93anthracite

Awesome, this was perfect! I knew I'd read a good recommendation somewhere, just couldn't remember the site name . Thanks! Long story short, I'm setting the car up to be able to quickly and efficiently switch between the turbo and carb'ed engine. I'm pulling the tank to clean it (possibly replace with fuel cell) and replacing all of the lines, so I'm setting it up to quickly swap fuel pumps at the time of engine swap. It may sound dumb, but it works well with my plan... Derek, can you give me a little more insight? I'm assuming you're recommending a pump from an old-school carb'd RX7 (SA/FB chassis) to be used for my carb'd application (rather than a later RX-7 for the L28ET)? I'll do a little searching myself, thanks for the info/lead!

Yeah, that's why I figure it's pretty much a guarantee that I'll need a different pump for each engine.

So, I really have searched for this but I'm apparently not putting the right terms in, since I keep just getting info on V8 swaps. Please help me out here. I have a 73 240z sporting an L24 with stock 72 carbs. I am looking to convert from the mechanical fuel pump to an electric one. Can anybody give any recommendations on what brand, pressure, etc that I should go with to get my car back up and running? Part 2: I have an 83 L28ET that I'm slowly preparing to eventually put into this car. In a perfect world, i could get a pump that can work with both of these, but I don't really expect that. So, can I get a recommendation on what pump to get for this application as well, or any mods that could be done to be able to use the same pump for both engines. Any further input would be great if anybody feels like sharing. Thanks in advance!

Some venting and hose directing air to the brake will do wonders for the fading in performance that you are experiencing. Some aggressive brake pads can make the stock calipers feel like you're going to fly through the windshield.

kinda related, not worth a whole new thread... I've got a 240z with some Webers that I have no idea on the history of them, therefore I'm reverting back to a stock setup for a cheap, fresh start. I've got a set of stock 73 SUs, however when I went to put them on, I discovered that apparently the PO replaced the manifold too when you switched to the webers. My question is, does it matter what head the new manifold came from? Mine is an E88, do I need to find one from another E88? Aside from the manifold, what else do I need to get my hands on?

Came back to this thread for one more thing. Depending on the purpose of your car, the cheap way can really be worth it. If your car is going to car shows and you really want to win awards, by all means, put the most expensive paint job you can afford in there, and in the meantime you need to start pulling off parts and polishing them yourself . However, if you are in the middle of a project, or getting ready to be, but want the car to look good and be protected, a cheap spray or roll-on is all that is necessary. You can always come back later and put more time into it. I personally track my cars, so I'm not going to put a four thousand dollar paint job on something that I could plant into a wall the next weekend or that will inevitably be having rocks and rubber thrown at it. Paint does not make you go faster!

I actually just did a roller job using Rustoleum paint last winter on my SE-R. Couple points to make. -Prep work is critical. If you don't have a good surface to put the paint on, how are you going to have a nice final product? -Be prepared to spend a LOT of time. I think I had close to 100 hours of labor in mine and it was far from perfect. Between all the various coats, wet sanding, prep, taping, cleaning, polishing, waxing, it took almost a month (life gets in the way of projects like this). -Prep work is very important. You're going to be up close and personal with this car. I can't tell you how many times I saw a flaw in a panel I was working on and I had wished I had taken care of it. This was despite the fact that I wasn't even trying to get a show-car finish and just wanted something better than oxidized paint and surface rust in areas. -Pick up a spare fender, hook, or other random body part with some decent surface area and practice on that before you start painting your car. That will allow you to learn the technique, get your mixture right, and make sure you're ready to undertake the whole project. -It is cheap. I think I spent less than $100 for all of my supplies including paint, sand paper, mineral spirits, rollers, and a cheap hand sander (not for wet sanding, used on my prep and clearing some surface rust). Your time is the big cost here. -One more time, prep work. After doing this to my own car, I firmly believe that the key to any paint job, whether it's rolling Rustoleum, or spraying on a color-change metal flake, the most important part is doing the prep work thoroughly and correctly. -It really is worth it to pull off all of the trim peices, lights, molding, etc. It may seem like a hassle and unnecessary, but it will make your life so much easier when painting and sanding, and you will reduce the risk of getting paint accidentally on the part. I know there's several parts that I wish I had taken off... I was pleased with my results, but it wasn't worth my time. It was a very interesting experience and I learned a lot but on my next job I will definitely be using my compressor, a homemade booth, and a gun. I'll also focus on getting my prep work perfect rather than hoping multiple coats will remedy tiny flaws.

