New Member in WA

[Oz]

Hi Zed-car fanatics,

 

My oldest son has decided that he has to have a 240 / 260 with an RB26DET for when he's ready to drive. Can't say I have too many problems with the idea

 

Anyway, we've got a couple of years to pull it all together and would really appreciate if the forum members will help us with all our dumb questions as we progress.

 

If we can end up with a car something like Warren Gilbert's then we'll both be very happy (very, very happy).

 

I'll be chipping-in with a lot of the fundage, so a proper job should be achievable.

 

Looking forward to talking with you all 

 

 

[Scoota G]

Hey Oz, Welcome. How old is your eldest son? I like the idea of this swap. Do you have a Zed yet as there have been a lot for sale lately! There's lots of info here so get ready to be informed 

 

Mark

[PB260Z]

Welcome OZ.

 

Plenty of info within this pages and the RB26 conversion has been done a few times so you should be able to find both information and encouragement here.

 

Good luck

 

PB

[Oz]

Hey Oz, Welcome. How old is your eldest son? I like the idea of this swap. Do you have a Zed yet as there have been a lot for sale lately! There's lots of info here so get ready to be informed 

 

Mark

 

My son has just finished year 9, so has some time up his sleeve until he's ready to start driving.

 

We haven't got a car yet, and might need a little help identifying a 'good' one to buy. For this project I'd be looking for something in original paint with minimal rust. I'm not too fussy about the mechanicals or interior because a lot of it won't be needed. Basically, a good shell is the main consideration.

 

At the moment we're putting together a list of the mechanical modifications we want to make. We'll talk to an auto engineer early on so that we don't build something that can't be registered...the world doesn't need another 'Drag / Burnout' car 

[DreamZproject]

 

The world doesn't need another 'Drag / Burnout' car 

 

Do you have any idea how fast this car would be!?!?

A car like this for someone who will have just be learning to drive is insanity! Hell I have an MR2 that would have

half the power to weight of this and i get myself in to enough trouble as it is. Why not just start out with the L28

so he can legaly drive it on his P's and when he's off them you can consider changing it.

 

The RB26TT (only ever came out in twin turbo) puts out 280hp stock. The car itsself only weighs a touch over 1 tonne

giving you a 0-100 of easily under 5 seconds.

 

This car + an inexperienced driver sounds like at best a massive waste of money (as I have no doubt that the car will

get some form of damage, and they aren't cheap cars to fix), or at worst a tin can coffin. Have you seen the protection

the doors will offer you??? (the answer is 0).

 

If he absolutely HAS to have a Z, i completely understand it, but as a driver who is a year or two away from getting my

full licsence, i am shit scared of the prospect of driving a car this expensive and powerful (plus not the easiest to drive)

and that's just with a L28 in it! If he has to have a Z, just start off by using the stock motor. He will find it EASILY has

enough power for years to come.

 

[Oz jnr]

 

Do you have any idea how fast this car would be!?!?

A car like this for someone who will have just be learning to drive is insanity! Hell I have an MR2 that would have

half the power to weight of this and i get myself in to enough trouble as it is. Why not just start out with the L28

so he can legally drive it on his P's and when he's off them you can consider changing it.

 

– This car is not meant for me as I’m learning to drive, it’s is meant to be a project starting when I finish Year 12, As I thought  It would be a good to learn about cars by doing a project like this. In WA there are no P plate restrictions like in the eastern states, also a modern engine would be much more reliable than an engine from the mid 70’s

 

 

The RB26TT (only ever came out in twin turbo) puts out 280hp stock. The car itsself only weighs a touch over 1 tonne

giving you a 0-100 of easily under 5 seconds.

 

RB26DETT* Also I think my Dad may have got 25 and 26 confused (not hard to do), that’s why his post says RB26DET not RB25DET. Autech made around 200 non-turbo, carburetted RB26’s.A 260z weighs around 1.3 tonnes

 

 

This car + an inexperienced driver sounds like at best a massive waste of money (as I have no doubt that the car will

get some form of damage, and they aren't cheap cars to fix), or at worst a tin can coffin. Have you seen the protection

the doors will offer you??? (the answer is 0).

