halz

Right-oh...I've finally performed and tested Daniel's "hockey-stick" throttle modification and I can also confirm a significant improvement in throttle usability. It is now possible to sneak gently away from the lights and also to perform handbrake starts without wheelspin! (i'm going to miss those :devious:). Below are two pictures that show (1) an unmodified linkage alongside a modified (curved) one and (2) showing the new linkage in-situ... I made my new linage by bending and cutting to length the long linkage from a 280zx. I retained the threaded (ie adjustable) end and pressed on a socket cap on the other end after I had the desired shape. My main aim was to introduce a nice curve and leave some future adjustability for in the new part. The result is about an 85% improvement on the original setup...still not as good as a cable-operated system. I think I can further improve things by cleaning and lubricating all of the ball and socket joints in the whole assembly. I hope this helps other Z drivers overcome the problem too :classic:

...Actually I think there is clear evidence that the Z was designed exclusively for the Australian and British markets... Handbrake on the correct side of the trans tunnel (Heck, the whole steering wheel is on the right side in MY car), exhaust system on opposite side to steering system, aerial on opposite side to driver so as to not be hidden in mirror blind-spot (gotta know whether its up or down!)... I could go on... That ought to smoke them out Alan

Alan, I'm not really trying to stir up the old debate again (you know I agree with you on this subject anyway). I just thought it would be pertinent to capture a live quote from Matsuo given the past history of debate on the topic. (no reply from Carl Beck yet) Hayden.

Thanks for the update Nick it makes for interesting reading. You say the car is still 2400cc - can you describe the engine's modifications to us? Would you happen to have any more detailed pictures of Sam including the interior, engine bay and exhaust system... I'm entertaining thoughts of making a replica Datsun sports system for my own car..! Hayden.

Shhhh!

I have unashamedly lifted this quote from Ben's (v12-horse) post in another thread.... I think we can now say that the z was not specifically designed for the American market but was "to be accepted world wide" - case closed!

Hi Nick, I kicked off this post so its me who has the questions... I have read the very sketchy history of Sam in the couple of books that are available on the topic of Z-cars in general. As I understand it, Sam's original bodyshell was a works rally body that was refitted and prepared for racing in the 1974 British season. Although it was 1974 and 240z production had been replaced by 260zs, Sam retained a 2.4 litre engine (?). Admittedly this engine was significantly modified from stock but I would be interested if you can confirm if it remained as a 2.4 litre capacity motor? Since 1974, was the engine significantly changed (or even replaced?). What specification of engine does it have now? I'm interested in any detail you can give us on the current state of tune of the car. I'm glad that the car is still seeing some use. Yesterday I watched a video of the 1997 Goodwood revival - The theme centred mainly around record-breaking race cars and Ferrari's 50th(?) anniversary. Interestingly, Michelle Mouton was present and drove her 600bhp Audi Quattro which made me think of other historic rally cars. Naturally my thoughts drifted back to Big Sam...it would be great if you could wangle yourself an invitation to Goodwood in the future....if not for historic reasons then at least to remind the Healy drivers of their natural place in the evolution of fast cars (ie, one below Datsun!) Regards, Hayden.

Kmack, that sounds like my own setup although its in an 'as recieved' state - I've yet to do anything more serious than change the oil and plugs! Maybe you could start another thread and tell me what work you've done to your L24/E31 engine to achieve 139bhp at the wheels... Alan, I read that Big Sam (and its variants) was making over 260bhp at times, presumably using the standard 2.4 litre dimensions but with special internal components. The reason I said 'over 200bhp' was because 200bhp from an L24 would be per-lenty for this Z-layman! Do you know where we can go for or an update on Big Sam?

Thanks for that guys, its been a while since I've read that history. I was hoping that there might be a more recent update somewhere..? One interesting point that I noted was.. "rebuilt as one of Spikeís "trick" 260 units (240Z crank, 280Z bore 2.6 litre short stroke)." I've often daydreamed that this combination would give a 'better' 2.6litre engine than the stock 260Z. Also interesting to note that the Samuri guys were able to achieve over 200bhp quite comfortably using an L24 as the base engine...no need for a big bore job, so forget your L28 build ups!

A while back one of our UK friends chimed into another thread with a note about the historic British Z known as "Big Sam". I think he was the current owner of the car..or at least someone very well acquainted with the car. Who was that person? Is there more information at this site on "Big Sam?" (I've searched, but there's not much) I'm interested in finding out more about its technical spec... please help!

That sounds like a very restrictive formula...but I suppose it promotes close racing? F1 engines are 3.0litre naturally aspirated V10s with max rpm typically around 16-18000. There are moves afoot to forther constrain the design of F1 cars in the hope of limiting costs and improving competition. Its a shame because this is widely regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport. IMHO there should be no limit on no. cylinders, weight or induction type. The F1 racing spectacle is beginning to border on the mundane and further restriction will make it even more so...

No comparison - how so? What sort of engines to IRL cars have? How much power? How much do they weigh? Which type laps Indianapolis faster? You're right about the tyres... or was it suspension on Ralf's car that failed? What was criminal was the amount of time it took the Marshalls to get their act together to help him. And the safety car should have taken the field through the pits instead of through the crash site... Thanks for the comments - any more?

So, what do our American brothers think of last weekend's US F1 Grand Prix? Did anyone on this forum attend? How do you rate the F1 cars compared to your IRL cars? (and doesn't IRL stand for International Rugby League?!) Comments anyone?

More to the point, where can I find that muffler?!

Datsun 120Y door handle also fits - you can buy a whole 120y for about $5

Here's a Pintara... not sure if you guys got it ? I said 1984 but I guess it wouldn't hurt to check other year models.... http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45571&item=2481840416&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Bottom radiator hose for a 240 (the expensive one!) can be replaced with a 1984 Nissan Pintara top hose...you just need to cut a few inches off the length but otherwise the bends and diameter are perfect.

Hey thanks guys. I really do want to get the colour right but I'm not going to go to the trouble of hunting around for actual 30y.o. straps. I will get some new ones made up using an appropriate webbing (Dad has rolls of the stuff from his early working career). I will dye the material, have it cut and stitched to the right lengths and polish the buckles...and I think that will be just about enough time spent on the whole subject!

oooo interesting. Thanks for that!

..and did your Z have a black interior when you bought it (ie not tan, red, white or blue?) Thanks.

Does anyone have a 240z with the original luggage straps still fitted? I'm interested in finding out the correct colour the straps should be before I replace mine. My current straps are silver-grey so I'm guessing the original colour is either that, black or tan (my car has a tan interior with black carpets). Or maybe someone has a '73 brochure which shows the luggage compartment in sufficient detail..? thanks.

Thanks Phred. As a matter of interest (in your experience) what is the largest deviation in ccs from chamber to chamber that is acceptable? Flipside, what is the smallest deviation from chamber to chamber that its possible to achieve? Hayden.

You logic only works if the chambers are circular and the same radius as the cylinders. As we can see from the pictures, the chambers are not circular so at best, you calculation is a very approximate one. The best method for accurately determining the chamber ccs is to insert the valves and spark plug, invert the head and lay a sheet of perspex over the chamber. Through a small drilled hole in the perspex use an accurately graduated syringe to fill the chamber space with oil and note how many ccs it takes to do this. Hopefully this way you will know the actual volume of the combustion chamber with valves closed. I don't mean to sound pedantic but if you are serious about determining compression ratio (and ensuring that it is the same for all cylinders) I think this is the way to do it.