Scottie-GNZ

A fuel cell is definitely on my to-do list. After I priced it out completely with the cell, straps, AN fittings, hose, cutting out the spare tire well and mod for the filler cap, I had to put those funds into something else. Guess I will just have to continue making sure I have at least 8-9 gallons when I run. Couple weeks ago, Daniel brought his 5.0L Z-car to the track. He had a fuel cell and dual exhaust and man, did that look awesome. Need to get some pics and post them. Are you listening Daniel? Drop me a line. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Would be nice to include the pic

Study the pic below. When I first saw it, it immediately came to mind that the engine could be moved back at least another 3-4 inches. It is possible the person who did the swap used the original motor mount tower forcing the engine to be more forward. Note that in mine, new mount brackets were build to move the engine back. Also, it looks like they left clearance for the heater hose fitting and that could easily have been redone. Steering aside, there should be nothing at the lower rear of the engine that would cause clearance problems. I would do the steering rod mod, but when you do the trial fitment, focus on getting the engine as far back as possible. Remember, the steering rod angles away from the engine the further back you go. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Correct about having no grease fittings. I have broken 2 stock u-joints, ironically with a mildly hopped up L6 turbo. Both of those and all other broken ones I have seen resulted from cracks that started at the fitting. Conventional wisdom would say the solid joint should have a shorter lifespan, but how many grease fittings do we see on modern day cars? My experience and those of others that race with them say they hold up better under stress. I do not consider my car normal and I am just happy to be able to DRIVE it home from the track . If it can stand up to that kind of abuse, then it should last a long time under normal driving conditions, IMO. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

I got my solid u-joints from one of the top driveline shops here in Orlando. If you have trouble finding them, let me know and I can try to get you a brand/part# or can pick them up and ship them to you. I believe they are about $15/ea. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

If you are not in a big hurry, give me this weekend to study it by looking at a turbo engine that is out of a car. I can then take pics to help you visualize what can be done. If I recall, the turbo is down low and towards the rear of the engine but the crossover pipe runs over the bellhousing. That make swapping sides difficult. This engine came in almost every mid-sized Nissan vehicle including FWD. I can see what the various exhaust manifolds look like to see if there is something factory can be used or adapted. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Pete, being the engineer, you might be correct about the number of u-joints, angles, et al, but I have noticed no difference in the steering feel and action since making the swap. Of course I reduced the front-end weight, and do not know if that has any effect on a possible difference. Morgan, being a V-design engine, you cannot eliminate the crossover pipe unless you run twin turbos, which BTW, would make the manifold design simpler but the I/C plumbing more complex. You could use 2 small stock turbos requiring smaller DPs. BTW, why do you think you need a 4" exhaust? ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Morgan, what you are trying to do is the correct way to do it and I do not want to discourage you, but it will be expensive. If you have to do it, then fashion it from the way it was done in the Buick GN. The picture below shows the GN in my car and hopefully you can see what I am trying to point out. The GN drivers side header sweeps down and has a crossover pipe that connects to the rear of the pass side header. The pass-side header flows forward and if you look to the left of the DP you see part of it (silver). It turns up in front of the head and the turbo sits on top of it. For bracing, you see a thin strip of metal that bolts to the side of the head but the main brace is a bracket that bolts to the turbo and the front of the head. You can see part of that bracket where the 2 bolts are securing the heat shield. Because of the VG30t wastegate design, you would need to have the turbo facing front to back so the DP faces the rear. Hope that made sense. What makes more sense is to leave the stock setup and work on making clearance. Your clearance problem will probably be the steering rod. Because of the angle of the rod, the further back the engine is placed, the more clearance you will have. However, an old hot-rod trick is to put a u-joint in the steering rod and that is what my car has. It is common practice and would cost a few bucks. The u-joint is about $60 but you would have take the rod to a machinist to have it splined. Hell of a lot cheaper than a complete set of custom manifolds. This is the mod in my car just before I installed the drivetrain. HTH, Scottie

