Gareth

I'm with Yasin. Even tough I see a lot of work done to make it go as fast as it does (or as I think id does), the flat four and six has always been a part of P-cars' character, ever since the first Beetles and 356s.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. The stock belt might just not be strong enough to hold up on RPMs higher than 8,500, that's why people change them for peace of mind. From powerhouseracing.com store: "Power Enterprise's Super Strong Kevlar timing belt is highly recommended for all Supras! Kevlar is the same material found in bulletproof jackets and the strings attaching a parachute sail to your body. Kevlar is one of the strongest materials on earth and the best material available to construct your timing belt out of. Designed identical to your stock Toyota belt, this JDM piece works with any cam gears and requires no modifications. We use this belt on our 1200+rwhp 8-second Supra as well as all of our road-race cars, daily drivers, and every other application. Highly recommended!" (...) "Made of a highly resilient polymer compound, these blue colored timing belts will not stretch at higher RPMs like the factory units, and are suitable to run with high lift camshafts and/or high tension valve springs. Don't worry about timing belt failure anymore! If you must replace the timing belt, replace it with the best available part!" I think it could be useful to change the timing belt to a stronger one - after all, aftermarket belts are not that expensive compared to the overall engine build cost. Tony

Thanks! After reading your and Bean's post regarding the older GE and GTE "bulletproofness" I'm convinced that I should stick to the non-VVTi motors. There are a couple strong NA-T GEs over here, and nobody really has any issues with them. There are some guys who say that the 1JZ is much better because of having a factory fitted turbo (or two), but the parts availability is scarce (you won't buy a OEM 1JZ timing belt at a Toyota dealership here) and it has 0.5 liter smaller displacement. I thought of a 1JZ head/2JZ block hybrid for a while, but after talking to a guy who built a GT42R-powered, stock-bottomed, non-VVTi GE, I came to a conclusion that anything other than a stock GE or GTE would be nonsense, escpecially with my dream power goal of about 500HP. I've registered on 2JZ Power, Supraforums, Club NA-T and some other boards, because I'll have to read a lot before I even go the project's design phase. There are lots of helpful topics out there, they're just waiting to be read. I beleive that you're reffering to the burgundy one, am I correct? I must say it's a beautiful car and it goes like stink (I've seen some videos and photos with it), but as you said it was built in Australia. There are already a few hybrid Zs in Europe, but as far as I know none of them was built with a Toyota engine (at least two have RB26s - one in Norway, the other one in Sweden). There were several variants of the M3 engine, with power ratings beginning from 286HP (early M3 E36, 3,0 with 5 speed 'box), and going all the way to 343HP (M3 E46 and late Z3M, 3,2 liter, 6 speed 'box), but even here the parts are expensive, and the engine itself is quite difficult to build (ITBs with a plastic surge tank, engine tilted to the right). It could make a great swap though.

1 fast z, how much will you want for the whole adapter "kit"? I might be interested...

Looking good Justin, keep us updated!

The Rover/Buick V8 should be a good engine for high revving. It's compact, light, aftermarket parts are plentiful (escpecially in the UK), only a custom crank would have to be made to destroke it. I think that a 4,0 or 4,6 liter X-bolt block-based engine with enlarged bore, short stroke, valvetrain capable of high RPM, a radical cam, electronic ignition (possibly coil-on-plug system) and ITBs should be enough to make the Zed an exotic ride... There were some single plane cranks made for it (think Repco and their F1 efforts), but I don't know whether there is anyone who still makes any parts like this. I'm sure that most of the work would have to be custom.

Fiat Otto Vu (8V) had a 2 (1996cm^3) liter V8. There were a little over 100 made, so it hardly qualifies as a production engine. Currently, Audi makes 4 liter V8s, and I can't think of anything smaller that is in production as of today.

