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RB30DET 240Z Circuit Car


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I was going to leave this until the car was finished to the level I want it to be but when is a Z project ever finished  ;D

 

So here goes

 

I purchased the car over three years ago.  At the time I had a 180B SSS sitting in the shed that I had stripped back to metal and had saved money to do an SR20DET conversion.  Just as I had finished saving and was looking for an engine I spotted this 240Z in the trading post that had been built for club days and hill climbs.  It already had the L28ET conversion, coilovers and a brake upgrade and all of the work had been done very well.  The body and paint however was more like an afterthought but I ended up getting it for $6,500 which is about what the engine conversion on the SSS was going to cost whithout out even thinking about brakes, suspension, etc.

 

The car how it was when I bought it

 

dscn05662jr7.jpg

 

Looks ok in the picture but the closer you got the worse it got.

 

Another reason for purchasing the car was that my dad did his mechanics apprenticeship at a datsun dealership so he knows most datsuns inside out and the L series is so easy to work on compared to the later engines.  So we set about fixing little bits and pieces and after a while had it ready for some track days.  I bought the car with the intention of running some club days and hill climbs like it was built for but after two track days with some mates I had the bug and stripped the car out ready for a roll cage.  While it was stripped we replaced the drivers side floor pan and fixed some other bits of rust and then got the car painted inside and out.  Luckily my best mate is a spray painter so it cost me not much more than the materials.  I didn't like the colour when I bought it but it seemed too much effort at the time to change it and it's grown on me since.

 

Here are a few pics from just after it was painted

 

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Since then it's had a couple of different engines and gearboxes and many minor modifications.  It's amazing how many little things go wrong when you turn a club car into a proper circuit car.  Everything is under much more stress and gets much hotter with the longer races.  We have never really tried to make the car go quicker than when I bought it.  Just tried to make it more drivable and reliable and as a result have taken 3 seconds off my laps times without trying!

 

Here are the specs as the car is now

 

Engine

-F54 block

-P90 head (combustion chamber volume slightly increased, 8.2:1 CR)

-Standard crank

-Standard rods

-CP flat top forged pistons

-B grind cam

-Horrible looking home made log style exhaust manifold, does the job so it's still there :)

-T04 turbo

-Turbosmart dual stage boost controller (normally set around 13psi)

-Tial external wastegate with screamer pipe

-4" dump pipe

-3" mandrel bent exhaust

-Huge custom made intercooler (I don't have any pics of this but it fills up the entire front of the car)

-Turbosmart BOV

-Commodore throttle body

-Modified 280ZX inlet manifold

-Bosch injectors (haven't been touched since i bought the car so I'm not sure on size)

-Custom fuel rail

-Holley Blue lift pump

-Custom surge tank

-Bosch main pump

-Haltech F9 computer

-4 core Torana radiator

-High pressure/volume oil pump

-Oil Cooler (currently fitting)

 

Drivetrain

-Standard 280ZX box (to be replaced with modified FJ20 box purchased from d3coy)

-Button clutch

-Welded R180 diff (3.9 ratio Baskerville, 3.5 ratio Symmons Plains)

 

Suspension

-Koni adjustable shocks

-adjustable ride height

-unsure on spring brands or rating (haven't found a reason to change them yet)

-standard front bar

-16mm Whiteline rear bar

-Noltec bushes right through

-Custom front strut brace

-Relocated lower control are mounting points

-Adjustable castor rods

 

Brakes

-Honda Legend ventilated front discs

-Mazda RX7 series 4/5 front 4 spot Callipers

-290mm ventilated rear discs (I had these given to me and I'm still trying to work out what they're off, possibly R31 GTS Sillhouette)

-R32 GTS-T rear 2 spot Callipers

-Wilwood proportioning valve

-15/16" master cylinder

 

Wheels & Tyres:

-15 X 7 Superlites

-215/50 Bridgestone Potenza RE55S

 

Body:

-6 point CAMS approved roll cage

-Factory style rear wing

-Not sure what the front bar is (I got the mould with the car)

-Undertray from the front bar back to the radiator support

 

Performance:

-174rwkw on 10psi (old engine set-up, would have a little more than that now)

-I've never ran a 1/4 mile in it but it's on my to do list

-Baskerville 1:00.8003

http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?18/05/2008.BASK.R8

-Symmons Plains 1:03.0700

http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?01/04/2007.SYMM.Q2

 

That's all I can think of for now.  Here are a few pics of the car in action.

