auxilary

correct. 5 speed didn't appear until the 280. as for dash cap parts and such, check www.zcarparts.com and order their catalog

don't think with that budget you'll be able to make a 5.0 killer any time soon. save up a little, and for as little as 2k you can stuff a small block chevy under the hood with a 5 speed. now think about a 2500lb car with 300+hp. there, that should do it.

checked the front differential mount? It's a common thing to wear out and tear, but I'd assume it only makes noises when shifting gears or letting off the gas - any time there's difference in movement in the diff.

dashes are all black. you can get a dash cap and repaint it though. interior upholstery was offerred in red, black, tan, or white (that last one is quite rare)

Right now the control arms are out, and I'm taking them to get sandblasted so they can be primed and painted. Here's what my assembled (and painted) strut housing looks like for the front. I still need to enlarge the openings in the strut spindles that go on top to bolt the assembly to the strut towers. The tokiko ones are too thick for the stock openings, but I guess you already knew that since you have the same struts in your Z, right? (unless there's something I missed) Empty hole where the rear diff used to be, I pulled that out last week to replace with the r200. I might need to get a new master cylinder too, mine seems to be very gunked up to the point beyond any sort of functionality. if I can't clean it, more $$ to be spent oh well, I knew what I was getting myself into. I don't have anymore 'in action current status' shots, haven't taken my camera with me lately. ps. they're not too terribly big, i shrunk some of the other ones so they're fairly small in size and everything's still clearly visible

Heh, I made the opposite crossover: I am from www.hybridz.org, and just found 240z.org. First thing you want to do is spend $40 the best way possible: order a JTR (Jags That Run) v8 conversion book. http://www.jagsthatrun.com/ Even if you choose not to use their method (although pretty much everyone on hybridz.org agrees with this being the most cost effective and best functionality combination), it'll still provide tons of useful information as to what you need to look towards when doing the V8 swap. To answer your question... -You don't want to use a stock r180 rear diff: granted it has the designed 3.36 gears, it's simply too weak to endure the torque you'll be getting out of the sbc. Cheapest and most effective fix is to pull an r200 rear diff out of a 280z (some 280z's have the r200 3.36:1 rear diffs, but they're very rare). -You want to stiffen the chassis as much as possible - otherwise chassis flex and bend from the torque will be severe overkill. Rollcage, subframe connectors, strut bars, whatever makes the chassis not bend is what you want. -you may want to check your front springs, and see what rates they are. The JTR swap (iron block 350 v8 with either a t-5 world class or th350 auto tranny) adds about 150-200lbs, and will give the Z nearly 50/50 weight distribution. You probably want to compensate for more weight with stiffer springs. -better brakes are recommended - you'll have more weight to slow down. Toyota 4 pots are the cheapest and easiest conversion, and if you got deep pockets - there's out law brakes stage III+ kits or wilwood brakes. arizonazcar.com also has some expensive and nice kits. But the keyword to all those is 'expensive'. Let me know if you have any questions, and check out www.hybridz.org (not a shameless plug, that is the best site for those resources )

try www.zbarn.com

Look for rust (not that there's much in california, as long as the car was maintained well). If you're looking for something that was kept in good shape, expect to shell out more $$$. Mine was 4k But the suspension components and everything is practically stock, therefore the struts were completely blown, bushings were worn away, etc. But I wanted a clean start. Look for rust in the rear hatch by the tail lights, look on the back hatch (the 3rd door) on the top behind the lock for rust. Check floorboards for rust (notorious rust collectors there), check frame rails in the engine bay to see if there has been any damage from accidents or what not (they'll be bent or misshaped, difficult to repair those). The less rust the better - that's the main concern of most people. Look underneath the car at the rear differential to see if it's leaking or not. Little bit of liquid - not a big deal. If the whole thing is wet, chances are it'll need a new seal. If interior has cracks in the dash, that's very common, almost inescapable.

Another option (if you want to splurge a tad more $$ into the car) is to get a japan spec SR20DET engine (2 liter 4 banger turbo, with a bottom end that's capable of handling a lot of boost in stock form). An engine and tranny will cost a bit more than an L18 or L20 for sure, but will yield higher output in stock form. It all depends whether you want the car to be EFI or carbed. However, I was wondering why you'd want a lower displacement engine (ignoring my previous statement) in the Z? weight? economy? If you're looking for the easiest way to get more power and simplest bolt on - I'd suggest an L28T out of a 280zx-turbo. Weighs just a tad more than the l24, and it's pretty much a bolt in. And it shouldn't be too expensive

Stats: '73 240z, originally nissan percimmon red (burnt orange) with '81 snowflake 15" rims stock L24 block w/ e88 head (rebuilt 40k miles ago) dual webber downdrafts stock 4 speed r-200 rear diff, 3:54:1 gearing ground control coilovers eibach 200lb/in springs motorsport auto 1" front 7/8" rear sways tokiko illumina 5 way adjustable struts polygraphite bushings Outlaw Brakes stage I 4 pot kit (toyota 4 piston brakes with 300zx dual vented rotors w/ spacers) stainless steel braided brake lines The car is actually completely disassembled right now, as I am redoing the suspension completely from scratch and repainting as I go along so I don't have to do this twice in the future. I also have an aluminum crossflow radiator (2core) ready to go in when I do the JTR chevy small block swap, along with the JTR mount kit. I figure the car should be running by end of november. (yes, there is not a single scratch or door ding on the car)