DavyZ

Len, I'll have you shoot my 240Z...when I get one that is. Still, he's not near us, so "Duke of Earl Sheib" may be an option for him. And yes, I would strip the car myself, everything, and just have them shoot it. In fact, I would find a body shop that would work out a deal with me if I did a lot of the work myself first. Davy

The only thing I can think of is to eliminate noise. I have also wondered if they are really needed. If so, I would look at some kind of rubber or even foam rubber with water repellant properties. Shoot, even Dynamat would work. Davy

Sorry Mike, I didn't see this post earlier. I believe the struts and springs will swap straight across. One thing I do not know--does ST use the same spring rates for both cars? I would think not. The 240 springs would feel a tiny bit softer on the 280 if the answer is in fact no. Not a bad thing, really. I would use them if I had them. I believe all can be done on the rear end that you say regarding the adaptors, etc. It would be a lot of work in one weekend. But, provided you have the knowledge and the tools, just make sure the beer is cold and you should be ok. Almost forgot--Ross Corrigan is selling/fabbing the rear mounts for 240sx rear disc upgrades through Modern Motorsports Davy [ August 01, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

Funny, Owen. Your exhaust tip does not look that big except in the very last two pics. Hope it's a noise level you can live with Davy

Neil, could you give us the details once again? You have to buy a new tank, but you are finding that none of them fit?? '76 280Z's should have similar gas tanks to the others. Is it possible for you to get out to a Nissan wrecking yard and compare tanks there? Hope you find a reasonable solution soon!! Davy

How would you rate the quality of the fit and finish of the MSA mounts? I'm very curious. Davy

A 5" tip?!? On this website??? Davy

Lone, I totally agree with you. It is way overkill for a street car. Much easier running some breathers like you said. Davy

I have those valve covers and they are very nice. The only thing to be aware of is that you may have to trim them to fit next to an aftermarket intake manifold like the Weiand Stealth, which I have also. Davy

Something I did not ask earlier: Is this a Renegade Hybrid kit? If not, which kit did you choose? Or, heavens to mergatroid, did you custom fab the whole thing yourself? BTW, I have seen worse exhaust jobs. Don't beat yourself up too badly over it. Davy

Dan, painting is a measure of technique and prep, not to mention materials and equipment. Don't try and use a spray can to do body painting! (some guys may disagree, but foo on them!) As I mentioned in another post, read, read, read. You can paint a car in your garage, or even in your driveway (may be illegal though) but you need to educate yourself on doing it. There is a reason why body shops charge $$$ for what they do best... If you just needed to have the body painted to protect it, you could always go for an inexpensive paint job now from MAACO, Earl Sheib, Miracle, etc. (Oooh, I can see the cringes on Pete's face, BLKMGK's face, etc!) Hey, it may be what you can do now--just be sure there is a guarantee against fading... Read, read, read! Davy

I have some G-machine products from VB. They look like good quality--but nothing is installed yet, sorry! I have heard that polygraphite squeeks much less than polyurethane. If you don't like suspension squeeks, look into finding polygraphite bushings. I think that is what Auxilary bought for his black 240Z recently. Davy

I feel the love in this place. Group hug! Davy

Dan, both Lonehdrider and Mike kZ have A/c in their cars. Lone's is an MSA unit: expensive, and Mike's is a Vintage Air unit: even more $$$! Check out their sites, but get that heater core and hoses fixed first!! Davy

This is not good. Thank God I have not had to replace my heater core in any car! From what I know it is a PITA. Hopefully someone that has done it will chime in. Get a Chilton's or Haynes manual at the very least in order to just do maintenance on your car. You will become much more familiar with it. Also you may want to get Wick Humble's book How to Restore Your Datsun Z Car. Read, read, read. Davy

Very cool project--that will spank most cars on the road..with class too! Azev wheels? They look like Azev's. What is that, a 3 or 4 inch exhaust, sheesh!! Davy

The GM salvage yards near me sell T5 trannys for $650-$750, and the TPI motors for $1500 or so. Here's a bit of advice from someone who is in the middle of a conversion: get a motor and tranny that you know works. You will be money ahead--if you have to trouble shoot after the swap, it'll be much more painful. Simple and cheap is the way to go...unless you have gobs of cash. Davy

Dan, don't get too upset since you just bought the car. How long will you keep the car and how good do you want it to look? Fixing everything might not be an option for you now, but in the future it might be. If you shop around, you can get someone to do the bodywork and paint for less. How much $$$ do you want to spend? If you were not going to college, I'd say enroll in the local Junior College to take a class and do it yourself. Otherwise, check into the local high school autobody shop and talk the kids to see what they can do. Some of the best bodywork was done by my old high school kids. Davy

Pete, those are really nice quality knobs! Very impressive, and yet so functional. I may go with a "Mooneyes" knob just to be different. Used to love the Mooneyes logo as a kid...still do. Davy

I agree, if I was doing this again--and I may in the next few years, I'll do a 280Z or ZX with a 383 or 406. That and a T56 will be plenty fast for me. However, what it really comes down to is personal preference. I wish I had the overwhelming numbers of 280Zs we have here, in another state with smog laws much less stringent than here (big sigh). Davy

Very cool Mike. I like the looks of your fabrication, especially the engine and radiator mounts. Very sano. Davy

Go find a GM wrecking yard in your state or nearby state and get the whole engine/tranny combo as Auxilary stated. As a general rule, do not put a truck engine in a car. Most truck transmissions are not an easy fit, and the engines are cammed for low revs and truck torque; this is not what you need in the Z. Davy

I seriously doubt it will make a heap of difference in a straight line, but if you ever plan on turning, go JTR. The idea of a shorter driveshaft and better weight distribution have always appealed to me. This topic has come up time and time again here. At least 95% of the guys that run V8's on this forum prefer JTR. A number of them have converted their car from Scarab position to JTR. Look for Long (dankinzle) and his website--he goes into detail about why he did it and the results. Davy

Let me echo a few thoughts here: First, any 240Z is smog exempt in CA. If the car is a 260Z, you'll have to smog it. Law states that any car 1973 or older is smog exempt. Second, the 280Z and 260Z can be V8 converted legally--you just have to use an engine that is the same year as the car or newer, including all the smog equipment that came with the engine. This means the charcoal cannister, EGR valve, oxygen sensor (if applicable). It's not really that difficult, but you can run into problems if your motor sports a big cam, etc. Nothing wrong with running a smog legal V8Z--still plenty fast. That said, I like 240Z because of nostalgia--it started the Z craze. They are also lighter and look the best IMO. First thing you need to do is check out the car and be sure it has no rust. Total the cost for the car to make it roadworthy. Figure anywahere from $1000-$3000 for a motor and $700-$1700 for a tranny. Your best friend and consultant is the JTR bible. Get it, and read it over 3 times at least. It will answer nearly all of your questions. Then, ask questions in the forum on the stuff it does not cover. Good luck with your Z project. DavyZ

Scottie-GNZ posted that pic way back. I still like it and think it would look very mean with some big meats and flares. At some point I'm going to experiment with fiberglass and make something that looks like that. I have nothing to lose except time and a little money. Davy