i want to have a project car just for fun and am deciding between an old 240z or a non turbo rx-7. some background on a 240 would be great like handling 1/4 mile, fun to drive?

 

If you live in an area where you have to pass emissions I would definaly say go with the 240Z, pre-75 doesn'have to pass emissions in most places. And since its a project car put in a 20B, that would bee really kewl. And 240Z's handle pretty well are fun to drive, and have an awomse aftermarket following, just as good as the RX7.

 

Early 70s Z cars are friggin awesome. I absolutely love the interior of them. If I had the money Id love to pick one up and restore/modify. The hard part is finding one that isnt rusted through. I've looked at a few and they are usually pretty beat, and a nice kept or restored one is fairly expensive, usually $5k +. If you have the money and know how to put into it i say go for it. They have similar 1/4 times to a N/A FC, but stock for stock a FC will definately outhandle one.

 

i want a 72 240z. they started to get bigger and have those massive bumpers on the 260s and 280s and 300s. the 240 and 300z (1990+) are the only Z's i like.

 

I seriously thought about buying the onlyone for sale here in Denmark, before i bought the 7 but it turned out real expensive. It is still the car of my dreams along with a Jaguar e-type convertible, I WILL own one of those when i get older and have the time to fully restore one to its original showroom shine, just like this Kyosho static model.
Go for the 240z and live my dream lol

 

there is one of these sitting in the u pullit junkyard in south florida by me. same color as the picture too. interiors a little stripped out but man i wish i had some extra money..i would have adopted it!! i get kinda mad when i go to this place cuz i see quite a few of the late 70 early 80 z's getting ready to be smashed. lots of late 80s zs there too, im getting mad just thinking about it!!

 

Z all the way..

this has been my car since i got my 280 when i was 18..

240's fit small block chevy's in them no prob aswell

 

get an rx7!!

my dad has a 73' 240z and a 71' resto project.
as for the 73', it has a high performance cam, 2.5inch exhaust and header, KYB struts and eibach pro-kit springs, and yokohama tires. total preic including car = about $7000.

my rx7 is an 87' base. it has bonez superflow cat system, RP 50mm cat-back, cone airfilter, KYB AGX struts and shocks, eibach pro kits, and a 5 lug conversion with GXL wheels and some cheap, but descent dunlop all-season tires. total price including car = $2500.

now the point is, my car outperforms the Z in every category, and I think my car is MUCH more fun to drive. the Z feels like an old muscle car(the huge hood, high dashboard, etc..). it's still up to you, but I choose my N/A rx7 over the Z any day.

 

hey, thats cheating

 

My girlfriend just bought a 84 300ZX.. damn fun car I might add.

 

I have a friend with an 88 300z, but it's a piece of ****. If he takes it over 3000 rpm its sounds like it's gonna break.
I say 7, imo they look hella better, and are surely faster, stock for stock.

 

240 all the way!

If I could find a reliable non rusted 71-72 240Z with the same suspension mods, I would trade my S5 TII in a heartbeat.

 

For me I would recommend RX7.
You will have more fun driving 13BT than the 240Z's engine (sorry I can't remember the engine code) Better accereration, higher top speed. The most important thing is the Mod! Rx7's engine bay was designed to handle more mod than 240Z's. RX7, espeacially FC3S have the best weight balance...I would say 50-50. Still 240Z is easier to control!
well, that's my suggestion...guys correct me, if I'm wrong

 

hey its the thai girl. i love you...

 

I still say putting in a 20B would be kewl, hell I bet there is enough room to put in a 4 ROTOR . But If you have a 240/60/80Z there is no way that you should keep the stock inline 6 in there. If you put in a V-8 you would have a motor that has WAY more power and weighs LESS!!! A all aluminum 4 valve V-8 from a ford cobra svt, or cadilac Northstar motor would be really awsome.

 

240Z and try to stuff a RB26 in there. That would be up there with the 20B.

