what adds weight on a 260z?

[7MGFORCE]

ive been looking for this info for a while.

 

from what i can gather a 74 260z added weight comes from the bumpers only.(compare to 240z) but i took both bumpers off and those bumpers doesnt weight that much.

 

ive search but what else adds weight?(what else have they add that wasnt on the 240z?)

[ZZZeee]

Don't forget that there are essentially "TWO" 260Z's... early and late. The early models are basically late 240's whilst the later ones are early 280's. You may have the later 280 version. This isn't bad or good... just means chassis mods for your purpose may be different because 280 chassis weigh more due to more reinforcement and passenger protection.

[jeffer949]

Its not only the bumpers but more the bumper shocks. Those weigh alot more than the bumpers themselves. There is also some extra bracing inside of the doors that adds some weight also.

[BRAAP]

...

ive search but what else adds weight?...

 

 

 

Anything that doesn't make it faster.

[7MGFORCE]

Don't forget that there are essentially "TWO" 260Z's... early and late. The early models are basically late 240's whilst the later ones are early 280's. You may have the later 280 version. This isn't bad or good... just means chassis mods for your purpose may be different because 280 chassis weigh more due to more reinforcement and passenger protection.

 

i was aware of that but i thought that the other z was only available outside of US. if thats not the case then i how can i tell if its an early 260z? i mean from looks of it, it looks just like a 240z. but i could be wrong. i pushed it the other day without an engine and it feels light. BUT then again i use to push supra by myself and that was a 3600lbs (targa top) even if its 2700 it would feel light lol

[7MGFORCE]

Its not only the bumpers but more the bumper shocks. Those weigh alot more than the bumpers themselves. There is also some extra bracing inside of the doors that adds some weight also.

 

i was aware of that aswell as from my understanding the chassis of the 260z is a bit more rigid than the 240z.

[ZZZeee]

i was aware of that aswell as from my understanding the chassis of the 260z is a bit more rigid than the 240z.

Only the LATER 260Z's. Yooz makes yer choices and choozes yer mods. Mine was built in April 1974... an EARLY 260Z. What's yours?

[JSM]

Your bumpers would tell the difference. Are the big and fat like the 280z or skinny and small like the 240z? If small you have an early 260z.

[7MGFORCE]

Your bumpers would tell the difference. Are the big and fat like the 280z or skinny and small like the 240z? If small you have an early 260z.

 

well its bulky but i dont think its a 280z bumper.

 

well wich one has the signal on the grill? and wich one has the signal on the corner of the bumper?

 

mine has the front signal at the corner of the bumpers.

 

EDIT: i just check the date on the driver side tag. it said 10/73 but wouldnt that make it a 240z since its 73?

 

and why does it say it weight like 3000 on that same tag?

[ZZZeee]

That's "curb weight"... with fuel and passengers.

[ktm]

10/73 makes it a 260z, just like modern production cars, a car produced in mid to late 2007 is advertised as a 2008.

[ZZZeee]

^^^ Which makes yours an "early" 260... essentially a late 240.

[bjhines]

The "weight capacity" has less to do with curb weight and more to do with spring and tire choices the manufacturer made for that model.

 

There are a great number of things that changed on the S-30 cars over the years. There are threads that attempt to describe the changes but none of them are complete lists of every possible change.

 

Lets just discuss bumpers for a minute;

Yes, the bumpers did get heavier, The bumpers are also at the extreme ends of the chassis so they can greatly affect weight distribution and yaw moments when changed. The bumpers themselves are not the only parts that changed to improve crash protection. The mounting systems went though several variations even on the 240Z cars.

 

The earliest 240Zs were equipped with bumpers that were nothing more than "trim pieces". You could squeeze them with your hands and bend them. The earliest front mounts were thin strips of metal that mounted to the inside surfaces of the headlight bucket extensions. There was ABSOLUTELY ZERO reinforcement for the mounts. The weld nuts that held the mounts were welded to 20gauge sheet metal and that was it.

 

The later 240Zs and early 260Zs had slightly heavier gauge bumpers of the same design as the early bumpers. The mounting system changed significantly. The later 240Z mounts were 12/10 gauge steel formed from multiple stampings welded together. The later mounts were attached to a heavily reinforced part of the frame extensions just in front of the sway-bar mounting areas. This area also has the heavy duty reinforcements for the tie-down hooks. The later 240Z mounts and associated reinforcements probably added 30lbs. to the front end of the later 240Zs.

 

The later designs also went through several variations and got even heavier over time. The mounts became complex shock-absorbers with significant frame reinforcements.

 

 

There are numerous other changes that never get mentioned because they are outside a casual observer's reach.

Electrical systems got more and more complex

struts got bigger and heavier

suspension components got thicker and heavier

cross-members got more and more reinforcements

drive-line components changed and added significant weight

the steering columns got bigger and more complex

the entire floor-pan of the cars changed when they added catalytic converters

Seat-belts got more complex and heavier over time

Seats got heavier

The dashboards got heavier and more complex

The entire heating and vent system changed and got significantly heavier.

later cars had Air-Con installed

The Carbys got bigger and more complex

The radiators got larger and contained more water

Exhaust systems got bigger and more complex

The fuel tanks got bigger and heavier for the fuel injected cars.

They added a rear fuel pump and filter

Driveshafts and hubs got bigger and thicker over the years

Nearly all of the chassis stampings changed over the years. Thicker, larger, more complex.

 

The bottom line is;

nearly every piece of the cars changed over the years. They added significant weight when you add them all up.