top speed of a 72' 240z

[Jaykuo]

just wondering if anyone new what the stock engine would push the car too

thanks

[tim brownhill]

Originally posted by Jaykuo
just wondering if anyone new what the stock engine would push the car too

thanks
I've had mine going 135mph (215km/ph) but thats with a stanza SSS gearbox which is a slightly longer ratio than the stock 240. It could of been pushed further but I wasn't down for it cause she was already feeling floaty and unresponsive. Just depends on how willing you are to push it. Need a shit load of road though. Takes a fair while to get to those sorts of speeds.

[grantman240z]

i read somewhere that it gets up to 120 with the stock 4-speed...not exactly sure though.

[MrMoonshineMan]

roger that, manual says 120, top. some folks in my Kiwanis club told me stories about going 150-ish, stock, but i'm sure we all agree thats BS:)

[classic240z]

I've had my '72 to 135 ONCE. Scared the crap out of me. Definatly do some suspension work before pulling one of those "lets see how fast can my car go" stunts. It quits pulling hard at around 120-125, but if you keep your foot in it for awhile it will keep gaining ground.

[Si|v3r72]

I've had mine to 115, but ran out of road to go faster (no long straight isolated roads here). I can tell you though that it still felt like there was plenty of top end left.

[byunique]

If you plan on pushing your 240 to the limit, plan on suspension and front air dam, otherwise your baby will "fly" in a literal sense!!!

[Elmo908]

How about a 280z engine/tranny into a 240z? I'm about to buy a car like that.

[z_pyro]

what kinda suspension work would u need to do?

[Ed]

I've done around 135 with an L28 & 5 speed. If I remember right she was running about 5000 rpm. Got scared and ran out of road.:cry:

[Dan]

I remember reading an old piece form a car mag detailing the new 240 from Datsun, in which the top speed was 121 for the four speed and 119 for the auto. Don't remember which mag it was but i think the article is still on the IZCC site.

[bob m]

I have friends who say they had their 70/71 zs to 135mph. The only change from stock was a front air dam for handling.

I was at Bonneville in 02 and the top speed for a Z was 169mph. I am not sure what the rules are for modifying the car but I spoke with a guy that had a 280 motor in his 240z and was hoping to go 170mph. He did not make it at that time.

Bob M

[PrOxLaMuS©]

135 MPH all stock.. with a 3 speed AUTOMATIC!

[gramercyjam]

It's getting deep in here.

[greyghost]

Extremely deep I might add.

[Zrush]

Dammit, what have I stepped in!?!? LOL I can say I've had my bone stock 72 240Z up to around 85+ on the interstate. She felt smooth as silk but I did feel the front end comming up.

My husband has had is ultra modified 77 280Z past 100 on the country roads. Very inZane and very dumb.

We all talk as if this is cool but if you blow a tire at these speeds your dead or someone else will be :finger:

Take it to the track IMO

Vicky

[sblake01]

135 MPH all stock.. with a 3 speed AUTOMATIC!

How steep was the downhill? LOL

[panchovisa]

I've never had mine over the legal posted speed limit. Felt real stable. Deep indeed.

[Daniel Griggs]

Anybody out there ever use a hand held GPS to verify these speeds? IMO a 30 plus year old speedo probably aint all that accurate. :cheeky:

[Victor Laury]

I've been to 125 according to the speedo. There's some left, but not much. I'd say at 130 you'd start to run into the aerodynamic wall. This was with a front air dam. I hear-tell these Z's get a little loose up front over 120 without one.

[gramercyjam]

I'd agree there. Recently did a T/T with a 1/2 mile back straight. My '73 240Z weighed in at 1990# the way it was set up for that.

