Blakt Out

I like the brown/blk on you 260!

I love that 260 2+2. I've got mine posted on here a few other places, so I'll keep the photos to a minimum. First, a pic of it before restoration, then a few pics during resto-mod. It's not finished yet. Can't wait though. 1972 240Z. SR20. Many, many mods. Body is not modded at all though.

Sweetness.

John, Thanks for the kind words on my car. I'm stoked about it. No worries. Getting torqued up is good! Peace, Jared

Ummm.... Not purist. Just common sense. There's no benefit to modding an early VIN over a late VIN, but early VINs bring more money when left alone. This really shouldn't be THIS hard to explain. IT'S NOT PURIST. It's just not being an idiot with money.

Per request:

You guys are right. I didn't read the rules and I'm sorry. Also, I AM a redneck. Right now you can go to Barnes & Noble and buy magazine with a 10 page article in it on another car of mine. The first four words are "This hillbilly hauls ass.". And I also say that I am a redneck and have done something that I regret to an early VIN Z. I don't really think I'm going overboard by telling someone that I have done it before and regret it. The redneck V8 stuff: I didn't mean to go overboard. But that's how I feel about what I did in my car. Some of your posts that you guys have made "against" my thoughts are great. I really appreciate your humor (the help out the tortured car... that really was a good post, for real. You made your point well.) But I really do think that you didn't get what I was saying. I appreciate LoCarb and rturbo helping clear it all up. But in the end, I didn't read the rules. But let it be said again, I said to cut on a little newer car. That's all. And I know that a turbo isn't irreversible. In the end, I think that some have an uncool feel to the words "collector car". The reality of it is that you could take out the words "collector car" and say "a car that someone will pay you at least half what you put into it later". As someone who would and does buy cars knowing that I am actually building assets, I can attest that I would walk quickly away from a low VIN car with a V8, turbo, or anything other than the L24... INCLUDING the SR20, like I am doing. Mine's a 72. I wil stay within the rules. But guys, I've been most places in the Z world. 14 cars. I'm not just some guy on here with a mission to point fingers and feel like an authority. However, I've done just about everything you can do short of an RB and have my very real opinions. Lastly, I was asked how an LS7 is redneck. It's redneck in a low VIN 240Z to me. And frankly (I am only answering a question here), I don't want to put any engine in my Z that is the wet dream of every toothless Jim-Bob driving a rusty Camaro. So you don't flame on the toothlessness, I've had to have dental implants all across the top!

Rock on. I love the 3.1. Beautiful engine. What all are the common things you see?

I honestly don't know if it's indoors or out. I sure HOPE it's indoors! I'll have to camp out beside the Z if it's not!

Actually, I will probably have the 911 displayed there as well. The 240 won't be finished and the resto shop is taking it down in their rig.

I'll shoot you info on the car show when I get the specifics. I'll also let you know exactly where my car will be displayed. I'll also PM you with all my contact info. I really look forward to meeting you there! Jared

Agreed. Worthless without pics. BUT, let's say that you COULD have a $20,000 car here. Sounds like you're set on making it a faster $4,000 car. That's essentially why we're asking you to think really hard. You're young. Dude, we've all been there. I don't know if I said it in another post or this one, but I'm now 30. I now own my 14th Datsun Z (240z, 260z, 280z). I was brought home from the hospital when I was born in one. All of Mom and Dad's friends had them (one had this beautiful gray 72 with a red interior... wow). We have pictures of me as a baby, as a 3 year old, 5 year old, etc with all these Z's running up into the mountains together just to picnic after church. Good stuff. So I started when I was 15. I got a 78 2+2 auto brown. Yep. That was my Dad's gift to me. I ended up taking it from an auto to a 4speed myself at 15. From there, I've done V8s. I've done turbos. I've done just about everything. I'm there with you. I'm not that faceless "purist dork". But I HAVE been there. I also am a road racer (but I use my 911 for that now). I just want you to know that I relate to the "I don't care about having a collector car. I'm going to do something crazy!" And I definitely don't think for a moment that I can sway you one way or the other. BUT, I just want to suggest to you a viewpoint that I wish I had heard back then... a viewpoint that maybe you will wish you listened to when you are older. To have a 1970 240Z given to me by my father who modded it well and really took care of it, and to then immediately start cutting on it or throwing all this HP into it with other engines... Just take a step back and think about how it would feel later on if you DID regret it. That's all we're asking, as fellow Datsun lovers. I think you could throw an L28 in there and not hate yourself for it because you'd still have the other engine. Just please, no V8. No anything else crazy. Not till you drive it like it is for a while. Just my 2 cents. I've been there before, and I hear myself in each of your posts. Take care.

Yeah. Angelo's is good and right in Little River.

This is the best post I've seen in a while. Weight also makes your car brake and handle poorly. Lotus Elise's are dealing with a similar power to weight ratio. I've set up a 240Z with redone SUs, headers, exhaust, ignition, etc and it was so raw and fast. Seriously. Let me know if you need someone to rescue that Z. I'm an available hero.

