Daeron

It is STILL a very good idea to coat the inside of the tank. It might cost $50 bucks, but you have already done ALOT of work taking it off and have more to do to put it on. Sealing it now ensures that it won't leak, rust, or get crudded up again in the future. Its like replacing a timing belt and leaving the old water pump on there. (obviously on a different motor, but im trying to convey a point )

When viewed from the back of the car, the R180 is pronouncedly rectangular in shape, roughly the proprtions of a playing car standing upright, or a capital D. A fat capital D. R200s are pretty much squarish. If you REALLY want to know, go to the junkyard and find a 300ZX or a 240SX, those are all 200s. The FAQ post had a side by side photo of them IIRC.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOO!!! SO not fair! Them thangs sher are purdy!!! Have I mentioned my idea with a manifold like this, to use the TB flanges off of stock EFI manifolds (with the egg-shaped hole) and find the dual stage TBs that were sold in JDM market (little guy for low throttle and a big guy that opens on high throttle) I was thinking that it COULDNT be too hard to build an SU-type airbox that had horns for the larger bore (about 40mm?) out into the main plenum area, and then pipe the smaller primary butterflies into long skinny tracts going around the outer circumferences of the airbox/plenum, and then opening out into the main volume... thus giving you a nice loooong airway for low throttle application and then transferring to a short shot in for WOT application.... The biggest problem I could find with this idea (if it were set up by someone who could do the engineering and math to establish proper length tuning) was the air entry into our plenum area in the Z car engine bay. Ideally I would think a centered entry coming from the top would be best, and it MIGHT be do able but it would be such a trick piece by the time you were finished..... impractical to say the least. Another filter thought that just occurred would be even more of a mimicry of the stock SU "airbox..." which is just a plate on the carbs, a round filter, and then a covering box. Make a backplate that includes the horns and piping as I described, then set the filter cartridge around it all and then a top plate, just like stock... Hmmm...

Ladies and Gentlemen!!!!!!!! *drumrollllll* I Give You.... *Trumpet*Fanfare* THE HYBRIDZ QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!!!!!! :ass:

Truckin A! Now can you see why so many people say "Why put a V8 in it?"

99% of all L-6s had solid lifters. SOME cylinder heads with the "p90a" casting had hydraulic lifters. The conventional wisdom is that the P90a head had HLAs and the rest were solid.. but many have encountered P90A heads with solid lifters, and many have also converted P90a heads to solid lifters. Its an easy thing to do, and the hydro lifters are no longer available so we basically no longer have much hydraulic option for our lash adjustment anymore.

I was actually talking about any sort of sheetmetal pan that you *might* possibly have that would bolt underneath the engine bay.. you probably don't have anything, I'm not even sure that 280Zs had anything there ever but I would love to get something. If you DO go aftermarket on the turn signals I will definitely take yours off your hands

Try getting a large screwdriver, sticking the handle end against your ear and (carefully) set the tip against the base of each injector as it is running. Then do the same over on the passenger side of the head, near where the valve rockers are. Listen for the tapping to get louder. If that doesn't turn anything up, get a length of tubing about a meter long and stick one end in your ear.. fish the other end around the intake and exhaust flange listening for a leak. Stethoscope.. two versions, one solid, for mechanical ticking detection, one air-based, for vacuum/pressure leaks. both types also work to "listen" for flow inside hosing... If you can pick up the "sound."

old?

One of the 5/16" lines is the original feed line, which is fine. One of the 5/16" lines runs back to the expansion tank above the gas filler, NOT back to your gas tank, and really should NOT be used (in stock configuration) as a return, since it doesn't actually return to the gas tank. I am not certain how much work would be involved in MAKING the other 5/16" line go directly into the 240Z gas tank, but it does not go there as your car sits now; the 1/4" line that you had thought was evap or something is the return line into the tank. I would suggest finding the FSM for you r model year on xenons30.com and tracking down where what hoses and pipes go and investigating how hard re-routing the evap 5/16" line to use as a return. That, or simply buy some tubing and run new lines. It isn't the cheap solution, but it is NOT hard and it IS the best, most worry-free way.

I would LOVE to get the turn signal lenses and housings if you aren't going to use those....... any under-dash trim or engine bay dust cover/belly pan action available??

I'm just grinning with anticipation and waiting patiently for photos. The thought that I might soon enough get to see and hear this thing in person at no expense or inconvenience to myself whatsoever blows my mind:D

The "lifter" is, quite technically, only the solid lifter piece from the older heads. Hydraulic lifters are (again, quite technically) hydraulic lash adjusters or HLAs. The "solid lifters" are essentially a double threaded stud that you can adjust the height of, and torque into place, thereby achieving (through periodic check and adjustment) proper contact between cam and rocker arm. the "hydraulic lifters" are essentially a one way valve for oil pressure, underneath a cylinder that pushes the rocker arm against the cam with all the might of all your oil pressure all the time... hence, low oil pressure, taptaptaptaptap.... This valve floats underneath the rocker pivot point, which is the only wear component of a "solid lifter" assembly. In other words, the only shortcoming/failure prone area in a solid lifter setup is also inherent on the hydro setup.

no, I think he means, "what, other than the L-series motor, interchanges between the S30 and S130?" off the top of my head, transmission, driveshaft, halfshafts, differential.... and wheels. I don't think the brakes fit directly (not without special bracketry from other ultra rare vehicles or, say, $200) the seats probably could work easily enough (?) but the answer is not much. Maybe a few minor mechanical parts, but I am pretty sure even the radiators were wholly different.