 

scando5.jpg

http://www.circlework.com.au/lightbox/index.php?module=media&pId=102&id=88606&category=gallery/0805/tssrnd3&start=90

http://www.circlework.com.au/lightbox/index.php?module=media&pId=102&id=80898&category=gallery/0803/300308-tssr2/tssr2-G1&start=45

http://www.circlework.com.au/lightbox/index.php?module=media&pId=102&id=81609&category=gallery/0803/300308-tssr2/tssr2-G2&start=0

 

I run our state circuit racing series in a class called Targa class.  It's designed for modified street cars on DOT approved tyres with very little rules on modifications as long as you don't get too close to a sports sedan.  It's then split into three classes based on capacity and times (how much money you want to spend  ;D)  I run in the 2nd class (Targa B) which is mainly full of Skylines and Evos.  Sounds a bit dodgey but the class structure works well and it usually draws the most entries to each round of the series.

 

In my first season last year we had a few relaibility problems but were still very happy with 2nd for the series.  This year the car has been great (touch wood) and I'm just in the lead of the series with two round wins and a third after three rounds.  2nd place is only a handful of points behind me and there's still four rounds to go.  Then there's those Evo's which will be straight back into the game if we get a wet meeting or two  ::)

 

Looking forward I'd like to move up to our Targa A class but I'll need to find around 3 seconds at Baskerville and around 6 seconds at Symmons Plains!  The Targa A cars include a GT3 RS, a 200SX with a $200K+ build cost and a VS V8 supercar with the suspension changed to suit radial tyres!

 

The modifications I hope to be able to afford so I can run Targa A are:

-Better engine management (I need something that controls ignition)

-Possibly a stroker engine if I can find an LD28 crank at the right price

-R200 LSD

-Front brake upgrade

-17 X 9 wheels under ZG flares (Not sure what wheels I'll find without spending big $$$'s to do this.  I would go 16 X 9 but Bridgestone don't make the RE55S to suit)

 

Also looking to buy a block of land and build at the moment so who knows when/if this will happen.

 

Finally here's some pics of my helmet  :)

 

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Thats a shmick looking zed!

 

How many engines has it eaten?  How do you find the Haltech F9?

 

Cheers

 

It's currently on engine number 3.  Not any fault of the L28 though.

The first one was a snapped fan belt in a race causing it to overheat and crack the block.  We only had about one month to the next meeting so we built a temporary one using the old bits in another block.  Unfortunately the block I got had scores in the bore.  Still went just as good and I got my only round win for last season with it but the officials didn't like the big puffs of smoke on decel  ::)

 

That's why we built the engine it has now.

 

The Haltech F9 does the job fine for what it is but it's fuel only and fairly basic.  The guy that tunes the car wants me to get something that controls ignition so he can reduce the timing advance as it comes onto boost.  Then we should be able to crank up the boost a bit more and get some serious power out of it.

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Awesome car... you should upgrade to the Haltech E6X - its fuel and ignition. I currently ran that computer for my L28ET and its unreal. That way you can use the Haltech Electronic boost controller if you like, and also runs closed loop for idle control.

 

Just curious what sort of power are you currently making??

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Awesome car and great article and write up. Should have saved it for the front page :).

 

I have a few articles to write up at the moment, and I'll be in Greece for 2 weeks (its a hard life I know), but when I get back I'd love to whip something up if your ok with that.

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Awesome car... you should upgrade to the Haltech E6X - its fuel and ignition. I currently ran that computer for my L28ET and its unreal. That way you can use the Haltech Electronic boost controller if you like, and also runs closed loop for idle control.

 

Just curious what sort of power are you currently making??

