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Questions About the Japanese L28et Motor


Guest zZHustinZz

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Guest zZHustinZz

Hi im new to hybridZ. i couldnt find anything through the search function so i figured id ask here. Just wondering if there is a difference between the usdm L28et and the jdm one. i have the chance to buy a 1982, red/red 280zx turbo. the owner says the motor in it is a replacement and is from japan with about 230hp? im not sure but i believe the stock US engine is 180hp. any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks - zZHustinZz.

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If it was a replacement L28e from Japan, most of the ones I have seen are P90a hydraulic head, flat top piston F54 block. I haven't seen an L28ET from those Japanese engine places. So he may have put all the turbo stuff onto a normally aspirated engine. Pull a spark plug and see if you have flat top or dished pistons, and that will give you your answer.

 

Aaron

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Nope, L28ET were available in Japan....they were just very rare and many were Auto.

 

Where is your documentation for that statement?

They got the L20ET as the tax class break, and that was the Fairlady Z(T).

The Fairlady 280Z did not have a Turbo Option as far as I know, nor have I ever seen anything other than "Japanese Engine Brokers" stating there were L28ET's available.

 

Living in Japan from 1984 to 1989 while these cars were still readily available, I never heard of the option being available, either.

 

And this would also carry over to the Cedric, Gloria, Skyline, Leopard, etc...

If it was available in the Z, it would have been available in these driveline compatible vehicles as well, and in the JDM I am unaware of that engine option ever being offered.

 

Matter of fact, I can probably dig up some stuff in print from Nissan Japan stating that it wasn't, as well.

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Where is your documentation for that statement?

They got the L20ET as the tax class break, and that was the Fairlady Z(T).

The Fairlady 280Z did not have a Turbo Option as far as I know, nor have I ever seen anything other than "Japanese Engine Brokers" stating there were L28ET's available.

 

Living in Japan from 1984 to 1989 while these cars were still readily available, I never heard of the option being available, either.

 

And this would also carry over to the Cedric, Gloria, Skyline, Leopard, etc...

If it was available in the Z, it would have been available in these driveline compatible vehicles as well, and in the JDM I am unaware of that engine option ever being offered.

 

Matter of fact, I can probably dig up some stuff in print from Nissan Japan stating that it wasn't, as well.

 

Tony - Lets compare notes....you might be right....! But worth checking into! Want to put a wager on it...LOL?

Yasin

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Tony - You're right....I was a "stay at home tonight loser", so ended up doing some research for a few hours tonight.

 

I have LOTS of Japanese Nissan brochures and actual books and none stated that the L28ET was produced for any RHD chassis platform for the local market. The only Turbo L series (6cyl.) was the L20ET as previously mentioned by Tony, it was 145hp and 152ft.lbs of torque.

 

What I did decipher is a few LHD L28ET 280ZX Turbo cars made into the local market and were sold locally in Japan and they were identical in spec hp and torque to the U.S cars. Externally these LHD L28ET cars were nicely dressed in the authentic JDM exterior.

 

Here are some pics from my Research:

Here is side by sidebreakdown of the L20E vs L28E vs L20ET:

212141543.jpg

 

Two Genuine RHD beautiful JDM L20ET 280ZX Turbos:

212135590.jpg

 

212135601.jpg

212135594.jpg

 

A rare LHD L28ET but JDM 280ZX Turbo:

212138721.jpg

 

Thanks for setting me straight TonY!

Yasin

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What I did decipher is a few LHD L28ET 280ZX Turbo cars made into the local market and were sold locally in Japan and they were identical in spec hp and torque to the U.S cars. Externally these LHD L28ET cars were nicely dressed in the authentic JDM exterior.

 

A rare LHD L28ET but JDM 280ZX Turbo:

212138721.jpg

 

Yasin,

Don't let that book confuse you ( the photos are all from the 'Fairlady Z File' book, published by Studio TAC Creative - yes? ).

 

The LHD car shown on the page you scanned is an Export market car that was privately re-imported to Japan. It is not a Japanese market car.

