first time datsun owner ( my new project)

[ch3vyboi]

So I’m new to this whole datsun thing hell I’m new to imports all together, I have been diehard Chevy since birth. I’m also new to the forums because the domestic forums are nowhere near the same level u usually end up wasting your time to register and login, but my brother is big in the Mazda rx7 forums and he lives by them. I recently purchased a 1973 datsun 260z for $450 filled with a bunch of parts that I am going to be getting rid of to help pay for the building of the car. My original plans were to swap out the motor and put in my built 350 small block but after driving the car with the light little motor in it and feeling how well it handles I’ve decide to swap to a fuel injected turbo motor ( ka, sr. or rb) haven’t decided. looking for any insight anyone wants to throw my way, anything that looks wrong or any suggestion of swaps, good websites for parts, ANYTHING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[theghosttanker]

Well, insight number 1: If your car is a 73, then it's a 240Z, not a 260, which were only sold in 74 (in the US). Either way, your carbs are not factory original; they are Weber downdrafts, which were commonly put into 73 and 74 cars to replace the horrible factory original smog control carbs.Anyhow, enjoy the car; I'm always partial to keeping the stock inline sixes in them, although putting in a smallblock with aluminum heads and moving the battery to the back keeps the weight and handling just about the same.

[blue72]

It's at least a '74. Just look at the taillights. I'd say early style '74 260Z because of the thin bumpers. It's still got the N series intake manifolds and late flattop carb 3 line fuel rail, so some previous owner probably switched to the DGV's to be rid of the flattop SU's.

 

If you're looking for info on swaps this is the place. Or, more accurately, the V8, RB and Nissan 4 Cyl forums are the place to search, read and peruse.

[ch3vyboi]

thanks, the guy i bought it from said it was a '74 but when i checked the door stamp it said '73 so i was not shure. im not dead set on the swap but i was intrested on how much power u can make reliable outta the straight 6 without destroying mpg?

[theghosttanker]

well if the door stamp says 73 it's a 73. Back in the day when your car was sold, it wasn't unusual to list the year of the sale date on the title, so I would say your car was a 73 sold in 74.

There was a change in the middle of the 74 model year and I have seen some strange mixes of parts in the 73's and 74's....you can't just look at the fuel rail and tell when the car was made.

The big difference is the motor, obviously. The cam in a 260 motor was slightly hotter than the other stock cams, and of course it had bigger displacement.

[blue72]

It's true that in certain states they were registered that way instead of based on model year. It sounds like a late '73 production, '74 model year 260Z. It is most certainly a 260Z though.

 

It's also true that you can't tell the year just by looking at the fuel rail, especially seeing as mamba 888 just posted a week or two ago trying to find info for the three line rail in his '73 model year 240Z.

 

As far as mods go, my '72 with an L28 and SU's had an estimated 180 horsepower at the crankshaft coupled with a 5 speed and 3.9:1 rear end but still returned 25mpg at 75mph. EFI guys are known to reach into the 30's. If you search for 'mpg' or 'fuel efficiency' you'll soon find the threads that list different combos and results using the I-6. This is probably the best place to search and research what modifications are most beneficial on an L series I-6. Another good resource is the "How to Modify Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine" by Frank Honsowetz.

 

The cam that theghosttanker is talking about is the 260Z "C" stamp cam. There is a C stamped into the end of the cam itself, and it has slightly less valve lift on the intake side, but a tiny bit more intake and exhaust duration. The 260Z's also had an e88 head with 35mm exhaust valves instead of the 33mm ones from the 240Z E88. Another good identifier would be to find the engine code stamped into the block. It should say L26 followed by the block serial number.

 

This site has a good side by side comparison of stock cams:

http://www.geocities.com/bruskiz/ZCamSpecs.htm

[veritech-z]

That really doesn't look all that bad for $450...I got mine for $200 and it was in a lot worse shape than that. In regards to the PMs, I'd be curious to check out your car when I'm in town. I'm in Orlando most of the week, so when I do get home I tend to spend most of my time with my wife on the weekends. I've been meaning to plan a get together with my car buddies soon though...I bumped into my Nemesis last weekend and he told me that he's thinking of doing a 1UZ-FE into his 83 Celica Supra...I'm not sure my turbo would be enough to hold all that off.

[ch3vyboi]

So I started off excited about this project and this excitement is now gone. thought this retro mod would be as easy as my Chevy’s but it hasn’t been. once I finally got the car on the road, and then had a rod bearing go destroying the crank and one rod and can not find them anywhere. I also had my locks break with the car locked and had to bust a window into get in the car. drivers door will not open at all and passengers door will only open from the inside, so now im also looking for 2 doors. I have no key for the hatch and none of the locksmiths in my area can make one so I guess im going to bust the lock out and get a new one with a key. Also shifter bushing is absent so the shifting is like a stick in a bucket. I’ve read post on using door bushings as shifter bushings but I didn’t understand. How do I remove the shifter and do I have to modify the bushing or do I just slip it on and slam it back in. Thought by now I would have had coilovers at least but all my problems have slowed down this project.

