Guest Anonymous Posted January 20, 2002 Share Posted January 20, 2002 i aquired a 280z chassis with no engine and transmission for $50 dollars, i have been interested in a upgrade to a v-8, so i thought that this car would be ideal.(i hope). questions 1. what would be the best way to clean underboby so i could inspect for weak areas? 2. if i plan to put a crate 350 in the car should i concider strenghtening the frame? i don't plan to drag the care and the chassis was originally set up for a automatic. 3. are the the stock drive train components strong enough to handle the v-8? thank john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Russ240z Posted January 21, 2002 Share Posted January 21, 2002 Welcome to the site John. I just arrived myself. Look at the threads under paint and body for discussion on rotisserie's for the serious approach to underbody inspection and restoration. In most cases subframe connectors are a good idea although not required. The 280 rear end is usually good for 350+ horsepower. I'm sure someone here can provide the gear ratio for auto's and verify that they had the 200r diff as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deMideon Posted January 21, 2002 Share Posted January 21, 2002 Right now in the driveline section of the forum there is a discussion on the u-joints in the half-shafts. I am also doing a 280Z shell. I don't know if it's the best solution, but with the larger size of the frame rails under the floorboards (vs the 240Z), I am just going to tie into those, into the rear subframe, and tie my rollbar into that. Once the weldings done, I am going to get the structural foam and fill all of empty areas of the frame rails side rails etc... to add additional rigidity. That way I won't have to add a cage! I think this will work and when I asked about it I didn't get any negative.... well or positive coments either... So Ima gonna try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted January 21, 2002 Share Posted January 21, 2002 John, Scraping the undercarriage to remove the undercoating is a messy, time consuming job. Guys have done it with heat, etc. use the search function to get all the info--it has been hashed out numerous times. Make sure you check for extensive rust underneath and in the typical areas for a Z (rockers, battery box, etc). "How to Restore Your datsun Z Car" by Wick Humble is a good (read: perfect) reference tool for your project. The stock unibody should be strong enough for a crate 350. Consider the JTR kit or making one along those lines. If you want a manual transmission, the conversion is quite easy and you'll merely have to replace some parts on the console to have the interior be at M/T spec. Good luck with your project. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 400 ci 280z Posted January 21, 2002 Share Posted January 21, 2002 "how to restore your datsun z car" is a very helpful book. it shows you how to do several things. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Greenslade Posted January 23, 2002 Share Posted January 23, 2002 I had the entire undercarriage and paint (interior and exterior) stripped with walnut shells. I had all previously stripped all components, mechanical, fenders, doors, harch, glass, interior, dash board, etc.,so there was only the unibody shell left. The stripping was more expensive than I originally thought but it certainly made continued body repair easier. Also with everthing stripped I discovered several areas that need repair that were previously masked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Russ240z Posted January 23, 2002 Share Posted January 23, 2002 The answer to this is probably obvious but where do I find access to the book, "How to Restore Your Datsun Z Car," on the internet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 28, 2002 Share Posted January 28, 2002 thanks for the info, i'm kinda scared and excited about my project. i feel better this forum is here for support. i'm am not ricjh enough yet to make expensive mistakes. i will prbably get started this fall when i get home from korea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted January 28, 2002 Share Posted January 28, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Russ240z: The answer to this is probably obvious but where do I find access to the book, "How to Restore Your Datsun Z Car," on the internet? Russ, it is still a fairly common book. Classic Motorbooks (Motorbooks International), Amazon.com, BN.com, etc. all would carry the title. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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