This is one 240Z strut I would like to have.

[Guest Magic]

Found this baby, its built for serious 240 zeds. It sells for serious $$$. Oh well I can dream....

[Guest JAMIE T]

Yeah, that's impressive.

[johnc]

There you guys go again, looking at the outside of something and thinking its cool You need to look at the inside to find the really cool stuff:

 

 

You're looking at one for the first Penske VDPs (Variable Digressive Pistons) ever put in a car. That piston, all by itself, is more then a complete set of Tokicos for a 240Z.

[ZHeadV8]

I know of a rally prepared 240Z in the UK running penske suspension and it is creaming all comers in the historic rally championships.

 

The same engineer that built that car is building mine but using Ohlins remote resevoir dampers on mine.

 

Have to say, the penske stuff is excellent, the other car he has just built for the East African Safari ($200K budget) is running Reiger units.

[Guest JAMIE T]

John Coffey has all the best toys...

 

I was looking at Bilstien Digressive shocks to insert into a strut tube(specially built tubes). My only concern was cooling for the shock. What do you think John?

[johnc]

John Coffey has all the best toys...

 

Used to. I have no toys right now.

 

I was looking at Bilstien Digressive shocks to insert into a strut tube(specially built tubes). My only concern was cooling for the shock. What do you think John?

 

Shock cooling in a street, autocross, and most track applications is not an issue anymore. It used to be many moons ago but synthetic shock fluids have pretty much eliminated that problem for tarmac applications. Now, for rally and off road racing shock cooling is a big deal.

[tube80z]

You're looking at one for the first Penske VDPs (Variable Digressive Pistons) ever put in a car. That piston, all by itself, is more then a complete set of Tokicos for a 240Z.

 

I thought VDP was velocity dependent pitson, learn something new everyday. I run the low buck ground control advance design shocks with custom valving. I would love to have been able to use Penskes or Ohlins T44s but they were well outside of my budget.

 

Do you set those up with internal droop limiters? I'm currently running around just under a quarter inch in front and about one and a quarter in the back.

 

Cary

[johnc]

You're right about the VDP acronym. I had it wrong but I was parrotting what Mark at Penske was calling them when we were experimenting with them on the Z back in 2000. They are basically digressive pistons that vary their digression based on piston velocity.

 

Do you set those up with internal droop limiters?

 

Yes but I don't remember the exact numbers. Hiten Patel is now the proud owner of the Penske 8760s that were on my 240Z.

 

Personally I think Ohlins makes the best shocks and their adjustment range is more granular then what Penske offers. But, unless you're a very serious racer or just a plain nut job like me, Penskes, Ohlins, and the top line Konis are overkill.

[ZHeadV8]

OK John, I hold my hands up ...... Nut Job !!!!

 

Nearer the time it is finished I would appreciate some advice on aerodynamics and handling please. The engineer building it is a top autocross car builder so he knows how to do that but street and track is a bit different.