240ZMan

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/497880299.html If you're partial to 2+2s, this one might be worth checking out. I have no connection with the seller.

I had triples here in CO. I used the 2 choke cables to control the 2 rear carbs, and then clamped a stiff wire/cable to the middle and extended it to the front. But in actual use, even during the winter it fired right up after a few pumps even at 20 degrees. Webers are just about always going to be rich, so the choke isn't really needed. If you find you do need them, I'd be curious if you were running lean on the idle circuit.

I would suggest you get a Felpro gasket. It's rubber impregnated cork vs. just plain cork. Also easy to get from any of the major parts houses. Also, while you have the pan off, make sure the gasket surfaces are all still flat. If there is a high or low spot it's going to be hard to avoid a leak. Lastly, when you torque the bolts, go easy! IIRC, the torque spec is less than 10 ft-lbs. It's really easy to exceed that which distorts the gasket. It's tempting to tighten it a lot, because tighter always means a better seal, right ? :stupid:

I have a similar situation (cam etc), even with a 4.11 as I also live above 6k feet altitude. After 2nd gear, I never drive below 2k rpm - engine just isn't happy. From 3k on though, that's another story

If you find a 3.90 r180 diff, it's a straight bolt in. You may have to move the flanges from your old diff to the new one, but it's not hard to do. If you switch to an R200, then you need to change other parts as well. This has been discussed many times here and on hybridz.org so I won't repeat it. Unless you plan to make major mods to your L6 (such as a turbo), I'd stay with the r180 as it's lighter and an easier swap.

http://www.geocities.com/z_design_studio/transmission.html This is a great tool to try out different ratios and see how they affect your speed in gears, etc. As for changing the diff, if you like to shift often and wind into higher revs, then you should consider changing to higher ratio diff. Also, if you plan to make engine mods that move your powerband up the rpm band, same thing. But if you will leave the engine mostly stock, then 3.36 or a 3.54 (easy to find and not a lot of $$$) are good. It's hard to find inexpensive 3.70, 3.90 and 4.11 diffs in good condition.

Pad will affect your braking performance (especially repeated stops from high speed) at least as much as the calipers and rotors. With cheaper pads, as the temperature rises the coefficient of friction begins to decrease sooner. This causes brake fade. A more performance oriented pad will maintain its coefficient of friction as temps increase, at least up to a point. If improved braking from high speed (especially repeated) is important, then spend your money on better pads first. FYI, if you get serious about track time, I think you'll find that you need vented rotors up front.

What is the disadvantage of extra advance for idle and start?

The issue with triple webers is that they just don't generate enough vacuum from any one throat to pull/move the diaphragm in the dizzy. Most people rationalize just leaving this off by saying that if you were even slightly concerned with fuel economy, you wouldn't be using triples in the first place. My own experience with them bore that out. Triples like a lot of initial advance at idle, hence a lot of people will swap a later ZX dizzy. These have less mechanical advance allowing you to start with more initial advance. I have mine set for about 17 degrees of initial advance and get a total of 35 degrees above 4k rpm. BTW, the lack of vacuum advance shouldn't affect your driveability, only fuel economy at steady light throttle such as cruising on the freeway.

When I picked up my 73, it had the stock L24 and a monza exhaust. I have to say that exhaust sound was sweet. It had good bass, and almost none of the harshness that most comes with most "performance" exhausts. It was definitely not too loud. I currently run the MSA dynomax muffler with their header and 2 1/2" pipe on a modified L28. Sound is good, but nowhere near as refined as the Monza was. For a stock motor, the Monza would be my first choice by far. Plus the 2 tips coming out the back, stacked vertically, looks nice to my eye.

Like KTM said, the main benefit of magnecor would be they emit less RF energy and hence are less likely to interfere with an aftermarket fuel injection setup like megasquirt. Before I started my MS conversion I looked around and found a few shops on the web that sold magnecors for about $80. But so far I haven't had any interference so haven't bothered to spend the extra. If you're not having issues with the NGKs, then like me, I'm sure you could find better ways to spend $$$ on your Z :laugh:

Magnecor is the one I couldn't remember. Thanks!

I read an article some time ago that I can no longer find that compared the distance over which the spark could jump as a measure of how well the wires conducted the energy from the coil to the spark plug. What I remember is that the Taylor and NGK were both about equal, and given the NGK are usually cheaper, they are the better deal. There was one brand (name escapes me again) who was significantly better but started at around $100 per set. Everything else tested in between those end points was not worth it. If anyone else has this article, please post the link. One key point was that the "size" of the wire did NOT correlate to the energy of the spark. There was at least one 8.5 mm that was no better than another 7 mm. As with everything else in Zs (and life), the bigger item isn't always the better one. It's my understanding that some of the benefit of a premium wire is that the insulation material can withstand higher temps over a longer period of time. I have never seen any tests that validate this though. FWIW, I used to adjust my timing by grabbing the top of the distributor cap and turning it. Since I've upgraded to an MSD 6AL and Blaster coil, I no longer do that I'm running a set of NGK that are about 4 years old now. Probably time for me to replace them. To go back to the original question, unless you plan to go crazy with a very high energy ignition system, the NGK 7 mm wires are probably the best value.