 

– I don’t plan on being an idiotic red light drag racing bogan when driving this car. I plan on having the car insured (premiums may be expensive but I'm willing to work my ass off for this car).

 

 

If he absolutely HAS to have a Z, i completely understand it, but as a driver who is a year or two away from getting my

full licence, i am shiver scared of the prospect of driving a car this expensive and powerful (plus not the easiest to drive)

and that's just with a L28 in it! If he has to have a Z, just start off by using the stock motor. He will find it EASILY has

enough power for years to come.

 

 

– We plan on updating the suspension, steering and brakes which will make the car a lot easier and safer to drive. Also 260z's have L26's not L28's

[Oz]

Aha, there you are 

 

I should explain to forum members that I work overseas, so I'm several thousand miles away from Ozjnr.

 

Anyway young man, I've managed to find a purple diesel gemini sedan for you to drive around in whilst we build the Z. You'll love it - it has a sunvisor! 

[Oz jnr]

purple diesel gemini sedan for you to drive around in whilst we build the Z. You'll love it - it has a sunvisor! 

Lovely  *extreme sarcasm*

[PB260Z]

Anyway young man, I've managed to find a purple diesel gemini sedan for you to drive around in whilst we build the Z. You'll love it - it has a sunvisor! 

 

I trust that the Gemini Diesel is backed by a three speed auto, can't be to careful 

[DreamZproject]

– This car is not meant for me as I’m learning to drive, it’s is meant to be a project starting when I finish Year 12, As I thought  It would be a good to learn about cars by doing a project like this. In WA there are no P plate restrictions like in the eastern states, also a modern engine would be much more reliable than an engine from the mid 70’s

RB26DETT* Also I think my Dad may have got 25 and 26 confused (not hard to do), that’s why his post says RB26DET not RB25DET. Autech made around 200 non-turbo, carburetted RB26’s.A 260z weighs around 1.3 tonnes

– I don’t plan on being an idiotic red light drag racing bogan when driving this car. I plan on having the car insured (premiums may be expensive but I'm willing to work my ass off for this car).

 

– We plan on updating the suspension, steering and brakes which will make the car a lot easier and safer to drive. Also 260z's have L26's not L28's

 

Before telling someone straight up that they're wrong you need to do a bit more research. This research will probably lead you to the fact that this route of project is really not necessary/ a good idea for an inexperienced driver.

The heaviest 260z will weigh 1.3 tonnes, and i mean a real  flabby 2+2 with auto box, airconditioning, 2 containers of bog in it etc. 2 seaters (which is what most people prefer) are quite close to 1.1 ton, and the early 260 (like mine) is closer to 1.

As for the cost of this, have you any idea? Its not impossible, its what I'm doing, but i now have a full time job. Committing yourself to this sort of project really takes a chunk of your life. Do you really want that level of commitment and cost while you are trying to study? It just isn't going to happen until you finish studying, unless your dad is willing to fork out roughly the 30k minimum it will cost to do this project.

As for the engine being more reliable, eh. Give the L series a freshen up and it will last for as long as any RB, if not longer. Feel the need for reliability? lucky the 280zx had an approved engine with efi on it.

260's have what ever you want to put in them. The reason I was suggesting an L28 in it is because that is what currently more than half the Z community is running in their 260's. It is as close as you could possibly get to a direct bolt in replacement, requires no engineering (WAY cheaper insurance) and can be picked up for as little as 200 bucks. This engine out of the box gives you 145hp, strangled by emissions and conservative stock factors. Want 180hp, easy, bolt on a couple of upgrades and you're done. This simple route gives you a car that does 0-100's of mid 6's! My current car does low 7's with a ton of rear mechanical grip, and no turbo to jump in all of a sudden. There have been times where i nearly crapped myself, and I am by no means a crazy driver (Lurch I'm looking at you). Had i crashed in my MR2 I would have been not the best. Its a pretty small car. had i been in a 260, I would probably not be able to walk again.

