I had clicked on this expecting to see it was a 240Z with a Honda motor swapped in. That could be interesting, but this is WAY more impressive.
Photography Courtesy Z Car Garage
Yes, you can make a Datsun 240Z rev past 8000 rpm without detonating it. No, you don't need witchcraft to do so.
Instead, start by mating a custom head based on Honda K-series technology to a Datsun L-series bottom end.
Besides the improved flow rate offered by a modern valvetrain, this unique piece of engineering effectively transforms the single-overhead-cam L-series into a high-revving, dual-overhead-cam engine.
The head was built by Datsunworks and further developed with help from Z Car Garage.
Only 10 of these kits currently exist–there's confirmation that more are on the way–with one of them installed in a 240Z known as the Behemoth.
Although the Behemoth is “still in the tuning phase” and running a conservative tune, Z Car Garage was already able to extract 350 horsepower at the wheels using 91-octane fuel.
More of these KN20 kits are on the way, with a lead time of about three or four months. In the long term, the shop wants to offer a bolt-on setup for customers looking to add power to their L-series engines. It also hopes to offer customers with a dedicated shop car for test drives.
Price for a basic kit–head, timing cover, valve cover, valve guide and seats–starts at $9000, and plenty of optional extras are available for purchase, including Honda OEM cam bolts, a DCOE intake manifold and an aluminum upper tensioner.
Visit the Datsunworks website for a full breakdown on parts and pricing for the KN20 kit. Head to Z Car Garage for further updates and information on the kit's development.
Besides the 240Z, what other L-series-powered cars would you put this kit in?
I had clicked on this expecting to see it was a 240Z with a Honda motor swapped in. That could be interesting, but this is WAY more impressive.
This is incredibly cool but in today's world I don't know that there's really a market for $9,000.00 engine upgrades that only deliver 350 HP to the wheels. I just don't know if there's enough people who are willing to drop that kind of coin on cool. I hope I'm wrong though.
I am going back and forth. $9K seems like a lot for a cylinder head and some parts, but then again an engine swap is going to cost you a bunch if you ditch the L.
APEowner said:This is incredibly cool but in today's world I don't know that there's really a market for $9,000.00 engine upgrades that only deliver 350 HP to the wheels. I just don't know if there's enough people who are willing to drop that kind of coin on cool. I hope I'm wrong though.
You might be amazed at what some people will spend. I was told that a certain Fiat shop was getting $10k for X1/9 engine rebuilds. That's a lot of money for 100hp or so.
Subject takes me back to when I was interested in 240Zs because a friend had bought one. Someone found a Japanese company that made a setup that eliminated the timing chain guides in favor of one or two idler sprockets, making the chain drive good up to 14,000rpm, or at least, so they claimed. Commentary on 240Z forum: "So all I need is this to allow me to rev that high?" No, you need a lot more than that, but this is one of the things that will help you get there.
I mean, personally, the first thing I'd do would be to get the heavy, high-friction chain out of there and install a belt drive, but what do I know?
You'd be surprised at what some people will spend on a Swift GT engine. And while it will rev and make fun noises, it will never make any meaningful power.
Is $9k too much? Yes.
Will hard cores spend it? Yes.
Mr Asa - you have a bogey.
dude kind of drives like an shiny happy person, but it sounds wonderful.
It's not terribly hard to build an L24 that will run 8,000rpm...
Hubba, hubba.
A modern crossflow head is always what that L series needed. It's so bloody expensive but probably worth it for the improvement. Obviously not for max hp numbers but I think I'm starting to get to the age where I don't just want to swap the biggest/most hp engine into a car but meddle around with a weird swap or mod to see what it can achieve.
I remember looking through the Nismo catalogs back in the 80s and drooling over the OS Giken head for the L24-28s back then. Good to know there's at least one other super expensive, unobtanium head for the Z... 
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