Yeah, I chuckled at his comment about parts being easy to find. I suppose it depends on which part ...

This is the one I was referring to: http://denver.craigslist.org/car/456284719.html

It wasn't me, but I think I saw the same ad (red) in Golden? Looked pretty clean, although the picture was small.

Your plan should work fine. IIRC, on my 73 there used to be a separate small line that tapped off the coolant outlet at the rear of the head and went around to the other side. It has been a few years since I took it off so don't remember the details very well, but perhaps that is what the previous post was discussing? Also, the two fittings are different sizes so you'll need to create an adapter. Here's a picture of how I did it, and used a bolt into the side of the block to support it. I did have to bend the dipstick to clear.

Mohamed, you may want to consider cars without AC as it's not that hard to add and certainly much easier and cheaper to deal with than rust and bad paint.

Mohamed, I think the answer to your original question is best answered by your answer to this question: how much work are you willing to do swapping components? If the answer is: plenty, then go with the 240z. I've "fixed" everything I didn't like about my 73 by swapping in other components and 1) had a lot of fun doing it - well, most of it , and 2) am quite happy with the end result. My changes include: 280zx block N42 head reground cam conversion to megasquirt for fuel injection 82 ZX 5 speed 4.11 from Nissan 720 pickup LSD purchased new - that felt strange Tokico springs, Illumina struts Strut bars Toyota 4x4 calipers up front 240SX calipers in the rear Front camber bushings Upgraded radiator etc., etc. The result is a car that runs with stock 350Zs on the track in terms of acceleration and corners, and doesn't fade its brakes. In fact, at the last track day I was running the same lap times as (or faster than) several 80's vintage 911s. Plus it has the classic Z looks and all the attention that brings. But, it took a long time and a lot of work to get to this point. I really enjoy wrenching on it, so it was definitely the right path for me. The great thing about the early Zs is that they weigh less so you can get a good level of performance with just simple bolt ons. You can do the same with the later 280Zs, but you've got more weight to stop, start, and turn. Of course, some of that weight gives you more comfort such as better HVAC, better stereo, quieter car, etc. But to your earlier concerns about the stiffness of the chassis, unless you're going to add a big V8 or turbo L6, the stock chassis with strut bars is plenty stiff enough to have fun. Hopefully that gives you some inputs to help you make your decision.

In the top picture you'll see that the exhaust valve in #2 and intake in #3 are open. In the bottom picture you'll see the head sitting flat on the table used to take the picture. Unless he removed the rockers between pictures, he rested the head on the valves. Good way to bend them, no matter how gently he set it down. I'd stay away from this one, unless you have an extra set of valves and lash pads to use when replacing the valves.

Do you still have the old one? You could use it just for measurement purposes and then install the new one when you're doing the final assembly.

There are 2 issues: a) the 3.54 ratio will generate more torque at the rear wheels giving a little better acceleration, but at the expense of needing to shift more often and hurting mileage a little. Do you want/need an LSD? Do you have any issues with losing traction with your inside rear wheel now? If you don't, you might not want to install the LSD. They are not completely transparent as you will probably notice it when turning sharply at slow speeds (parking lots), and also may notice it changes how the car handles at speed. You didn't say which 5 speed you're running, but you might want to spend some time at http://www.geocities.com/z_design_studio/transmission.html to see how the change will affect your speed in gears.

Have you made changes to your engine? What's prompting you to go to a different clutch? There's almost always a trade off between the clutch's ability to handle torque and its smoothness/ease of engagement. I've made quite a few mods to my L28, including lightening the flywheel, and I'm still using the stock clutch. The only time I've had an issue was at a driving class where we did a lot of hard launches. As the heat built up in the clutch I began to get some slip on the 1-2 upshift. As soon as it cooled down it was all good again. I do think you'll like the lightened flywheel. I had been concerned that it might be difficult to get the car moving from a stop with less rotational inertia, but I've found it just as easy as with the stock flywheel. And quick shifts are easier since the revs fall faster. FWIW, I've read mixed feedback on the centerforce II clutch for Zs. Those having issues seemed to have high torque (aka big turbos) engines.

He's had it listed for a while now - I hope he gets his asking price

On my 73 the bucket is attached with 4 philips head screws accessed from under the fender. Perhaps it was different for the 71's?