jhm

Welcome, and thanks for sharing. If you're starting with a relatively rust-free shell, you are WAY ahead of the game. Hope you enjoy the journey, and please continue to post updates as the journey continues. HybridZ contains a wealth of info; so chances are someone has encountered just about every challenge/issue that you will face along the way....sometimes you need to do some digging to find the answers; but they're usually there somewhere! Cheers.

River City Speed in Richmond, VA; owned and operated by Jamie Taylor. I don’t think he has a website, but does have a page on FB.

I have done gravity bleed, with good results, but not on my Zs. (Speed bleeders make the job so much easier and quicker.). One thing I learned about gravity bleed technique is to only do one corner at a time, otherwise one corner could start sucking air from another corner. First time I did it, I thought I could save some time by doing both rears at the same time but that ended up being a mistake. Hope this helps. P.S. Check out Race Ramp wheel cribs...they are really nice.

Great info....thx for sharing, @MetalMagoo!

I’ve used the stock balancer on a couple of swaps; currently using this one on current swap: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-161350 No, the timing marks have never been accurate for me. I have always measured it mechanically and adjusted the marks as necessary.

Looks nice. I’ve used HyperCo springs for years w/o any complaints. GLWS. May want to post this in our “Parts for sale” sub-forum?

Yes, should work....provided offset is compatible (or can be made compatible with spacers). I'm assuming it is, as Edan seems to be producing those 5-lug hubs specifically for compatibility with the Z31 5-lug, if I read his literature correctly. I'm sorry I don't have first-hand experience with that swap to confirm 100%. I do, however, have the attached handy spreadsheet of tech data on Nissan rotors that I snatched off of one of the 510 forums I belong to -- may come in handy for you, or others, in the process of upgrading the stock brakes. Nissan Brake Rotors.xlsx

As confirmed by @Miles, the Toyota front brake upgrade is still very much relevant and a popular swap. If you haven't seen the thread in the FAQ section, you can find it here (even though it was initiated in 2005, most of it is all still relevant and a wealth of information): https://forums.hybridz.org/topic/39435-help-what-brake-options-are-available-for-s30-z-cars/ Kit vs piece it together yourself: Several vendors offer a variety of kits, from mild to wild, and many of them offer individual pieces of their kits if you prefer to pick-n-choose. A few of these vendors include T3, ArizonaZCar, SilvermineMotors, ZCarDepot, ZCarGarage, Milkfab Engineering, MSA Auto, etc. I would check them all out before making any decisions. You can generally save a money by piecing things together yourself, but lots of folks would rather just buy the kit and get it installed asap....really boils down to your own preferences. On my current 260, I recently pieced together my own front brakes using universal Wilwood 4-pot aluminum calipers with 11.5" vented discs from a Saab 93....it involved a lot of research and some custom fab, but I'm an engineer by training and personally enjoy that process. Good luck with it.

Good god....that thing is disintegrated. Even if it were free, you'd be getting yourself into an long, expensive restoration; and you still may never be happy with the final result. Is there a particular reason you want a 2+2? Many folks (myself included) feel that the 2-seater S30 has some of the best lines ever penned, and the 2+2 just doesn't quite hit the mark in the styling department. (Not to say that there are some really nice 2+2s out there....just be sure of what you're getting before you buy it.) I would seriously consider the expense and effort of purchasing a car from the west coast of the U.S. and having it shipped. From what I've seen regarding purchase prices of used sports cars in Europe, that would be the cheaper route and you would have so many more cars to choose from in decent condition. My two cents, FWIW...

Wow...looking good, Aydin!

You are correct in that JTR (and others) recommend a 15K ohm resistor in the blue line between the original ignition box to the tach (and I have done that on some previous swaps with acceptable results). HOWEVER.....IIRC, in my last SBC swap I just ran the line directly from the HEI to the tach (original gauge) and it worked fine...no additional resistance needed in the feed wire. I did have to calibrate the tach, using the small calibration screw on the back of the gauge. No bouncing needle, reads accurately and easy-peasey. This was on an early-version 260. Hope this helps.

NOS may be hard to find, but I'm sure you'll be able to find a good used set. I would check on ClassicZcars.com -- that bunch is very good about saving/preserving original-style parts. I did a quick Google search and saw these on eBay; it's more than you need, but a pretty good price for all those parts if they truly are in good condition: https://www.ebay.com/itm/70S-DATSUN-240Z-280REAR-BRAKE-BACKING-PLATES-LEFT-RIGHT-NICE-OEM-BRAKE-PARTS-/223428019573

Ditto what @calZ said. And depending on which camber plates you select, you will likely have to fabricate some small piece-parts (bushings, spacers, bearings, etc) to make it work with the stock top spring hats (assuming that you're retaining the stock springs or lowering springs of the same OD as stock, like Tokico, Vogtland, or Eibach). It's essential to retain some sort of bearing in the system because of the fact that the front suspension is constantly rotating, via steering action....the OEM thrust bearing provides this function in the stock setup. You may have heard that you can replace the taller 280-style REAR isolators with the shorter strut isolators to lower the rear by 1-1.5"...this is a common swap for anyone looking to lower the rear of the car. The "shorter" isolators are used on the front of all years, and the rear of the early years (up to '73, IINM). Hope this helps.