Morgan, I do not know if there is anyone else running the stock halfshafts in competition, but I can certainly speak for myself and Derek Grubb. We both have 71s with Buick Grand national drivetrain. Derek's car is lighter and has considerably more HP and has run a best of 10.59@130. He uses a 7" motorcycle slick and has a best 60' of 1.49 so he is not babying it off the line. I am running McCreary cheaters (drag radial equivalent) and launch at 8psi boost with a transbrake. The key? Solid u-joints. However, if you plan upwards of 300hp and slicks and are starting from scratch, do the CV conversion. I have the CVs and an adaptor and will install them when I move up to DOT slicks or the stockers break (and I wont be shocked). ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Terry, Greetings. Your expertise will be truly welcomed here. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Yes it did. The question is whether or not it is stock. The GN folks go out of their way to get modified parts that look like stock. Take it apart, inventory it, then decide what to do with the drivetrain. If you decide to do the GN swap, I believe you can complete the entire swap at no cost by reselling pieces you do not use. If you decide otherwise, you get give the drivetrain away for $2K. Unless you do not want an automatic, you cannot match the GN even if you spent twice that. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Way to go! So, what are your plans? Gonna drop it in the Z? Scottie

Thanks Clint. Hope you all do not mind if I ramble a bit Boy, where do I start? The Buick V-6, by todays standards is a crude SOB, from the infamous odd-fire version up to the GNX. I do not think GM knew what they originally designed had such potential. In '86, the sophistication of the engine management system in the GN matched anything available. Once the engineering hot rods got hold of it, the sky was the limit. Actually, the limit is about 600hp on the stock block before it needs a girdle and the StageII motor you know from the Indy Car program. My L28 turbo had a slight rod knock and needed guides and I considered building it up, or swapping to a 3.0L single turbo or twin-turbo or GN. I ended up picking the crudest of the choices because I thought it had the most potential for the buck. The 3.8T was rated at 247hp stock. For a minimal investment of about $600, some diligent tuning and a little race gas at the track, 350hp is at your command. Thats right, folks, 40% increase for about $600 To date, here is my investment in hop-up parts that directly contribute to the engine's performance: $120 for a 3" wastegate elbow including getting it repaired, $275 for a 3" DP and exhaust, $80 for a slightly larger TB, $45 for SS I/C plumbing, $125 for used injectors, $50 for a race chip, $45 for a K&N. Not everything I did was necessary but I was positioning myself for a lot more horsies. I truly believe this setup will run 11.30s and that should be around 375hp AT THE WHEELS and torque well into the mid-400s. This is still the stock turbo. BTW, on a recent trip back from Tallhassee, I clocked 27mpg on the highway on a 245-mile trip. The Z equipment is so inaccurate that I might have been off a little but even 25 is great. Having done the SBC, L6 turbo and GN swaps in the Zs, my favorite is the GN, but only from a drag racing standpoint. Both my Scarab and JTR V-8s were not top-notch engines. The JTR was a standard 350 with 1.94 heads, Edelbrock intake and carb and T-5. Given a choice between MY, repeat, MY V-8 setup and my L6 turbo, I would choose the L6. An L6 turbo, when properly tuned, is one sweet engine, and that sound! Despite running the stock t3 turbo, mine was tuned to the max with an SDS and ran 110.97mph in the 1/4-mile. Loved it until until I costed out a buildup Does that make the SBC worst? Absolutely not!! A buddy in Denver has a C-5 and I have driven it and if one of those was available for a reasonable price, it would be my #1 choice for an all-around Z-car. However, since my primary focus with my Z is drag racing, NOTHING beats the GN for price/performance. If you are looking for a lot of HP and driveability (sometimes mutually exclusive) you cannot beat a turbo or supercharger. Remember that a forced induction engine running at 1-bar boost is capable of ingesting twice its displacement. So, when I run 22psi, I am capable of ingesting the equivalent of 570+ c.i. Since the cylinder volume at TDC is unchanged, that is one massive explosion and explains the incredible HP and torque numbers. The trick is doing it without detonation. I have given you my opinions from personal experience, so please, no flames ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

I will be in Dallas for the week of Oct 9th. Hope meet with any Hybrids the area. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

I hope he is knee-deep in GN parts ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

I am curious. What are the specs and how much? What does a Cima weigh? ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