Actually, it's all stainless, I'm pretty sure. The resto shop actually took some time (quite a LOT of time, by my bill) restoring it. It is the most impressive part of the build to me, possibly. In most of these pics, some is intalled but they have green tape on them.

I just saw that you are in NC. My car is in North Wilkesboro, very close to you. Go by and check out the SR20. It's going to be around 400HP. Very light, wonderful engine. Click here to check it out. Before you go cutting on a collector car and throwing a redneck pushrod motor in it or anything else, please, at least offer the car to me to purchase. I'd consider it just to save it. However, another man mentioned setting the L24 on a pallette in your garage. If you don't have to do any cutting, I think that's cool. I'm not a "purist" in the way that I just want to rain on everyone's parade. But I've done the V8 before. I've done the gaudy "self done wide body kit". It's all silly. These cars attract collectors, real drivers, and a ton of rednecks who destroy them by the dozen per year. It just makes me sad. The cars deserve more. My 2 cents.

Agreed. The turbo will be something you regret in a 1970. It's not one of those "nobody does it so I will and I'll be cool" things. It's one of those "nobody would dare do that because it is too special and it will most definitely not be cool" kind of things. I don't want to shoot you down either. I just wanted to be blunt. I've had 14Zs. Don't go this to this car. You will not be cool. That's blunt. However, I bet some of us will either try to help you find a buyer so you can get the money to do it on a less special car and have the money to do it all too.

I don't know the details (the Hot Rod Barn just asked if I would let them display it) but I know it's in Myrtle Beach and on the 20-22 weekend. The 20th is my wife's birthday, but I'LL BE THERE! She'll like coming to MB. That's cool. And yeah. Little River is very close. 20 minutes or so. Come on down!

Thanks guys. You are all VERY kind! I've just waited so long to get this thing done. SO CLOSE! Geez. Now if I can hide all the receipts in seperate places so I can never, EVER add them up!

Of course! Let me know when you are going to go by and I'll be sure Guy Reid is there. He's the man to get the major credit! A true artist for sure.

I can't wait to show you! I love the lime. Congrats on that! I searched all over. I ended up having to get mine in San Francisco sight unseen and having it shipped to the Carolinas. Luckily, it was even better than advertised. Just love the lime!

Actually, NO! I need to remedy that. I know I test fit them, but no pics! The wheels have yet to hold any weight of the car, as it's been on stands for a LONG time. I'll work on the pics.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate it. 723, I chose an SR20 for these reasons: I decided that, in my opinion, anything over 400HP is really undriveable as a "sports car" in the Z. Sure, I can make a novelty car that people talk about or are amazed at... and I can tub it and build a drag car. But to actually use all of the techniques of sports car driving, with the weight of the Z, 400 was max. Also, with this, I wanted to be sure that I could get smooth power delivery... no spiking on the powerband. For these first two, just about any of the swaps will do. VQ - RB - SR. I've done a V8 before and that isn't my cup of tea. I feel it takes the identity of a great car away and makes it a wannabe. I also know that I'm not getting this kind of reliable smooth power out of the L series engine. Maybe someone is doing it, and I really respect that. But I wanted a genuine Nissan swap. Lastly, I didn't even consider a JZ or anything else. Just my opinion and answering your question, but I think the Z deserves more than that... having just any random heart put in it because we want to be creative and happen to own the unfortunate Datsun. So, the VQ, the SR, and the RB. I think the VQ needs more revs. I think it needs more room to breathe, and I think it doesn't "feel" like a good engine to me. In the 350Z, I think it feels like someone needs to take out the rotating mass and balance it. Every 350Z that I've driven: turbo, supercharged, and NA, feels like this. Don't know why. However it is brilliantly torquey. So that left me the SR and RB. Both are more than capable of giving me the 400HP number. Both can even get that peak number with a beautiful dyno curve. I looked at many of each engine before making my decision. The RB is incredible, but I don't get why it's in the Zs all around. I do get the story of it, and think that's awesome. I love 240Zs with it. But I wonder if they really drive it well or if it's a talking piece. The SR is so much lighter and will mount so much more aft than the RB will that to see the setup scales of one car to the next the front wheels would be carrying SUCH higher numbers that only a race car driver can appreciate. This can with it's uber-long hood needs no more help in sticking even more weight even further out to the snout. The SR does the job I want it to do and is the lightest engine I've mentioned. Plus, although it's cool and JDM, it is quite plentiful in modification parts. Everything has been very easy to get ahold of (other than a new wiring harness). All the power, but compact weight... all behind the steering rack. And my heart, unlike some other swaps, isn't repulsed by the abonation. I'll never feel like it was a redneck frankenstein. That's my opinion. I don't want to make any enemies here. Just answering your question to the best of my ability.

Yeah man. I was brought home from the hospital when I was born in one. That's where the addiction starts! By the way, we DID change the freeze plugs. Again, this was a test fitting. I just realized I put that pic up. OOPS!

I can't believe this.