 

Alan T.

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Yasin,

Don't let that book confuse you ( the photos are all from the 'Fairlady Z File' book, published by Studio TAC Creative - yes? ).

 

The LHD car shown on the page you scanned is an Export market car that was privately re-imported to Japan. It is not a Japanese market car.

 

Alan T.

 

Alan - Yes the book is Fairlady Z File - great eyes! My confusion lies in the fact that the exterior appearance of the this 280ZX Turbo is identical to the RHD JDM brethren, specifically the front and rear factory spoilers?

 

Regards - Yasin

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I'm glad you had access to the documentation, I was playing "looser in the hotel room in Vegas" and couldn't lay hands on them for at least a week! LOL

 

As Alan said, there were private imports of L28ET's but as you saw from the brochures, the L20ET was the "turbo" they had available.

 

The Front Spoiler and Wing is another bone of contention for me, as I will have to PROVE to the sanctioning board that those were actually real factory options (or standard equipment) before they will let my car compete in a "production class" with them installed. That spoiler, and the plastic ducting to the radiator would help immeasurably at high speed (standard on the Eurospec Turbo Cars as well, particularly Germany) like I will be shooting for at Bonneville. Alas, my S130 brochures and etc are sorely lacking. i got S30 stuff while in Japan, not S130 (why would I ever buy one of those? LOL)

 

Anyway, at least now I have a thread to link to when someone else puts up the mythical JDM Engine Importer of L28ET's.

 

This came up at another board, and someone paid $$$ for what was supposed to be a "low mileage JDM engine" and I warned him chances were it was nothing more than a US Model Junkyard Takeout. Poor Bastard...

 

And I'm sure Alan can confirm the recycling that occurs every April/May when Road Taxes are due in Japan. I suspec a LOT of 83 ZXT's in Japan ceased to exist as they were coming due for the last two-year Shaken Inspection, and that big fee was looming in the Spring of 93 & 94. Mass vehicle retirement... The L's from Japan started drying up at that point. Enthusiasts started looking to America and it's market for abundant L-Gata Supplies! Cars over 10 years old simply aren't fiscally smart to keep on the road in Japan unless you are a real enthusiast and have the $$$.

 

Then again, the real racerguys run the redstripe plate, and skip Shaken altogether... LOL

 

I digress, as usual!

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Alan - Yes the book is Fairlady Z File - great eyes! My confusion lies in the fact that the exterior appearance of the this 280ZX Turbo is identical to the RHD JDM brethren, specifically the front and rear factory spoilers?

 

 

Added by the current or former owner I think, Yasin. Simple case of personalisation / customising.

 

Magazines / books / 'mooks' find it hard to source completely factory-stock cars to use in their articles. The first thing they do is contact owners clubs for the marque / models they want to cover, and of course these clubs are populated by enthusiasts who - in the majority of cases - don't have completely factory-stock cars. The publishers can use original press & publicity shots from the period - but that gets old, and everybody has seen them hundreds of times anyway.

 

Can lead to confusion / head scratching. My bald patch gets bigger every day.

 

Alan T.

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Anyone notice the 5 lug 300ZX wheels on the dark blue/gray S130 ??

 

and it looks pretty good on there. :)

 

 

That car came to LA in 2004 for the convention. There is more modified on that car than the wheels/hubs! RB25 Conversion, Defigauge Dash Retrofit, on and on! Very nice car. I had photos of it on my Yahoo Photos Page, I can go back and make that album public again, but I don't know how easy it is for others to access it from outside Yahoo.

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That car came to LA in 2004 for the convention. There is more modified on that car than the wheels/hubs! RB25 Conversion, Defigauge Dash Retrofit, on and on! Very nice car. I had photos of it on my Yahoo Photos Page, I can go back and make that album public again, but I don't know how easy it is for others to access it from outside Yahoo.

 

Tony - I have heard lots about this S130...please make your album public...PLEASE...PRETTY PLEASE!

 

Yasin

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