With freshly built flat top piston L28, triple 45 webers, .572 lift cam, 4.44 rear, ZX 5 speed, 245/45/16's, and C12 race gas, I was redlining it at 8500. I have no speedo, just a Autometer SportComp tach w/shift light. Shifting to 5th at redline would make the speed about 140MPH or a few MPH more. From there 5th slowly pulled. I made the shift to 5th just to keep the engine from blowing up. If your rear end was geared a little higher, perhaps you could get a little more out of it, but the aerodynamic wall is as solid as brick at that speed. Need more than an air dam (I have one) to overcome that. The front of the 240Z is more of a parachute than a needle. There were only a few faster cars out there that day, like a 600 HP Z06, Porsche GT3, BMW SMGII M3.

KMack can verify. He was there.

[Chino 240Z]

gramercyjam, you must have been spinning over 7K at the end of that 1/2 mile straight with those 4.44 rear gearing! Do you like that setup?

I'm currently limited with this crazy 4.63 set up now. I run out of gear at about 1/4 mile in 5th at 7K. I have a 4.11 in the shed I'm getting ready to go thru. As far as speed, don't know? cable or the speedo-gear in trans must be bad? Gotta get under and see whats up.

[e_racer1999]

gone 117 or so... didn't want to push it too hard, plus felt a little "floaty" to quote....

[gramercyjam]

After the shift to 5, mine pulls very very slowly. I don't recall what I ended up at at the end of the straight .... too damn scared to take my eyes off the road because the ride was really rough with lots of vibration because it seemed like there were concrete joints every couple of inches on that old runway, and it doesn't take but a split second for things to go very wrong at that speed. I worried a lot about missing the braking zone and quick left hander too. I just have "stock" brakes with Carbotech Panther pads in front and Nismo green shoes in the back. I deleted the booster and have an aftermarket manual proportioning valve and stainless brake lines. But I worried over the lack of stopping power for nothing. The brakes worked like magic, no fade ever, always more than enough stopping power.

I think that a little shorter 5th would be better for my setup. Right now its pretty useless for accelerating. My 5 speed is out of an 83ZX, one out of an 80 would be better. I had a 4.11 rear before the 4.44 and didn't like it as much. I'd like to try a 4.63 some time. It would probably be great for autox.

[Zs-ondabrain]

140 MPH on I=5 near Everett, Washington. Certified by the State Trooper that clocked me and gave me one hell of a ticket.

My 70' has a Stage two cam, 6 into 1 header, 2.5" exhaust, lowered, 16" wheel, 205x50 r16's, front spoiler, 4speed out of a 72 240Z. and thats all

[280zgod]

i have a 75 280 but with just headers and exhaust and a zx 5 speed i got it up to 151 on I-5 heading back to college at 2am a few weeks ago... the radar machines the chp have out on the roads here in stockton verified my speed :) took me probably 5 minutes to get it up there from 85 mph all ion 5th gear. i was pushing 5700 in fifth. no power left, which was weird the car just wouldnt go any faster. this led me to put in the stage 3 cam last weekend, but i botched that job and now my car wont run oh well. it was fun while it lasted :)

[That Ozzy Guy]

140 mph (225kph) is an insane speed in a 30+ year old car. Hope your brakes are up to the task if you need them.

[Zs-ondabrain]

My 70' 240Z is 99% rust free, my whole suspension has been rebuilt (urathane) and I have brand new toyota 4-piston calipers and Green Stuff pads in the front, 280zx rotors and 240sx calipers in the rear and Earls S.S. braided brake lines in all 4 corners. YUP, I can stop if I really want to. Besides, the doctor said it is'nt too habit forming.

Dave.

[That Ozzy Guy]

Doctor was wrong :)

[Airjockie]

with my setup...3rd gear, 6500 rpm's tapped 100 mph...I was to scared to push it into 4th....

bored/polished/cam/fuel injected L28, with the 4 speed.

[Alfadog]

I'd like to know how accurate 30 year old speedos are at such high speeds.

[280zgod]

my speedometers is accurate to about plus or minus 3 mph according to those radar guns the cops have

[Murph]

I've had my zed to 170kmh once....gotta say that was rather scary! But fun none the less. After I did it I decided I wont be doing it again in any hurry and haven't since. I've seen about 240kmh in my mates R32 skyline before....but 170 in the zed was still the more scary!