No matter what you do to these cars, they will never be easy to drive for an inexperienced driver. Stronger brakes will give you the confidence to brake harder and later, but is that necessarily safe? Harder shocks mean you can corner faster, which is obviously not safer. Even if you intend to drive like a granny (which I'm under no illusions you will), these cars have the potential to be very unforgiving if you don't know what you are doing, let alone with a turbo strapped to it! There is a guy on here (Can't remember who it was) who has the L28 turbo (which it came in stock form) in his 2 seater, and he almost flat out refuses to drive it in the wet, and he by no means lacks driving experience.

 

What I'm saying is if you absolutely have to have a Z, i hear ya! I'm the same! But seriously, these cars are enough work and power when simply using what god gifted to them naturally.

If you don't believe me go take a ride in Lurch's L24 240z. Hands down the most scary thing I've done in my life, but he seemed to know what he was doing :/

Also make sure that you don't correct people for corrections sake, yeah wow there were 200 uber rare stupidly expensive non road legal engines out there, that's obviously not what you're going to use. I strongly suggest you so some more research online, but even better, come and look at these cars, get a real feel for them, their speed and reliability. I think you'll be blown away.

 

Hope this helps

[Zedman240®]

Welcome..

If you do go the RB26DETT route, I'd highly recommend a large block of wood under the go pedal till about your 25th birthday.

[Oz]

Before telling someone straight up that they're wrong you need to do a bit more research. This research will probably lead you to the fact that this route of project is really not necessary/ a good idea for an inexperienced driver.

The heaviest 260z will weigh 1.3 tonnes, and i mean a real  flabby 2+2 with auto box, airconditioning, 2 containers of bog in it etc. 2 seaters (which is what most people prefer) are quite close to 1.1 ton, and the early 260 (like mine) is closer to 1.

As for the cost of this, have you any idea? Its not impossible, its what I'm doing, but i now have a full time job. Committing yourself to this sort of project really takes a chunk of your life. Do you really want that level of commitment and cost while you are trying to study? It just isn't going to happen until you finish studying, unless your dad is willing to fork out roughly the 30k minimum it will cost to do this project.

As for the engine being more reliable, eh. Give the L series a freshen up and it will last for as long as any RB, if not longer. Feel the need for reliability? lucky the 280zx had an approved engine with efi on it.

260's have what ever you want to put in them. The reason I was suggesting an L28 in it is because that is what currently more than half the Z community is running in their 260's. It is as close as you could possibly get to a direct bolt in replacement, requires no engineering (WAY cheaper insurance) and can be picked up for as little as 200 bucks. This engine out of the box gives you 145hp, strangled by emissions and conservative stock factors. Want 180hp, easy, bolt on a couple of upgrades and you're done. This simple route gives you a car that does 0-100's of mid 6's! My current car does low 7's with a ton of rear mechanical grip, and no turbo to jump in all of a sudden. There have been times where i nearly crapped myself, and I am by no means a crazy driver (Lurch I'm looking at you). Had i crashed in my MR2 I would have been not the best. Its a pretty small car. had i been in a 260, I would probably not be able to walk again.

No matter what you do to these cars, they will never be easy to drive for an inexperienced driver. Stronger brakes will give you the confidence to brake harder and later, but is that necessarily safe? Harder shocks mean you can corner faster, which is obviously not safer. Even if you intend to drive like a granny (which I'm under no illusions you will), these cars have the potential to be very unforgiving if you don't know what you are doing, let alone with a turbo strapped to it! There is a guy on here (Can't remember who it was) who has the L28 turbo (which it came in stock form) in his 2 seater, and he almost flat out refuses to drive it in the wet, and he by no means lacks driving experience.

 

What I'm saying is if you absolutely have to have a Z, i hear ya! I'm the same! But seriously, these cars are enough work and power when simply using what god gifted to them naturally.

