D.O.G

Apart from the tail shaft, I did it myself. The tail shaft was done by a place in Holbeche Road, Arndell Park (near work for me) whose name I've now forgotten.

The conversion works pretty well in my 280zx. http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,4107.0.html My car's off the road now, but not due to gearbox problems. Pete

Like so many of us, my Datsun's off the road at present, but it should be running again in a few weeks. I can't know if I'm available until close to the date, but somewhere south or west of Sydney is OK (unless you want to go for a drive up the Blue Mountains ) Pete

Updated figures after 4 speed auto (L4N71B) conversion. Kilometers to tank: low level light comes on about 750km. L/100km: Around 9 Pete.

I can't help identifying your ring gear, but it's not 280zx. My 12/'81 (series 2) 280zx 2+2, NA, auto, has a welded flexplate, with an OD of 305mm. I'm guessing that all L series flexplates would be the same OD, although there were differences in their profile to accommodate different torque converters.

In regards to the final ratio, I didn't mean that the L28 hasn't got the nuts to pull top gear through the mountains. The issue is that TC lock-up happens about 90kph at present and the speed limit is only 80. A 3.9 will give me the same gearing that the R30 had and should bring lock-up down to a usable speed. Because lock-up isn't externally controlled like the VL electronic boxes, I don't know how else to change when it locks, except maybe opening it up and altering spring tensions?

OK, this is how I did it: Note: You need to cut the original gearbox mounts off the tunnel to fit this, so don't change your mind halfway through. Source and fit the flex plate, oil lines and gearbox from a series 2, R30 Skyline. After the old mounts are gone, these are a straight swap. You need to fabricate new gearbox mounts. The original cross member is still used, but the mounting foot on the gearbox is smaller, so there is some fiddling. The gear shifter linkage from the R30 is a straight fit, but I'm sure you could shorten the original one if you had to. The gearbox output shaft is bigger, so a new/modified tail shaft is required. I used the front yolk from the R30 shaft, welded to the shortened (24mm?) 280zx shaft. The guy that did the tail shaft, recommended looking for a VL Commodore or early Navara tail shaft if I need to get another one done, because these have replaceable uni joints. They would still need to be modified though. The standard front exhaust section no longer fits, because the rear cross member is now about 160mm further back. That got extended and the middle section shortened the same amount. It's not perfect, but it works OK. Most of the wiring is a straight swap, except for the bits that aren't. I had to add a relay to get the reversing lights working and of course had to add an overdrive disable switch in the cabin. Note: There are other gearbox options out there (RX-7), but you would still need the R30 bell housing to make it fit easily. Pete

Well, I finally got around to doing this and I'm very pleased with the result. I'm still running the original 3.54:1 diff at present and the engine only turns 2250rpm at 110kph. This gearing is a bit too tall driving through the mountains, so I'll swap in a 3.9 diff as time permits. This should still only turn about 2500rpm at 110kph. Fuel consumption with the 3.54 diff has dropped from about 10.5 l/100km to 9.5 l/100km. The 3.9 diff will probably improve this figure despite the higher revs on the motorway.

I drove a '72 model 240z between '78 and '88 as my daily transport. I never noticed fumes in the car.

My Mazda Astina daily driver was a repairable write-off. I was told before I bought it (from a dealer) and got it at a good price (November 2011). The NRMA didn't seem to care and were happy to provide comprehensive insurance on the car.

I was talking to a former Z & ZX owner on the weekend, who spoke of having fitted a ZX body to a Range Rover chassis some years ago. I couldn't help thinking of these pictures and shuddering.

I didn't notice your location when I posted that .... I could have picked it up for you, I bought something else off the same guy. :'(

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NISSAN-DATSUN-240Z-260Z-280ZX-L20A-L24-L26-L28-ZXT-TURBO-DOWN-PIPE-/160953885853?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item257999649d An hour and a bit to go, better be quick.

Can anyone recommend a good place to get a tailshaft modified in Sydney's west? I'll need one done for my 280zx in the next couple of weeks. Pete.

Looking at you list of stuff replaced, I'd look at fuel pressure. You don't need much fuel to rev in neutral, but once the engine is loaded, you notice poor fuel pressure fairly quickly. The manual says it should be 250.1 kPa, if it's not near that, check your fuel pump and regulator. Your list includes new fuel filter, but there's also a tank filter mentioned in the manual. I'm no expert, but that's what springs to my mind at least.