Guest Anonymous Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 Actually, I don't even physically have the car yet, but should be picking it up within a few weeks (in a different province). It has a recently rebuilt 2.4 with dual SU's, and a few extra parts thrown in. I know that it won't be quick enough for me, so I'm wondering about the pros and cons of some of the changes I'm considering. The extra parts are an E-31 head, and a triple weber setup. Also, I should be getting a 2.8 out of a zx in the next few days dirt cheap, but it's pretty tired. I'm on a fairly restrictive budget so I am in the situation of having to pick and choose between different goodies instead of getting them all. Plus, I'm in Canada, so everything new costs about double than in the USA. Budget for the initial stage is probably only 1000 dollars or so... maybe a bit more if my current car sells quickly. So, I could: 1) Rebuild the 2.8 pretty much stock and put the E31 and triple webers on it, maybe a cam too. 2) Keep the 2.4 and try going nuts on the E31 head, send out the E31 and have it port polished, a wild cam, etc. Use the webers for intake. 3) Put A LOT of money (by the standards of a university student) into the bottom end of a 2.8, forged pistons, rods, Have the crank lightened / balanced and sell the triple webers to help pay for it, and use the E31 as it is with the SU's for now. QUESTION: With a reasonably mild cam upgrade, do I need to change springs / lash pads / rocker arms??? I've seen it both recommended parts of it deemed unnecissary. Other options? Seems like a bit of a shame to take the good 2.4 out of it, but I think a well done 2.8 would be a better starting base for a quick car. Also, I'm sure I'll get more cash before too long, so I'd like to still have places to go with this without throwing away what I've already done. I really hate riced out Civic and Integras, and want to eventually build a car that will smash the typical K&N / fart tip / Stickers & yellow paint ricer. Thanks for any ideas that you might suggest, even if they involve mocking the litlle bit I've figured out by my research and stuff guys have told me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 my opinion (being a full time student that does mechanical work on the side) is that you need this car for the long haul, and not just as a weekend warrior hotrod. i would put that money into making the car really reliable, replacing most of the wear stuff, changing the fluids, and taking a look at your front suspension bushings. when you get up in the dollars start looking performance. this way you will enjoy your car and you can get it into better shape before you start ripping ashphault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 the l28 if you can get it cheap enough would be cool, but not the night and day difference you might expect, and when its bone stock its just as quick as your average small DOHC motor, driving skills are what you need to win at this stage more than raw horsepower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 I agree with Fairlady, concentrate on getting the car reliable. Then do the easy things. 2 1/2" exhaust on the stock manifold and y-pipe, K&N filter, electronic iginition conversion or at minimum an MSD Blaster 2 coil and tuneup with plugs, points, condensor, cap, rotor, and a set of Taylor Spiro-Pro wires. Then I'd look into gears. A 5 speed & 3.90 diff from a ZX. I've used a 240Z as my daily driver since '92. Best mods were: Exhaust, Pertronix Ignitor ignition, Seats from Mitsubishi Eclipse. Nest I'd do springs and sway bars, 16x7 wheels with 205 55 16 tires. Keeping as tall of a tire as possible on the car minimizes every bump in the road and new seats are a joy. While cam and lifters are worth nice power gains, they are expensive and may damage the reliability of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAW Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 Recommendations would depend on some specific factors: what is the serial # of the L24 engine? Mid-'72 the rod bolts were changed from 8mm to 9mm and it matters re what kind of use it will see. What year ZX is the L28 from? Early ones had dished pistons; later ones, flat-tops. Later ones had shorter valves that you can't transplant into the E31 head. DAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted April 22, 2002 Share Posted April 22, 2002 I agree with the others. Make a nice safe driver first. Most of us started with stock clean Z's as drivers when we couldn't afford anything else...Now we have become older and craizer..... My first 240 Z I drove for over 100k after putting a used 2.8 in it with no problems. I started with a clean 72 240 automatic with a rod knock swaped it for a used 2.8 flattop motor out of a zx with a 78 5speed. now this coupled with the stock 3.54 rear was just right. The same wrecked zx supplied the tires and wheels. Reliable daily driver in 1988 and It cost me 1200$ including the purchase price. After a few rounds with the su's I got a great deal on a set of weber downdrafts. With this setup and a good distributor (pertronics didn't exist) I could get 25-28 mpg on the highway. Tires and parts were cheep. Now it wasn't the fastest car on the planet but it had no problem with most of the cars of the day. It looked good and I learned alot about Z cars. When I started there weren't any real sources for Z info like today. The best thing I ever did was join the SCCA and ask alot of questions of the guys who race the same kind of car you drive as a driver. They know what works and what doesn't. I met some great guys who had been playing with Z cars for years. They told me what to look for and what not to buy. I knew nothing about what motors to look for and they showed me what to look for and what it sould cost... The motor I got for my Z came out of a low milage ZX 2+2 that one of the other guys bought for the R200 and CV joins and he sold me the longblock and tires and wheels for 100$ if I came over and pulled the rest of the car apart for him.... for a college student with no money it was a great deal... Today you have a great resource in the internet I didn't have. Use it I have owned Z's for over 15 years and I learn somthing new everyday from someone in this forum or other places on the internet. Good luck Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Hey, thanks for a few of the tips, but I KNOW I won't live with stock performance at all... Here are the important bits, stuff I guess I left out. This is a friends restoration job that got put to the wayside when he found some more fun stuff to do so there is basically nothing that needs to be done to it except for paint and a bit of finishing bits to be assembled. I guess that changes things a bit. He's also changing all the fluids for me before I pick it up. Wires / plugs / cap / rotor I assume as a given with any new car. I will be living very close to school, and probably not driving it there anyways, so functionally this will be a weekend car. The car also has a 5 speed. Not sure on the rear end gearing yet. Don't think it's stock. BONUS! The L28 is also now FREE, all I have to do is take off some bits for the owner and the remainder of the car is mine. But, it is a BAD rust bucket... way beyond hope. I'm basically getting a engine and a few interior parts to sell off. The L28 engine is a F54, so I should have flat top pistons. The head is a N47... probably won't be a part of my plans. Here is what I intend to do at this point: 1) Rebuild the F54 bottom end to near stock, new bearings, rings, etc... 2) Run the E31 head on top of it unless I find some reason this won't work. I may cam it mildly. 3) Bring over the newer ignition from the ZX. 4) Found 4.11 R200 in a 200sx today, might grab that too depending on what is in the car now... 5) If the triple webers are still servicable use them, if not, the SU's. Thanks for all the help so far, keep the advice coming... I think I'm picking up the car not next weekend, but the one after... I can't wait Plus, I will have some extra parts to sell to help fund this (second E31 head, complete L24, etc) and it's not like I'm broke anyways... I'll have about $1000 right away to spend, and hopefully about $2500 more shortly after once my car sells, but a paint job has to be accounted for in there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 The E31 head will be about 11:1 on a 2.8l motor. Try and score a E88 or N42. Best head is the N42 from a Maxima if memory serves. Pocket port and polish the chambers and run the middle Crane cam. The webers will be fine. I believe they have bearings on the throttle shafts and good seals. THis is the only wear area of a carb, so a kit in each and you should be good to go. With the 4.11 gears you really want to extend the power band of the motor to the 7000 rpm range for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 25, 2002 Share Posted April 25, 2002 sell both motors and your trans, and dump a 350/th350 behind it, and run em player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 26, 2002 Share Posted April 26, 2002 I don't think so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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