As a classic car magazine journalist I'm more than happy to see a thread like this on HybridZ! Some Z owners tend to forget that there is a whole world of great sportscars out there. I hate to say that, but the Z isn't THE sportscar of the 70's. There is no single car that can be pointed out as THE best one, simply because of different, conditions, locations, race series and regulations they were raced in. I guess this is where the Alfa discussion started: bjhines' statements are BOLD, considering Alfa's numerous victories in European Touring Car Championships in Europe (or what they had been in the 60s and 70s) and the fact that competition was just as serious as it is today. Ford, Alfa, BMW, Jaguar, and even manufacturers like Rover fought hard for the win, and Alfa must be credited for some of the most exciting racing cars of the period. With proper preparation and correct technical know-how, it is possible to race ANY Alfa with good results. That would explain their popularity in historic racing today... I'm not trying to dig the reputation of the Z, which is a great sports car for the value, but mocking the Alfa like this can't really be justified. I just don't like the way that some One-Marque-Purists look at other cars. In my country, classic Jags are becoming so plentiful that owners of much less expensive cars tend to look down on them (isn't this called envy?) and say that there is no point in buying and building such a car if it gets beaten by a 124 Spider. So what? It depends what you build your car for - most of the Jag owners do it for the fun of it... It's the same with Alfas - they are loved so much because of their character, not the times they make on the racetrack. Back to the topic: my dad recently restored a 1988 TVR S1. Even tough the car gives us a lot of trouble to maintain it in driveable condition, it's so fun I whish it was mine! It's tricky to drive in the twisties, but it gives me so much satisfaction whenever I drive it that the only car that could match it in "smile-giving" is my Z. It may not be very fast (it has a 2,8 Ford Cologne V6 engine, 150 dyno-certified HP), but the way it is built makes it feel almost like a prototype. It rattles, squeaks and spits on every bump (especially during "spirited" driving), but this is a part of its character. I love it. This is the car as of today. It is painted in factory TVR blue. The interior was completely reworked, but this is the part of the car I really don't like. I hope that my dad will let me replace the crappy leather with some proper materials, like aluminum panels painted flat black and uncomplicated black upholstery... I'm trying to find Cosworth YBT-powered S-series racecar pictures from the 80's, but I don't know where to search... There aren't many of these pictures around.

There main differences between GE and GTE longblocks are: - heads - GE and GTE heads have the same combustion chamber capacity, but they have different intake and exhaust ports, and the GE intake cam drives the distributor, whereas the GTE has COP ignition (if I remember correctly, it takes the signal from the crank pulley sensor) - intake and exhaust manifolds - GE has a crappy intake with throttle placed sideways over the valve cover, not good for making power. GTE manifolds won't bolt up to the GE heads because of the different port locations (is that the right word?) and differently placed studs - headgaskets - GE has a thinner 0,2mm, while the GTE has a 1,6mm - pistons - GE has taller pistons that bump the CR slightly - oil squirters - GTE has them, but the GE doesn't - electronics and misc stuff - the injectors and AFMs are different, but I don't know the details, since I'm planning on throwing every possible restriction away Wedge, I've seen some photos of GTE head swaps on GE blocks, have you got any photos of GE and GTE block differences to prove that it is impossible?

I am one of the guys who molested poor Mike about the 2JZ motor mounts. Thanks for your help Mike! I'm searching for a good 2JZ in Europe, it might take some time...

OTM, if I were you, I'd keep asking your friend who has the 427FE. I've never seen a Z with a FE engine, but I've been dreaming about one for a long time... Couple it with the oldschool Top Loader and some low ratio diff, throw in a 428 crank and a hi-riser manifold, and you'll be right on the track to over 500HP. I know that the engine itself would probably cost much more than 5k, but hell, what are the dreams for? Maybe it would be easier for you to source a 390, or a 428... Whatever your engine choice will be, I'm sure that you'll have a lot of fun with it. EDIT: I suppose that if the 427 side- or top oiler doesn't fit your budget you should be looking for something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-390-406-427-428-Mustang-engine-F150_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQihZ010QQitemZ200124517055QQrdZ1 The one below is a gem... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-OR-SHELBY-COBRA-GT500-427-TOP-OILER-ENGINE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQihZ012QQitemZ220127460516QQrdZ1 Imagine a Z with that engine. For some reason, I tend to prefer Ford over Chevy. Maybe that's because of my sentiment for the old Mustang...

