redneckz II

I have run a E-31 with bigger valves in it on a 240Z block and didn't have any problems with it. It is now on a 280Z block in the same 240Z. I was running a 3/4 cam in it and tripple weber (45 mm) carbs on it. While it was on the 240Z block with no overbore. Heads were ported and polished by Heads by Paul in Denver, CO. It should work with the turbo system. I would recommend a thicker head gasket to lower the compression some. Other than that it will work. Only problem I have had with it, was some cracking between seats due to lose of coolent. With the new welding methods out there we were able to save the head and put it back into service. Hope the info will help. Rich.:classic:

Looks about normal for a Datsun. Frame and floor board replacement is about normal for our cars. Look under the battery and for rusting coming from the inside to the outside. Depending on how good you are with a welder (mig or tig), it will tell you how hard and how long it will take to replace them. Then sit down and evaluate how much you want to spend? You can end up spending a small fortune and a lot of time fixing it. Be honest with yourself and decide what is your spending limit is. A lot of projects get started and never finished because of this. It can be fixed, any rust can be cut out and replace. It takes a lot of time and hard work. This has been known to start small and go into something real big after they get into it. You are the final deciding factor in doing it. I have over 4 years in auto body repair and would do it. But you may not have the skill or the resoures to do it. Good Luck with it, Rich.

Paul Newman had wins in Trans-Am in 1982 and 1986. He also had a win in IMSA GTS in 1995. In SCCA C-production, a championship in 1979 with Bob Sharp racing. He also had championships in the SCCA GT-1 in 1985 and 1986. He tried the Baja 1000 in 2004. He had a champ car win in 1972. Good Luck with the info gethering, Rich.

:stupid: If you can get it down to Fayetteville, we can adjust it for you.

Need to know the following info on the carbs: Size of or number on the following items - Air Corrector Jets, Main Jets, Idle Jets, Emulsion Tubes, Main Venturis, Auxiliary Venturis. Should read something like this: Emulsion Tubes - F16 Main Venturis - 30 mm Air Correction Jets - 200 Main Jets - 115 or 120 Idle Jets - 45F9 or40F9 Auxiliary Venturis - 4.5 mm We also need to know if you have done any modifications to the engine? Are you running a electrical fuel pump with the carbs? and is the pressure set below 3 pounds of pressure to carbs? Is the fuel line returned to tank or to the last carb only? Also about the above list of parts for carbs, make sure it is the same across all three carbs. When doing the first adjustments with a carb syn., make sure all linkage is left unhooked or real loose. Make the first adjustments and then attach the linkage. Other Info needed is like do you know the cam size and make? The engine likes to have the carbs run a little on the rich side. On the timing side, have you made any mods to the distributor? We are talking like single plate points adjustment (takes the vac. part of the distributer away from it) or pointless system? All of this can make it run different. But we can help, just give us more info. They run great when tuned right. Good Luck, Rich.

I have 45mm Weber DCOE's on the car now. The car came that way. It started with a L-24 engine and now has a L-28 in it. Both of them had a E-31 head on it, that had been modified a lot. In the L-24 engine we ran with 30mm main venturies tubes and never had any problems on the street. On the L-28 block we were looking for more power in the higher RPM range, so we went with 37mm main venturies tubes in it. With the cam we are now running, we lose a little in the lower RPM range and get a lot more in the higher range. We still get good gas milage out of it, (if we keep my lead foot out of it). What I like with this combination is the sounds it makes. I have a early Z-28 camero hood scope on it and when you put the peddle down, it surprises the people next to you with that sound that it makes. On the street I always got good gas milage with the car (drove it from NC to Colorado, a lot per year). How you peddle it will decide how much you will get. Overall driving wasn't that bad on the street with them on it.

:stupid: The S12 calibers would work. But you will need the spacer and 300ZX rotors to make the other calibers work. The rotors for the S12 system will have to be the single plate type like the Z's current brakes if you are planning on using the S12 calibers. The calibers are not wide enough to work with vented rotors. The S12W, S-13W and S12+8 (S-12+8 has two different models, one like the S-12 and one like the S-12W) are wide enough to be used with vented rotors. Check with the HybridZ site for more info on the subject. But you will need to measure for the hat size to make it a custom fitting for the Z. It is cheaper to use the spacer and 300ZX rotors. Most of this kit is a straight bolt in replacement for the stock system. You may want to find someone with the vented setup and take some measurements and then look into how much the cost will be for the rotors. The rotor hat size and rotor size is the limiting factor with the calibers you are planning on using. To keep the calibers in that bolt in mode, you have to place the rotors into the proper alignment with the calibers. If you want to make your own mounting plate, you then can go with a larger rotor and different hat size. Good Luck with the choice you make, Rich.

:cross-eye you can use the 3M general Purpose Adhesive Cleaner # 08984. We use it to remove glue and stickers put on rear bumpers, paint and glass. It will not hurt the paint. Good Luck, Rich.

