antipodalboy

Alfadog, you nailed it....but include a turbocharged motor that's balanced to 10K rpm, a six speed gearbox, fully adjustable race suspension, 5 point harness integrated into a tastefully done interior cage, and oh yeah, a place for the girlfriend to sit too; all this wrapped into the pictures you posted....well, off to work to make all that money I don't have.... :disappoin

I have always installed head gaskets dry; in all the cars that I have worked on. Just make sure you have a high quality gasket and torque the head down propery. And don't forget to re torque after 500 miles; those pesky bolts will take more torque to get back to spec after a few heat and cool cycles.

"Does it come with the 10 little clowns that get crammed into all the nooks and crannies of the car? " you know, I started to wonder the same exact thing....

Went looking around ebay today after my finals were over, and found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415238021 Hey, at least it's not a zed right? :sick: <~~me

I should add that they are being sold as a unit, and I might be able to score them for under $100...sound like a deal? I'm thinking this might be my "foot in the door" so to speak as far as Z cars go; I won't be able to afford a car for 6-8 months, but building an engine would be fun in the meantime.

what is a l24 with a e31 head and 4 speed worth? I'm assuming that both will need to be torn down and rebuilt. Thanks. Blaine

I was thinking that this might be a way to get an engine that would rev faster, and give the potential for nice top end horsepower; I'm not looking for a 1/4 mile machine, this car will run on a road course. This is my goal from the start with my (future) Z project car. I know that wider pistons and shorter stroke allows for a theoretically higher redline, since the acelleration of the piston is lower than a long stroke motor; leading me to ponder whether or not this would be a good idea.

I'd like to get some input about this. It seems to me, that boring out the cylinders to take larger pistons while keeping the stock stroke would allow the engine to spin faster more easily; since it would create even more of an oversquare condition. If any of you guys have done this, let me know what you observed. Thanks.

I was curious as to which early Z makes the 'best' daily driver and weekend warrior. I'm still shopping for the perfect car, and knowing this would give me more direction in my search. Currently, I'm infatuated with the one and only 240, as a car nut and intermediate mechanic I'm familiar with all the systems on the car; aka carburetors and mechanical systems. The 260 and 280 both keep the general body style though, and although I don't know much about EFI, I could learn if I needed to; I'm not a big fan of electronics. Since all these models are available pre '78 (the magic historic plate cutoff in AZ) they are all within my 'smog excempt' window of 25 years (AZ listers correct me if I'm wrong). Thanks

This should help straighten things out. Your buddy is running a four speed, which usually means that he will have higher (numerically lower) gearing than a five speed, provided that final drive ratios are the same. He can get to 60 because his higher gears allow the engine to remain in the powerband that far into the mph range. You're running a lower (numerically higher) gear ratio in the same gear. That's why he can get there while your engine is all wound out and at 48 mhp you have to shift (assuming that you are both at the same rpm, or I'm wrong). This allows you to have better acelleration than him, by focusing your engine's power. HTH

taller gears do allow you to reach higher speeds, provided the engine can provide enough power to turn the tires. If you're trying to get to a mph that lies too high in the power band you'll need another gear to get there. But as speed doubles, drag increases by a factor of 4 (?), and that's why we don't go flying down the interstate at 400mph @200 rpm; engines arent's powerful enough. Your buddy might have more power than you, or his gear ratios might be better matched to his engines' powerband, allowing him to reach 60 in second, while you only reach 48. Generally, using a 5 speed allows you to run a higher (numerically) gear ratio in the rear end; providing a nice comprimise between acelleration and top speed. HTH

Look into dynamat. they have some really nice metal backed reflective mat that can be installed in engine compartments to reduce heat through the firewall. It's not very cheap, but I have a good friend who puts it in all of his cars. HTH Blaine Stolpestad

Hey, don't use synthetics in your engine, you will lose it all. Now, this being said. I use castrol oils in all my cars. If you have the factory manual, there should be a reccomendation there for the oil weight to use. For summer, I generally use 10-40 in my cars (i don't have a Z yet so don't take it as gospel) and 20-50 in my truck.

Mike...I hate to say it, but the landcruiser is a Toyota, not a Land Rover. It would be like saying the 240 was made by Triumph, (it's a Landcruiser pride thing). I'll overlook this little slip in light if the information you posted. :stupid: Thanks for the reply.

This is going to sound really naive to you guys, but what are the differences between a 240, 260, 280Z other than engine size? I ask because I would like to know how to tell them apart by looks. I heard bumper size mentioned??? Also, how much general maintenance does a Z car require? I'm used the the amount that my 1982 fj60 landcruiser requires; I've replaced everything from cylinderhead to suspension. I expect the Z to require similar work, but I REALLY hope it's not more. Let me know. And, from your point of view, which would be better to purchase: a car with bad mechanicals, but good body (fun for engine mods)...of a car with good mechanicals and bad body (good for making the car pretty)...just so I only spend most of my money on one or the other...thanks again.

I'm thinking of purchasing my first z car. I don't really know too much about the car, but from my experience with landcruisers, forums are a great place to start. What should I look for in an early 240, or 260? I'm thinking of getting one, because I want a small, fast car. The landcrusier just doesn't cut it. How are they maintenance wise? Are parts available? ...that sort of thing. Thanks for helping me out.. Blaine