If you're on any of the S30 pages on FB, I would post there as well. Seems like stuff sells pretty quick there, and you have a very desirable item for sale. GLWS.

I replaced my windshield last year using the windshield seal from Vintage Rubber. I wanted the style seal that omits the metal trim, and Vintage Rubber was the only vendor I could find that offered this style (they call this version the "Cal Style"). I have nothing but good comments about them overall: they responded to my email questions quickly; shipped quickly; and I was impressed with the quality of materials and fitment of the seal itself. Installed it "dry" (i.e. no glue or liquid sealant of any kind) using the "rope" method and it's been leak-free since Day 1. No deformities in the corners and a nice, tight, dry seal all the way around. Whenever I get around to replacing the seal on the hatch glass, I intend to use the Vintage Rubber seal there as well. When doing my research prior to purchasing, I found a bunch of negative feedback on the Precision products as well. Seems like their quality control continually varied.....sometimes you got a good product and other times you didn't. For the door seals, like @Miles suggested, I used the generic auto parts store stuff. I've also bought seals from Steele Rubber Products, and they have a really good application guide and tech info on their products: https://www.steelerubber.com/steele-rubber-home-universal-parts-push-on-weatherstrip Hope this helps.

I think you’ll find that a lot of people will fill that seam for a “cleaner” look....I did it on my last Z (late-version 260). Can’t really think of a major down-side to welding it — although it does make it a bit more unwieldy when installing and removing the assembly as a single panel. The small mounting studs on the sugar scoops often rust and break off anyway.

I'm with @AydinZ71 on this one....I'd rather adjust (or even dimple) the exhaust tubing vs grinding into your diff case. Regarding sources for the mustache bar bushes, I think I used ST last time I did this....no issues with them. I don't know if the rubber OEM-style bushes are still available, but vendors like MSA Auto, Z Car Source, and Z Car Depot would be good place to start. Also, just saw a post on FB about Bill's Datsun Shoppe in OR is having a going-out-of-business sale on a 30-year inventory of OEM and aftermarket Datsun parts....may get lucky by contacting them at(503)656-0756 .

Looks like you've got everything installed correctly. And yes, most aftermarket wheels will have more of a "dish" shape (radially outwards from the hub mounting face) which would allow for more clearance with the brake calipers. But even then, a wheel spacer, between the hub and the wheel, might be needed to provide sufficient clearance. You could probably make your 15" ZX wheels work with spacers, although you may need a wheel "spacer adapter" to get sufficient clearance....spacer adapters have their own lugs, and are a safer alternative to plain spacers if you need more than 1/4" thickness IMHO. Your new 16" Rotas should be fine. Additionally, a larger MC is often required when installing larger calipers -- 15/16" MC is a popular choice and readily available from numerous sources. Finally, if you significantly increase your Front braking power without doing anything to the Rears, F/R brake balance becomes a problem -- the brakes need to be considered as a "system", and significantly changing one aspect of the system can have a big effect on the rest of the system. These issues are discussed in the FAQ thread on S30 brake options -- a good read if you haven't already seen it: I read the brake kit descriptions for all the kits on MSA's website; and it's unfortunate that they don't discuss wheel fitment issues associated with their kits. Didn't see a single mention of wheel fitment in any of their ads. That's kind of a major faux pas on them.

Yes, that's definitely an R200....distinctive in its large pumpkin-shape in the rear, offset to one side. Also has a much larger offset from the mustache bar due to the shape of the diff cover. If it includes the mustache bar and half-shafts, I would be sure to grab those as suggested by @NewZed -- you can always sell them separately if you already have. Only other item to consider is the pinion flange -- it may need to be swapped to be compatible with your current driveshaft.

The FSM includes both "cartoons" of how the gauges install in the dash harness; but also full schematics which will show you how to integrate the S30 gauges into your Z31. You will have to look at the FSMs for the 240 and the 280 separately (since your gauges are from two different model years); but you can download free FSMs for all years at: http://www.xenonzcar.com/s30/fsm.html Hope this helps.

