Phantom

Talking about too late - I had this same thing happen in a Datsun sedan I had rentaed for a tour of Oahu. Fixed it with a popsicle stick i broke and doubled up and inserted through the holes. Gee - did I mention that it happened in 1967!

Let's put some numbers down. My LS1 is out of a '98 Camaro. It has three modifications from bone stock, the ECU has been edited to 2001-2002 parameters, it has a K&N intake, and it had the Sanderson 1 1/2" primary block hugger headers into a single 2 1/2" exhaust. It dyno'd at 311 RWHP & 326 LBFT of torque. I've since improved the exhaust since then but have not put it back on the dyno. Even still, that puts flywheel HP up around 365 from a stock motor. With the Z06 intake and a better valve train it could easily make 400 HP. Again though, if you have a choice, I'd still go with the '01 or '02 motor, especially if you can get one with both the Z06 intake and block. It doesn't give you mcuh more to start but it has more potential for the given dollar invested later.

That obviously a bear that does NOT have a discriminating pallet. Rainer Beer tastes more like dish water - Hey - Mayybe that's how he delveloped a taste for it!

I am running KYB's on essentially stock springs. They seem to be fine to me but are kind of considered a "commodity" shock. They do the job but not quite as well as some of the pricier units. I've probably got 50,000 miles on mine now and they are still doing as well as when I first put them on.

I concurr on the '01 or newer LS1. The newer engines have the Z06 intake and some even have the Z06 block if you shop around enough. They would make a better foundation to build from. When you get the engine be sure to get the wiring harness, ecm, and radiator fans & shroud if you can. The fans & shroud off either F-body are almost a perfect fit for a Datsun sized radiator and will plug 'n play with the ECM and the wiring harness. Being from Connecticut and having a 240Z I assume that you're not interested in having AC in the car. Again, read as many of the posts as you can and gather all the information before you start making decisions. That will save yo a lot of do-overs. I have a feeling you've probably experienced a few of those.

OK - now that I've seen your car you obviously know your way around it! Sweet ride. Looks like you've got everything pretty much done except for the quest for more torque & HP. Lots of that going on around this site. Keep using the search button and asking questions and we'll get you there. Be careful to differentiate betweeen facts and opinions - we all have lots of both!

Contact John at http://www.johnscars.com for conversion components for an LS1. Be sure to tell him that you have a late model 240Z and which transmission, T56 or 4L60E, you plan to use. Also, you need to decide if you're going to keep the stock R180 differential or upgrade to the R200. That decision should be based on how you intend to use the car - daily driver, drag racer, crooked track racer, etc. You do realize that, even if you do all the work, this is going to cost you $6,000+ just for the drive train - not including any other upgrades in suspension, braking, interior, exterior, etc. BTW - living in CT - I hope you have a car that is rust-free. If it has any major rust you need to forget it and find another body. The 240Z will require some significant reinforcement to the body structure to ensure it will handle the torque of a V8 over an extended period of time.

Started driving the car this past weekend. At this point the front-rear balance feels pretty good but I haven't "put it to it" yet. I also seem to have a pretty healthy shudder/flutter in the right front that I need to track down. Like I said before, need to put some miles in it and get the pads set and then check for performance and the potential brake line, body interference in the back.

YEE HAAWW!!!

Get in the Yellow Pages and call an Auto Parts store that is NOT a major chain like Pep Boys, AutoZone or O'reilly's. Give them the Papco MA320 part number or the American Grease Stick (AGS) BLJ320 part number and you'll find the part.

So what did you specifically have to do to get the 275's on the car? Are they on the rear only? What size are you running on the front?

If you've ever watched "That 70's Show" you know the father - "Red". He has a term for folks that don't seem to quite up to par - "Dumb ---!" Anyway, between work and the car I've been having a lot of "Red" moments with people I've encountered. Got it worked though, though. Master Cylinder should go on car today and hopefully it will be running in time for a Z Club car show at a local Hooters.

Mike, When you get the body looking as good as the drivetrain and suspension components that's going to one sweet ride! What's you're opinion of the Arizona Z Car parts?

