upgrade as well, but that's not relevant to my questions. Here goes: 1) Aiming for a streetable 10:1 engine means that spending $800 on a set of forged pistons is kinda nuts. Are there suppliers out there for new OEM cast pistons or maybe an aftermarket supplier that someone has tried? Z Car Source, for example, has a reasonably priced piston/pin/ring set that's listed as "new aftermarket" and can even offer a few different oversizes. Anyone have experience in this area? 2) Is swapping a used set of pistons into either block a feasible option, or would the wear pattern difference potentially be enough of an upset to make it not worthwhile? 3) Would finding an F54 flat-top-piston short block and giving it new rings be my best option? My '72 is currently equipped with an N42/N42 L28 which I've read has dished pistons. The car also came with an F54/P90 turbo long block (equipped with SU's) that should also have dished pistons being a turbo engine. I can't look into the cylinders, so I don't know for sure, but according to what I've read, that's the case. Thanks, everyone.

I think a lot of it, like many many other automotive mods, is hear-say. The cliche' that there is no replacement for displacement has led to generic ideas that a larger engine automatically means higher performance without consideration of the rest of the vehicle. My '72 came with an N42/N42 L28 already installed, and it feels fast more becuz it also has a 3.90:1 R200 in it than becuz of the engine itself. It wouldn't feel as fast if it still had the stock 3.55:1 R180. On a different note, the torque increase resulting from the longer stroke and larger bore of the L28 compared to the L24 may be enough to make some drivers on a tight budget happy: they probably were able to buy that power increase for a few hundred bucks and an afternoon of work rather than spending weeks tearing down/rebuilding an L24 and a couple grand on parts and machinist time to bore/stroke the stock engine. More power probably from the built up L24, yes, but would it be enough of an increase to justify several times more money? As for resale value, I do not, and will never, buy any fun-to-drive vehicle with resale as even a small part of the deliberation process. There's precisely zero chance that I'll ever come close to getting the money out of my 240z that I will have put into it by the time I consider it finished, and I truly don't care. I don't care if my toys are or will ever be worth to someone else what they are to me. That's why they're mine

+1!! College makes you more money so you can dump more of it into foolish things like bringing a Z car back to life like I'm doing

Store the car at a professional vehicle storage place. My 240z has lived at Fort Pitt Classic Cars in Pittsburgh since I came out to the east coast and became a nomad. They keep the car in temperature-controlled storage, covered and guarded, and once a month they start her and drive her around their lot to keep tires from flat-spotting, keep the battery alive and keep all the moving parts moving. She gets to sleep next to vintage 'Vettes and other cool old muscle cars and even some really old stuff like Packards, too. That's gotta be a bonus if you're a car. Check around your general area, I bet there's a place that does what I'm referring to. Many of them can also help you with your project or even do it professionally for you.

I do like them, the mirrors that came on my z are a cheesy pair of Pep Boys looking plastic-body bullet mirrors that move as soon as there's any wind force on them. I guess I just need to find another bracket for the driver side mirror. Anyone got one? =)

Hi again, everyone, I heard from the folks at MSA (while ordering a list of goodies) that the OEM body emblems for our z's are cast metal. That being said, a fellow forum member is parting out his '72 240z, and the emblems on the car are definitely all plastic but appear quite original (aged chrome plating, faded paint, etc). Can anyone shed some light on what emblems may have been metal or plastic? Thanks

Hi all, I have a few questions regarding these mirrors: They're aluminum-body, bullet-type mirrors from a fellow forum member's 240z that he's parting out. Aside from needing fresh paint, they're in great shape and the adjusting ball is still plenty tight. First, are these OEM mirrors, or perhaps a factory aftermarket option? They are definitely a right/left pair with different mirror angles and seem to be pretty good quality. Second, as the picture shows, only one mirror had a bracket holding it to the door - the driver-side one was screwed directly to the sheet metal with what look like plastic drywall anchors. Assuming the brackets are the proper mode of installation, how difficult are these little brackets to come by? Finally, the glass in the mirrors is not parabolic, it's just flat glass. Was this the standard for the early 70's, or were there mirrors that I should hold out for that did have parabolic glass? Thanks, everyone

I'll +1 Casey's comment. There's no doubt in my mind I over paid for my z, but an impulse buy is rarely a financially sound decision. Don't worry about it, enjoy the seat time

Hi everyone, This link below: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/1997498243.html might be a great buy for someone who wants a parts car or doesn't mind repairing/replacing rusted floor panels and possibly a bad frame rail. I'm going to look at it this afternoon after work. Owner says the engine turns over but it won't start. It's been sitting in a garage since 1992. As mentioned, needs floor pans and probably a frame rail, but the body and glass and interior (and probably the drive train) are in good shape. I don't have a place to keep it other than having the storage place that's got my existing car add it to the collection, so if someone is interested, go for it

I just realized my profile still shows San Diego as home. Having said that, I understand exactly what you mean about the difference in vehicle condition. My z was a california/arizona car so it has almost no rust but the interior and other things like the bumper rubber strips are destroyed. I'm on the east coast now, so I'll have to hunt around for other rust buckets that may be hiding treasures like the ones I found

There aren't many early z cars left in parts yards here, either, and the ones that remain are dying a slow, rotting death the same as the one I found. I've been doing some research here on the forum, I may have to put a layer of fiberglass on the backside of each panel to strengthen them.