 

i do think that there are a few aftermarket turbo/SC kits that are completely bolt-on for the stock I-6 (forget engine code right now..). But if it were me Id do a LT1/T-56 swap. Man that thing would move......

 

that is my plan get the 6speed and the LT1 out of an F-BODY.. Im starting that project as soon as i get my 7 going for my driver..

 

If you would do this with a 240z, then get it. If not, stick to Rotaries

http://leok123.tripod.com/240z.mpeg

It's about 12Mb, right click and "Save Target As..."

 

I LOVE Z's, my first experience w/ tuning cars was with Z's...afterall, our shop is Z-1 Performance Inc. bc our most incredible in house project is an old school Z. The L-series straight six has monster potential whether NA or Turbo and don't take much for serious power. They are virtually bulletproof and could be considered the best sounding motors around...Z's are also have huge handling potential and they are gorgeous cars!! V8 conversions are a big no no our Z is really an amazing car...here are some pics, just register for this subaru forum and u can see them, no time to save and post right now.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...ghlight=adam+Z

 

What kind of potential could a N/A Z engine have? I know they have something around 150HP stock, how much can you squeeze out N/A?

 

Get a 71-72 Z. Get a 5 speed from a 280. Get the 280 Z motor . Build up the motor to 3.1 ltr (look on the Z sights u need a crank from a nissan truck (longer stroke). Then u can add an intake and turbo and have a veeeeeeeeeeeery fast car. but it will cost you. One thing abut the early Z's they can handle, and have Independant rear suspension. They like to understeer tho, and they are a bit noisy inside (that think japanese steel) but no doubt they are sexy!

 

NA L-series 6's can make 260rwhp easy...intake, full exhaust, cams, maybe a little more compression. They are easy motors to build. The early cars can make more power w/ some nice triple webers but the later fuel injected Z's have great potential as well. Also, the early Z's were rated at 150hp but that was a power rating at the wheels, not at the crank. Power at the crank was approx. 174 hp ALSO, the best part of Z tuning is that the manifold and turbo from a 80-83 280zx turbo bolts to any N/A fuel injected L26/L28 from the 260Z, 280Z and 280ZX. That was our first round of mods on the car, turbo swap. We ran a best of 13.8 on a stock N/A block w/ over 100K and a stock 280ZX turbo and manifold and the 70's computer (resistors) and AFM. I don't know how much boost we ran (max 10psi) but it wasn't even intercooled. This was about 7 years ago when we first started messin with the car, our mechanic who started the shop had many Z's and enough parts to literally build cars from scratch. Now he's our head mechanic and a great friend...our setup then went to a stock 280ZX turbo block and ARP hardware w/ a TEC II and T3/T4 w/ a decent FMIC. That setup went 11.82 I think...the new setup is a fully built motor, TEC 2, full T4 and skyline GTR spearco core, cams, compression the works!!! it's having the interior finished now & will be running in again in a few weeks for the first time since '98 Fully custom interior, rollcage, stereo, bodywork. check out those pics!!!

 

I've always wanted to get a 240 and put either a rotary (a nice 13brew) in it or a nice I6 (like the 2jzgte from the supra) or just be hardcore and use the 280zxturbo l28 turbo engine.

someone try to find the issue of sport compact car where that asain dude that had a BADASS 240z and a BADASS datsun 510 that had a 13brew in it.

someone find that issue, immediately.

 

Depends what you want it for. I had Zs in the early 80s and it was almost impossible to find one that wasn't thrashed THEN. The interiors were very fragile and the
body was a major rustbucket. The new parts supply was iffy even then. Maybe Nissan has fixed that
problem since old Zs are historic, but I would check.
Aside from that, they handled well, and had good power.
In comparable condition, the Z will be much more expensive than a NA RX7. I like the styling on the Z better.

If you want something that is more or less ready to go out of the box, go for the RX7.