260DET

Where are you going to track it? Not my sort of car but we all should follow our dreams so good on you. Take notice of Lurch too, he will only work on Datsuns true blue lol.

Coming along nicely, those last two vids are the same.

The project will continue, the idea is to get some MP sprints track time in the 280ZX and when the project is ready drop the 280ZX's powertrain into it and do some testing at MP. If it comes up to scratch and gets log booked then it will go to Bathurst in 2018.

280ZX rules!!!!

At the X roads with this, as the Bathurst debacle showed I need regular track time but am being held up with the roll cage while the other car, the 280ZX auto V8, is a goer but needs some suspension and aero work. Going to try to get a firm time today for the cage, wish me luck.

Oh my that is one noisy hairy beast

Tail lights recived thanks very much Cozza, donation to this grate sight coming up.

Big wake up call for me, if you want to go to Bathurst then make sure you get plenty of prior track time and then decide if you are up to it. Anyway, went out on Saturday on a damp track with new semis, a bit too much throttle out of turn one and ended up scraping the outside wall. Nothing too serious except the front spoiler and undertray. The spoiler was patched but the undertray ended up with a big hole in it, at high speed the air was coming through it making the bonnet flap and the car wobble from side to side. So basically I was a mobile chicane, should have some good video of getting passed lol. Made a point of not lifting off through the Kink though So, to be a proper race car the 280ZX needs some work, get that throttle sensitivity sorted for a start. Then I need some work, participate, participate, participate.

Are they high tensile? That's the most important consideration.

There is a bloke on here who sells new improved rails, I'd do the structural repairs first but make sure that the body is well supported during the process. The bolt on stuff can then be done at any suitable time. Gav's advice as always is spot on.

Beer not allowed in the pits but a coldie or two may be available at the get together at the end of the day.

Looks like we may have to start performing a anti rain dance

As long as they are in good uncracked condition Cozza they will be fine, a $50 donation to this site for them delivered to me at Bathurst OK? Car #21, dark blue 280ZX.

Tail lights if you can post or bring to Bathurst this coming weekend.

LM version has much more musical turbo's.

2:11.101 Jake

Yes Gav it is a Maserati and a 2+2 , they have done several models over the years that have strong Z styling theme, this is the latest.

Here we go, current model Z 2+2 with various sports options including twin turbo V6 or NA V8.

What Porsche have done with the 911 so Nissan could have done with the S30 ie retain the basic body shape and concept. Recall seeing a pic of a Maserati a few years ago which was drop dead an image of an updated S30, gorgeous. A friend of mine has prepared a 370Z for racing, he is a very experienced S30 racer so knows what he's doing, the amount of weight he ripped out of it was amazing but he even went to the trouble of cutting the ends of all bolts that were too long and saved a few kg that way. He does prefer to race the S30 though.

Pretty sure that is the 3 speed JATCO that can be tricked up to take 500 hp, used in drag racing, rotory's particularly. It may be worth something to a rebuilder if you want to chase around.

More fibreglassing, oh what joy The bonnet has been laid up but it will be left in the mould for a while, after experiencing composite bonnets that are too heavy and ones that are too flexy light I've done some experimenting using a 3mm core with light woven mat each side, vinylester resin of course. Kevlar patch reinforced for the hinges and latches. Those patches show up yellow in the pic. Next the front bumper/spoiler which looks good and is nice and smooth to reduce drag but rubbish as far as generating downforce goes, probably does lift better. So what to do? None available in AU at all, nothing. After throwing ideas around, avoiding the problem and so on it's been decided to take a mould of the original and chop that up to suit. But the original is soft floppy plasitc that is partly held in shape when attached to the car. So it's been braced to hopefully hold it's complex shape correctly, particularly in regard to the attachment points and guard matching outline. Exciting pics of the bracing.

Basically the power to weight ratio is where you start with a good sports car, it seems like no manufacturer is prepared to put a powerful engine in say a $50k sports coupe. Any car that can out perform it's rivals has a head start in the sales race but Nissan for one have been behind power wise in recent times. Then they bring out the much hyped much fail R35 which competes with the expensive Euros that have established performance and street credentials, the people at Nissan need to get out more into the real world it seems.

From my biased point of view Nissan made a mistake in going with the GTR as it's performance icon when as far as most of the world was concerned the Z car was it's sports car. If Mr K had been in control this would not have happened being as he was focussed on the biggest market, the US. Now with the GTR lump Nissan are on a hiding to nothing against Porsche, trying to use technology while neglecting the basics of a sports car which the early Zeds had. Like most big car companies they miss what it is that makes Porsche able to sell the best at inflated prices and instead try to widen the appeal of their performance icon which then brings them into competition based on price. Porsche on the other hand have stuck with the same basic platform refining it over the years and staying ahead in the power race while using technology sparingly but usefully Worst of all the Zed morphed into an over weight executive express that was nothing spectacular in any area and fought for sales in a price sensitive market. Nissan killed the Zed car through neglect and a losing concept, I don't think that many consider the R35 as worthy of the description 'performance icon'.

Out of the box IMSA 300ZX best time 2:14.758, a more relaxed drive which involves backing of in the corners a bit is around 2.25, just shows how important corner speed is at Bathurst. Repeat disclaimer, these times are not real, driving without consequences is not real driving.

Oh and a disclaimer, my simulator time is irrelevant for the real world at Bathurst but I've found the simulator useful and fun for personal preparation.