I have the red poly bushings on my 71 240Z. Also have lowering springs and Koni D racing shocks set on the number 4 setting. It rides a lot harder then the stock version. But it also out performs the stock version by miles. The noise isn't that bad (I also do not have any interior in it). But everyone has their own taste and likes. So look at all of the information out there and make your own decision. You do have to apply a good coating of the poly grease when installing the bushings. I went so far as to drill and install grease fittings into most of the bushings. It helps a lot to keep the noise down. Good Luck, Rich.:classic:

:beard: If you can find them, 235/60/14 will work, if your rims are zero offset. I still have one mounted on a 14X7 (western minilight ?) rim as a spare. Most people use the 225/60/14 because they can still get them fairly easy. The 235/60/14 on the zero offset rim will fit under the lip of a lowered 240Z (lowering springs only). I autocrossed it for two years before going to a 15" rim. You will have to look around for what is out there, size wise. Good Luck, Rich.

:stupid: When I was living in Greeley, CO in 2002. I had 14 Z parked in my front yard (all of them given to me free)(there was a big push by state to clean-out old cars in backyards)(ten of them still listed with the world club and I still have the brass plates issued for them). The county came along and told me, I had to get insurance and plates on all of them. So I ended up stripping almost all of them and sending them to the junkyard in town. I tried to give them away to anyone in the local Z club. But never had anyone come and take them. I brought two of them with me when I moved back to NC. My house is still loaded with Z parts. I have gone to the traingle Z club and sold 6 sets of 14x7 and 2 sets of 15x7 rims off of those Z's. Just before I moved I was given a early 260Z with a lot of performance parts. I took what I could get in the truck and sent the rest to the junkyard. I only hope someone was able to strip them before the car crusher got them. We had a real good pick-and-pull yard in town. At one time they had over twenty Z's sitting on the lot. Wish we could have saved them all. You should have seen the u-haul, I got to drive back here.

:rambo: Need to know if you are putting it into a R180 or R200 case? I have both gears in the R200 case and don't see any problems with that change-over. Haven't seen it in a R180 case. But I have seen bigger racing gears in the R180. So it shouldn't be much of a problem. As long as you use the same style case. Good Luck, Rich.:pirate:

:stupid: Depending on what year 5-speed you have (280Z or 280ZX), it will hit in different locations. On the 280Z 5-speed, you will need to trim only a small part out of the transmission tunnel to make it work. On the 280ZX 5-speed, I had to trim both the tunnel and the center console (had to take out the front section of console, between the fuze cover and the shifter location), to make it work. Also try turning the stick shift around and remounting it. In the old mounting way, it hit the radio in 5th-gear. After turning it around it did not hit the radio any more, but it was close. I also have been told you can heat the handle up and bend it to clear (back away from the radio). But it may hurt the strength of the part and you may have to retemper it to keep it from bending under hard usage. Good Luck, Rich.

:devious: The parts are from the old Interpart store that was around back in the 80's. I think it was run by the old Brock racing team. They are not in business anymore. So to find the back set, you will have to be lucky and find a set for sale on the internet. Or you can be really lucky and have a friend who has a set give them to you. I don't know what you would get for them. But I wish you the luck to find one. Rich.

:stupid: Now sit back and think young grasshopper. Is it worth the time and effort to rebuild? I did it to my car and it took some time to do (1 1/2 years to do). But it was worth it and I am doing it again on another. These cars are getting pretty rare and fewer, every day. Yes they didn't come with any rust proofing on them. But with the modern paint we have now, you can save it. But the best way to do it is for you to find a Community College and see if they have a Auto Body course you can take. You will have to learn how to do auto body work and some welding. But it isn't that hard and it will reward you in the end. You can even do it at home in your free time. But you have to do the final decision. So Good Luck on your choice, Rich.:tapemouth ( My wife thinks I am crazy to do it).

:stupid: I have a 1971 240Z with the L-28 engine. It has a ported and polished E-31 Head on it. My current carbs are the 45mm DCOE Weber carbs. I race it and do Solo II on weekends. But most of all, I street drive it a lot. I am running the 37mm chokes in it right now. I have had 30mm chokes in it, when we had the L-24 in it. It does not get tuned that often. Once I got it setup for the L-28, I lock it in and it still is running great right now. Gas mileage all depends on my lead foot. I have that need for speed. So it goes very fast and I love it. I have had SU's setup (two sets setting in the garage) and a 4-barrel carb version (just sold a complete setup to a young man in florida) on it and didn't like either one for my own personal reasons. I still love the sound of those six carb openings sucking air. I can tell you that those carbs are better for the power side of the engine. But you can pick any one of the three. Only the person driving the car has to live with it. I am starting to work on my next car and it is start out with a L-28T engine. But in the end it will have either a Chevy 350 or a AMC 401 in it with a carb in it. Can't afford the good stuff. Good Luck, Rich. PS. We have the single solid plate in the distributer right now, no vacuum advance in it. :dead:

