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I bought my 1973 240Z from a guy in Richland Washington that had bought it with the intent of installing a SBC, but decided it was too small for him.
So after a couple months of flying out to see the car, finailing the deal, and getting the car shipped I had my 240Z home, and in need of some TLC to get road worthy.
It was a less than typical 240Z, brown (eww), Butterscotch interior (double Eww), and Automatic (tripple eww)! But it was solid underneath, and I got a good deal on it.
The first thing I did was swap out the brakes, since they were in desperate need of repair.
I decided on going 4 wheel disc, using Toyota 4 piston front calipers, and 280ZX rear disc set-up.
I also had some electrical repair work to do, to get everything working right.
The only pictures I seem to have of the exterior are after a couple months of driving it, so there are some changes that I had already made.
I had already added the Spook by this point.
front no plate sm.jpg
left side no plate sm.jpg
Here is a picture of the rear, that I believe I took on the day I got it on the road, due to the old tires being on it, the mudflaps and a box of spare parts in the back, that came with the car when I purchased it.
rear_no_plate sm.JPG
Trans
Well after driving the Datsun for a month in auto trans form, I got sick of not using my left foot, and just resting my hand on the shifter, though I had been shifting it manually...
I had also been able to locate the rest of the parts I needed, to complete the swap.
I started the swap about 2 PM on a Saturday, and had most of it done by about 8 PM, just a few details I couldn't finish in the dark.
Sunday came and didn't have much time and spent most of it trying to find a nut to install my solid front diff mount, which I could find and re-surfacing the exhaust flange to eliminate the exhaust leak I had there. Then family obligations meant no more time to work on the Z.
Monday I re-installed the exhaust, checked everything over, and then took it out for a drive. A manual Z is one billleeeeon times better than an auto Z.
I'm using a Centerforce Dual Friction, and it grabs HARD!! The tires screaming for traction going into 3rd made that apparent.
I was actually enjoying the L28 that's in this car, the auto just made that car a real dog, a real slow dog.
This trans was a 4 speed, since I couldn't locate a 5-speed at that time.
On to the pics:
Not enough pedals:
Not enough pedals.JPG
Ahhh, that's better:
Correct pedals.JPG
This shifter only moves forward and back:
Auto shifter.JPG
This one also moves side to side.
manual shifter.JPG
CFDF:
CFDF installed.JPG
This is where/how it was done:
jack stands no plate small.JPG
Now I have a manual Z, just like it should have been.
EFI and Turbocharging
When I first got my 240, it had Weber down draft carbs that had seen better days.
Here is the engine pretty much as it was when I received the car:
L2801.jpg
Well since I'm a fan of EFI and turbocharging I decided to play with the engine that was already in the car, which turned out to be an L28, F54 block, with a P90 head, N/A version from a 1981 or 1982 280ZX, is as far as I can narrow it down.
I started with an N47 intake, which I cut off excess parts and smoothed out, it was also modified to accept "O-ring" injectors, which are more common than the stock "barbed" injectors, and many more sizes available.
Stock intake 01.jpg
Stock intake 02.jpg
I also had a throttle body adaptor made to use a GM 3400 throttle body. This is a 56mm TB and would also serve to house a compatible IAC motor and proper range TPS.
TBadaptor01.jpg
Onto the turbo and exhaust:
I used a stock L28T exhaust manifold, and mated it to a Borg Warner turbo, pirated from a 6.5L diesel. This required the use of a small spacer between the manifold and turbine inlet. The wastegate actuator started as an actuator from a Pontiac Sunbird turbo, combined with some custom brackets and arms, it now controls the internal wastegate of the BW turbo. I chose that actuator, because I had one and it also opens at about 2 PSIG, giving me a large range of control over the pressures I am able to set. (Though I had to add external springs to get more than about 5 PSIG of intake pressure.)
BW turbo installed.jpg
the exhaust is 3" from downpipe to tip. All fitted and TIG welded by yours truely.
Exhaust1.jpg
Muffler, a Moroso Spiro-flow and tip:
Turning attention to the ECM and wiring:
I first had to chose a place to come through the firewall with the wiring. I used a stock firewall feed through ("grommet" ), from a 1988 Chevy Cavalier, since it was part of the harness I already had, previously installed in my 1985 GMC Jimmy, that had a turbo 3.2L V6.
Here is the ECM, which is in it's "easy to access" location. You can also see the grey "EMU cable" that attaches to my EPROM emulator to allow real time tuning.(I made brackets to mount it in a better spot later)
I use a custom code called "Code59", which is a modified version of a stock GM code called "$58", which was originally used in the Syclones, Typhoons and Turbo Sunbirds. This allows for Wide Band O2 fuel control, extended VE and spark tables (up to 30 PSIG!) and many other refinements that the developers have done and they plan even more! (www.code59.org for more information.)
Working on the wiring:
(Mostly) Complete harness:
Fast forward to a running installation, which didn't have an intercooler, since I ran out of time, seeing as I got running the day before 2008 ZFest, and had a few other details to iron out. I had to turn the TB upside down due to the dizzy cap interfering with the TB linkage. I didn't really mind this since I was already planning on a DIS swap later on. (more on that later.)
I've skipped over a lot of details, like modifying a 280Z speedo to accept a GM optical Vehicle Speed Sensor, oil supply and return for the turbo, modification of the throttle pedal to use a GM throttle cable from a Buick Century (IIRC), using a GM ignition control module between the 280Z dizzy and the ECM, E-fan install, electric fuel pump and larger fuel pick up from the tank, along with many little brackets and adaptors to make it all work together. I also swapped in a 5-speed from a 1981 280ZX that I bought for parts in this time.