I like it, but rudypoochris has a point: the Zs natural lines are kinda hidden in this car. It would look even better in a different color. Dosquattro, I think that the bumpers, flares etc. are carbon fiber, which explains the color...

From what I understood from the video, the block brace is designed to lower the engine block vibrations in a Honda aluminum block. But, the L series block is cast iron, which means it absorbs the vibrations much better than an aluminum block. Taking that into consideration, is it worth to install a block brace ina a over-9k L-gata engine? Monzter, that's a great website, I'll have to translate it and check it out... EDIT: I've just converted the block brace's price = 60000yen, and it seems that the cost should be around 500 bucks...

As far as I remember, it's a fully custom bodykit made by its owner in the 70s... Isn't this the Sixgun car? I remember seeing it for the first time at drifting.com, and only after seeing the windows and the hood I could recognize it as a S30. That's one unique Z... It's great that somebody keeps it preserved so well. After all, these are the HybridZ's roots!

I've heard that with a properly designed airbox with velocity stacks inside, and with a nice cold air intake and a good cone air filter (A'PEXi are said to be very good, and filter better than K&N or HKS without restricting the airflow), you can actually gain some power. (the picture above was taken from Alan T.'s (HS30-H) gallery from classiczcars.com, it's a LY28 race engine in a 240ZR replica) Wouldn't it be a better solution than three or six filters directly on the stacks? I dunno whether it is more restrictive or not, but the cost should be pretty much the same as with individual filters... What do you think? BTW: Toecutter, your car is beautiful!

Exactly... Who cares about the fuel economy anyway? Well, it depends if you like revving your engine to a ~4500-5000 maximum, with a possibility to spin it to its death if you do more (thank you mr. Diesel for all the heavy internals)...

Even tough I'm not a Datsun purist, my vote goes agains the diesel engine, especially if it's the LD28. Why? As Jon has already pointed out, the LD28 isn't an engine that was built to make power. It's just a L-series based, naturally-aspirated economy engine that makes a lot of torque, which makes it a good engine for heavy cars (like the Patrol). Its main characteristics are typical for a diesel engine - lots of low end torque, low fuel consumption (plus diesel is cheaper than gas/petrol/whatever you call it, narrow range of usable RPM, and stronger construction than any other L-gata engine (hence the bigger weight). Now increasing the RPM range won't make a diesel faster. Why? Because it is made for lower revs, that's why. The fact that it doesn't spin too high is caused by a very strong crakshaft/flywheel combination, and this is where all the torque-friendly environment comes from. Toss the heavy flywheel, and you'll end up going agains one of the diesel's fundamental characteristics. Increase the rev range, and you'll get nothing. The only way to tune a diesel engine for better power (aside from internal tuning, which is usually mirror-polishing the pistons etc.) is to add LOTS of compressed air to the mix, with a bit of fuel to back that up. Trust me, forced induction aside, there are no ways of increasing the power seriously... If you don't think of increasing the diplacement, or simply putting a bigger engine in. Tuning it is just as difficult as tuning any other car engine. In the US it may be even more difficult, just because of the fact that only the pickup guys really tune the diesels there. Close ratio gears are also a helping factor, especially if combined with lots of low end torque and traction needed to hold everything in one place. Diesels in your typical bread-and-butter passenger cars are much more popular in Europe than in the USA, and this is why many guys tune their cars for much higher power. Mind you, most of the cars are powered by fresh, direct-injection engines controlled by advanced ECUs that are easily remapped, not like the ancient LD28. The most popular way to tune, say, a Volkswagen 1,9TDi diesel is to remap the engine, throw in front-mounted intercooler, a performance exhaust, and couple it with a close-ratio 6 speed transmission from sportier models. The result? A 200HP daily driver that can smoke some of the more powerful 1,8T variants, as long as it is driven properly. Some guys even throw in bigger turbos from other diesel engines, like the Garrett GT22 (they're different than gas engine turbos though - that's because of the lower heat range they operate in), or even nitrous oxide. It is proven to work - there is a team which makes 12s, 11s or even 10s with their cars on VERY rough airfield surface (we have no dragstrips here, the closest one is in Germany). Non of these cars have lightened flywheels or crankshafts. Throwing a lightweight crank in would give a comparable result to using a diesel crank in a B16B Honda, if you know what I mean. The fastest diesel in my country, an Audi 200 with a VW Touareg twin-turbo V10 diesel coupled to an automatic transmission, recently made a mid-10 second run, and has potential for much more (I'm going to the drags this weekend, I think it will be there). The same guys who built the Audi had earlier run a AWD, 6 speed, nitrous-oxide fed, 300+HP VW Lupo (something in a size of a Yugo), and they made regular 11 second passes with it. I remember it taking off VERY quickly (imagine a car smaller than a Civic with lots of low end torque and good traction), but because of the diesel's narrow powerband and close ratio gears he had to run in 5th a bit before the 1320 mark... Even tough it is possible to make a diesel engine go really fast, you'd have to make a LOT to make it as fast as untuned gas engines of the same displacement. A heavily tuned diesel will lose all its merits (except for the torque characteristics), and will surely be more difficult to further tune and maintain. OTM, if I were you, I'd just search for a good ole' gas engine with some power potential. Sorry for the long post, hope this helps. P.S. - Putting a diesel in a Z would be like taking a huge bomber aircraft engine and couple it with a lightweight fighter airframe - this is what the Czechs did with the Bf-109. They married Junkers Jumo 211 engines with Avia S-99 (Czech-built Bf-109) frames, and the result was a slow plane that was a pig in handling characteristics...