If you want to see what other folks are running, I'd check out the "Swapped S30 Owners Group" on FB. That's where I've seen all the craziest builds imaginable. As Aydin suggested, a Ford 8.8 would probably hold up well. Whatever differential you decide to go with, you will need to do something about the stock stub axles....these are the outboard stub axles that reside in the lower rear strut assemblies. Time and time again, the stub axles have shown to be the weakest link in the stock driveline. Please be sure to post some follow-up, because I'm sure we'd all be interested to see what route you decide to go and how it works out for you.

FWIW, I've been using generic stainless v-band clamps for many years without any issues. The flanges are typically non-grooved, but I always weld them to the exhaust tubing so as to incorporate a small lip between the two ends. Initially had a problem with leaks on some of the clamps, so now I use Permatex ultra-copper high-temp RTV on the joint EVERY time I bolt them together. (You can also use it on the threads, like Loctite, if you're having any issues with the nut loosening during usage.)

Hey Aydin, good questions all... Regarding bump steer spacers: I've been using the T3 NCRAs for several years without any issues. I like the fact that they include both thickness and offset, which gives a wider front track. They also help solve some interference issue between the wheels (rims) and adjustable tie rod ends, if you're using adjustables (especially with 15" wheels, although the interference may not be such an issue with 7" rim width). I bought the T3 adjustable tie rod ends when they were only available with straight (non-tapered) rod ends....and I have to say that I'm glad I went that route. The non-tapered rod ends have been so easy to work on vs the hassle of separating tapered tie rods every time you want to work on the front suspension. I've stuck with 15" wheels for the lower CG height, and fortunately there are still a few good selections of tires available (for now, at least) in 15". As @clarkspeed pointed out, your wheel size selection can dictate the rest of your design, so be mindful of that as you're making all these decisions during the build. LCAs: I used those delrin aluminum bushings for a few years without any trouble, but they became obsolete when I installed adjustable TC rods (in order to gain additional caster). You can fab your own adjustable TC rods (several people here have threads on that topic), but I was lazy and bought a pair from Futofab. To this day, I still think Futofab offers some of the nicest adjustable TC rods on the market. Great design, strong materials, and a really nice price. I had to convert my stock LCAs to a monoball bushing to take advantage of the adjustability of the new TC rods, and this was an easy mod. Just find some monoball bushings with similar outer diameter as the inner diameter of your front LCAs and weld them in (before careful when welding not to heat the inner monoball too much that it damages the teflon lining (if there is one) and ensure that your welds don't interfere with the travel of the bushing during its range of motion. I got the idea for this from John Coffey, and have included a picture of his conversion. I ran these monoball bushings for a couple years of hard use without any issues. After that, I decided I wanted adjustable LCAs, so I fabricated some using a pretty simple design which retains the outer portion of the stock LCA. These are what I've been running for the last two years with no issues, and have included a pic of them. Using off-the-shelf hardware, I think they ended up costing maybe $80 total, IIRC? I can dig up a parts list of the hardware I chose when building these, if you're interested. Just lemme know... Spring rates: my experience is that the stiffer springing will work well for most auto-x venues; but not so much for most road courses. Ran 350 lb/in springs on all four corners for years, but switched to 300 last year for better compliance on corner curbing on the road courses. I've got an adjustable front sway bar, but haven't run a rear sway bar for years. If your rules allow adjustable sway bars, @JMortensen and @clarkspeed recently had a good discussion on that exact topic. I've got the Koni 8610s like you have, and they've been fine. I'll probably upgrade whenever they wear out. Steering arms (knuckles): the stock arms were waaayyy too slow for any kind of auto-x; but would probably be fine for most road racing as @Ben280 alluded to. I got a great deal on a pair of Apex's steel quick steering arms and really like them. They've got two mounting positions, and I've been using the "quickest" position since I put them on. They are noticeably quicker on steering, and you really only notice the extra steering effort at extremely low speeds (like in pit lane or the paddock). If you switch out your stock arms for aftermarket, I would highly recommend choosing steel vs aluminum and I would ensure that they incorporate the proper "twist" in their design that mimics the angle twist of the stock arms between the mounting face at the LCA end and the mounting face at the tie rod end. That's all I can think of at the moment...feel free to hit me up with any questions you may have, and good luck with the rest of your build. It looks like it's coming together quite nicely!

@AydinZ71, it's not extremely clear, but I think the gist of the original thread was driveshaft length when installing a short-nose R200. Yours is a long-nose R200, IINM? Interesting thread on Ratsun.net on this very topic (the tech info came from Jon Mort and John Coffey): https://ratsun.net/topic/66537-pros-and-cons-of-r200-37-diff/?_fromLogin=1

@Dwayne_The_Rock_Datsun, FYI, in case you missed it....this thread is 9 years old. It looks like the OP was last on HybridZ 4 years ago. You may want to search other/more recent threads on this particular topic. If you do, I'd suggest using Google search vs the website organic search feature -- you'll have more success with Google search. Good luck with it.