I was able to get it tuned and work well up to 10 PSIG, but the weather was turning cold and time to park it for the winter.
So after a couple months of flying out to see the car, finailing the deal, and getting the car shipped I had my 240Z home, and in need of some TLC to get road worthy.
It was a less than typical 240Z, brown (eww), Butterscotch interior (double Eww), and Automatic (tripple eww)! But it was solid underneath, and I got a good deal on it.
The first thing I did was swap out the brakes, since they were in desperate need of repair.
I decided on going 4 wheel disc, using Toyota 4 piston front calipers, and 280ZX rear disc set-up.
I also had some electrical repair work to do, to get everything working right.
The only pictures I seem to have of the exterior are after a couple months of driving it, so there are some changes that I had already made.
I had already added the Spook by this point.
front no plate sm.jpg
left side no plate sm.jpg
Here is a picture of the rear, that I believe I took on the day I got it on the road, due to the old tires being on it, the mudflaps and a box of spare parts in the back, that came with the car when I purchased it.
rear_no_plate sm.JPG
Trans
Well after driving the Datsun for a month in auto trans form, I got sick of not using my left foot, and just resting my hand on the shifter, though I had been shifting it manually...
I had also been able to locate the rest of the parts I needed, to complete the swap.
I started the swap about 2 PM on a Saturday, and had most of it done by about 8 PM, just a few details I couldn't finish in the dark.
Sunday came and didn't have much time and spent most of it trying to find a nut to install my solid front diff mount, which I could find and re-surfacing the exhaust flange to eliminate the exhaust leak I had there. Then family obligations meant no more time to work on the Z.
Monday I re-installed the exhaust, checked everything over, and then took it out for a drive. A manual Z is one billleeeeon times better than an auto Z.
I'm using a Centerforce Dual Friction, and it grabs HARD!! The tires screaming for traction going into 3rd made that apparent.
I was actually enjoying the L28 that's in this car, the auto just made that car a real dog, a real slow dog.
This trans was a 4 speed, since I couldn't locate a 5-speed at that time.
On to the pics:
Not enough pedals:
Not enough pedals.JPG
Ahhh, that's better:
Correct pedals.JPG
This shifter only moves forward and back:
Auto shifter.JPG
This one also moves side to side.
manual shifter.JPG
CFDF:
CFDF installed.JPG
This is where/how it was done:
jack stands no plate small.JPG
Now I have a manual Z, just like it should have been.
EFI and Turbocharging
When I first got my 240, it had Weber down draft carbs that had seen better days.
Here is the engine pretty much as it was when I received the car:
L2801.jpg
Well since I'm a fan of EFI and turbocharging I decided to play with the engine that was already in the car, which turned out to be an L28, F54 block, with a P90 head, N/A version from a 1981 or 1982 280ZX, is as far as I can narrow it down.
I started with an N47 intake, which I cut off excess parts and smoothed out, it was also modified to accept "O-ring" injectors, which are more common than the stock "barbed" injectors, and many more sizes available.
Stock intake 01.jpg
Stock intake 02.jpg
I also had a throttle body adaptor made to use a GM 3400 throttle body. This is a 56mm TB and would also serve to house a compatible IAC motor and proper range TPS.
TBadaptor01.jpg
Onto the turbo and exhaust:
I used a stock L28T exhaust manifold, and mated it to a Borg Warner turbo, pirated from a 6.5L diesel. This required the use of a small spacer between the manifold and turbine inlet. The wastegate actuator started as an actuator from a Pontiac Sunbird turbo, combined with some custom brackets and arms, it now controls the internal wastegate of the BW turbo. I chose that actuator, because I had one and it also opens at about 2 PSIG, giving me a large range of control over the pressures I am able to set. (Though I had to add external springs to get more than about 5 PSIG of intake pressure.)
BW turbo installed.jpg
the exhaust is 3" from downpipe to tip. All fitted and TIG welded by yours truely.
Exhaust1.jpg
Muffler, a Moroso Spiro-flow and tip:
Turning attention to the ECM and wiring:
I first had to chose a place to come through the firewall with the wiring. I used a stock firewall feed through ("grommet" ), from a 1988 Chevy Cavalier, since it was part of the harness I already had, previously installed in my 1985 GMC Jimmy, that had a turbo 3.2L V6.
Here is the ECM, which is in it's "easy to access" location. You can also see the grey "EMU cable" that attaches to my EPROM emulator to allow real time tuning.(I made brackets to mount it in a better spot later)
I use a custom code called "Code59", which is a modified version of a stock GM code called "$58", which was originally used in the Syclones, Typhoons and Turbo Sunbirds. This allows for Wide Band O2 fuel control, extended VE and spark tables (up to 30 PSIG!) and many other refinements that the developers have done and they plan even more! (www.code59.org for more information.)
Working on the wiring:
(Mostly) Complete harness:
Fast forward to a running installation, which didn't have an intercooler, since I ran out of time, seeing as I got running the day before 2008 ZFest, and had a few other details to iron out. I had to turn the TB upside down due to the dizzy cap interfering with the TB linkage. I didn't really mind this since I was already planning on a DIS swap later on. (more on that later.)
I've skipped over a lot of details, like modifying a 280Z speedo to accept a GM optical Vehicle Speed Sensor, oil supply and return for the turbo, modification of the throttle pedal to use a GM throttle cable from a Buick Century (IIRC), using a GM ignition control module between the 280Z dizzy and the ECM, E-fan install, electric fuel pump and larger fuel pick up from the tank, along with many little brackets and adaptors to make it all work together. I also swapped in a 5-speed from a 1981 280ZX that I bought for parts in this time.
I was able to get it tuned and work well up to 10 PSIG, but the weather was turning cold and time to park it for the winter.
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