NissanSportMag(Z31)

First, Are you sure there isn't room for the crossover pipe between the engine and firewall? I know the engine bay is fairly large. The V6 is about the same length as the I4, and there is plenty of room in there for the KA. Running the crossover pipe in front of the engine will be annoying. Look at all the accessory belts and the fan that will be up there. You'd be better off making it fit behind or under the motor.

The V6 was only available in the regular cabs in the first year as an SE-V6 model. I believe after that, you could only get it with a long bed or 4WD for a couple years. After that, it was no longer available in the regular cab. Doesn't matter what cab the truck has. Just ask for the motor mounts from a V6 Hardbody or Pathfinder. The trucks are exactly the same from the dash forward.

I'd stick with a straight 6 if you don't want to go with a V8. A couple options: Toyota 7M Toyota 1JZ Toyota 2JZ Nissan RB

The stock internals of the VG30s has been shown to hold over 750 hp. This was on a car that was tuned with nitrous, a big turbo, tons of fuel, and many hours on the dyno. If you really want to make power, read this: http://www.redz31.com

The ECU works with the O2 sensor and fuel injectors. Most of the other sensors are completely interchangable from NA to turbo. Most NA to turbo swaps will use their original NA wiring harness, but it is very simple to swap if you want. The actual engine harness only goes into the cab of the car about a foot or so directly to the ECU. If you want to retain the automatic transmission, you'll need to use an automatic ECU as well. You can continue using the NA harness, but you'll lack the option to hook up a couple sensors (knock sensor and maybe one or two more). Your situation is a bit more complex since you aren't running a Z31 transmission. Not sure how the ECU and automatic interface in your case.

You give up too easily. Hope you have a big bank account.

So tighten it down properly. Where and what is coming loose?

You aren't required to wear helmets?!?!?! And holy Damn! That's insane.

The factory service manuals are great. But for the average shade tree mechanic, they go into too much detail. The Haynes manual for the Z31 gets enough of the basics down that makes it simple to follow. They also include a lot more pictures and a few extra diagrams that the FSMs just don't show. I'll agree that a mechanic probably wouldn't find the Haynes useful. But if he's having a problem finding the dipstick, it doesn't sound like he's anywhere near a mechanic's level.

Suggestion. Buy a Haynes manual and read it. Most basic, simple questions are answered in there. It also has a lot of good information on how to do most repairs on the car as well as basic diagnostic information. It's probably the best ~$15 you can spend on your car. And it should be the first $15 you spend on your car. Don't waste your money on the Chilton's manual. They suck. And once you have the Haynes manual, start watching e-bay for a good factory service manual. Most of the CD versions are junk. Buy the actual book version.

worry about learning how to drive well before learning how to race and do burnouts.

trying to teach someone to drive a manual over the internet is like trying to teach a blind man to draw a scenic country villa. it just doesn't work. find someone local who knows how to drive a manual and get them to teach you.

Yes. But that is beyond the reach of the majority of the people.

yes. buy an electronic boost controller.

Proper tune. As in, your car has had a recent tune up and has been properly maintained. No, I don't mean anything about ECU modifications.

My old 84NA manual gets 22-24 in the city and 27-29 on the freeway. My 84T manual gets 18-20 in the city (heavy right foot) and 25-27 on the freeway. My 88NA auto gets 20-22 in the city and 27-29 on the freeway. A properly tuned Z31 will get nice numbers. Keep them in check.

the metal bumpers some extra bracing inside the car dash etc.

Yes. With significant reworking of the firewall. Note that with time and/or money, anything is possible. But generally, those types of projects are a waste of both. Usually, there are other options that will net the same results with less of both.

The supercharger was done by a 15 year old kid on a budget. The point of the project was to see what could be done with little money. They are still running the stock ECU and MAF.

in a straight line, the thing that helps is toe. but any camber changes greatly affect actual traction. and to maximize traction, you want zero to no camber.

Nope. Solid rear axle is better most of the time. I understand a lot of Mustang Cobra owners swap out their IRS for solid axles if they plan on drag racing.

Yes. In road racing, some camber changes are desirable. But the focus of this thread was on drag racing. And camber changes are bad when drag racing. Camber changes make less tire available to the traction part of the equation. And yes. Camber changes in a single A-Arm setup are significantly greater than a semi-trailing arm system. But I don't know the last time I've seen a single a-arm system on a real car. And since we're talking about the Z31 here, the majority of these cars ride at a neutral setting. i.e. about 0 degrees of camber while sitting. Once you launch, the squat makes a fairly significant change in the camber. And, as mentioned, lots of negative camber makes for a loss of traction. Which results in tire spin and slower ETs. The link is a very interesting read, and not something I hadn't thought of myself. But it really doesn't delve into how to fix it. It just gives the raw data. Problems arise when people don't do anything to fix their 20+ year old springs and wonder why they can't get good times at the drag strip. I've seen Z31s with suspension so worn out the back bumper actually hits the ground and leaves sparks from the undercarriage. And that is a significant (6" +) change in geometry. The way I've seen this best reduced is with helper air bags filled to their limits. Weight transfer does occur during squat, but you don't need squat to get weight transfer. A strong motor will raise the front wheels (even if only slightly) and result in weight transfer. Squat that causes traction loss is not a good thing.

I would love to know how you do this cheaply without replacing the entire rear end. The only way I can see this happening is replacig the shocks or springs with solid bars so you no longer have suspension travel.

The NA Z31 transmissions are the same as the 240SX transmissions. Just a different bell housing. They've been known to hold 400+ hp in daily drivers. The later turbo Z31 transmissions are the same internally as the Z32 transmissions.