rturbo 930

A few more comments.... 1) A 280z will be quite a bit cheaper than a 240z. 2) A 240z doesn't necessarily handle better. 280zs have taller rear strut towers by and inch or so, but otherwise, pretty much the same suspension, if not exactly the same geometry. A lightened 280z with better springs/shocks should handle as well as a 240z with springs/shocks. 3) The L28 will bolt in place of the L24. Super easy swap. I agree with you, the Z is better looking, although The E30 is still a great looking car. The Z is also a few inches shorter, heightwise, and feels more like a sports car. I edited my first post in here with more info BTW.

First, are you interested in a 240z or 280z, or don't you care? 280zs are heavier, but better built, and a little (only a little) more luxurious. 240zs are light and nimble, and a bit more raw. And second, depending what your priorities are, I'll tell you that the E30 is simply a better car than the Z. More enjoyable? I don't know, that's really a preferential thing, but on paper, it's a better car. Period. Parts are also more available, and generally cheaper as far as I can tell, as is entry cost (although it's going up, but so is the Z), it's got four seats, and the option of four doors, cruise control, a limited slip and CV axles from the factory as well as four wheel disc brakes (depending on model), and powersteering too (the factory rack is slow, but you can replace the it with a quicker one, and/or delete PS altogether). The Z has lots of swap options, but E30s do too (M30, M50-S52, and the S54, and more). And while I've never autocrossed my E30, it's definitely a great car. And it doesn't have to be just a weekend car either, which I can't really say about the Z although some would argue that point. Rust is definitely more of an issue with the Z than the E30, but shouldn't be too bad where you are since there's no salt on the roads in winter. Zs have the better motor from the factory. Even though the M20 is fairly similar to the L28 (SOHC I6, 2.5 or 2.7L stock for the M20, 2.4/2.6/2.8 for the L series), I'm pretty surprised as to how few people are making decent power with it in NA form. Especially surprising considering the M20 has a crossflow head, and the L doesn't. There seems to be a few people in AUS making insane power, and everyone else can barely do more than 250 - AFTER stroking to 3 - 3.2L. Swaps are pretty straight forward for the BMW though, I think the Z takes a bit more work if you're swapping in something besides the L. I also like how the Z trans shifts MUCH more than the BMW. Lots of people seem to like the BMW transmissions, but I must have a bad trans (possible@270k miles) because I really don't think it shifts that well - and yes my bushings are fresh. Since you're planning on tracking the car, I'm assuming you're gonna want camber plates. For the Z you're going to need weld in plates, or GC's bolt in plates, which require cutting. The BMW will require welding in camber/toe adjusters on the subframe (no camber plates), and BOLT IN camber plates up front, or E28 camber plates (which are better, though I'm not sure how) which require some light cutting up front for clearance. And wheels and tires... There might be a cheap and light after market wheel available for the Z but I don't know what it is. There's a few options for the E30, my personal preference being TRM C1, available in both 15x7 and 15x8 for under $500 for a set of four. That's really cheap. If I were you, I'd find someone willing to let you test drive their E30/Z and see which you like better. Make sure it's not stock, since Zs are a little dull when stock, IMO, 280Zs especially. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/index.php is a great site for the E30. I haven't done a very good job selling the Z, have I? haha... As much as I love the Z... there's a good reason I bought my E30. Still, you might find you like the Z better.

I'm not sure why you'd buy a car if you didn't like anything about the way it looked. Doesn't really make sense. If you like the 350Z, buy a 350Z.

No title, no deal. Walk away.

He may have simply swapped out the FI for carbs. The engine could still be original.

Yeah, I read his description, and then looked at the pics, and wondered if it was a different car. It doesn't look like the rust is too serious, but I know there's more hiding. With rust, it's never what it looks like.

It's probably got more rust than you think it does.

Nice! We're gonna need some video when you get it in and running. I'm curious what kind of street manners it'll have, too.

I don't see a Z selling for 40k anytime soon. Not unless it is a very early one. And I wouldn't mind seeing prices go up a little bit, but hopefully not to the extent that the early Porsches have. The Z was built to be the affordable sportscar, and it has been for the last 40 years. I think that's why many of us chose the Z car to begin with. IMO it should remain an affordable classic.

Pics are worth a thousand words. From the sounds of it though, yes. They're not making any more of them. Once it's gone, it's gone forever, and there's no replacing it, and they're already getting harder to find. Why is this in the parts wanted section?