 

What sort of price does the Haltech E6X go for?  The guy that tunes it said he can get me a Microtech which will do everything I need for about $1K and that's what he likes tuning.  A few people have told me the resolution on Microtech's is very poor though so I'm not sure which way to go.

 

The car produced 174rwkw on the original engine at 10psi with 15 deg timing advance on 98 fuel.  I haven't had it on the dyno with the new engine but I'm running it at 13psi with 20 deg timing advance on avgas so I'd assume it's got a bit more now.  The lap times seem to suggest it does.

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Awesome car and great article and write up. Should have saved it for the front page :).

 

I have a few articles to write up at the moment, and I'll be in Greece for 2 weeks (its a hard life I know), but when I get back I'd love to whip something up if your ok with that.

 

Thanks

 

Yeah, I'm happy to do a write up but maybe leave until towards the end of the year and see if I can get the cash together to do the other modifications i want to do?  At least I'll feel like it's finished then............even though I know it never will be 'finished'

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I had the Haltech fitted and tuned for just under $2000 but that also included the electronic boost controller and 3hours on the dyno.  Personally I would stay away from the Microtech.  Its a bit more money upfront for the Haltech but will be worth it in the long run.

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I'm about to have fun with a Wolf V500 ECU real soon, I can let you know how I find it... Doing the whole installation on my own...wish I could hand it to someone... :'(

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Matty260Z, so about $1500 just for the computer then.  I would like to stick with Haltech because the F9 seems to work well, just doesn't have the features I need.

 

There's a family here is Tas that run 2 RX7's in IP.  One runs Microtech and the other runs Haltech.  They reckon the Haltech is much better.  The Microtech only has load points every 1,000 rpm.  That doesn't give me many load points when I only rev it to 5,500 rpm!

 

Zedman240, that'd be great if you would let me know how it goes.  I'm after all the information I can get my hands on.  I'm hearing you about the installation, I hate wiring!  I think I'll be paying somebody to do it when I get one.

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Scando,

maybe for info & advice send a PM to "Rhino73" thats my mate Simon, hes running a well worked L28 in his 240z with full haltech injection & computer and occasionally races the car around Wakefield Park in NSW..

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Scando,

maybe for info & advice send a PM to "Rhino73" thats my mate Simon, hes running a well worked L28 in his 240z with full haltech injection & computer and occasionally races the car around Wakefield Park in NSW..

 

Cheers, will do.  It'll still be a few months away if I do upgrade the computer (currently saving for a deposit to buy a block of land) but I figure it's handy to start researching early :)

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how much power is it pumping at the wheels?

 

Already posted that a couple of times in this thread  :P

 

174rwkw when it was dynoed a while back.  It's not a massive power figure but it has a heap of torque from 2,500-5,500 rpm which is what makes it quick.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Had a good day at round 4 of the series at Symmons Plains yesterday.  Ended up 2nd for the day and the guy that is running 2nd in the series finished 3rd so I marginally extended my lead.  It's still very close though.

 

I set a new PB of 1:03.0666.  A massive 0.0034 of a second quicker than my old PB  ;)  Any improvements are good I suppose :) I was expecting to dip well into the 1:02's with the new intercooler but it wasn't to be.  Three oil spills throughout the day meant there was gravel/dust on the track to cover it up for 2 of my races and even when it did clear off the conditions weren't there for quick times.

 

So far it looks as though we've solved the cooling problems we've had in the past.  For the last round it had a new intercooler and radiator and this was my first round with the oil cooler.  Both the temperature and oil pressure stayed perfect all day, even when I was slip streaming other cars.  I hope it stays the same later in the year when the weather gets a bit warmer.  I think we had a high of about 10 degrees yesterday!

 

That's all for now.  I'll see if I can find some links to photos from the meeting over the next couple of days.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I found myself a 2nd hand computer, a Haltech E6S.  It's very similar to the F9 I'm running except a few years newer and with ignition control which is what I was looking for.  It should do everything I need and was a LOT cheaper than buying a new one.  I think I'll leave it until the end of this season to install it though.

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I thought the webbing was cut out.....That is what the difference is....I wasn't sure if it was another inlet manifold or modified.

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