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More than I should have but less the cost to build it... =)

Somewhere is a very upset PO of this car. I really feel sorry for the fella but life has it's bad moments. It was auctioned off by the Morale/Rec/Welfare office of the local Naval Base. Rumoured it was parked at the auto hobby shop. Maybe the owner had to ship out or was stationed elsewhere and couldn't retrieve the car. It will be taken good care of by it's new owner if that is any consolation. I got into a bidding war with a knucklehead and paid more than I had intended. I still got a good deal. It was setup as a track car. Built-in rollcage (less the front bars to firewall), Panasport wheels (like new), coilovers, camber plates up front, Wilwood disc's, heavy sway bars, ATL fuel cell, MSA 6-1 header, Magnaflow exhaust, 240SX throttle body, CAI, fiberglass bumpers, etc. Little rot in the rails under the seats but no other serious rust issues and I've got a set of new rails in the garage. Battery area is great. No rust in the floors, sills, doglegs, fenders, hood, hatch or anywhere. Couple of dings, scratches and fading paint. Got it home and it wouldn't start. Left the battery changer on it for a while. Had to use a remote start button to turn it over (bad switch, wiring or interlock unit?) Just turned over go for a while then suddenly it roared to life. It spit and sputtered for several minutes then smoothed out to a nice tickover and thumping exhaust (must have a hotter cam installed). Nice clean exhaust. No smoke at all. I rolled it off the trailer, checked the brakes and clutch. A quick spin around the block was fun. This car hauls azz. There's a knocking in the rear when slowing down and when reversing. I suspect a halfshaft u-joint has failed which would be the reason it was parked at the auto shop. When the snow melts I'll climb underneath to get a better assessment. Now I'm the owner of two running Datsuns, my pristine 71 240Z and this soon-to-be daily driver.

I didn't breakout my scientific calculator and I was suffering from insomnia last night while replying to Logan1's post =). When I replaced my 4.10 with a 3.90 I got noticable rpm drop at even given speed. Assuming that the .2 difference there also equates to the .2 difference of 3.70 to 3.90 I assessed the drop to be comparable. Using a gear ratio calculator you'd see about 2 mph differences between the two r&p's across the board. While my rpm may be off there is a noticeable change between those r&p choices. It becomes more important when you determine what engine characteristics you're placing out front. That is why I'm building that close ratio WC T5 to compliment the 3.90 R200 behind a SC'd L28 (lots of lowend torque). My response was not so much for accuracy ( I can see how it could easily be equated to that though) but to impart a simple lesson in matching driveline parts to suit the desired end result.

Because of the intake design, fuel has a tendency to pool under the carbs, especially when cold. If your cannon intake provides a means to run coolant then I'd plumb it in. You'll find drivability better with those Webers when the warmed intake is vaporizing the fuel. You can always bypass it in the summer months if desired but you'll not likely notice a seat of the pants performance difference. If you go over to www.carfiche.com you can likely download the service manual and microfiche for your car to see where everything goes. If it says TNA next to your car just wait an hour or so and look again. The owner swaps a variety of models around so his server isn't overwhelmed. Also consider a modest donation to keep this free site available. It takes time and money to provide this service to us. I have no affiliation with carfiche. It's just the right thing to do. My personal opinion is the SU's are hard to beat unless you've got a fire breathing monster high rpm track car requiring triples to feed it. I run a pair of Bruce's rebuilt SU's in my 240Z and couldn't be happier. Again, no affiliation. That said, run what makes you happy. The Webers offer great flexability if you have the parts and skills to tune them.

There is about a 500 rpm difference. It doesn't sound like much but you'll notice it immediately if you can compare it side by side. You'll be shifting quicker too with the 3.90. Now, that 2.4 liter likes upper rpms because that's where it's power lies. The turbo engine would do well with the 3.90 because it allows faster spooling. Now, let's talk about that T5. First gear is 3.50 and you'll find yourself going for second gear really really fast with either r&p but especially the 3.90. If I were going to stick with the stock T5 I'd go with the 3.70. The 83 280ZX turbo used a 3.54 r&p with the T5 while the N/A used a 3.90 r&p and 3.06 first gear (12.39:1 vs 11.93:1). I'm building a WC T5 with a 2.95 first gear and .8 fifth for my SC'd stroked L28 (LD block and crank/ P90A head) 240Z project using the Nissan T5 bellhousing, top cover and tailhousing. It is fitted with a R200 Quaife LSD 3.90 (11.5:1). Just food for thought....

www.searchtempest.com is my preference for craigslist postings.

