260DET

It seems OK to me but I am not the buyer. The price is based on no messing around involving me, including driving to the other side of town to get it on a transport. I'm sure you understand.:classic:

I have a set of used Perry 3-2-1 extractors off a 260. They have some of the original black finish, the rest is rusty, no holes. $40, you inspect, pay, collect Brisbane.

The B series box is significantly stronger and more durable than the A series which is what a 240K would have I think. The later the B series box the better as various improvements to it were made along the way. But all of them tend to spin the bearings in aluminium casings. I'd agree with the Skyline box recommendation, the Pintara box was similar. Don't know about fitting and ratios.

Great info Ben. Now correct me if I'm wrong but the B series box has a lot of other improvements over the A series, including wider gear teeth. At present I'm doing up an early 80's B series box, all bearings are either caged balls or needle rollers. The ball bearings on the countershaft are semi-sealed to keep out debris. But there is a problem with these boxes which concerns the ball bearings at both ends which are mounted in aluminium housings. The front countershaft bearing has spun in the housing and chewed into the steel thrust washer, the same problem has occurred in the spare box I have. So upon assembly all aluminium housed bearings will be loctited in place.

Depends also on the present condition of your L26. Unless it is a good one, which given the age is very unlikely, it seems pointless to spend much on it if you are thinking of a transplant engine later on. Even good L26 engines are not worth much if you intend to sell the engine later on. Basically, do you intend to keep the car for a fair while and, if so, do you want lots of performance and are prepared to pay lots for it. If so, go for a RB25 or 26, you will eventually get far more bang for your buck than messing around with a L26 boat anchor.

Depends on so many things, including engine hp, spring rates, etc. Basically, the more power the lighter the rear bar, unless you like power oversteer. With my 300hp engine I tried doing without a rear bar at all but ultimately, on a racing circuit, there was just too much body roll although my lap times were reasonable. My spring rates are 250 front, 300 rear. The front bar is 28mm dia (and adjustable) which seems about right. For the rear I'm guessing that 16mm will be about right. Both stock front and rear bar mounts are strengthened, the stock rear mount, particularly, flexes.

As a matter of interest, the factory manual for the RHD '77 260 lists three different front springs for all areas except Europe. Standard, hard suspension and with air con.

The top few coils shold not be touching like that, unless they are too soft progressive rate springs which they do not appear to be. Not acceptable.

Wasn't there a US aftermarket rear anti sway bar kit available at one time which was mounted rearwards? Without thinking too deeply about the subject, it seems that it makes no difference theoretically whether a bar is mounted to the rear or front. Either way the bar reacts to suspension movement in the same way. BTW, the stock anti sway bar mounts are entirely inadequate, they flex significantly under working loads.

Well if you join our club you could spread the word around, see www.zcarclubq.org.au. Alan Stean of the Z Car Workshop at Underwood, 3808 2755, also may be able to assist. As you probably know, anything that is not full of rust is getting hard to find.

Wasn't the 280Z a US only 2.8 liter engined first generation? They had to put in a bigger engine because of all the power draining anti-pollution gear required in the US at the time.

Congrats George, I was wondering who bought it, brilliant car. I'm pretty sure that the rear brake calipers are ex Falcon, EB I think. The rotors could be ex SAAB though. The cracks sound like they are in the hidden joint in that part of the body. Quite common, a well designed roll cage will stop the body flex there.

Thanks Ben. I'd prefer to buy Aussie made if possible, preferably less than $1000 too.

Looking at some new forged pistons for my FJ20DET engine. Stewart Wilkins Rallying has Wiseco brand for $1080 a set with rings but I believe that some places make up pistons to order. Any recommendations, suggestions?

There you go you men of $$$$$$$$$, import a turbo from Japan then.:tapemouth

What is going to become of the 280ZX? I have yet to see a restored one in Brisbane, most of them look very ratty. If I was going to do another Z, a solid top 2 seater would be next, with a modern engine of course. Even stock they do reasonable times around Queensland Raceway, at least as good as a stock 240 or 260. Who is up for one?

Nathan, you may wish to get Alan Stean of the Z Car Workshop at Underwood to check over any 240Z you are interested in buying. He is a straight bloke and won't rip you off. He also occasionally has a car for sale, it won't do any harm anyway to let him know of your requirements. Tell him that Richard recommended him. And check out our club. www.zcarclubq.org.au

So would I. With some input from others including from Sydney and Melbourne, I drew up the specs for the various classes and categories for the 2003 Nat Supersprints but had nothing to do with the concours so I don't know whether the Supersprint classes and cats were used for the concours or not. As far as the Supersprints go, they seemed to work well, I have not heard of any complaints.

The Z Car Workshop here in Brisbane, Australia, sells fabricated poly bushed mounts. But they are not difficult to make, use large poly or rubber suspension spring eye bushes, from a vehicle using semi-elliptic springs. You will need suitably sized steel tubing for the outside and the inside of the bushes so make sure that the bushes you get suit available tubing sizes. If the bushes ever wear out they are easy and cheap to replace. Alternatively, a bushed torque stay, made as above, extending from the cylinder head to the body will help to control rotational movement of the engine and gearbox. I use one together with stock engine mounts on my 300hp engine.

The Supersprint results will be posted at www.zcarclubq.org.au shortly, the concours results are already there, so I'm told. Apparently the Sydney club are considering holding the next Nationals, which they will be hosting in two years time, at Gourlburn. What is the name of the track near there and whats it like? A few of us from Queensland are going to make a big effort to be there.:cheeky:

Could be, it was a green car. Someone mentioned the power that thing puts out which I have now forgotten but somewhere around 5-600hp?

Yes DZ, that was the blue Townsville car, his best lap was a 1:05.4872. Forgot to mention a naturally aspirated 2.8 L series engined 240 which did a best of 1:05.3770, 230 RWHP apparently. Then there was the RB26DETT engined 260 which did 1:02.775!! All road registered cars without slicks.

All over now, next one will be hosted by the Sydney club in two years time. My evil handling 260 won a couple of places in the Supersprint categories but the star of that event imho was a turbocharged L24 engined 240. Which the driver revs to 8000rpm although it is capable of 10000rpm without failure, he says. I did a couple of laps in a 350Z which was interesting.

Thanks Mike, unfortunately we have a central body which tries to impose stringent requirements on those sort of events which prices them out of reach for many. However some racing circuit owners now carry their own insurance and run events for road cars with just a first aid crew and a recovery vehicle present which makes for reasonably affordable participation.

We in Australia have sealed circuit track competition events called Supersprints. Basically they are not racing events where the winner is the first one across the line, rather around five cars start one after another and the winner is the one who does the best lap time. There may be several groups of say five cars in the competition but only one group at a time is on the track. The cars are usually road registered cars, not outright racing cars. The financial viability of such events is being crippled due to safety and control requirements like mechanical scrutineering, numbers of fire and flag marshalls, medical crew, etc. So I was wondering what the situation was in other countries for similar events in regard to any requirement for safety and control personnel. Do your cars have to be scrutineered for mechanical safety purposes? Do you have to have a fire extinguisher on board? Do you have flag and fire marshalls in groups around the track? What, if any, other officials do you have to have? Thanks in advance to anyone responding.