Weight difference between 240z 260z 280z

[luke87gt]

What are the weight differences between the three and what is driving that difference?

Edited September 22, 2018 by luke87gt

[Gollum]

This is well covered so I won't get too deep into it. From within the 240z years there's about a hundred pounds or so drift upwards. The 260z is essentially a 240z the first half of the run and a 280z the second half. An early 260z should weight basically the same as a 73 240z and a late 260 should weight the same as a early 75 280z

 

There's a good 100-150lb difference in the bare chassis where they added reinforcement through the years but the much bigger items are the 280z having beefier suspension, heavier diff, federal regulatory bumpers etc. All in all I don't think there was more than a 700lb gain from the first 240z and last 280z. People love to talk about how heavy the last cars were, and no doubt they were heavier, but I don't believe the factory curb weight specs. Not even a little. I've never seen evidence that shows it as accurate. My 75 with a L28ET and no bumpers and no interior was well under 2600lbs.

 

That said, search. Use Google if you have to. There's a lot of good data on the topic.

[luke87gt]

Thanks for the reply.

 

My goodness, can those items really account for a whopping 700lbs?

Edited September 22, 2018 by luke87gt

[Gollum]

It all adds up, and I said less than 700. The real diff might be closer to 600.

 

You have to consider that a lot changed over the years between the 240z and 280z. Added wiring alone is likely a 10-20lb weight gain.

 

The moral of the attached story isn't so much that the later year cars are heavier, but rather should be that the weight if your car will be far more dependant on how you build it and what kind of creature comforts you want. I've driven a 71 240z that weighed over 2400lbs because the guy who restored it was running piles of sound deadener everywhere, AC and every feature original to the car. He was still running 240z suspension and the r180 diff, so add those and you'd be in 280z without bumpers territory.

 

[jhm]

Yes, weight adds up very quickly.  The later bumpers (and mounts) were close to 100 pounds vs the 240's sheet metal bumpers.