I bought a brand new expansion valve about a year ago from MSA for about $90. If you don't see it in their catalog - call them. It definitely helped with my AC.

With careful placement you can install a set of 235/60-15" BFG Drag Radials on either some late 280ZXT rims or some early 300ZX rims with spacers. The DR's will hook up a mostly stock LS1 pretty well. If you aren't going drag racing then the 225's work very well with a mildly upgraded suspension for either daily driving or limited crooked track use. All depends on your goals. I actually went from 225/50-16's to 215/55-16's and life got better. Slightly taller tires helped with my gearing and ride comfort and the fact that they are a stickier design helps with my launch.

The key is having the part number: Either the Papco MA320 or the AGS BLJ320 will find the part pretty quickly. By the way - the BLJ320 definitely fits - it's on the car now with no leaks.

Already done. Thanks for the offer.

Well, the new brakes are on - sort of. Everything is installed, filled with fluid, and tested but have a few concerns/problems. At this point I have no adjustable proportioning valve and the front brakes lock up well before the rear - BUT - I'm still running the '77 280Z master cylinder. I think I have successfully proven two things. On my car you need the bigger piston pushing more oil to get it to the rear brakes better and, yes, the drum brake rear check valve does hold residual pressure on the rear brakes causing them to not fully disengage. I am picking op an '80 280ZX master cylinder today. Found out you can get a new one from O'Reilly's (not a rebuilt) for less than half the price of a new Nissan one. Also found out that MSA doesn't have Nissan units any more in this variety. Also, the brake lines going out to the 240SX calipers are scary close to the inside edge sheetmetal of my rear fender wells. I think I may have a rubbing problem there but it should be an easy fix. That all being said, the JSK Willwoods on the front are definitely impressive and make the 240SX calipers on the back look pretty puny. Once the new MC is in I'm going to start driving it and figuring out the balance. At this point I may actually have to put the proportiooning valve in the front line - but - once the new MC is in - it may change again.

Nope - assuming it was an age related thing.

If you'll get a copy of Sport Z Magazine, http://www.sportzmagazine.com, I've seen an ad in it repeatedly for replacement floor pans and subframe connectors. Might want to investigate that.

With the -5 ofset you might get away with some 215's if you are running 15" wheels. If you go up to 16" you'll be limited to 205's. Problem will be the tire rubbing the inside edge lip of the fender well. No problem with the suspension, you'll clear it by a mile. See if you can get a tire shop to fit one up for you and decide from there.

Mike, I came real close to trying it but ended up moving toward more universal duty tires that would fit my 16" rims. The lug pattern will fit your 240. Your old 6" wheels had a 0 offset and the 300ZX wheels have like a 30mm offset so you'd have to use spacers. They can, however, be made to work. Spacers would probably cost as much as the wheels. Then you're back to just buying a pair of lightweight steel wheels for about the same cost. Let's see, how many times did I go around that mountain? Bill PS: I live about 2-3 miles from Jerry's shop so if you come down this way let me know.

First of all - I'd believe it has 230 HP, not 330 HP. Ask him where the dyno sheet is that will prove it. You'd have to boost even a stroker to get that kind of HP and with the clutch out it's kind of hard to check it out, isn't it? Looks like he has a very nice $3,500 car with a $7,000 engine. The 4-spd is great for drag racing but going to be a bit noisy on the freeway. I've driven that gearing and we're talking 3,000 rpm at around 70 mph. Since the clutch is gone and the rest of the car is essentially stock, check it over carefully for rest and,if it's clean - ofer him about $6,500 for it. Let's see just how negotiable it is.

If you are talking drag racing I'd go with the R200. If you are talking about road racing (much gentler on the rear drive train) the R180 should be sufficient.

Nope - wiring is ok although the location of the relays may not be ideal just behind the radiator mount on the passenger side of the radiator. They may be soaking up a little too much heat. Like I said earlier though, the relays show some indicaton of external damage so they may have had their life expectancy atificially shortened. I'm not overly concerned since they've lasted 14 months and 11,000 miles including parts of two hot Texas summers. I'm more than content at this point to have put new ones in and keep a spare in the glovebox along with the spare fuses - which I haven't had to use any of yet.