I just have to share, I'm so happy I could (well, ok, maybe I already did) dance a jig! I spent the weekend visiting my folks in madison WI, and my younger brother (who's a 80's VW guy) took me to the local parts yard. The same '72 (11/72 actually) 240z that he pulled my uncracked dashboard from earlier this year is still there. The ol' girl has now donated the following parts in the name of keeping other healthier (meaning not rusting apart) z cars looking sharp: both plastic quarter window trim pieces complete with seatbelt retaining hooks both plastic interior plastic trunk side pieces both of the little rectangle things that screw on to the main rear trunk trim and allow access to the tail light bulbs the flat masonite/textured vinyl thing that screws to the underside of the hatch and a center console complete with chrome rim around the main tray and an intact external shift boot. The best part? The entire collection of interior trim cost me $50!! :cool: So including the $100 for the dash (which came complete with guages), the entire cost of rejuvenating the interior of my z will cost $150 plus whatever a fresh bag of the plastic anchor things costs. So yea, I'm happy. That's all, carry on

I certainly can't say that money isn't an issue, but I can say that an extra grand to go with a stroker setup - I'll use the Rebello kit as an example since it's well portrayed and a trusted product - compared to just the piston upgrade is something I'm willing to spend if it really will make the car more fun as a spirited street driving/slalom car. 14hp obviously wouldn't make it worthwhile, but there are torque numbers and cam combination numbers to think about so hopefully there is more feedback coming

I have a two part question for our resident engine builders. Use the bore/stroke of an L28 for comparison. First, is the power/torque gain for a fun-to-drive street/autocross powerplant with a full 3.0L stroker kit using 10:1 pistons worth the added expense compared to just using new 10:1 pistons and sticking with the L28 rods and crank? Second, I've read that stroker V8 engines like more aggressive cams and tend to "soak up" the lumps & idle smoothly. Does this apply to our L engines as well? I suppose a way to objectify the question is, would a stroker L30 prefer a cam that's a step or two up from a mildly more aggressive cam made to hop up a stock-block L28? Thanks, everyone.

I'm from Wisconsin originally, so the cold will take some re-aclimation after many years of not dealing with it but won't be too big a shock. I'll definitely check out that car show this weekend if I'm not working. I'm hoping to get myself on a job since weekends are very profitable, but if I'm free I'll head out there. Diseazd, I'm positive I'll end up in Richmond at some point. I'll have to put up new posts as I go from city to city to see who's out there. Gary, I definitely wanna see your z in person, I've pretty much decided I want mine repainted that color blue

I'm officially homeless, I'll be spending the next few years bouncing around the central east coast and will probably not settle in anywhere until the end of the year given my current training/work schedule. Good times, living rent free and almost entirely on the Company's travel budget The z of course came with me, she's going to be living at a full service storage place called Fort Pitt Classic Cars in Pittsburgh since the central office I work out of is near there. She's scheduled to arrive tomorrow. That's all I have, just thought I'd share my news

So I broke down and decided to splurge a little and paid a local body shop to line up all the ol' girl's body panels. Short version is, just about every panel that wasn't welded to another panel was misaligned. Motorman7 can vouch, the hood sat a solid 3/4 inch above the left fender at the nose when it was closed, and some of y'all probably remember the post I put up about the funky door seams. Well... Lawdy Lawd, she looks like a brand new car. The door seams are perfect, both doors ease open and shut and latch smooth as butter. The hood sits nice n straight between the fenders. And since they used the bumper (not previously mounted) to line everything up, they even installed the front one for free. I was like a kid on Christmas when I picked her up, the difference to someone like me who's anal and notices all these little things that matter to absolutely no one else but myself is stunning. She's now sleek as a marlin and has both bumpers mounted and I couldn't be happier with what I got for the money. Oh, and the process also included a check of all frame dimensions, so I got even more good news when they said the frame is straight, flat and square. I'll take some pictures to add to the thread tomorrow. Can ya tell I'm happy? :stupid:

Well crap, now I gotta brush my teeth to get the taste of my foot out of my mouth :embarrass: PM on its way.