240ZX

SuDZ, As a suggestion..........look around until you find a Z and or picture of a Z with the wheel set-up you want on your Z and then contact the owner of that Z car and ask him what was involved. I can tell you I've seen 14", 15", 16", 17" and even 18" wheels on the series 1 cars that fit well. As you already know, most of the custom wheels now days are for front wheel drive cars and have alot of offset built into the wheels. Wheel spacers and different length wheel studs are likely required. IMO, one of the easiest and most attractive wheel set-ups is the 16" x 7" Panasport wheels with a 50 series tire. These guys will bolt right up and will have the right offset. Another thing that is important and contributes to how good a car looks is how the tire/wheel sit within the wheel well.....basically you may have to lower the ride height from stock to get the correct look. Now, going to wide (8" to 9") 17" or 18" wheels you will have to install coilover shock to gain the additional clearance the wider wheels require. There are no easy answers and no one particular method for installing custom wheels/tires! But, I can tell you this, getting the right tires/wheel set-up on your Z and having your ride height correct is going to make the biggest impact on how your car will look. So, take your time on this effort and you will thank yourself later.

axelr8, The SPARCO seats I have installed are a model called the "SPRINT". Like I mentioned earlier, Sparco calls these their entry level race seat (their #1 seller) and utilize a steel tube framework as opposed to their more expensive fiberglass and or kevlar seats. One difference between the two styles is that the tube frame type mount via the bottom and the kevlar/fiberglass units mount via side brackets. I absolutely love the fit and comfort of the Sprint seats. Compared to the original seats, and of course this is subjective, there is no comparison. IMO the Sparco Sprint seats look way cool and better yet.....are comfortable as a pair of kid gloves. Would I do it again if given the opportunity? Yes!

axcelr8, FYI.....I have the entry level SPARCO race seats ( approx $200.00 ea) in my 240Z. I did not use the seat runners because I didn't want my head that close to the headliner. I'm of average height (5' 10") and was able to properly position my seats so the distance to the pedals was correct (mainly the drivers seat of course) using the stock Z seat mounting cross braces. The mounting studs on the SPARCO seats allowed me to just redrill holes in the cross brace. I even used some of the original spacers under the seats to aquire the desired seat angle. Be aware, these seats are not the easiest seats to get in and out of but once your in them and strapped in.....you are just part of the car....your not going to move around at all.....a very good thing for performance. Pretty easy install and really cheap for new seats. Hope this helps you a little. I love mine anyway!!! P.S. If you have a wife or girl freind with a wide rear end, they're not going for a ride with you in these seats!!! No disrespect intended ladies, just the facts. Oh, I might pay for that one:finger:

That is a correct assumption.....they do not need to be blocked!!!

Rusty1, Seam welding is going over the chassis, when all the crap is out of the way, and making short welds (stitch welds) along all the seams of the different chassis pieces. This process tightens up the chassis. Pretty much a good idea for big HP and competition applications if allowed. Chassis bracing via a roll cage and strut tower bracing is the next step. Does this clear things up for ya?

Zrush, maybe it's what we see in the basic lines of the two cars. Let's face it, they're both just sexy beautiful cars. The big difference is that we can have and afford the Z's. Yes?

Z_boi......if the boneyard tranny is the type you are looking for and it is in acceptable condition, spending $150.00 is a reasonable price especially if it's already out of the car. Do it!

Outstanding!!!! Isn't it nice to know there are still craftsman like this out there that can build a beautiful cars from scratch. I'm impressed! The last time I saw this kind of work was years ago by a guy named Dave (A&P mechanic) at Santa Paula Airport, rebuilding vintage airplanes. By the why! Just an observation I've made but, is it safe to say that alot of the series 1 Z car guys are big fans of the Daytona Coupe? I know I am.

Koslov, believe me you are not the first person to ask these questions, nor the last. As a suggestion, browse the archives on this site. You will be supprised at the amount of valuable information available to you if you look. Also, asking one specific question at a time is more likely to foster up an answer. Hope this info helps point you in the right direction. Welcome to the best early Z car site on the net!!!

Sounds like automatic transmission lines, from your description. If so, you won't have to do anything with them if you have a manual trans. These lines typically serve two purposes....1- helps bring an automatic trans up to operating temp....2- keeps the tranny at manufactures recommended operating temp. At least thats the way I always understood it. (basically a trans cooler in the bottom of a radiator). Hope this helps you out!

Zrush......................(FLY) = F_ _king Lime Yellow:stupid: Again, just funnin around!!!

Ok Zrush, so your telling me YOU have a FLY 240Z

Wow...........thats an eye opener! On my B-day gas was 27 cents a gallon and the average annual income was around $4200.00 Of course that was over a half century ago. It's a wonder I'm still alive!!! (52 yrs young) ROFL

Wow...........that an eye opener! On my B-day gas was 27 cents a gallon and the average annual income was around $4200.00 Of course that was over a half century ago. It's a wonder I'm still alive!!! (52 yrs young) ROFL

Hay Zrush, what does the FR really stand for, F_ _king Red or F_ _king Radical??? How about Financial Repository!!? Just funnin around!

In my 1970 240Z I have an L28 (stock N42) with the original intakes and SU's, electronic ignition (Mallory Unilite), 6-2-1 ceramic coated headers, a 13 1/2 lbs flywheel, no mechanical fuel pump or fan blade on the water pump (to free up a little HP). It's attached to a late model 5 speed with an R200 3.90 diff. Originally, I had plans to shoe in a small block Ford but decided against it as it kind of takes away from the car's original character and I know myself too well. If I have the HP I'd use it for sure. Anyway, at a best guess, I figure that my flywheel HP is in the neigborhood of 150hp and probably 135hp at the rear wheels and it's still pretty quick at 2300 lbs. However, my main intentions for using this set-up is for reliability and good mileage. I guess thats the way this 52 years young guy thinks!!!

One thing for sure is, all these shows have gotten our attention and do provide some real entertainment. OCC, Paul Sr., & the crew are definitely good entertainment. As far as way cool bikes go.........remember the bike build off between the old school southern hack guy and the guy from Arizona? The hack guy won! What a joke that was!!! Can you imagine building a bike with the exhaust running up your butt and not thinking it would burn your arse. Too many drugs maybe!!? My personal opinion is that the guy from Arizona has the coolest and most maticulous choppers around. I don't think I would trust my life to the southern hack guy.

BillD, That sounds like a smart woman!