I'm located in Europe, not the USA... The aftermarket parts support is much stronger for the JZ than for the RB, just because the only RHD market here is the UK. There were only a few hundred 240Zs sold, and not many of them are left (some were imported from the US), and I know of only 2 or 3 240Z in my whole country. There are at least two RB26 powered 240Zs (one in Norway and one in Sweden - hello mull! ), and I suppose that my project would be the first one powered by a Toyota engine. The car will become my weekend fun car. My aim is to create something quite universal in driving terms - a car that I could take to a drag event and to a drift competition the next day. The L series are good engines, but with little or no aftermarket support here, and their aged design, they wouldn't be as flexible as modern Skyline and Supra powerplants. This is where the RB/JZ idea came from. At first I dreamed about a RB26 powered 240Z, but after seeing mull's car I switched my thoughts to the 2JZ, especially considering it's better availability, better aftermarket support and the fact that it should be easier to work on my my country. I know of only 2 tuned RB26s in the whole country, and there are at least 5 heavily tuned and daily driven 2JZs iny my city only. Fortunately, the owner of the shop that will finish my car's mechanicals is an active racer, and with his experience and fabrication skills I'm pretty sure that making a 2JZ work would be possible. This is why I am biased towards the RB26 and 2JZ rather than the RB25/1JZ idea. Except the lower initial cost, they would be just as troublesome while sourcing parts as their bigger brothers. It seems that 2JZ is a better idea after all... Oh, I almost forgot - Z-Gad, thanks for your email with engine mount pictures and feedback! Tony

Hi guys, I started searching for a non-VVTi 2JZ-GTE front clip for my 240Z, preferrably with an auto transmission (A340). I've seen some clips on eBay in ~2,5k$ to ~4k$ range, but I don't know if eBay is a reliable source of information. What kind of money should I expect to pay for a clip in good condition? Thanks in advance. Tony P.S. - http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=123314