The LSx swap is a great swap if you want lots of power, torque, and good fuel economy from a modern power plant. For you, I think the LSx would be a mistake. You've stated that you want to use the stock 5spd, and don't want to mess with upgrading the driveline, brakes, etc. which IMO rules out the LSx swap. And from the sounds of it, your budget is limited, and you aren't doing the work yourself, which would rule out something like an F20c from a Honda S2000 which would be a great motor for you, but it requires some custom fabrication which means $$$. An NA L28 would meet your needs, but I think the L28ET might be your best option... depending on what your budget is (under $5000?), and what your power goals are. 250hp or less, I'd stay with an NA L28, more than that, an L28ET for sure.

What do you think about an L28et? If you want a little more power, but don't want to have to deal with upgrading the brakes, rear end, etc, etc, I think an L28et or a modified N/A L28 would be a good choice. What kind of power are you looking for? And your budget?

I don't think the V6 will be easier than the LSx. It's practically bolt in at this point. And from what I know, the VQ engines are NOT a simple swap, VG engines I'm guessing are easier, but I don't know much about that swap.

Phar, he's asking about Fairlady Zs. Right hand drive models. Edit: Beat to the punch by seconds!

Glenn aka spit17 here has one. It's a 71 or 72. I think TonyD has at least one, and the L31DETT guy has one.

Seam welding is a pain in the ass since you have to deal with all the seam sealer they put on the car. Personally I'd skip the seam welding and just add in a few well placed braces. Bad dog frame rails, and front and rear strut bars a bit like THIS should be plenty, since it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wild. I'd leave the vents. They do serve a purpose. When you shut the doors, those vents let air escape. Yes, you need a different fuel tank if you want dual exhaust. If you don't like the look of ZG flares, I wouldn't bother. You don't need 275+ race tires for any kind of driving you would be doing on the street. I think a lot of people here overestimate how much tire they need. And don't forget, bigger wheels and tires are heavier. If you aren't making use of that extra tire, you're actually slowing yourself down.

Don't do a fuel cell - have the stock fuel tank restored. I've read a lot of things over the years I've been browsing here about fuel cells, and what I've gathered is that they're a pain in the ass and really only belong on race cars. They're also quite expensive to do properly. I've since lost the bookmark, but a member here upgraded the stock fuel tank with an ATL black box. I think the member was 1tuffz. Having the tank restored and modified will be expensive too, but you won't need to do ANY fabrication on the car, you can still use the stock filler (as opposed to having to open the hatch every time you get fuel), and you can still carry a spare tire, which I would recommend. You should be able to find the thread on the modification pretty easily with a search.

Early dashes like yours had the two indents, but only the one was used for the hazard switch, the other was blank. Later dashes had two indents, too, but the second (upper?) one was used for the cig lighter. There should also be an indent next to the hazard switch on the later dashes for an on/off label. I don't think the upper indents were the same size, but I'm not sure.

Looks like they're still active on FB, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Retro-spec/164254480421705 Edit: His name is Paulo? That Paulo? http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/63369-problems-with-parts-from-paulo-fazzt73/ Not trying to knock his business, but that would kind of explain the seemingly spotty communication. I thought he had disappeared.

Looking good man. But I have to admit I think it's funny that you thought your driver's floor was "pretty bad." Most of us wish it was only that bad.

240z strut towers have support braces with two flanged cut outs (not sure of the correct term) per side, the 280Z support braces are solid. Also, the 280Z strut towers have mounts for a retracting 3pt seat belt on top. 240Z strut towers are open. If you still aren't sure, post a pic, and I'll tell you which they are.

I'd love to know what the weight difference is. Also interested to see what your Z weighs when it's done!

Good idea. A while back I saw a thread where someone had put an LED strip on the inside/top of the hatch window. Discrete, but functional. Edit: Found it: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/82524-third-brake-light-cheap-easy-bright/

Not smiling. Haven't gotten mine yet, and if prices go up enough, I probably won't. I'm wondering if the article is exaggerating those prices a bit though. If Hagerty's price guide is at all accurate (it might not be), prices actually haven't changed much at all. http://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/VehicleSearch/Report?vc=872367

The only problem I have with the flare you're planning is that it might not give the wheel enough room to go up and down, and you'll have rubbing issues. Doesn't look like you need much flare though, so it might not be an issue. I wouldn't machine the wheel. I get that you really want to run them, but I think a similar looking 3 piece wheel would be best since you can just change out the lip if it's too wide.