Arne

Definitely going to have to watch them again on the desktop that has real speakers, the iBook speakers don't cut it. But now I need details: Engine - size, compression, head casting, cam, fuel delivery? Exhaust - brand and type of header/manifold, tube size, type and brad of muffler(s)?

Anyone want to fill in the rest of us uneducated people on what it is/was?

Whoa, guys! What no one has mentioned is that those graphics are not in the public domain, but are the site owner's property. In other words, they are copyrighted. Before you go out reproducing them, you should get Mike's permission.

The workmanship looks awesome. Great to see that it was done correctly. I personally don't think I care for the look, but that's just me. It's your car and if you like it that's all that matters.

No choice quite fits for me. All stock is closest, but not quite. I want a reliable Z that looks and performs like a typical, lightly modded Z from the '70s.

Like I care? Not even. I learn lots from this type of give and take.

Did some poking around on eBay. The links below plus Stephen's post above added to my knowledge of my personal car now lead me to believe that: '69 through early '71 (Series I cars) started at 20. Late '71 (Series II) and '72 cars started at 0. (Edit - added info from posts #9 & #10 below.) '73 240s and all 260/280s started at 10. Added pictures to the thread, will try to remember to complete the collection later. Filename indicates the year.

My early '71 (10/70) also has the "start at 20" speedo. As several people have noted, the '72 and '73s seem to start at zero. So maybe the only ones that started at 10 were late '71s?

Agreed, and I may go to a little hotter cam at some point. But if I can use one of the existing cam/rocker arm sets that I already have, that saves cash for other needed things. My first goal is to get my car back on the road, then I can worry about making it faster.

If the chart linked above is correct, the stock L24 cam has more lift on the intake valve than any other stock cam. But the L26 cam has longer duration and more overlap. That said, it doesn't appear to me that there is a heck of a lot of difference between any of the stock cams.

No. I just saw them on craigslist this evening. The link to the posting is just above the picture.

Perfect, Jon! That's exactly the data I was looking for. Looks like the L26 cam was maybe even a touch hotter yet. But of the two I have the early cam would appear to be the better choice.

And if you just gotta have triples: Mikunis on craigslist in Oregon

I guess that's the nub of it, does anyone know what the timing differences (if any) are between the stock L24 cam (marked E30, as I recall) and one from an '83 NA 280ZX L28? I've got two good cams to choose from, the one in the E88 that I'm going to use, and one in a P79. Both cams are in good shape, and I have all the matching rocker arms for both. If I go with the L24 cam, I'll replace the spray bar, even though the one on the head looks OK.

So here is a not so hypothetical question - assume that you are building a mostly stock L24 with a small valve E88 head. You have two cams to choose from, an internally oiled late L28 cam, or an externally oiled L24 cam. Which do you go with, assuming everything else is the same? Is internally oiled enough better to use that one rather than the possibly better cam timing of the early cam?

Glad to hear it. Please let us all know what you think of it once you get it (and the alternator) installed.

I've heard that as well, but I've also heard that they are fine and can be really good. Since I have no experience with them myself, I can't really diss them too much.

If your motor is otherwise stock, triple Webers are way too much carb. You need to be looking for something less radical. The most common swap would be a pair of '70-72 SUs, but other options to look at would be dual downdraft Webers or a Holley four barrel.

Definitely not.I have owned, sold and serviced most of the brands listed here. And I pretty much agree with the other comments in this thread. I don't think I saw anyone rate the Monroes, they might be good for street use if plain stock is what you are after, no good at all for track. Like Gary, I have a set of the Euro Stage I springs for my 240Z, and I will use either GR2 or Tokico HP, not sure which yet. Probably the GR2, since I don't see any track time in the car's future.

For auto-crossing where you are wearing the helmet for very short duration, I guess that would be OK. But for longer sessions like track days, or day rides on a motorcycle, I refuse to buy a helmet that I haven't tried on. Different brands have different fit and shell shapes. Something that is comfortable to me may be painful for you after an hour.

Any idea what brand your mags are? And what width? Lots of different companies made that style, and while they are similar, they are definitely not all the same. The three most common widths are 5.5, 6.0 and 7.0 inches. The size and shapes of the slots can vary, as can the offset. The center caps (if any are still left) vary in size, shape, and method of attachment. In fact, the actual contour of the face of the wheel can differ as well. As an example, I have five 14" slots for my car, made by three different companies. All five are 5.5" wide. The fronts are different than the rears (different offset and cap types), and spare is different from all the others too. Only the spare has a brand name cast in the back side, it is a Western Wheel. The others are ????

I'm figuring around $1500 in parts so far, for a mostly stock 2.4. Add a couple-three hundred for machine work, and I expect mine to cast me $1800 or so, doing the actual assembly work myself.

My series I already has an L28 in it ('83 F54/P79 with SUs), and while it's not totally happy right now (bad oil rings) it does pull well and feels torquey (as long as I keep fresh plugs in it). I don't see much downside to having a mild 2.8. I've heard that the SUs might be a touch small for a real hot 2.8, but that's no problem for me at this time. Interestingly though, I'm looking at probably going back the opposite direction as you. My car's original engine is who-knows-where, gone before I bought the car. But I do have a spare L24 ('72 w/E88 head), and I think I will probably rebuild it instead of the L28. No real reason, other than the fact that it is already out of the car and handy, and for the way I plan to drive the car I really won't need the extra 15-20 HP that the L28 will give over a similar L24. Plus, it will be a bit different in this world where many 240Z's have L28s and five speeds to have one with an L24 and Type A four speed, even if neither the engine or transmission are original.

Most (if not all) pre-assembled "kits" will be done this way. I'm not aware of any companies that make all the stuff themselves, so they are all pick-n-choose. A quick question - why are you worried about finding a "kit" rather than just ordering the various parts separately? That way you are certain that you get the parts you want, not just what someone else thinks you need.

I had read that the big differences between M and SA were in resistance to repeated impacts and abrasion. The M is tested to take one good smack and also to how well it resists road rash. (Imagine going down on a bike, hitting hard and then sliding on the pavement.) The SA is not rated as much for resistance to abrasion, but is tested for multiple impacts to the same spot. (Imagine your car in a repeated barrel-roll with you banging your head repeatedly on the roll bar.) Both ratings have their place. When I'm on the road on my bike, I'm pleased to have my M helmet (M2000, in my case). If I was on the track in a track car, I'd want the SA. For auto-crossing, either will do, although the SA might be desirable if you have a cage in the car.