Hello team HybridZ, sorry if this thread is in the wrong place - I didn't know wether to put it here or in the Nissan RB forum. I hope it won't be a problem that I started it in the Toyota section... After reading this forum for a while, I've decided to create my own Hybrid Z. The project is scheduled for the next few years, because the Z won't be my daily driver, and I would like to drive it with the stock L24 for a while. I am considering four different motors to swap: - Nissan RB25DET - Nissan RB26DETT - Toyota 1JZ-GTE - Toyota 2JZ-GTE They are all high-tech inline sixes, and I don't really care what badge they carry on the valve cover. I know a few people who can help me with the swap. I don't want a V8, because I'd have trouble sourcing parts from the US (there are shops with RB parts in UK and Sweden). Even tough they are quite similar to each other, I'm biased towards the 2JZ. It is possible to order stock replacement parts through a Toyota dealership (and not a racing parts dealer, which means $ savings), it was available in some Toyota (Supra) and Lexus (IS300, GS300) models, it is almost bulletproof from the factory, and there are a few built 2JZ's an people who have experience with them in Europe. Non-VVTi GEs are dirt cheap - no one buys them with performance in mind, in contrast with the ever-popular GTE. Plus, Toyota engines have turbos on the right side, which should be a helping factor in a LHD car like mine. Considering the fact that both RBs and the 1JZ weren't available in Europe and the info I provided above, it seems to me that the 2JZ is a better choice than anything else. But, as usual, I would like to be 100% sure - is it more difficult than the RB swap, and (in general) is it worth the effort? If I understood correctly, both the RB and the JZ require custom engine and transmission mounts, rear sump oil pans, custom driveshaft, strenghened rear end (300ZX R230?), custom wiring harness and a whole lot details that I couldn't remember - did I forget anything? Please, help me create my own Hybrid Z! Any input would be really appreciated. Tony P.S. - Sorry for my English, I hope the post was understandable...

'73 240Z, chassis no. HLS30 52689, first registered on June 14th 1973 in Switzerland, bought new as one of the few hundred original European models. Stock L24 with round top carbs, FS5C71A five speed and 3:90 R180 diff. It looks quite like a JDM and USDM model hybrid - it has Euro bumper-mounted indicators, only front side marker lights, orange rear lenses, front and rear bumper guards, A-pillar mounted mirrors and metric instruments. The car has gone through a complete body restoration, and is waiting to be painted dark blue (something like WWII US Navy blue). I bought it over a year ago - can't wait till it's finished. I'm saving money to make it a 240JZ Hybrid...

My friend once drove me around in his 996 Carrera4, and then gave me the keys to take it for a while. I agree that it would make a great daily driver, but nothing more than that - it's comfortable, looks good, handles great (I loved the steering feedback), but isn't as exciting as the earlier models. My neighbour, a Porsche and Subaru freak, has a 964 Carrera with Bilstein shocks and a loud exhaust - boy, talk about the speed sensation in that one! After driving the 996, it felt like changing a '86 Caddy Eldorado into a racecar... I'd take an aircooled Porsche over the later models anytime. They are cheaper, they look better, and they feel much better in driving terms. Now I understand what Walter Roehrl meant when he said that even P-cars are losing the "driving feedback" (don't know if it's the right term) with every next model.

I've seen this car before, and I must tell that the guys behind this must have gone crazy to build something like this! The SLC is a nice car (my dad has an older SL, great car to drive around on sunny days), but I'm not sure if the stock suspension can cope with the kind of power that motor makes. I wish I could make a swap like this into my Z, I love the Toyota JZ motors. And BTW: Yasin, this looks like an early 1JZ to me... Tony

I'm Tony, and even tough I'm kinda new here too, I already feel familiar on HybridZ. I'm still a high school student, but I work for a classic car magazine, and I'm informally assigned as a Japanese and American specialist. I've been working there for a year or so, and I love it! I'm hoping to become a proffesional automotive journalist in future. I sent my CV to a tuning mag, a generic car mag and automotive TV - we'll see if anyone accepts me for work. I also work for an online car mag, it's been a lot of fun until now. My dream is to become a professional Zcar restorer and tuner. The European market for classic cars is still growing, so it's not impossible.

I love the Zs that look as if they were treated really bad for a few years, but can smoke any WRX or Supra in the stoplight challenge... Sweet car!