Here's a couple shots of my Z the day I got her. Keep in mind that I paid 150 dollars for a nearly complete car. It was a steal if you ask me..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-07.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-06.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-13.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/prelewd/Dottie/Dottie-Sept04-09.jpg

The head for the engine isn't there and I don't want to spend a couple grand on rebuilding the engine when I can buy a used SR20, VG or RB. I know the purists wont like it, but the way I see it, the car was heading for the heap anyway, and a Z on the road is better than no Z.

I'm taking suggestions on the engine and pretty much anything else. I want to keep it Nissan, but will consider other engines. Balance and handling are going to be most important when building. Thanks for taking a look; hope to hear your insight.

can i say.......RESOTRATION PROJECT!!! i say put the rb in there. datsun z's had straigh-6's, so at least the rb is a straight-6.

-Jared

The hell with a single straight 6, put in TWO RB26s. Then put a couple in the trunk too.

yeah i would do an rb swap or an sr...because of the supply and deman for sr engines and parts it would be pretty easy to get parts if something went bad on teh sr.

dude that is one beat to sh*t Z... i say go rb series because like freaky said the datsun z's had the straight six as well.. should be an easier swap and the engine mounts might even align... good luck using the old ones... i'd say almost everything on that car is shot except for maybe the shift knob... that looks like it's in decent condition...

great find!
damn, all you guys finding these awesome deals like this....... :thumbsup:


You have a great project car there, keep us updated (with pics of course!) as you are working on her.


BTW, what year is that one?

Great find Prelewd. Looks like you've got a good start to build the car of you dreams. Think out what you want of your dream car. What you want it to look like, and take your time. As for a engine for that model Z, holy shit their's enough information on the net to satisfy just about anything that trip's your trigger. Anything from a Inline 6 to V8's. There's even a Jap fellow out there that's put a VK45DE turbo'ed engine in one. What ever you deside, it's your choice.

http://zhome.com/rnt/L28TurboConversion/Genavese.htm

http://www.zparts.com/showcase/engines/pages/q45v8z-testfit.html


Take your time and do it right.

Hey man thats what my first 260z used to look like... $150, thats a good price. Is this your first time restoring an old Z? just by the sight of those pics, the first thing you wanna do is get rid of that rust man, but other than that, it's got potental. Good Luck.

heh, you guys just missed it then, i just sold my 85 300zx for 200, it was missing a rear glass, rest was in good condition.

damn it! ^^^
I wish I would have know that! That would have been a great parts car for my 85 :(

Nice 240Z! I'm jealous and still hunting for one! An SR or RB swap would be cool... but I would stay with the stock block for originality's sake! Get some dual MINUKI's and beef that engine up! If you insist on swapping... I say do a L28ET, RB20DET, RB25DE (Neo), or RB25DET... RB26DETT will be a bitch and a half to acquire and install....

I say go L28T. :)

Thanks for all the feedback guys. The car is in pretty solid shape for 150 dollars. It is a 1970; first year. The guy that sold it to me drove it home.. and then parked it for four years. All of the glass is perfect, most of the body is straight. The only thing wrong is that it has been bottomed out and the floorboard is dented upward. Nothing unfixable. Title is clean.

Yes, the first thing I will be doing is filling in the major rust holes. The rest can be repaired after I get it running.

I would keep the original motor if I actually had the cylinder head. With the money it would take to invest in all the necessary parts to make it run fast with the original engine, I would probably be able to buy a couple SR20s. As for the RBs, they seem to have a limited supply of domestic aftermarket parts compared to the SR20. I was also considering a VG30DETT, but am not so sure of the fittament and documentation on the swap. I've also never seen a VG in a 240. As for the L28.. everyone does that. Plus, I want to CAD draw the motor mounts for a different engine and maybe machine them for other people.

I have a good idea of what I want to do for the body and interior. It's just engine that I'm stuck on. I want to be frugal, but not so cheap that I skip things.

Prelewd, just start working on it and keep looking on the net and one day the lights well come on and you'll know just what you'll put in it.

Don't most people put chevy small blocks in cars like that? I have seen a video where a guy did and his was a monster! Just a thought. :p

yeah some people do, but some people consider that destroying the Z.

the club i just joined (heart of america z car club) has 8 datsun z's with v-8s in them. but i still say stick with and inline-6.

-Jared

Heart of America?



Are you making that up?

ummmm, no www.hazcc.com (http://www.hazcc.com).

-Jared

If it's a chevy small block, it has the heart of america.. err.. heartbeat..

Anyway, a smallblock would upset the weight balance too much. I don't have the money to buy an aluminum block V8, and I think something like an RB25 would be faster out of the barrell.

not to mention it would totally destroy everything that the designers of the Z had in mind....