I dropped off the 240Z carcass at the scrap metal dealer this morning. This was a one-owner vehicle I acquired this past weekend. All of it's life was spent on the east coast with some time in the northeast area. It started out in silver paint, got an awful mercedes gold spray job then finally a burgandy coat. It was an automatic with a/c. Lots good mechanical parts came off and not one bolt (save for the body panels) were seized. The owner had parked her with a poly tarp and then a car cover outside for storage for years. Needless to say, the road salts and sweating took it's toll. The rust was horrific. There wasn't one bit of salvagable sheet metal. I had been contacted weeks ago to see if it had restore potential. I had hopes until I pulled into that driveway. Too sad. The fella had a photo album and a family history with the car. I'll be listing bits over in the parts area from this and other spares I've collected.

It isn't judgement. It really comes down to functionality. That Z is nothing but a paperweight whether you or anyone else likes that look. A 3" to 4" drop is impractical on every level. Hell, you couldn't even get it up on a trailer to tow from place to place. The inspection laws are specific in this area. If the chassis can come in contact with the ground with a flat tire it is illegal. Besides that, the car would ride and handle like crap. That's the absolute truth. There is SO MUCH MORE involved than just cutting struts to get the car lowered. There have been many that have modded a car so extreme that it was miserable to drive if it was even drivable at the end. They usually end up selling the project for far less than their time and money invested. That is reality. People on this site prefer a stock to reasonably altered Z. Hybridz is more in tune with your views BUT they have also slammed this car too many times to count.

I thought all Datsun L6 were JDM (at some point). Too much compression. You won't be able to run any real boost. So start with dished pistons.

From NGK Q: When should I use a resistor spark plug? A: NGK "R" or resistor spark plugs use a 5k ohm ceramic resistor in the spark plug to suppress ignition noise generated during sparking. NGK strongly recommends using resistor spark plugs in any vehicle that uses on-board computer systems to monitor or control engine performance. This is because resistor spark plugs reduce electromagnetic interference with on-board electronics. They are also recommended on any vehicle that has other on-board electronic systems such as engine-management computers, two-way radios, GPS systems, depth finders or whenever recommended by the manufacturer. In fact, using a non-resistor plug in certain applications can actually cause the engine to suffer undesirable side effects such as an erratic idle, high-rpm misfire, engine run-on, power drop off at certain rpm levels and abnormal combustion. So the answer is.......who knows. The only electronics you have is a stereo (assumed to be an aftermarket unit). Most of these have decent RF supression built these days. It's unlikely given the fact that you're using a coil and distributor (no ecm) that those plugs would have any detrimental effect on your L6. Only after installing them will you know if you get RF noise in your stereo speakers. The stock OEM plug will perform well in most circumstances. I understand that you've already paid for these so get them a go or ship them back for replacement. Go with the NGK IR plugs if you can budget them.

The Tidewater Z Car Club will hold its 14th Annual Car Show inside Hampton Roads Convention Center, 1610 Coliseum Dr., Hampton, VA 23666 on May 1, 2010. This show is opened to all and any year Datsun, Nissan and Infiniti G35 and G37 series vehicle regardless of age or condition! There will be many trophies, door prizes and more. Car setup to be performed between 8 am and 11:30 am. First 100 entries to received a goodie bag. This will be a People’s Choice Car Show. Judging will be done by participants and spectators. Judging will be between noon and 3:30 pm with awards ceremony at 4 pm. Open Free to the public/spectators. Go to www.tzccva.org to get your registration form.

More specifically, there are two basic ideas for a stroker engine. One uses the diesel crankshaft in a 2.8 petrol engine. Shorter rods and either some stock or custom pistons can be used to create a 2.9,3.0,3.1,etc engine. There are lots of details at www.hybridz.org regarding that build. The other option is to use the diesel block and crank and install a petrol head. It can use longer rods but will require custom pistons. It sounds easy enough but I know better because I actually have one I built. It only displaces 2.8 but has a much better bore/stroke ratio and rod/stroke ratio. It isn't as simple has popping a petrol head onto the diesel block either. I've heard of others having done this but I may be the only one to actually do it. I say that only because I've read so much misinformation from those claiming to have done so.

Done that. It's damn expensive too. It's 2.8 stroker using a P90A mech head, L20B rods and custom pistons.

Two problems come to mind. Your 70 won't have the recesses in the floorboard for the lower retractors and the rear strut towers are different so the retractors won't fit as stock either.

My 71 has the same minor problem. I attribute it to the single lift arm located on that side. Since I can't see it from the driver's seat it really doesn't matter enough to address it. Maybe when I pull the car down for new paint one day I'll try to fix it.....

Curtis, front or rear bearing? I'm curious how many of these transmissions you've rebuilt. I've never seen a transmission with the wear you suggest that didn't howl like a banshee. Very low oil level or a catastrophic failure would be the cause. Since he has to go into the box it does make sense to rebuild it.

