v12horse

I just saw this and I think this is a beautiful car. I know many of you will appreciate this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4646167503&fromMakeTrack=true -Ben

I think you know my opinion on this. Please, no Rb/SR swaps!!! That engine is a dog compared to a worked L-series. Yes it is cheaper to do the RB swap than to get more power out of a L-series, but I feel that the L-series is a far more superior engine in many ways. Pros to L-series: 1. Extremely durable and reliable. 2. Has superior potential. The N42 block (L28 in 75-76' 280z) is known as the "Mania" block and can be bored out safely to 3.1L. With tripples, this engine has the potential to be a streetable 300-330bhp. The L-series has more potential than the S20?!?!? The S20 is for gentlemen, while the L-series is for the wild men. Sorry for the poor analogy. 3. Sound baby 4. Old school cool 5. The car will be worth more with an L-series than with a RB. 6. Easy to source parts. 7. Will last a long time. cons to L-series: 1. Expensive to get power out of. (as you mentioned) Before I type anything else, I apologize if I offend anyone, but this is only my opinion on RB/SR/V8 etc. swaps. These engines bastardize the cars. The car's have lost their identity when these things are done. If we ever want Z's/Skylines to get the recognition they deserve as classic automobiles, customizing them with engines swaps (even nissan parts) is not the answer. In Japan, engine swaps are not common among Z and Skyline owners. They are much more conservative, thus preserving the essence of their cars. However, each person does have a right to do what they want with their car. I am not going to tell them otherwise, and I can still appreciate these-type cars. I understand that we all have different ideas of what we want our cars to be and there is nothing wrong with that. I know you have been on the fence with this Lachlan and here is my answer to your question. I hope I did not offend you (or anyone). I agree to disagree. -Ben

To answer your question about fixing the car and whether it is worth the money and effort required, it is hard to assess. Do you mean worth it as fun for you, or do you mean will the car make you a profit when sold? The classic Z community (at least in the states) has not fully accepted the 260. I have seen beautiful original condition 260z's sell for less than 10k. If the same condition 240z were to sell, it would be in the mid to high teens. There is nothing wrong with a 260z. I own a 260z and I feel that it is a great car. It drives excellent, looks great, its reliable, the mileage is good (20-23mpg... This is a bonus as the mpg is not that important to me.), and it is just an all around super classic car. I could not be happier as far as owning a classic car. Like Gary said, the Z bug bites mighty hard, even if you drive a bad-arse Porsche. With enough work, these cars can perform competitively with new Porsches'. Probably close to a 997 Turbo, but definately with 996 Carrera's. Mind you, I am talking serious engine and suspension work, but it has been done. The fact of the matter is, if you are going to go ahead and restore this car, do it for you and not the resale value. You have a nice start with the motor that you have and it sounds like the car is in decent shape. Rust is normal on these cars. We all want rust free Z's to start with, but most of us are not that lucky. When I restore my car there is going to be a lot of cutting rusted metal and replacing with new sheet metal. It is just the nature of the beast. Good luck with this and keep us posted. -Ben p.s. Welcome to the club.

Thanks Arne for the kudos. Polished lips and painted lips both look nice. I prefer the wheel fully painted, but it is all preference. To each is his own like Zsaint said. -Ben p.s. Get all gunmetal wheels. nudge nudge. p.p.s. Zsaint, your car is beautiful. All that hard work paid off in dividends.

RS-Watanabes fit the S30 so well. If RS-Watanabes are the wheels that you want, you will not be satisfied with anything else. I've been there and done that. Once you get them, you will start telling people that you have this old Zcar for a set of Watanabes. Z's with overfenders (ZG flares) and wide Watanabe wheels have a presence that not many cars have. They give these cars an aggressive stance that is paralleled by very few. This is not to say that there are not other beautiful wheels for the Z out there. Here are pictures of Zcars that I have taken with Watanabe's. I prefer the 14" wheels, but most do not. If I were to put overfenders on a Z, I would go with 14 by 10j in the rear, and 14 by 9j in the front. The smaller diameter still allows for four piston brakes. Plus, the 14" deep Watanabes look more aggressive with the fat side wall, and they appear even deeper than they are. I would get all gunmetal with no machined lip, but that is just me. Keep us posted. I hope you do get them. I have Watanabe's on my Z and they are great. They are light, well made, and very unique to the Z. -Ben green Z: R: 16 by 9.5j (These are 16", but not exactly sure about the width. They are no less than 9.5" in width.) F: 15 by 8.5j (I know it is 15" in diam, but not positive about the width. http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=11556&cat=500&ppuser=3738 http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=11557&cat=500&ppuser=3738 http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=21032&cat=500&ppuser=3738 http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=21022&cat=500&ppuser=3738