 

here a some recent pictures.

added a front airdam (it was broken)

added metal headlight buckets (other ones were broken)

welded in floorpans

mounted sparco seeat

Edited March 6, 2010 by ch3vyboi

[ch3vyboi]

[Cutlass372]

Looks pretty good for $450, nice find. Is that the MSA or xenon airdam that you added? Is is fiberglass or the flexible urethane? I am interested to see where this car goes. Are you going to keep it white or go for a different color?

 

Elliot

[ch3vyboi]

Looks pretty good for $450, nice find. Is that the MSA or xenon airdam that you added? Is is fiberglass or the flexible urethane? I am interested to see where this car goes. Are you going to keep it white or go for a different color?

 

Elliot

yeah its a urethane airdam i picked up off the forum. im planning on going with a olive drab paint job

[Headstrong280z]

Where are those floorpans from? Looks pretty good...

[Konish]

Also shifter bushing is absent so the shifting is like a stick in a bucket. I’ve read post on using door bushings as shifter bushings but I didn’t understand. How do I remove the shifter and do I have to modify the bushing or do I just slip it on and slam it back in.

 

The shifter is held in by a pin with a circlip. Pop circlip from one side, push out pin, remove lever. It may take a teeny, tiny bit of force to pop out of the cup on the trans. Go to autozone and get the HELP! series of brass bushings. Find one in the package that's close. I needed to turn down both the ID and OD of the brass bushing itself as it was too big to fit into the shift lever hole and the pin was too big to slide in.

 

I don't have a lathe but I found a drill bit that was a tad smaller than the ID, wrapped it in E-tape, forced the bushing over the tape, turned on drill and used a jewlers file to reduce the OD. After that, I hammered it into the lever (with a plastic mallet) for a tight fit. I then reamed out the ID with a dremel cylinder type cutter until the pin slipped in. MUCH better than a 40 year-old plastic bushing

Edited March 11, 2010 by Konish

[PR280z]

Can you hide that muffler a bit? Seems to be too low.

[ch3vyboi]

Where are those floorpans from? Looks pretty good...

 

there ZED floorpans coated with truckbed liner

[ch3vyboi]

Can you hide that muffler a bit? Seems to be too low.

 

 

yeah since the first pic i rehung the muffler and got it up like 4"

[ch3vyboi]

The shifter is held in by a pin with a circlip. Pop circlip from one side, push out pin, remove lever. It may take a teeny, tiny bit of force to pop out of the cup on the trans. Go to autozone and get the HELP! series of brass bushings. Find one in the package that's close. I needed to turn down both the ID and OD of the brass bushing itself as it was too big to fit into the shift lever hole and the pin was too big to slide in.

 

I don't have a lathe but I found a drill bit that was a tad smaller than the ID, wrapped it in E-tape, forced the bushing over the tape, turned on drill and used a jewlers file to reduce the OD. After that, I hammered it into the lever (with a plastic mallet) for a tight fit. I then reamed out the ID with a dremel cylinder type cutter until the pin slipped in. MUCH better than a 40 year-old plastic bushing

 

 

wow, i knew it was more complicated then people made it seem. what is ID and OD?

[dmwstuff]

ID is inside diameter

 

OD is outside diameter

[ch3vyboi]

my dads mechanic could not find the crank and rod so i went to a local shop called "z docs" he had a freshly pulled l24 motor in the shop that was running when pull and offered me the whole motor for $300 or the crank, a rod, and a piston for $150. being a broke college student with little space to store anymore spare parts(being that i have l28t cranks, and p90 heads in my room) i went with the crank and rod for $150. now my dads mechanic is asking for $500 for parts. he has always been good to us but i cant possibly see what the $500 is for, my dad said bearings and timing kit, but thats no where near $500. im a little pissed because if i would have known we were talking about this much work and money i would have bought the whole motor for $300.

 

still in the search of two doors locks and linkage are broken on both and are rusted pretty bad. drivers doors locks broke with the door shut and cannot be opened for anything. i have had a couple locksmiths look at the car and none can do anything to help me. unless someone suggest a better plan, the plan is to cut out the drivers door once i have acquired a new one. with the passenger door i believe i can just rebuild the linkage and i will also need to replace the window.

[sileightygx]

have you tried just removing the door liner on the inside and moving the door latch hinge by itself?