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240zsham's Hillclimb Duo


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Background:

 
Long story short, wasn't interested in cars until I got screwed over by a dealership replacing an alternator shortly after moving to Maine from Ireland.
Found a '84 300zx for $300 on Craig's and proceeded to teach myself the dark arts of car wrenching, and consequently fell in love with Z cars/Group B/Rally/Hillclimbing
Fast forward a few years, I picked up a 1970 240z with some track prep work done and it begun:
 
Cars
 
1970 240z:
  • 2.6l engine
  • Mikuni ph44 carbs
  • Battery relocate.
  • MSD Ignition
  • Rota Grids with Toyo Proxxes

Put cosmetic (Flat Black paint), small amount of mechanical work (New clutch, relined tank, new Holley Red FP, FR, SS lines) and new shoes on the car to prep for the New England Hillclimb Association 2015 season. Work and life got the better of me and only got to one race. Car performed pretty good and the driver got a lot better over the weekend. 

 
Couple of issues raised their heads over the race weekend:
  • Keeps popping out of second gear. 
  • Power-band not right. 1st, 2nd great to 6500rpm, go to 3rd and bogs down bad.
  • Last two races, kept stalling in low rpm and overheating - I believe this was from running out of fuel and picking up something in the carb.
  • Need a full roll cage if I keep racing it; wife and kids agree.
The last bullet is how I happened upon the 280z.
After pricing a cage and always being on the hunt for a deal I came across this 1976 280z in a wrecker yard in MA.
 
Something caught my eye on the Craig's post - I had been lurking on Hybridz for many years and thought had seen the chassis before. Upon viewing it was indeed one of RB240zDET's builds. I was able to get the car and good price and figure the project would be worth my time.
 
1976 280z - as it stands:
  • Tubular frame chassis.
  • R33 rear subframe and R230 diff.
  • RB20DET engine mated to GTS trans.
  • Lexus SC400 front end.
  • Probably a bunch more I have yet to document.
 
Current Winter Plans:
 
1970 240z - 
  • Clutch fan delete./Install aluminum rad and dual fan setup.
  • Find a 5-speed (Anyone got one?)
  • More aggressive cam for hillclimb racing
  • Carb rebuild
  • New fuel cell and sender install.
  • Go racing
1976 280z -
  • Verify and finish engine wiring. 
  • Get engine to run or at least show some life.
  • Pull said engine and trans.
  • While deciding if to keep engine or not; fix some weld, blast frame and prime.
  • Select engine. (Open to offers on the RB20DET if anyone is interested.)
  • Build monster.
  • Go racing.
Garage - 
  • 100A Subpanel
    • 5kw Heater.
    • 40A circuit 208v for welder.
    • A few 20A 110v circuits.
  • Insulation 
  • Sheetrock
  • Paint
  • Some sort of shelving system for organization.

Any comments, suggestions, critique is welcome.

 

Seán

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Edited by z31sham
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Good luck with that. Im out of Illinois but ran Duryea last year and had a ball. Tentatively planning Weatherly next year so may see you around. Back in the day when still has a 6 with Mikunis, I added a simple piece of flat thin aluminum plate under the carbs and it helped immensely with heat from the header. Wonder if heat soak may be part of your issues.

 

Cameron

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  • 2 months later...

Slow progress on the garage renovations and busy season at work combined with bad BMW head gasket severely delayed the 240z & 280z hillclimb projects.

 

OVHE2309

OVGV5015

 

The countdown is on to the 2016 NEHA season so I'll be sticking with getting the 240z upgrades complete and hopefully have some time this summer to keep tipping away at the 280 build.

 

The 240z list as it stands:

  • Rebuild Carbs.
  • Replace original rad with aluminum rad & electric fan setup.
  • Install newly acquired 4-spd dog-gear Quaife gearbox.
  • Remove original fuel tank - install 10 gallon fuel cell.
  • Install new cam - Schneider 270-80f
  • Find a dyno and tune

Some progress in the last couple of days.

 

IMG 9637

IMG 9634

IMG 9630

 

IMG 9636[1]

IMG 9491

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Found some time to get the Schneider Cam installed.

 

Need to check the lashes and we'll be good.

 

Hopefully get the rear main seal changed, the gearbox installed and the engine back in this weekend.

 

IMG 9885

IMG 9886

IMG 9887

IMG 9889

IMG 9890

IMG 9892

IMG 9893

 
BONUS: Got a new toy for the brewery workshop.
 

IMG 9905

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  • 2 months later...
Finally got back around to working on the 240.
 
New fuel tank installed.
New cam in engine.
New AL rad with electric fans.
Header rewrapped and new gaskets.
Mikunis rebuilt and cleaned up.
New gear gearbox installed.
 
Here's a few pictures and a link to the 1st start up last night. A lot of popping and some backfire through the carbs.  Seems like I have some timing adjustment to do and possibly some jetting. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
 
 

IMG 0279

IMG 0282

IMG 0285

IMG 0299

 

I'd like to finish up a couple jobs underneath the car tonight to get it back on the ground. Hopefully gt it out of the garage under power this weekend.
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