260DET

By stock heads I mean stock castings as distinct from the NISMO ones also the problem is not with the upper plenum it's with the lower. But I'm just here to relate my experience which is that a VG33ET makes a nice street motor but if you use one for a race application you will be outgunned big time. I might add that a real SAE compliant 350 horses at the wheels is way more than you can use on the street anyway, twin spinners are just a nudge of the accelerator away. I can switch maps with my engine and find ~250whp is much nicer to drive in traffic, accidental wheelspin when the lights go green gets a bit annoying after a while

To be blunt I don't find high power claims for the single cam VG using stock heads and lower plenum to be realistic, possibly due to a variation in dynos etc used to measure their power. I'm using a VG30DET engine now and will keep it in preference to the VG33ET.

If Porsche is the winningest car in history then that is due to their focus on doing so and the lack of constant and similarly dedicated opposition, P sink or swim according to their race results, no other car company does, Ford showed what could be done by a casual multinational car co with the GT40. Geez, S30's given a level playing field can smack Porkers down, really they are pretty ordinary cars in a lot of ways with some pretty ordinary engineering.

Time attack at my local circuit (Lakeside, look it up) well driven Porsche cup car gets comprehensively owned by two Evo's and not for the first time. Bang for buck P cars don't rate on the club scene. An the Evo that came second is a daily driver with air con etc. http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?11/11/2023.LAKE.P4

Problem with the VG30ET is they can't breath sufficiently to deliver decent power, nothing to do with them being single cammers, it's the head design and particularly the lower plenum which restrict them. A comparison with a worked RB30ET which has the same valve gear proves my point, the RB kills a VG. Talking about 500hp for a VG is silly, 350 real wheel hp is about as good as they get. Unfortunately Nissan designed the single cam VG with the restrictions built in, if you want real power get some NISMO heads and matching custom induction setup, like Electramotive developed.

Love your work Frank, going by your experience the BMW suspension under a S130 would be a killer. While the S30 is rightly so the Z car to have the S130 has a much stiffer chassis the weak point being integration of the front chassis rails into the body which is not hard to fix. But I have to say that my S130 with S14 suspension front and back is a faster car than it's driver so I don't know if the BMW setup would be better in the real (amateur) world. The grip you get from just semi slicks slams me around enough as it is

Good way to go though, providing others do not suffer at the same time The worst drivers though are those who don't realise that they have no idea of the dynamics involved, they are the ones who scare me.

Nasty, hang onto that steering wheel whatever. Problem is to program yourself to react correctly in an overwhelming situation.

The Z driver says he was facing away from the P car but pieces of flying debris were hitting his car and did some superficial damage. Not applicable to this incident but some of these historic race cars only get rolled out a couple of times a year so some of the drivers are a bit, errr, rusty.

Historic car racers, some can drive and some can't Link below to pics of another incident from the same meeting, driver of the dark blue Z car in some of the shots lives ten minutes away. Porsche drive was shaken and stirred but OK. http://www.motorsportretro.com/2012/03/porsche-911-crash-photos/

Maybe arrange a couple around the exhaust pipe outlet? Get creative...........

Open wheeler? No thanks

BMW know their suspension stuff. Not that great otherwise but driving impressions count which is where they shine. PS My Z now has 9 degrees front caster so suck shoot BMW

There are a few of those in AU, probably somewhere around that price. Not a big market of course but a decent one at the right price will find a buyer no problem. Haksoukas or something they call them.

Welcome to the 400+ at the wheels Z car club where being 'nervous' is part of the deal

Generally speaking anti dive is a bit of a non issue for us amateurs isn't it, assuming no ground effects aero? With 400lb springs on my front struts dive is not noticeable under the heaviest braking. I would not use geometrical anti dive or squat, the suspension is more responsive without it.

There was some good info on this forum posted a year or so ago by Frank about modifying the rear suspension like BMW did with the E30 for racing. It was more than just adding the usual bolt on stuff, it was about changing the rear suspension arms sweep angle. Other than Frank I have never heard of anyone doing this with their 280ZX which is surprising as it would not be difficult to do.

There have been a couple of those swaps done in AU and they are not easy at all. Nothing wrong with the VG30DET engine, it's the fitting it in and all the little problems that add up. Actually one swap had some info posted on this forum a couple of years ago, a blue one with a lot of custom fabrication.

At 3750rpm its on zero, at 4000 its boosting five pounds. Boost can be adjusted on the fly, for street driving it's set at six pounds which is the lowest possible but still quick enough for all legal purposes Obviously the turbo is a good match but it seems like the divided housing really works even though the stock manifolds are very cramped in design and no doubt limit outright power.

Had the Z back on the track the other day, mother of my god, scared the s**t out of me after a year off. Comment from a following driver as I lined the Z up through the straight entry corner, 'I saw a puff of grey exhaust smoke, the back of the Z sat down and you disappeared, bastard'. Got out of the car and I was shaking, with power comes great, err, difficulty

The other car was an EVO I think. I know a couple of blokes who do targas, they always have scarey stories to tell

The 'feature' car is a Ford Perana, basically a Seth Effricin V8 version of a British Ford Capri coupe.

Problem is OP has not said what the car is used for. My R200 has a OE S15 torsen type diff and I love it, mainly used for time attack type races. But, but, the suspension has to be set up with one aim in mind, which is that both rear wheels must always stay on the deck. For ordinary street use they do beautiful smokey twin lines no problem

Yeh it's got a locked diff, that's the only way he can get it around corners. Lap after lap

Seeing yours is a BRE racer Greg care to put some money on best Lakeside lap times, just for funsey, nothing serious Mine is just a daggy 280ZX, no chance eh