:pirate: Most of the engines that I have had the pleasure of rebuilding, I have had to only replace the pistons with .20 to .40 oversize pistons w/rings. Some people only had to rehone and put in new rings to make it work. Our engines have a good rep. for lasting and will last a long time under normal usage. You may want to do a leakage test on the cylinders first, before doing anything with it. If it needs it then do it, while at it you can have a three angle valve job with new oil seals done to the head. Also look at the bearings, new ones can help if the crank is in good shape. If it isn't, you can have it turned and go with the size bearing they tell you to get. Other things you can do is: Make sure the block top is flat and true. Make sure the head bottom is flat and true. New timing chain. New gaskets. New water pump. (very important) All of this will help the engine. If you are like most of us, do it all and enjoy the feel that the new engine will give you. For more power you can alway add a L-28 engine with flat tops. Good Luck, Rich.:classic:

:tapemouth The timing chain will last for awhile longer. Depending on how you plan on driving it. Under normal driving conditions, it should last a long time. Do you know if it has been changed any time in its life so far? Or how it has been driven? Has the cam gear been moved yet from the first hole to second or third holes? If it hasn't been moved yet, look into moving it soon. It will improve the performance of the old engine. The chain will stretch over time and by moving the cam gear, it will put it back into proper timing. Also an old racing trick was to use the cam gear as a way to improve timing on the engine under racing conditions. We did it on our Solo II car. Good Luck, Rich.:classic:

:stupid: I paid for the strut brace from Motorsport Z and found that it was hitting on the valve cover. I use my Z as a Solo II/track car. It was hitting so hard that it cracked the valve cover. What I did was make some new mounts and raised the point where the bar bolts to the mount. It raised it enough to clear the valve cover and still works. Went to my best junk yard and got some scrap metal from them (L-shaped). It has the same thickness as the old mounts. Layed the old mount on it and traced around it (making the upright taller then what it was before) and cut it out with a sawsall. Marked the holes and drilled them out. Used it in the front and moved the Motorsport Z brace to the rear strut area. As of this time I haven't had any problem with it. Hope you can find a cure for your problem. Take care, Rich.:dead:

After the shocks you can add lowering springs and poly bushings kit. Check the rack for play and replace if needed. Also what size rims and tires are you running? Get at least a 14" or 15" rims and at least 7" wide. Also check the out a new fiberglass spoiler for the front and a rear spoiler for the rear hatch area. After you get all of the new parts put on get a good front end alignment. It will help a lot in the wind area test. Good Luck, Rich.

He is from Estes Park and a good friend. He does have a lot of Z's. I have gotten a lot of parts from him. We have been know to stand around in his shop and talk Z's for sometime. I loved going up there to get them. The area is something special to see. He is a person you can trust.

:stupid: Before any engine work. Please put a can of Sea Foam thru the gas tank. It will remove the carbon from the tops of the pistons and clean the rest of the fuel lines and inject. system. It should smoke for a short time. But will stop after cleaning it out. If your engine has not been modified, it should still have the dished pistons in it. The flat top pistons can in the 280ZX. Good Luck, Rich.

:stupid: I have had to do this twice. My daugther did it to my 280Z on a winter day in Colorado the first time (ice slide into curb after hours). I, ended up taking the half-shaft off of the end of the hub. Used a 3/4" breaker bar and a breaker bar pipe over the handle. Left the tires on and set the car back on the ground after removing the the one end of the half-shaft. Then set the hand brake and put the car in gear. We, then used the 3/4" breaker bar and socket w/pipe to break the bolt lose. Had to stand on the handle to break it free. Used a slide hammer to pull the rest of it out of the hub. Took the axle to a truck repair place and had them remove the outer bearing by pressing it off and putting on a new one. Replaced the grease in the bearing race area before I put the axles back in. Then we put the inner bearing and grease seal on and started torqueing it down. You need to replace the old locking nut with a new locking nut. I am starting to work on my V-8 Z and will be converting to the 5-lug pattern. So I will be ordering new axles from MM to go in it. Good Luck, Rich.

If you crawl under it and look at the mounts, you will see that it can be removed by taking out the three bolts that are holding the shock to the car. On one side it is easy to do. But the other side, you will need to lower the gas tank a small amount. You only have to drop it far enough to get your hand up and into the space above the tank. After use a rachet to get the three bolts out from above the gas tank. Then you can move the shock out or in to the area above the gas tank. It may take some turning to help get it out, just keep working at it. After that you can either add a 240Z rear bumper to it, or put it back on after the paint job. Good Luck with it, Rich.

:pirate: To begin with, I have 45mm Weber DCOEs on my Z. I also have a header with that setup. The air cleaner is from Electromotive and covers all three carbs. What I use as a heat shield is aluminium diamond sheet. I have simple L brackets holding it to the carbs (mounting on the back of the air cleaner). I cut it to fit as far under the manifold runners as possible. Then I drilled a lot of holes along that side of the metal (just big enough for my zip ties to fit thru) next to the runners. Then I zip tied them to the runners. It has been on it now for over three years and they haven't come off yet. Good Luck, Rich.