I am EXTREMELY interested to see the fitment of this with the trans attached. The 4g is the only other 4 banger I'd consider, aside from an SR, and is a phenomenal engine. I just sold my 90 Talon last year, with 250,000 miles on the original engine (never even been cracked open), running 12 second quarter miles for 5+ years. I have NEVER seen something so tough; all of the planets must have been lined up when that damn thing came out of the factory.

bringing up the Whale Tail, I've always liked them but I'm having major issues finding one for an S30. MSA sells them for the 79-83, what would need to be done to put it on my '73?

I agree, I think it would great to keep to keep the aero section just like it is, but make it public once it's published. It sounds like a lot of work to disband this part of the forum and it's a great sounding board for people to express their theories solely related to the aerodynamics of our cars.

Terry, do you think the S130 15/16" MC will be sufficient for giving good pedal modulation and brake feel (a little play is OK, but I don't want a lot of slop), or is a dual master setup going to be necessary for my application? I took it to mean that with more experience, you'll find turns where throttle modulation can replace brake application and you'll compress your brake zones to the point that you aren't using them for as long of a period of time. "Using brakes as much" is a very subjective term which, as shown here, can be taken two ways. The length of time will decrease, but the amount of work being performed during that time is increasing dramatically b/c the entire system is being used more efficiently.

TTT = Techno Toy Tuning

Hey Jon, I did search, but I must not have been putting in the correct terms . Thanks for the referral to the BMC thread. I was also posting up here to get feedback on whether I would need the more advanced setup, or if the simple 280zx MC would be all I needed, considering the brake upgrades I was planning. Thanks for the evaluation Pete. I actually was recently privvy to a ride on track in a 260z with stock brakes and it was quite adequate with better pads and brake fluid. I realized that I probably could just use what I have, but I don't trust them and would have pull everything off and rebuild it, and figured I might as well put better parts on. I figured the S13 rear setup would offer me something I am more familiar with (I've owned 4 different S13s) and easier maintenance, even though the actual performance would probably not be much more. I chose the 280zx fronts b/c the Toyota calipers seem soooo heavy and I was trying to reduce my increase in unsprung weight from this mod. You're absolutely right that the more you drive the less you use your brakes (getting on the gas sooner and shrinking brake zones are constant goals), and it definitely helps that our cars are so lightweight to begin with.

Can anybody give me feedback on this company and their products, specifically their camber plates and the GC coilover kit. I know the owner is a member of HybridZ and I have heard great things about their service, I just want to hear any feedback from other Z guys on these products, as I am highly considering using them on my 73. http://www.technotoytuning.com/productlist.php?vehicleid=11

I'm building my 73 240z to be used primarily for road course / time trial purposes, but it will also see autoX and some street driving. Currently powered by the stock L24, hoping to eventually run with an L28ET and SR20DET in the future, probably never more than 350 hp in any case, no matter what engine I have in it. Please give input on the brake selection I'm going with and recommendations for suspension. I have searched a lot and read the FAQs, this thread is for input on my selections and help picking a good economy-minded suspension. Brakes: 280zx front calipers, freshly rebuilt, with 300zx front rotors, and aggressive pads (Carbotech XP8 for track, Carbotech AX6 for street and autoX) 240sx rear caliper conversion, freshly rebuilt, with 300zx rear rotors, and aggressive pads (Carbotech AX6) All hard lines will be replaced, ATE Super Blue or Ford Heavy Duty brake fluids, and new Teflon/Stainless braid hose to the calipers with AN fittings. My biggest question at this point is about my Master Cylinder. The true budget route is a rebuilt 280zx master cylinder with a prop valve, however I am tempted to go with a dual master/balance bar application. This is new, unfamiliar territory for me and I want some input from other road racers on the necessity of this and recommendations on doing it inexpensively. Can I get some input on my decisions here and a master cylinder recommendation?