Easy road, go in stages, sticking with an L series, staying modest for now but planning for good times ahead: Drive your car as it runs. While doing that, get a P90 head. Whatever (2.8L and later) bottom end you have will work, you can choose after researching if you want, but the P90 is the simple good way to go here. Enjoy your Z, possibly while upgrading suspension and/or fuel intake system (ie, install megasquirt somewhere along the line) If you want to build a fun motor before turboing, get some flat top pistons, build a bottom end, and have your P90 set up on it. Stock compression, fresh build, good EFI is a fun motor. So you eventually get tired of your nice newness and want nice turbo goodness. Find an exhaust manifold and snail, get new pistons if necessary (How modest were you before? how low can you keep the boost? remember boost x static compression, lower boost with more compression isnt always a bad thing) Install pistons as needed, retune the EFI, continue dark spiral to approach 400 horsepower without buying much more than a stock shortblock and head, pistons, an EFI system, a turbo header and turbo with plumbing. Yah, sure theres camshafts somewhere in there, that will probly need to be chosen twice along this route, and buying two sets of pistons sounds iffy... but if you're lucky enough to find the right pieces at the right times, things can come together ridiculously cheap. It is ALL in the EFI.

Derek- heres my thought on the matter. If it becomes an issue, a simple sheetmetal heat shield can be done up nicely enough. I am picturing something reminiscent of a refrigerator's drip pan, but nicer looking. Possibly even incorporating an angle, getting slightly wider towards the back of the engine... A heat shield like this could be used in tandem with a 280ZX style blower fan. The blower could be installed incognito somewhere, set to blow air directly onto the heat shield/rail after shutoff.. Some sort of setup along these lines could also be easily designed with removal in mind; Install the fan; drive around; live life; take fan setup off; drive to the show/track/bar/whatever; reinstall fan upon getting home or before leaving the track... In any case I think the fuel vaporlock issue is certainly easily coped with should it arise. Bear in mind, this IS an entirely different intake manifold on the motor. Those injector holders should function as quite hefty heat sinks, methinks..... In FACT, you could even make them more functional as such! hmmmmmmmmm

You know, I've never really thought that highly of such short rear end ratios.... I know ALL about why, and when a racecar needs a 3.90 or a 4.11 or 4.40 or beyond, i've seen it on the track, but I still can't see myself ever having a Z with anything SHORTER than 3.70 gears, and I am not prone to abandoning my L series... This is of COURSE on a daily driver type car, but my 280 was driven with joy for 5 years with the stock 3.54 rear end on a stock motor, and I was HAPPY. I was THRILLED. Yes, i was young, dumb, and having fun, but I STILL don't see myself putting miata-esque gearing on my Z.. thats one of the larger things that separate the miata and the Z in my mind (both cars that I love) Now, I'm not saying that I am quite in the 80's Supra camp, being a dog through 70 mph but then passing the camaro/mustang/bmw/whatever at 140 later on down the interstate.... but I've always liked shorter gearing. When I saw you say "4.11 gears" on this car I about choked. then I ran in to tell my dad and brother that you were taking your 4.11 gears out (sooner or later) and ask them if we should try and snap an offer out quick. Then I came back half an hour later, scrolled down and read the rest of your post, and the others that followed it. 4.11 gears in a 6 spd VQ35 powered 240 track car. Wow. WOW. (wow)

So let me get this straight.... You don't want to get into any heavy duty fab work, but you want to know how to go about low-dose, bolt-on modification to improve suspension handling. Step one under midifications of jmortensens suspension FAQ: That not enough for you? believe it or not, it makes for a fun ride compared to a soggy-bottomed 30 year old stocker. you want bolt on, yet at the same time want coil-overs? Do some research on spring rates, decide how much you want to lower the car, and get some springs in the rate you want. buy some illuminas or some konis or something, get some new bushings, and be done! That IS the bolt-on option for suspension; there is a reason you aren't finding much more. "Much more" requires cutting and welding; at least a little bit.

Does the monza header have a Y pipe that unifies the two collectors into one? if so, then it will all come down to the size and placement of that unified collector. I ordered a twice pipes kit from MSA a couple years back. We had an old MSA 3-2 header that I planned on using, but it was missing the Y pipe. MSA sold us the twice pipes system and the Y pipe; it slips onto the header piece great. I have wondered/suspected if the monza and MSA 3-2 headers were the same, but it would take some detailed comparison to determine. IF you get the pieces and they aren't quite the same, chances are pretty good you could still take the whole shebang to a muffler shop and have them put it together on your car for around $100.

I was picturing some sort of heat shield as well, and who says you can't run a heat shield and a fan? Is there anyone in the southeast who could dedicate some studio equipment to get a nice recording of these horns on an L when he gets it finished?? Digital camera audio just doesn't do it justice in my mind....

You've got the same bumpers as I have, and I have long since figured that I wanted to slightly compress the shocks, and get some 240 style bumpers to use as skins over my own, welded up angle iron bumpers made to bolt to stock mounts. In the meantime, I use them for group outdoor seating.

I have to say, it is nice to see such a straight, clean looking stocker, knowing what you got and what you've gone through. I'll say it again, Damn Nice Z.

Classy x 10,000,000, I should have guessed. Have I mentioned that you kick some serious ass??

Duct tape is your friend when sealing a car up for a highway trip to show the car to other people. Obviously you have greater problems than can be coped with with merely duct tape, but I feel relatively certain that a solution for all the fumes can be found with a liberal application of duct tape, along with a few helper materials such as, but not limited to: Garbage bags (tough ones) Odd scraps of sheet metal Corrugated plastic real estate signs (waterproof, light, cuts with scissors) Paperboard if all else fails You certainly wouldn't be the first to give a damn nice Z-car an awkward set of "road clothes" just to survive a long trip with wits intact.