1972 240Z barnfind budget track car build

had this about 2 years now, aim is to get it on mid-ohio this season - fingers crossed!

1972 240Z, started off all original (down to spare tire and tool kit) besides having a 2.8 engine

how she sits now:

Techno Toy Tuning Coilovers (ground control sleeves w koni dampers) & camber plates, disc brakes all around, poly bushings all over, new OEM ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods, etc

2.8L engine with Holley 4bbl carb, clifford manifold; OE 4spd trans and rear end (3.364 R180). also have a 4.11 R180 and nismo (power brute) clutch LSD but need the right inner stub axles to make it work, also debating viability of 4.11 w a 4spd.

'dirty oil rubbed' Centerline Convo Pros, 15x7, 3-3/8 BS; Hankook RS3 225/45

old corbeau forzas, schroth ASM 4pt harnesses, 1978 momo race steering wheel that is in the process of getting recovered

it moved for the first time under its own power literally at midnight on friday the 13th last year

had some kinks to work out, mostly getting a electronic dizzy with the right advance curve. also borrowed a kirkey from a friend

got all the kinks worked out and finally got to start having some fun with it last year. was running some well reconditioned factory round top SUs that i still have and will be going back on

I love the old Z cars. I remember when I first started driving, my first car was a Pinto, I mean Mustang II. My best friend had a 280ZX with the straight 6 and we always went for backroad cruises every other week. Love the 240Z though. Looks like nothing but fun!

this past winter i got a good deal on a engine and trans setup with new alternator, new clutch, holley 4bbl and manifold, dizzy etc so swapped everything in. mine had low compression and some timing issues but also i just wanted the spare parts. also got some new wheels & rubber, built and installed harness bar and also put in some seats I got cheap locally after I dyed em (a little) black

swapping engines in snow is fun! especially with trans fluid on top of ice!

corsepervita wrote: I love the old Z cars. I remember when I first started driving, my first car was a Pinto, I mean Mustang II. My best friend had a 280ZX with the straight 6 and we always went for backroad cruises every other week. Love the 240Z though. Looks like nothing but fun!

thanks man - thats exactly what it is, nothing but fun! i shopped around for a long time trying to find the perfect classic car to turn into a track toy, im now pretty convinced a more perfect car for me doesnt exist haha

It's about time!!!

hahaha i know, shoulda started this a long time ago

Nice build!

thanks!

Nice car! If you dont mind me asking: Where did you get the LSD? Trying to track down two. One for my ZX and one for my 240.

Wait, when/where did you get a vintage Momo steering wheel??

mancha wrote: Wait, when/where did you get a vintage Momo steering wheel??

i actually bought this almost right after i bought the car, stumbled across it cheap and it was just what i wanted. i want to get it wrapped in alcantara before i use it though - actually been trying to convince christine to do it haha i think i finally broke her down and actually gonna give it a shot tomorrow I think

JacktheRiffer wrote: Nice car! If you dont mind me asking: Where did you get the LSD? Trying to track down two. One for my ZX and one for my 240.

power brute is one of the only companies thats made clutch lsd diffs for the R180 that I know of (supposedly came off the same line of engineering as the comparable NISMO diffs), but theyre fairly hard to come by these days. however i found you can get model precision gear LOM55-12 which is a R180 clutch LSD and the only one i know of that is still around. youll have to get STi splined stub axles (from wolfcreek). but also youll need and a specific R180 (later, larger crown ID, and 12mm ring bolts) so its really more worth it to just get a R180 LSD takeoff of an STi and then the wolfcreek axles. or OBX sells a cheap torsen for R180 i think.

i think the R200 in your ZX has more options? i know thats whats in all the 240SXs etc, and im sure all the drift guys have figured out something ..although are probably blowing through em left and right haha

I should also say, I just found one of those power brute units on ebay cheap, only really knowing they were rare and that it was for a R180, and decided to just go for it and try to figure it out, which I haven't finished quite yet - so no guarantee it works yet hahaha. another reason to just go with an STi diff. although I have confirmed the STi axles work with the power brute, just not that the 200sx diff I have will work

Looks great, man I am loving those wheels! I will have another Z someday!

In reply to JacktheRiffer:

All Canadian 240s came with a lsd

In reply to ol doc gully:

My ZX is an 80 model year so it still has the r180. Ill probably end up trying to find a sti diff but I really want the 3.9 which is hard to come by.

sethmeister4 wrote: Looks great, man I am loving those wheels! I will have another Z someday!

thanks man, I'm pretty picky and lucked out finding those on craigslist being just what I wanted aesthetically - and only weigh 11lbs each!

In reply to JacktheRiffer:

Ah gotcha, and thats really part of the dillemma im at now (in addition to forking over $500 for stub axles) the 200Sx (nonturbo, nonv6) is the only r180 ive found that has the right ring gear for the lsd unit, and it is 4.11. Basically the R180 switched to a larger ID for the ring gear in ~76 and then switched to larger 12mm bolts on the ring gear in the 80s (? going off the top of my head), so basically to use the lsd you just need a diff that matches those specs, of newer r180s. I think it's actually even a direct replacement for the Subaru r180. But also i suppose you might could use it with any post 76 diff using the smaller bolts, just either use spacers around the bolts or drill/tap new holes in ring gear...

what happened to the et slot mags?

In reply to patgizz:

still got em but those were 14s so could only get like 400 treadwear tires so wanted something stickier. I'll likely pull em back out and put em on the rear to burn through at some point though haha

Digging your z! Such great cars....

I had forgotten how much I love these cars, hadn't seen one in a while. Great track toy! And the noises!

Now off to search for one...

Love how this looks keep up the good work!