That's what I like to hear

OK, I've read this thread a couple times and I must be missing this question, or it hasn't been answered... I want to install ZGs on my Z, however the car is probably going to be painted in a couple years once my To-do list gets a little shorter. Can I pull off my ZGs when I'm getting ready to paint and save all my hardware, or am I going to need to buy another kit from Austin when I get ready to install them again?

yeah, if you can deal with with the gay/girl comments, the miata is the way to go. Fantastic handling, fun to drive, easy to work on, cheap parts. What more could a college student want? Plus, you don't have to worry about your friends asking for rides and not helping out with the gas .

heresy! How dare you!

I agree with Shady about destroying a good car with minimal problems, as it truly is a shame considering how many other Zs are out there that would be better off not being saved . However considering Bryan's past-tense verbs, I believe it's already too late and a moot point.

ok, I'm back with a little more knowledge. I looked for a few minutes at Corky's book and taking into account Mike and John's input, hopefully I can put my thoughts into words. Based on the turbo book, you only need frontal area of about 1/4 of the intercooler for pretty good efficiency. Surprise, that's exactly what we found for the rad as well. I looked back at my last post and realized I hadn't really elaborated. I surely wasn't intending on grabbing a tiny, 1/2 inch radiator from a Honda and slapping it in there. I was thinking more of having a custom rad. made about 3 in. thick, but just not as wide. This should allow for almost the same amount of coolant to be in the system. That huge difference in fluid over the Honda unit, if nothing else, provides a larger heat sink to let the heat spread over and thus take longer to actually raise the temp (meanwhile being cooled in the radiator). Like John said, the oil is the primary cooler, which is why I put a rather large oil cooler in there to compensate for the smaller radiator. A big intercooler doesn't really do it for me, so it got the leftover space. Thoughts? I'm really just trying to figure out a way to make a compact but efficient use of an intercooler, oil cooler, and radiator.

meh, that's been sitting on my shelf for months, hoping I'll get around to reading it one day. Thank for giving me another reason that I should actually pick it up

Ok, I've always felt that big intercoolers and big radiators never really needed huge front openings to feed them, which is one of the big lessons I feel was demonstrated at the testing. In fact, apparently you need area 1/4 the size of the radiator, or less, to work efficiently. For the turbo guys, your intercooler needs air too to cool the charge. I've never liked the idea of an IC sitting in front of my radiator blocking cold air to a much more critical component. So I had a thought... Why not have an radiator that fills 1/2-2/3 of the radiator crossmember and fill the rest of the crossmember with an intercooler and oil cooler? You should be able to have a smaller air opening and with good ducting using the diagram below, force air through each component, instead of stacking them to make air go through all three. ________________ l . . . . . . . l . IC . l l . . RAD . . l------l l . . . . . . . l . OC .l Many early 90s hondas do this with their radiator and AC condenser, IIRC. My other question is how a V-mount setup might do, though I feel ducting might be a little more complex to be effective on our car, and I don't think there is enough room, unless you get rid of the fan. edit: crap, it didn't like my diagram, ignore all of the periods

interesting, I would have said to weld it in, but I usually don't think of a rollbar as ever coming out of the car either. Bolt it in, for now .

that's a pretty sweet exhaust setup Tim. Are you worried at all about any kind of strange flow/vortex issues with that? I personally think it will be fine, but I've seen arguments from people about odd shapes like that disrupting flow patterns (ex: gutted cat won't flow very well b/c of expansion of chamber and going back to restriction of pipe). Any idea if that is true and if it will affect your design? My theory has always been to get as big a pipe as you can fit on any turbo car, so maybe that only applies to NA and hence has nothing to do with your setup.