JMortensen

The bumpsteer issue is totally different on a 280ZX than a 240/260/280Z. You'd have to measure where the bumpsteer is in order to correct it. The nice part about the steering box setup is that you can drill out the holes in the drag link and the steer knuckles to 5/8" then just run 5/8" rod ends on a piece of 5/8" tap tube and use a common bumpsteer spacer kit on the outboard end to adjust the bumpsteer.

Post #3 give the reason for the copper washer straight from the FSM. It is to reduce metallic noise from the axle, and it's use was discontinued after a couple years. It is not used as part of the bearing spacer.

Early 260 uses 240 struts, late 260 uses 280 struts.

I noticed the same thing on my transverse link which is a lot modified, but what I did was to cut the corners off the bottom of the strap that holds the bushing.

Could be eliminated, but NEVER would be. This is the gov't we're talking about... They were doing this some years back with a trailer setup that they'd park on the side of the freeway. My friend has a 510 with 44 Mikunis and they came by the onramp he used when leaving work pretty regularly. It is a steep uphill onramp and not very long either and they'd test as people got on the freeway. Whenever he saw the trailer he would gun it and then put it in neutral and coast by the trailer at 60mph. Never got nabbed. The way that system worked was that the trailer would signal some cops who were parked about 1/4 mile up the road, then they'd pull you over and cite you. This was back in the mid 90's in Moorpark, CA.

SAAB had a variable compression ratio engine a while back. I think it was just a concept car thing, never made it to production. IIRC the head hinged at one side and it would lower down to increase the compression ratio. Did a quick search online came up with this: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/auto_technology/1266656.html

Pics from recent ebay auction, just for reference. RX7 studs vs stock.

The Z never seemed like the best drag racing platform to me. The playing field evens out when you start turning the cars, so you might try autox or road racing. I'm sure your drag race Z will need some suspension tweaks to work on a road course or an autox, but once you get things hooked up you'll be ditching most if not all of the cars you mentioned.

Lash pads are $3 each from Nissan Comp IIRC, but he's saying that's not his problem.

Every time I see one of these hyper expensive Z's it makes me cringe. My car isn't an investment, its what I like to drive. If I wanted something that was going to appreciate in value I would have bought something that was more rare than a Z, maybe a British roadster or an old Lotus and fixed that up. I want the Zs to stay CHEAP so that if I need parts I can go get another one. So far I've owned 2 Z's and I've sent 3 more to their graves just to get parts for the ones I was driving. Once this crap starts getting too expensive I'm going to have to move onto something else, so I'm all for keeping prices realistic.

IMHO there is no such thing as a $50K Z car. Z's that you put $50K into, sure, but not one that should sell for $50K. If there was one it would have to have some serious racing history, because we know Nissan could only sell the factory restored cars for $25K. That car might be worth, on a REALLY good day, $12K. Just my opinion though...

Nothing useful to your S30 IMO. That year Z31 doesn't even have 5 lug hubs. The BW T5 is not the same one used in the S130 turbo. The 300ZX brake swap threads were about the later Z32s, not the Z31. About the ONLY thing I can come up with that you could possibly use would be the OPEN R200 diff and you can buy those for $50 all day long.

You know you FI and V8 guys will probably never trip these things even without a cat. It's the carbureted guys that are in trouble over this thing.

87-89 Turbo, excluding the 88 SS

That sounds like a typical "shank" style lug nut, most alloy wheels use shank style nuts. I would not use a wheel with ovaled holes on my car. If you really like these wheels you might see if one of the companies that fixes bent wheels can help you fix the holes. I used 1-800-FIXARIM with good results.

Mid 80s Subaru XT Turbo has clutch type LSD R160. 74 260Z 2+2 has 3.36 R200

That's kind of the way my wife and I decided. The conversation went: "Well, maybe we should just get married." "OK." "OK then. We're getting married. When do you want to do it? I've got vacation in 3 weeks." "I've got to call my mom! We're getting married in 3 weeks!!!" Best thing I ever did. Congrats to you.

Due to the recent hybrid z rule changes, I have no comment.

Electronic pump was the cure for me too, but I went a little farther. I also removed the stock mechanical fuel pump and rail. I think these two items put a lot of heat into the fuel because they're bolted to the head which of course gets pretty damn hot. Once I had removed these things I ran a rubber fuel hose to the radiator support then back to the SU's on the other side and that was it, never had the problem again.

There were some halfshafts that had the inner stub connected to the halfshaft, so there was no flange sticking out of the side of the diff at all, kinda like a CV. I don't recall what years they were, but I thought they were R180s, not R200s. Any normal halfshaft that has U joints and flanges on both ends would fit your R200. I've got a couple I was going to put on ebay. PM me with an offer if you want them. The Nissan U joints are in good shape.

The early 70's had 4 vents in the rotor hat. I think that's part of why the scoop would work to a greater degree than on the later cars. If you're forced to use solid rotors by the rules of a racing class that's one thing, but if not a vented rotor upgrade is very worthwhile IMO. Once there the scoop makes more sense since as John said the air will vent enter the center and exit the edge of the rotor, especially if the vanes in the rotor are curved since those curved vanes work like a squirrel cage fan.