Guest JMA1 Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 Starting 1st Z, its a 70 and will have a big inch SBC thats streetable. Transmission is still undecided, thats part of my question. I'm looking for pros/cons A/T vs M/T. I've read many thoughts from these forums and still not sure of the way to go for rear set up. Some comments would be appreciated. I,m a X Super Gas Drag Racer turned Street Rodder and now want to have some fun with a Z the way it should be. Is a cage needed in the car for street and occasional racing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 A V8 in a 240Z immediately establishes the requirement for structural reinforcing if the hammer is ever going to be dropped. The 240 unibody cannot handle the torque of a V8 like you're probably planning without a little Chubby Checker 'twist'. Others will chime in about searching more and also with suggetions. This subject has been beaten to death on this website. At the minimum I would recommend front and rear strut tower braces, a 4-pt roll bar, and sub frame connectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 Old habits never die, do a cage at the least, I doubt if the stock rear will hold up to much that the big inch sbc can dish out. I have a 9 inch, several other members have similar solid rear axles for the high HP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrus Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 auto fastest drag racing less broken parts Manual best road racing fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JMA1 Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 How much was the ride be affected with the solid axle? I'm going to use the triangulated four link setup with coilovers if I go solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I don't think the ride is nearly as smooth as stock, but alot depends on shocks/springs. I weighed my car and ordered springs and I still think they are too heavy, rides stiff. Launches good, but rides stiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JMA1 Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Is The Four Point Cage With Frame Stiffeners Enough Since The Majority Of Use Will Be Street? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240hoke Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 I would go ahead and build a cage in the car. IMO a 4 pt roll bar isnt really gonna do much good -- that is unless you build it right and tie it into the car preferablly welded. The autopower type 4 pt. rollbars arnt going to give you much chassis strength, after all they are bolted to the fenderwell. In my last z I had a autopower unit, in my current z i built a 6pt cage which i believe is the best way to go for all round comfort in a street car and being usful as far a stiffening goes. Heres what i did: http://www.geocities.com/projectzt/halfcage If your serious about stiffening I would also look into subframe connectors. These can be done many different ways. The easiest would be adding on to your stock frame rails. hardest cutting everything out and running all new metal. Search for subframe connectors to see what everybody has done. I too did subframe connectors "while i was at it" Heres what i did: http://www.geocities.com/projectzt/SFconnectors.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 How is it everyone recommends a cage when no one knows how much power his engine will produce or what type of tires he will be running? I somethimes think the "while I'm at it" syndrome affects peoples plans just from reading posts of what others are doing. People on this site are cage crazy, but if you read through a lot of different posts you will find that not a lot of the street cars actually have them. The early 240's like you have are the lightest and unfortunately most flexible. Especially if rust has weakened the chassis at all. I have read posts where guys claimed one hard launch with their 400 CI SBC caused their hoods to no longer shut properly, and others where people have torn spot welds with repeated hard driving. The floor pans and the stock "sub frame rails" under a 240 can be bent with a good swift kick. Subfame connectors ala Pete Paraska's (http://www.alteredz.com) design are probably not a bad upgrade for even a stock vehicle. Follow that up with good set of strut bars at a minimum. Beyond that you need to spend some time reading through old posts while thinking about just how hard you will be driving this car. Cross reference that with exactly how much engine you will have and how sticky you think the tires will be. I would follow that same advice before you go solid rear axle. A bolt in R200 rear with some type of limited slip will easily support 400+ HP. Some people claim the R180 is all you need for that kind of HP. Stepping up to an R230 with CV's and your limiting drive train component will be the stub axles. If you upgrade those, then you would have to be producing some serious HP with very sticky tires to need a stronger rear end. Just another opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 I kind of agree with pop n wood. Subframe connectors seem like a great addition for almost any Zcar. The roll cage on the other hand... in a street car, I don't know that I would make that recomendation. As a very knowledgable member pointed out some time back, rollcage padding is made to protect a helmeted driver. Ouch! And it's not just you, consider who may be in the car with you. I think each person must make the decision as to if they want to take that chance. With some careful thought I'm sure there are many ways to reinforce the structure without steel tubes running around in the passenger compartment. And if you do go the cage route, proper seats, seat mounts, harnesses and such are a must. Please caged street guys, don't flame me, I'm just playing the devil's advocate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Battle Pope Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 So really, a rollbar isn't really even necessary if I install subframe connectors and strut bars? There's a lot of surface rust on my car, but I don't think any of it's actually rotted through. One of the "frame rails" is kind of demolished though, but that will be reconstructed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 If your serious about stiffening I would also look into subframe connectors. These can be done many different ways. The easiest would be adding on to your stock frame rails. hardest cutting everything out and running all new metal. Search for subframe connectors to see what everybody has done. I too did subframe connectors "while i was at it" Heres what i did: http://www.geocities.com/projectzt/SFconnectors.html Wow - great minds think alike! BTW' date=' if anyone wants plans for those, they are here: http://alteredz.com/structuralmods.htm I got that idea years ago from a guy who built a GTO250 bodied 280Z. He was cracking the fiberglass off the car everytime he lifted a corner of the car with a jack, so he came up with this idea. I agree on the street cage thing a bit - I see people with cage tubes right next to them in the car, with no padding, and I cringe thinking about banging into those in a minor wreck. rags here on HybridZ.org has a well hidden stiffening cage built into his V8Z. I'll let him explain it. If any of you remember the old Z Club of America Z Bulletin, there was an article on the guy who built those hidden cages. Wish I still had my copy. I have the subframe connectors and a modified S&W partial "8-point" kit in my Z, minus the door bars. Hoop, safety belt bar, hoirzontal supports for the hoop to the tunnel, and downbars from the hoop to the strut towers. Those modifications were enough to elicit an unsolicited comment from a long-time ITS Z car racer that the chassis/uni-body felt quite stiff for a Z as we road around in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JMA1 Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 So If I Stay Around 400 Hp With A/t W/2500 Stall I Should Be Able To Upgrade The Rear To A 200 Or 230, Cv's , Sub Frame Connectors And Strut Tower Braces And Be Ok. However, I Will Be Limited To Less Aggressive (sticky)tires. But Will Still Have Mid-11 Car That Will Live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240hoke Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 hehe Pete, i didnt look at your site at alll, nope i swear, I decided on a "half cage" because the only wreck i was in i i hit my head incredibly hard on the top of the roof right above the door. I believe that if i would have had a cage i would have suffered a severe cuncussion. So like many of you i say no full cages for the street w/o really good padding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 So If I Stay Around 400 Hp With A/t W/2500 Stall I Should Be Able To Upgrade The Rear To A 200 Or 230' date=' Cv's , Sub Frame Connectors AndStrut Tower Braces And Be Ok. However, I Will Be Limited To Less Aggressive (sticky)tires. But Will Still Have Mid-11 Car That Will Live.[/quote'] As long as you don't try to run it at a sanctioned track. Without the roll bar they'll toss you off the track after an 11 second run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zfan Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 I have a 6 point cage and the loop is far enough away from my head that I should be ok. I had the door bars welded to the kick plate area and don't have to worry about the flimsy *** floor pans. Anything welded to them will tear thru the floor pans. This and a rear strut brace and my car is pretty stiff. Sub frame connectors are next for extra safety. I make 11 second passes all the time and have never had flex/breakage problems. Crosses fingers now! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.