Hitman47 Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 I am however going to start my project soon. Can anyone tell me how much the 240`s weighed and also how they handled ive never actually driven one. But i am curious because it seems on paper like they were the king import in there day. How do they hold up to say bmw`s now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 about 2400 #'s for the 240 Z. Never drove a BMW and my opinion right or wrong would be biased in favor of the eastern import Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Thurem Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 Todays BMW's are very very good. It will be hard to make the Z overall as good as say an M3, as far as handling and comfort goes. That said, if you make some compromises with noiselevel and comfort a Z could be as fast or faster than an M3. It will prolly take $^3 + blood sweat and tears to make this happen. Anyways my plan is to make it happen, and I know other members have done so successfully as well. Thure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 I've heard good things about the M3 from a guy that raced a C4 Vette, and liked the M3 as an overall car, and said it made impressive grip for its 235 wide tires. The Z sticks like a mother IMO, I've got 195 tires (300 treadwear) and I've never been in a car that grips like this, its a 73 240Z so its going to be more than the 2340ish of the 70/71 240Z, its still lightweight though so a little wheel/tire goes a LONG way, and much cheaper than a 17x11" setup on a heavier car. So for the money, they have SUPERB potential IMO, and thats really why I am here, mod potential and for the dollar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 I have both. Not an M3, but a 1995 325is. (My wife's car, actually). The Bimmer is a NICE car. Front engined inline 6, rear drive, struts, a back seat you can actually ride in to go somewhere. The closest thing you can still buy to an early Z + room for friends. It has benefitted from over 20 years of engineering compared to an early Z (1970-1992 when the E36 showed up) It drives better than a Z (no bump steer relatively speaking), is quieter than a Z (trunk and BIG muffler help as well as all the insulation) and SMELLS better than a Z (unless you LIKE raw gas fumes and burned hydrocarbons a lot...). With that said, it's NOT a Z. Nobody at the gas stations says "Cool car, used to have one just like it. Best car I ever owned." Actually, any reaction by people to the Bimmer is negative. (How can you afford THAT?-my wife is a teacher) Or assumptions about your personality based on what you drive. (caught that same crap with my '84 Corvette.) But the Z is perfect for somebody like me who hates depreciation and if you are lookinf for absolute performance and drivability the Z is a better choice IMO because you can have a complete interior and still stay around #2500. With the Bimmer you'll have to gut it to approach those weights, and parts, OUCH! IMO, minimum weight is the ultimate goal for maximum performance. With the same brakes and HP, a lighter car acclerates faster, stops harder, and is easier on parts like axles and bearings. With all that said, I've got my eyes out for an E36 with a grenaded driveline to build a strictly drag back-halfed racer. Since the Bimmer 6 is as reliable as the L6, it may be awhile... I'm figuring a 318is with a broken automatic should come cheap someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMS Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 I've had fairly extensive experience with both BMW's and Z's (I've had 5 Bimmers and 4 Z's) The reason I got into BMW's in the first place was that I needed a back seat, and the BMW was the only brand that put a grin on my face like my Z did. Can you make a Z handle and ride and perform like a BMW? Sure, you can get close. Just dump a bunch of money into the Z stiffening the body and tuning the suspension, and you can do just about anything. Actually, the M Roadster is the benchmark I'm aiming for with my V8 Z. If I can have a firm, supple ride, razor sharp handling, and pull a modest 5-second 0-60 time I'll be a happy camper. Even without pumping money into a Z, they're still incredibly fun cars. You can buy a reasonably clean Z for about $1,500, and with another $500 in minor upgrades (like urethane bushings and good wheels/tires) you'll end up with a reliable daily driver that will turn heads and paint a ridiculous grin on your face every time you take an off ramp. For twice as much money, you can buy an older 3-series BMW which will do pretty much the same thing but will have a useable back seat and will be much more refined. The real question is, where is your bliss? Do you favor the unquestionable refinement of a BMW, or the excitement of a pure sports car? You may find (as I did) that you need one of both. *WARNING!* Z's are addictive! Drive one in good condition, and you'll be hooked for life. I went 6 years between Z's before I bought my current 260, and by the end of the 6th year I thought I was going to go crazy if I didn't get another Z soon. I used to get up late at night when everyone else in the house was sleeping, and log onto the computer to... look at porn? No, look at 240Z websites! At work, I'd sneak over to Z sites and take peeks into the image galleries when nobody was looking. I felt like a junkie, hiding his habit. Anyway, I'd advise you to drive one, get bitten by the bug, and spend the rest of your life understanding what the rest of us are talking about. There are worse things to spend your money on. Scott Ferguson 1985 BMW 535i 1974 Datsun 260-Z 1984 Honda CB700SC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 I am an addict to such a degree it shocks myself, because it was not all that long ago that I thought not much of lightweight cars at all. I was into high weight, high horsepower machines, and through my beater car (88 Le Mans) the world opened up slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Mudge, there are quite a few of use old-school musclecar guys here. Myself included. I had a 70 Camaro, and a 68 Nova, both with (the same) warmed over 327. Then a buddy let me drive his Turbocharged 280Z. I was hooked. Around 1981 I, bought a 240Z, drove it in stock form (except some suspension mods and big wheels/tires) for many years, parked it for a few, fixed it up a bit, drove it, spent a decade+ taking it all the way apart and re-engineering much of it as it went back together. The Cobra was my initial inspiration. Then the October 1980 Hot Rod Magazine I read when I was in my freshman year of college showed me that a cheaper light car with a big engine could be done without going broke putting a kit Cobra together. (well, I blew that budget!). I still have that magazine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 I had a 69 Firebird that I blew up (lost 3 rods, doh), that car didn't steer as well as a dually pickup (no lie), but I loved those and have always loved first gen FBodies. Anyhow, along with those early Fbods the Z car is a new favorite, and I am in love, this car ROCKS, and was cheaper to obtain and will be cheaper to build than the previous mentioned car, which will probably come later in life... Also, easy to make a wicked scary road racer out of! Again, all on a budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 my Z weighed in at 2427lbs with a full tank of gas, r200, no spare, toyota calipers, and 20lbs of tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 Gas is about 6 pounds per gallon, for those that care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIE T Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 I got the same problem as these other guys. I sold/parted out a '89 Mustang Convertible(594rwhp, supercharged). When I first got interested in Z's. The only reason I got interested in the first place was becuase I wanted to build a Ferrari 250GTO replica. Then, I saw this bitchen 240Z with ZG flares and wide Centerlines. It was the hardest looking Z I had seen up to that point. I posted a question on here about those ZG flares and got a few responses saying how much most of us liked them. I told all my freinds about it. One day one of my buddies said he saw the car at service station with a forsale sign in the window. I went by there that afternoon and talked to the guy. I offered to trade him a '81 El Camino for it. He came by a few days later to look at the 'mino, and agreed. I had about $500 MAX in the 'mino. I still drive that 240 daily. IT IS STILL KING OF THE IMPORTS. I have laid waste to my best freinds B18 powered CRX and a Sentra SE-R. The SE-R is a solid mid 14 sec car and the CRX has not yet been to the track, but it is faster than the Sentra. I just bought another one, a '73 and I have one(full SCCA legal rollcage, and the straightest body I have ever seen on an unrestored one) I bought from Mike Kelly about 2 years ago. So I have 3 240Z's('71, '72, and '73) and a '83 280ZX parts car. I still have high HP cars. My wife drives a low 12sec '94 Z28 daily. And one of my Z's will be getting a 500+hp V8 very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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