mrflip69 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Did a search on here and a couple of other forums... so here goes. In terms of road racing, can you give me pros/cons of the Z32 vs. the S13? I would've included the S30 but drag and aero seem to limit it, and the S130 is out due to looks (sorry). I know the suspension on the Z32 and S13 are pretty much similar. I don't intend on keeping the stock powerplant on either, so that's not going to be a problem. With the VG gone, and a couple of light weight reduction mods, the Z32 *seems* pretty competitive to the S13's nimble handling. I've read BRAAP's intro to the Z32 and it looks like a lot of the complaints come to wiring, but if the VG is going out.. how does it fair? HICAS on a TT can be disabled as well.. any other negs to the Z32? An N/A chassis should be quite cheap to acquire (not compared to the S13), but I've read that it's already plenty stiffer on it's own. Most of the comparisons between the 240sx to the 300zx end with people saying the S13 is cheaper to build, while the 300zx has more "class" and "refinement" (whatever that means.. maybe referring to the interior?), and in terms of performance, they should be relatively equal, weight not withstanding. Your thoughts? 300zx... comfort, while still holding it's own in the corners. 240sx... closer to the 240z as a whole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 If your going to lighten and mod which ever you choose then both are equal. 240sx is cheaper but the 300z is wider. Those the 2 dif that come to my mind after engine and weight. I think when people say the 300zx has more class and refinement they mean.... The 300 is a Z, thats class. The z is a purpose built semi luxury sports car(refinement) where as the 240sx is a economy, pseudo sports car. I wouldn't count out the s30 due to aero. Many members here have drastically cut drag and gained serious downforce. There has even been wind tunnel testing. Since you plan to drastically mod anything you choose a s30 is on par if not better then the z32 and 240zx in just about every field as a starting platform. Just mho... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrflip69 Posted January 26, 2008 Author Share Posted January 26, 2008 Looking for something with more top end though, and it seems the S30 hits that wall far too early. In terms of top end, I'd rank it along the lines of Z32>S13>S30, not too sure how far the gap is between the Z32 and S13 as I know of only a handful of accounts where an S-chassis was taken 150+mph, all reporting feeling 'floaty' at those speeds. I've seen the sticky for the windtunnel results regarding the S30... the cd is still pretty high when compared to the Z32 and S13. The S13 actually beats out the Z32 when taking surface area into account! I'm wondering how much of a difference the wheelbase of the Z makes, when going against an S13 running wider meats. This video I ran across did peak my interest on the S30 a bit though (viper is doing the chasing): http://videos.streetfire.net/video/29cdb0ad-d4a3-4161-8adc-9915005ebdc8.htm Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to fix an old 280z up, but I feel it has the least potential for what I'm looking for... Can these chassis really be made somewhat equals though? Just wondering, why do you still give the S30 the advantage? (aside from owning one ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 You're being very vague on what you intend to do with the car. I assume, with your emphasis on top speed, that you want to do some kind of land speed events. If so, check the rule books before picking a chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMWHYR0HEN Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Heres how it boils down for me. S13 pro's : Affordabe, light, simple, very easy to work on, parts availibility, aftermarket parts, easy to drive very forgiving, comfortable enough to drive daily. cons: everyone and their mom has one today, esp. with the drifters. S14: same as S13 but better looking and better for daily. Z32: Pros: rare, herritage, looks like a sports car should look, good brakes, LSD, and other goodies with TT model, handles well. Cons: confined with space to work, heavy, dont know about now but when I was looking for one they were pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Just wondering, why do you still give the S30 the advantage? (aside from owning one ) Well the 240z, 260z, and 280z have had a pretty successful motorsports history ever since they came out (Won SCCA championship in its class every year it was out... 1970-1978)... A stock 240z weighs what, 2355lbs. Thats already 500lbs or so less than an S13, maybe 900lbs less than a Z32. I wouldn't worry about the aero that much either if you really are road racing... You will be modifying the car considerably to race any way, plus it has a small cross sectional area... Lastly, top speed was 125mph for the 240z... with something around 130hp SAE NET. The aero cannot be THAT bad for top speeds, at least any top speeds I would imagine one would see on an average road course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrflip69 Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 hey! that's your vid that I posted.. hehehe cool Yeah, I was wondering if it was more of a power issue, as RIPS has no problem dragging his car up to 130. Plus if it could take down a viper like on the vid, well... that says a lot! johnc--if it were landspeed, I'd go with the Z32 right away, looking at what Jun has done Now I thought I had narrowed it down, but it looks like it's back to the drawing board.. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Draw up a s30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Its not my video, just cross referenced it from YouTube because I prefer streetfire.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Aero isn't really a problem for road racing on an S30...There are many things that can be done with light mods to help. How many "stock bodied" Z32's or 240sx's won road racing championships? Not many... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Hmm, I kinda want to look up who WAS winning the SCCA championships when the S13 and Z32 were out. My gut wants to say that there was a lot more competition for those cars than there was for the S30. But at any rate, the aero of the S30 has been a grossy exaggerated problem I think. Go read every post in the wind tunnel section and study the figures. You can get a S30 to aerodynamically compete with plenty of other cars with relatively very little money. You'll spend a lot less on aero than you will in other areas of the car, like the engine. At the end of the day weight is the number one enemy of a road racer. Between the S13 and the Z32 I'd pick the S13. The chassis is more light weight from my limited experience, and will thus give it an advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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