If you don't believe me go take a ride in Lurch's L24 240z. Hands down the most scary thing I've done in my life, but he seemed to know what he was doing :/

Also make sure that you don't correct people for corrections sake, yeah wow there were 200 uber rare stupidly expensive non road legal engines out there, that's obviously not what you're going to use. I strongly suggest you so some more research online, but even better, come and look at these cars, get a real feel for them, their speed and reliability. I think you'll be blown away.

 

Hope this helps

 

Yes it does help, thankyou.

 

It is a good reminder to do some online research, and we are at the very beginning of that process now. I really hear what you're saying, and I think some advanced driver skills training and track days will be the order of the day for young Ozjnr. Also, he'll have been driving for a couple of years by the time we finish the project. 

 

Ozjnr will be taking a gap year to work on the car before starting uni so that it doesn't interrupt his study. We'll be using the next few years to save the money, do the groundwork and start gradually buying the parts that we need so that we have both the plan and the resources to finish the project in 2017. Given that it's 2014 (soon), we should have more than enough time.

 

The funding won't be an issue and I have my eyes well and truly open when it comes to the cost. I think 30K is a bit light, as you say, probably the minimum.

 

And yes, we will get some experience with a car in stock trim to see if we still want to upgrade the whole power-train. That's actually a very good idea, and has made me decide that I'll buy one as my daily drive when I'm back in Perth permanently later in 2014 (if I can find one between now and then). It will really help us decide what to do to Ozjnr's car; and it could well become Ozjnr's when he's ready.

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. It's the sort of honest input that we need right now. It's sometimes difficult to remember that classic sports cars handled a lot differently to modern cars and need a much higher degree of skill and experience to drive. I'll keep that very much in mind and do what I can to ensure Ozjnr is as prepared as possible to get behind the wheel when the time comes.

 

 

 

 

 

[Oz jnr]

 

Also make sure that you don't correct people for corrections sake, yeah wow there were 200 uber rare stupidly expensive non road legal engines out there, that's obviously not what you're going to use.

 

 

I'll try to keep that in mind, It's a bad habit I've developed  :-\

[DreamZproject]

All good, it seems as though you guys have the right approach towards the project. Always time later to do the crazy stuff.

My suggestion having just faced all the possible problems you can have in starting one of these projects is if you can afford

to spend more cash up front you are going to save yourself HEAPS of money and time later. Get yourself a car that has been

properly rust repaired and looked after, none of these bog and fiberglass jobs that are all too common (like mine was ).

The chassis and panel work is roughly 70% of the cost of these cars seeing as though they rust so damn easily. Whereas

something like an L28 motor starts as low as $200 and for 1k second hand you can have yourself something really decent.

Before buying anything, meet up with someone that has one of these cars close by and get as much information off them as

possible (there are very specific things about these cars that can be easily detected if you know what you are looking for).

 

Sounds amazing guys! I wish my dad was forking out all the cash for mine!

[Mr Camouflage]

I think 30K is a bit light, as you say, probably the minimum.

 

And yes, we will get some experience with a car in stock trim to see if we still want to upgrade the whole power-train. That's actually a very good idea, and has made me decide that I'll buy one as my daily drive when I'm back in Perth permanently later in 2014 (if I can find one between now and then).

 

$15K might get you a 240/260Z in daily driver condition. Anything less would get you an unlicenced restoration project. Last 240Z I saw for sale in WA was $10,000 unlicenced but complete.

 

That's if you can buy one before the WA Z hoarder buys it sight unseen.

 

[Mr Camouflage]

$15K might get you a 240/260Z in registered, drivable condition. Anything less would get you an unlicenced restoration project. Last 240Z I saw for sale in WA was $10,000 unlicenced but complete.

 

That's if you can buy one before the WA Z hoarder buys it sight unseen.

[Oz]

$15K might get you a 240/260Z in daily driver condition. Anything less would get you an unlicenced restoration project. Last 240Z I saw for sale in WA was $10,000 unlicenced but complete.

 

That's if you can buy one before the WA Z hoarder buys it sight unseen.

 

All of my early Holdens have had to come from interstate in the past, so I've done the trip east with a car trailer a few times!!

 

Thanks for the advice on prices. We'll get the budget ready and then sit tight until the right car comes along