Jeff G 78

Agreed. $500 - $800 parts car.

Feel free to PM me and we can discuss the specifics of the engine mods I did. I'll have to looks at my pics and see how the pistons were marked. Those numbers *might* be fit. I know that the rods are numbered 1 through 6, but I can't remember if the piston numbers were cylinder numbers.

Congrats Greg and crew. Keep up the good work.

The "standard" shave for a P79 is 0.080" from stock. To do this, you will need to swap the N42 valves and add 0.080" tower shims. I did not go that route. Instead, I shaved 0.050" and left the valves and towers stock. I then modified the cam gear as shown in the "How to Modify..." book using the Chevy eccentric cam gear spacers. I also modified the chain guides to get more travel and I oversized the guide bolts from M6 to M8. With this setup, I get about 9.4:1 CR and it makes great power with little worry about detonation. I think you get 9.83:1 if you shave 0.080". The stock head is 108mm thick, so you can check how much was previously milled by measuring with good calipers. Be SURE the top of the head isn't warped. If it is, the cam will be forced to bend which robs power and will break the cam. Use a straight edge on the top of the head where the valve cover sits and check the flatness with feeler gauges.

Redline for sure. I like MT90 for the trans though. The diff fill and drain plugs can be extremely hard to remove. Use heat if needed.

I've heard you can run the square header, but I've never tried it. I also edited my last post. I had a brain fart and incorrectly said that I use a N42 head on my FI 280Z. I actually run a N47 head on that car. They have the same chamber, but the N47 has the liners and round ports. I run a 6-1 header on the N47 and a 3-2-1 header on the P79. Sorry for the mistake.

To clarify and answer Zed Head's question, I run my F54/P79 on SU's. My 280Z with F54/N47 is FI, but I tried and failed to get it to run right with the mild cam. It runs fine with the stock cam, but the Web #91 cam didn't work at all. Idle was rough and power was way down until high RPM where it was better, but still down from where it should have been. The stock cam makes better power with that engine and fuel setup. The same cam in my SU-equipped F54/P79 260Z is fantastic. As for the ping debate, I'd be willing to bet that it's a regional issue. The Western half of the US only gets 91 octane premium, while here in the East we have 93 at all stations and even 94 at some. I run 93 octane premium in my F54/N47 street car with no issues. EDIT: I mistakently typed F54/N42. I run a N47 head on my 280Z. Same chamber, but different port shape.

The P79 is an awesome head. I run a F54/shaved P79 combo in my race car with great results. I shaved 0.050" and reworked the cam gear and chain guides so I didn't have to change valves or run tower spacers. I love it! With a Web #91 cam, it pulls to 7k and runs strong. The benefit of the P79 over the N42 is that it's much more ping resistant so I can run more advance. Here in the East, I have 93 octane fuel, but with only 91 out West, I'd be afraid of the N42/F54 combo.

That should look great.

Great looking project. Keep the pics coming.

Without the surge tank, the main tank pickup will suck air in the corners and create fuel starvation to the engine. With the surge tank, the main tank pickup will pull fuel down the straightaways to fill the 1/2 gallon surge tank. The surge tank has plenty of capacity to feed the engine through the corners. The only downside is that once the main tank is empty and the 1/2 gallon surge tank runs dry, the engine quits with no warning. The good thing is that on an average track, we can extend our runs from about 1 hour and 40 minutes to a full 2 hours which is the maximum driver stint time allowed.

I autocrossed a few times 20 years or so ago. It wasn't for me. While the time on course was fun, getting less than 4 minutes of seat time for a full day's effort sucked. If you want to "race", I suggest going to a track day at a local track. There is Roebling Road, Road Atlanta, and AMP in Georgia. For about $200 you can get several hours of time on a real track with instruction. For some people, that is enough to scratch their racing itch. At some point you might want to go door to door racing. There are many ways to satisfy that desire, but the costs go up very quickly. Start with autocross, but don't be surprised if you tire of it quickly. If so, take it to the next level.

Nice looking race car. Good luck with the sale. If I had unlimited funds, I'd have a fleet of race cars.

I run the 4070 on my 260Z endurance racer running 3 screw SU's. It works great. I use a Facet cube pump to fill the surge tank and the Carter 4070 to feed the engine. The surge tank allows me to use all the fuel in the tank. Prior to installing it, I couldn't get all the fuel out of the stock fuel tank, but with the surge tank installed, I can run two full hours on a tank. The car runs for up to 26 straight hours on the track, so performance and durability are critical. The 2.8L engine puts out about 175 RWHP.

I always tune my carbs in a suit with French cuffs and cuff links, Doesn' t everybody?

Good luck Greg!

From the pics, it looks like a good tank to restore. I've brought back tanks that looked like they were salvaged from the Titanic.

Nice timing light. My wife got me a Innovate MTX-L wideband O2 kit for my 260 race car. I'm sure there is more power to be had with a better tune.

Hmmm, I have never heard of this either and I'm in the industry. It looks like a rinky dink track, but it could still be fun.

I'm surprised that nobody is jumping at these Streets of Willow track events. With all the Z cars in LA, I would expect some to be tracked regularly.

Agree. I've been using that site for years. It's a great tool for checking various sizes.

Fun little track and a nice price! I was just there a few weeks ago for a private rental. If I lived 2500 miles closer, I'd go.

They look great. I'm glad to hear we now have alternatives to old, rusty bumpers.

That's going to be a tough sell. Custom cars are great for the person makes the design choices, but others might not like the mods. That's why collector cars always bring more money when they are either bone stock or stock with only bolt-on mods such as wheels and suspension upgrades. It does nothing for me personally. I wish the seller luck though. I hope he gets what he wants for the car.

I too started my Z passion when I was 16, though that was 32 years ago. First of all, welcome to the club and congrats for working hard and saving your money. I know you will have a great time working on and driving a classic Z car. The biggest lesson many of us have learned is that you should find the best body you can and put less emphasis on the mechanicals. I would rather start with a rust free shell for $1500 than buy a $5000 car that looks and drives nice, but has had previous rust repairs or has signs of chassis rust. Of course rust can be fixed, but starting with a clean car will make your life much easier. Trying to remove rusty bolts without breaking them will drive you mad. Don't rush the process and take as much time as needed to find the right car. Expand your search area to include the southwest. When I got tired of working on rusty Z cars back in 1986, I drove from Ohio down to Atlanta to look for a clean Z. I have bought several nice cars from your area, but lately, they too seem to be few and far between. Later, I started looking for Z cars in Phoenix and other dry climates. If a car runs and drives it makes for a great adventure and if it doesn't, shipping isn't that expensive. $1000 in shipping seems like a lot, but it could save you thousands down the road and net a nicer car when you are done. Also, if possible, find a car that already has good paint. A good paint job will cost more than the rest of the car. Good luck and let us know if you need anything. We're here to help.