Mr Indecisive!

[smokey Z]

Hi All,

This is my first post although i have been reading for years! Any way i am having trouble making up my mind as to which way to take my project. Here's a little history:

I purchased a 71 240 to restore/ modify with the intent to make a very good auto X car that i can still drive on the weekends. Before i started on the project i saw an ad for a 73 240 with a 383 stroker V8 and auto from California for $1100. The car was in good shape seemed to only need paint. I bought it with the intention of painting and selling it to fund the 71 project.

It turned out that one of the front fenders on the 73 had alot of bondo on it so i decided to take a fender from the 71 and put on the 73. When i got the fender off the 71 I discovered alot of rust and decided not to restore that car. I figured i would finish the 73 and maybe look for another car.

Anyway, the 73 project went alot farther than i had orinally planned (dont they always!)- Rebuilt motor, TCI trans, Tokico illuminas, Motorsport springs and swaybars, poly bushings, new windsheild, new seals, Toyota 4x4 calipers, new carpet, motorsport spoiler, aluminum radiator, Corbeau seats, roll bar, 5 point harnesses, welded rear diff, etc.

The car was very quick (about 420hp) but i hated the automatic in auto x and the welded diff sure makes it hard to get around the tight slow corners. So i decided to find a manual trans for it.

While was looking for a new trans, a friend of mine blew up his engine and needed one quick. We made a deal i got enough out of it to buy an LT1 and 6 speed.

That was 2 years ago and life has gotten in the way a bit (i had my first child- life does change!). Now its time to move forward with the project. I have always wanted a competitive auto X car that i could still drive on the weekends. So, after that long winded introduction i am looking for some opinions.

What would you do-

Should i sell the motor and trans and build the car to BSP specs? What does a well prepped 6 cost for BSP?

Should i install the V8 and compete in EM?

I have never driven a z with a nicely prepped 6. Is it going to feel like a turd compared to the V8?

Thanks guys. Let me know what you think. Lets get this dustball out of the garage!

Randy

[grunt0311]

Smokey,

I know how you feel. I got the bug 2 years ago with a 50$ 280z i thought I would get to start on my off time. Needless to say never could get it to start, but then I found this awesome interior less 71 240z. Looked awesome, then the next month I found another 71 with a 350tpi/700r4 combo, sold the 280z for 100 bucks...But the story goes and I found a 70 for cheap and thought it would be nice project since I have the extra space now. My wife gets pissed and the guy who bought the 280 says " what you want for the 240z (has interior now) so I sell it. Now all I have is the 71 tpi hybrid (with sunroof) and the 70, find a deal on a 70 rhd so it now gets garage but it is ugly(I really didn't want the neighbors to see it). I sell the tpi because it had a monster pop up sunroof I hate getting a tan in a hardtop. Lets see now it is the rhd uglly and the 70 which doesn't run. I get in a bind and sell the 70 on ebay. Now just the 70 rhd, a 76 comes into my radar and bam another z ran real nice until the day I decided to sell it, but I am not their yet. Then came a74 260z, a 73 240z, a 76 280z, a 73 327 scarab. I am sure I lost one or two in the story somewhere but it all started back in 94 with that first black 280z, then a 9 year hiatus and bam I am done. My wife doesnt even go into the garage anymore. The rhd is still in the garage and still ugly just not as bad. I have the scarab which I say I will keep because this thing is about perfect, but I just went and picked up a beat up 76 2+2 for cheap just because I had some room. Oh and before I picked up the scarab, I bought a 69 c10 with a 350 as a donor for the 73? I was going to put it into. It is sitting in the parking lot above the house.

So I feel you brother. I am just looking for my ultimate Z, but everytime I find it, another looks better or someone wants it and has more money than I have affection for it, or another grand master plan starts because I always read these posts or at hybridz.org.

Just keep trucking along...don't tell your wife how much you spend and every now and then keep one of them at your friends house, go with your gutt, wallet or driveway/garage space, everything will work out in the end.

P.S. it helps if you live in Southern CA...they have alot of z's here.

grunt0311

70 rhd uglleee

73 scarab 327 v8

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/e4nk/my_photos

Incomplete but most of the pics are there..

After reading all of it, I just noticed I didn't answer your question. But then again, I can't make up my mind either.

[smokey Z]

Thanks for the reply Grunt. I have definetly not had as many z's as you, though i forgot to mention i was sidetracked with a 91tt for a while. Your 73 looks exactly like mine (minus no bumpers). Same wheels! Anyway, if you could only have one z, would you keep the 6 (maybe turbo) or go V8?

[grunt0311]

Smokey,

I will probably make a few here upset, but for the money/power ratio I would go with the V-8. So far the best luck I have had is with the 700R4 (I am lazy). For a daily driver I prefer it to a 4,5,6sp. If you can get an LS1 go for it, otherwise an LT1 or older TPI. Great performance and great gas mileage (hwy). I got 24mpg with my 87 TPI 350/ 700R4 combo. My scarab is about 12-14, but it a 4 sp. IMHO.

Good luck!

grunt0311

73 scarab

70 rhd uglee

[78 280zcar]

Hey grunt you have a parking lot above your house:cry: . that must be rough:classic: . In your pics are all of those yours. I kinda like the way that fairlady looks except for the paint job.

[grunt0311]

78 280zcar,

Well I use it, the parking lot that is. Yes all were mine or are except the zx it was my aunt's. Just the scarab and the rhd now. It looks alot worse than it did but a bit closer to stock. I have a cast on my foot right now and can't do much of anything except sleep and watch T.V..I am missing a few that I had but I lost the pics to a computer crash. Everyone think about a guy or gal in the service today, or one that was. If you see one today with their ballcap on, say"Thank You for your service." They will probably just smile and nod. We couldn't have what we do today if it weren't for them.

thanks to them all,

Have a Great Memorial Day.

gruntO311

73 scarab 327

70 rhd uglee