KP, there is one thing you will have to be careful of that Randy did not have to be concerned about. Make sure all the clutch components (plate, disc, t/o bearing, clutch fork and slave cyl) match either the 71 or ZX. You cannot mix and match. If the trans is a 81-83 with the long 5th gear and you want a little more zip on the bottom end, get a ZX R-200 diff with a 3.70 or 3.90 ratio. It is a little more work and cost but the best wake up call for a 240Z. Here is a place to start and maybe someone else can point you to a How-To on swapping in an R-200. http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/GearRatios.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Andrew, this might be the one you are referring to. Never been able to find out who the owner is. This was one of my options a couple months ago before I settled on the GN. Seems like the engine could go back another couple of inches but the crossover pipe actually runs on top of the bellhousing. The further back you can get the engine the more clearance you will have with the steering. I have an extra u-joint in my steering rod and not sure why you would need more than one. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Hey DRAX, I got your headers right here!!! On a more serious note, if you can make something like that, I want to talk to you about going into business. I have to agree with BLKMGK, how much would this cost and what is the gain? $1500 and 40hp? Lets say I am close. I would take half of that and invest it in a better turbo and I/C than you planned to get and match that power gain. Now you dont have to worry about one of the 40 or so welds cracking If you are serious about this kind of HP, then you had better be serious about the bottom-end of the L6 and that puts your budget in the range where you have other choices, LIKE A HYBRID ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

HOT DAMN. As the song goes, some guys have all the luck. Dont know what your situation is for cash or space, but I would take the whole car, haul it home and take my time stripping it right. You will be able to salvage enough stuff that you wont use that can be resold to cover the cost of the entire car. As said, you want everything! If you plan on doing a GN swap, you want the trans and converter. It will be a pain, given you are trying to do it in a JY, but you also want to get the entire engine harness all the way to and including the ECM. Grab the I/C, if not damaged. Even if you do not use it, you can resell it. Bottom line, get everything attached to the engine and trans. I really encourage you to try and get the entire car. It is very rare to find a virgin GN and you never can tell what mods might have been done to it. Hate to see you leave something on the table unknowingly. BTW, if it has any original wheels, grab them too as they are worth more than you will pay for the engine. HOT DAMN, the Gods are smiling on you. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Here Ya Go. http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/GearRatios.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Michael, interesting stuff. Knew the Z was not the best but did not realize it was as bad as you state. The issue of the front lip is probably what inspired the design of the G-nose. Wonder if it really showed any improvements? Pity it looks so.... Thats just my opinion, so apologies to anyone using a G-nose. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Just thought I would give you a little encouragement. My buddy here in Orlando has a 71 with an L28 turbo. The car ran 12.32@114 with a stock NA block, turbo head and manifolds, t3/t4 at 22psi!!, Spearco I/C, 420cc injectors, Jim Wolf setup, stock DP, 2.5" press-bent exhaust, open 3.54 and 225 street tires. He is finishing up a complete body restoration and swapped out the JWT for an SDS, added one of my DPs with 3" exhaust and 600cc injectors. Last week while testing, he started to blow a lot of oil smoke out the breather and lost compression in 2 cylinders. Thats a 100 passes with high boost on a junkyard NA block catching up with you. Anyways, since the motor was shot, he decided to run it anyway on Wednesday. He crept of the line with a 2.25 60' but ran 12.84 @113.9 with 16psi boost. We just picked up a junkyard turbo block today and will do rings and bearings on it. With an LSD, tires, a healthy block and more SDS tuning, I fully expect high-11s at probably close to 118mph. Another example of what the right combination of components and proper tuning can do for you. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

Agree with everything BLKMGC says including the recommendation. The 300ZXT does not get any respect and understandably so. Nissan choked it down with the same turbo from the 280 which was too small to begin with and put it in a 3300lb car. There is so much potential corked up in that engine begging to be set free. As for the Talon/Eclipse turbo, that is an awesome engine that can make tons of HP. To run it as a RWD, you use a Supra transmission. Dont know the details of the adaptation, but there is a shop in Miami that runs the World's Quickest FWD DSM and one of the cars in the stable is a DSM/Supra-powered Toyota Corolla. Contact them if you want to go that route. http://www.wrightouch.com/timeslips/timeslips.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

The Tercel mirrors are sweet but most of us that want a change do not want to deal with those holes that would be left in the doors. Yuichi, I would settle for adjusting mine once a week. I have to adjust mine after each 1/4-mile run, hehe. Scottie