1972 240Z barnfind budget track car build

been putting as many miles on it as possible... things are solid, still rubbing tires in rear (cant hear it but barely see it) so going to raise it up some. coolant and trans leaks seem to be solved. might also put on the new(er) spark plugs and wires i had just put on the old engine. but otherwise really just need to get that shift indicator light in

my favorite 'just out of town' road leads to a quaint little town that the misses enjoys as well so sunday cruises are becoming a bit of a tradition

nice.

Great success at Mid Ohio.

It was supposed to rain a lot that day but ended up being mostly just constant sprinkle and was fairly dry by the end. Which is kind of a big deal because mid ohio has an extra seal on the race line so in the wet you have to take a whole different line to avoid it and find grip, definitely a school of the hard knocks way to learn the track. My first lap out was the wettest, actually hit a wet spot and spun out on the very last corner (right in front of main straight hahaha). but rest of my sessions were much dryer. last one of the day was totally dry and after Bob Costas footing around in semi wet conditions i was very well prepped and was a BLAST, which was also admittedly pretty much a perfect way to learn to drive - starting off in wet in a slow rwd car with good dynamics.

Car performed flawlessly. Coolant temps flat as a pancake, burned maybe a half a quart of oil all day, could just barely smell brakes at the end of dry sessions when it was getting pushed, tires even held on better than i expected for how old they are. Really, perfect.

There was a GT3 and a 2015 STi in my group that would obviously pass me in the straights (getting passed by a GT3 is truly an aural pleasure) but mid ohio is a pretty technical track and for the 4-5 turns after that i would usually be right back on their ass. obv they werent very good drivers but realistically neither am i, although in my last session I was definitely in the groove, just not pushing my tires as much as i probably could have.

That's awesome brochacho. I'm truly jealous. One day I'll get this ole Ford on a track. It might just be a gokart track. Burgundy Brothers FTW.

2017: Brothers in Burgundy attack COTA. Tell matt to start prepping his vagina now!

PS. the gopro footage is really lame haha. the outside is washed out so it just looks like 2 people driving around with helmets on (cause im so slow smooth) need to get more/better pictures edited too.... hopefully all of that while sitting in hotel this week.

Finally made it out for a cruise in Hocking Hills, got some good pictures in before winter hibernation. AWESOME roads out there, will be going back a lot in 2016.

came across some more pics from SCCA PDX at MidOhio!

Awesome pictures and it's good to hear the Z is running right! I love love love those wheels on your car. They just look right.

They really are the perfect size and offset! I'm just glad cross drilling them worked out. Your girl is definitely photogenic, and she loves being in front of that camera.

Thank you sirs! I totally agree, and still get surprised at how much they really are exactly what I wanted - mancha knows how many steel wheels and others of similar style i was sorting through without finding anything i loved before i found those super lightweight perfect versions of what i was looking for on craigslist haha

This may make a few people cringe, but fun fact: when i first got them they were semi-polished such that there was no distinction and just looked like a really plain silver wheel, so I rubbed them with used motor oil and dirt to get the contrast and definition of details I wanted hahaha

Your Z is so damn pretty.

y'all gon' make me blush

Great to see the old z in action!

Very cool project. I like it enough I might even forgive my old 300ZX for existing.

didn't like it? turbo? I mean, im sure it was no daewoo I'm consistently torn on how I feel about pretty much every fairlady since...

I had an N/A 5 speed 84 300zx for my US car and the Frankenstein Daewoo Nubira for my South Korea car. I greatly preferred the Daewoo. That said, the Daewoo wasn't exactly stock/a>

How did you get yours to turn, btw?

I dont know much about the Z31s, I wouldnt be surprised by being unimpressed by one of those in NA form.

As far as getting mine to turn, it has ground control adjustable coils, koni shocks, adjustable camber plates, polyurethane bushings, and hankook RS3 tires. Does the job quite well. I'm needing rear toe adjustability but should have something hacked together this off season.

So I'm looking for group input on deciding where to go with the Z as far as powerplant. I want to keep using factory L series inline 6s, and the build is primarily for track and canyon/country road carving; reliability and throttle response are the priorities, along with getting as much out of the L series as I can (power).

Triple webers or blow through (carbed) turbo?