Worn syncro, loosened mainshaft nut (allows excessive endfloat of gear) or weakened spring/check ball holding shift rod in place in 5th gear. I present these in order of probability. Shift forks are cast aluminum in these transmissions. While there is wear at the shift fork to syncro housing it is usually minimal unless you hold the shifter tightly in the gate while driving which loads the fork unnecessarily.

$1500. I don't care how pretty the paint is if there is rust coming through from poor prep/body work. The R200 can be determined to be LSD by lifting the rearend and rotating tires. That doesn't tell you if the LSD is trashed or not though. A viscous LSD is nothing to get all excited about anyhow. A quick check will determine if the 5 speed is a BW or Nissan unit. The BW is worth a bit more IF it isn't trashed. Stroker? Back it up with something other than the seller's word. Unless you pull the pan or head you won't know for sure. Nothing about this car would excite me. I'd offer up the $1500 and a phone number. If I never heard back from the seller I wouldn't lose any sleep.

Those look to be the correct carb's for that car from a glance at the photo. The electric pump cannot function properly where it is installed. These are meant to push fuel. They do not have the capacity to pull fuel properly that distance from the tank. I wonder why the mechanical pump was bypassed and left in place too? I'd consider installing a new mech fuel pump and using it. They work fine. Otherwise, pull that elec pump and put it back by the tank where it belongs. There is wiring back there for a elec pump. It's a lead off the harness to the fuel level sender. The pump wiring has an in-line fuse under the fuse panel cover at the dash. I'm with Beandip on the early 80's RX-7 elec pump for the carb'd rotary. They run church mouse quiet and provide a solid 4 psi. I run the same thing in my 71 240Z.

www.richmondzcar.com Contact this club. Join the club (great people!) Someone there should be able to assist you. IF you were down this way I'd suggest the Tidewater Z Car Club or Todd at Tidewater Z Auto Service.

They'll get nabbed soon enough. They stole too much and too much different stuff. If they're Z guys then it will only be a matter of time before someone senses something isn't right. I had some bastards break into my garage and steal a tig machine, plasma torch, and some other very specific pieces. No car parts, air tools, or welding bottles were stolen. It was an inside job I'm sure. Nothing ever materialized as they knew exactly want they wanted. The webers and mikuni's will surface for sure. Good luck, Dave. I hope they give the cretins 10 years or more.

Dave is onto something. All cars suffer from poor connections over time. The wire you decribe feeds all the loads of the fuse box. I've seen many melted fuse boxes due to this problem. As suggested, lift the negative battery lead before doing anything else. Clean some connectors using the DeOx spray and some fine sand paper (where you can get to the contact surface). That white/red wire also connects to the back of the amp gauge. There are several connectors under the glovebox against the kick panel where the dash harness, front harness and rear harness all come together. You'll find that white/red wire connector there too. I'm sure I'm missing something like the main power to the ignition switch. Lastly, it would behoove you to wire in load relays for the headlights This will reduce the current load on your fuse box and increase light output dramatically. Dave can help you with that too. He sells some nifty harnesses for such things.

You have 4 hoses. They are #10(large), #8(medium) and #6(small). The #10 runs from the evaporator outlet to the suction side of the compressor. The #8 runs from the compressor outlet to the condenser. The short #6 runs from the condenser to the dryer. The long #6 runs from the dryer to the inlet (orifice) of the evaporator. How those hoses actually route is a given for all but the #10. I don't know if the kit routes that hose across the firewall or and down the DS inner fender or down the PS inner fender and across the rad support.

I ran a R180 with a nismo LSD and 4.11:1 r&p with a Type-A 5 speed and then with a KA conversion 5 Speed in my 240Z. It was a pleasure to drive but required rapid shifting even in normal driving. The LSD finally had worn to a point of needing a rebuild. I opted to build a R200 with a Quaife LSD and 3.90:1 r&p. The car is much more enjoyable to drive and still pulls well with the lightly modified 2.4L. The best way I can describe this is I can actually get through an intersection from a stop without having to shift gears (assuming I wasn't running the rpm's up to 4000). If you're using the car primarily on the street then I'd lean heavily towards the 3.90:1 r&p. I'll qualify this by saying I don't autocross or race my cars anymore. The days of building fire-breathing-pain-in-the-arse-to-drive-constant-maintainance-breaking down cars are behind me. As someone who has owned over fifty cars and trucks (mostly performance intended) I now prefer good performance, reliability and longivity over 'anything goes'.

No harm intended. I haven't verified that but thought someone might want to drop by a shop to see. They are damn cool. My gripe, being a bit anal, would be the bulk in my pocket as I walked around Hell, I've got something like 8 key rings for specific cars and such so I don't have one of those key-ladened hooks hanging off the side of my pants.