This car is one of the primary reasons "Datsun" is a daily craigslist search for me. In response to your aspiration question, NEVER blow through turbo unless you have to... my vote is none of the above, draw through supercharger- the Eaton units off the GM 3800SC are cheap.

Haha, its the reason I search Datsun daily on craigslist too, and have no money!

I've been reading into it a lot, but curious why you say NEVER on blow through? I've seen people make great power on them reliably.

The beauty of it is since its carb (and low boost) I wouldn't have to use an intercooler, and with my current 4bbl setup plus a factory 280ZX turbo & ex manifold, it would have a super short path to intake, should be super responsive. My main hesitation is just what part throttle response will be like, since that would be a drag on road course drivability/enjoyability.

In reply to ol doc gully:

Personal preference- tuning a carb isn't all that fun, so tuning a carb inside a pressure box would be less fun (I assume). This is probably less of a problem if there's already an established "formula" for doing this on your engine. That and I absolutely love supercharger noises, so if I'm stuck with a carb then that's the way I'd prefer to go for forced induction.

Still doesn't stop me wanting a Yamaha Seca Turbo (4 carbs in a box!)

Yeah, a supercharger draw through is definitely the well known 'go to'. There's definitely not a formula for doing it (as far as jetting) but modifications needed for boost pressure are well known and using a holley 4 barrel is definitely the absolute best place to start as far as simplicity and tune-ability, and is certainly the only setup i would consider for blow through.

Honestly i just really like that turbo setup idea (in that drawing), and if it was only a street car i would go with it, but im just not sure about throttle response or reliability (really what I'm fishing for is someone to be able to say something about part throttle tunability and response because i havent found anything really). So given those, and the fact that this thing is really meant for track duty, it leads me back to webers. Just unfortunate that itll never be that fast with webers. Although, i guess that gives me something to move on to when the time comes... (or V8, heh..)

I came back here to take a stroll down memory lane and realized I kinda (very much) left this hanging! some updates...

long story short, an opportunity to move to Norway came through (where I am currently, as of almost exactly one year). So I made the most of what little time I had left. Took a ton more cruises through hocking hills (southeast Ohio - think northern neighbor of tail of the dragon) simply FANTASTIC roads - also, several hours drive just to get there or back, on top of the throttle smashing and wheel twisting inbetween, and never had any problems whatsoever

Also I made some friends and had gotten a set of spec Miata Hoosier take-offs at mid-Ohio which just fit perfectly. So was itching to use em. Picked up some bassetts to mount em, especially because I have a strong affinity for the vintage NASCAR aesthetic, which I think the S30 plays right into

Fortune striking again, this all culminated in an unexpected opportunity to go to Nelson Ledges, which is the torn-up, high speed, no rules track around here [year later update: just got invited to same event (tear) and the track is being repaved]

in short, that last, opportune track day was a blast. laid back experienced group at a laid back track. pretty much just open lapping to your hearts content, which i utilized until my arms went to jello. it was a fantastic, befitting and fulfilling send off.

actually pulled up and getting car off trailer saw it weeping coolant from the headgasket. i was sure it was going to explode on me all over the track, but i kept watching it and it did great all day. got pretty hot on teh back straight but always got right back in check. these engines have seriously blown me away at how stout they are.

hoosiers are truly a god damn treat to drive on, such balanced predictable grip. the car was finally everything it deserved to be. i even came into turn 1 (where i know a lot of people who had their first spin) waaaay too hot and along with some major a$$hole pvckering only had the back end step out a bit on me, easy to catch. everybody always leaves me in the straights but of two e36 M3s there; one had full $$$$ suspension and was masterfully piloted that just walked over everybody but the other was supercharged on stock suspension and **** tires and i was pretty damn well able to keep up through most of the turns

didnt really get pictures but had some fast and classy peoples there with me: buncha C7s, the Z06 overheated literally every session (NOT the un-freshened 40 year old coolant-seeping brick!)

the E30 didnt run but there were several E36 Ms, and real cool guys, which was fun cause im seriouly thinking about getting one when i come back

and then literally two days later (never even came off the trailer) drove her down to alabama where i fortunately secured a spot for her in my dads barn.. and it actually turned out to be a pretty damn perfect spot for a Z :)

Beautiful car and pictures.