Just bought our first Z (240Z)

[Woody928]

I'm going with the blem ones from JDM ... I can't justify the cost of the perfect ones and MSA want over $700! Shipping looks like $100 in any case.

You can try and swing it with LED bulbs etc but I'm getting some regardless and rewiring the old setup. Will do a write-up for general consumption on here when done.

There's a single one on ebay atm, but I can't be bothered to get one and wait for the other from somewhere - there is a single one in the States on ebay as well but they won't match, you can betcha life!

Thanks for the feedback, I agree original JDM versions seem to go for silly money! I don't fancy the LED option either, much prefer the idea of the proper JDM look anyway. The amber sections look a lot better imo. Sounds like I'll also be going for a set of blem ones as well. I'm going to go for the ones linked below with gaskets as well for completeness.

http://jdm-car-parts.com/collection...fairlady-z-with-harness-and-seal-reproduction

Welcome aboard she sure looks a lovely car, I like the front spoiler too, I imported an Orange 240Z a year ago so I know where you are and how excited you must be!

I went for the JDM Blem rear lights and they're superb, I couldn't find anything blemished about them, I think they're the best way to go, good luck when she arrives !

Thank you very much, I much prefer the look with a chin spoiler. I may change this one and also go black but that can wait for now. That's awesome, just looked in your gallery the car looks very clean! Serious engine work gone on? Haha I'm glad you can sympathise I'm like a child waiting for Christmas day driving loads of people mad with all my incessant talking about the car!

Thanks for the feedback, its great to hear some first hand reviews before taking the plunge. I'm decided now, I'll get the ones linked above, I need to hurry up and order so that they make it before the car does as well now. Hopefully I may get to meet at a show in due course and compare cars, I'm not sure how many meets there are that go on or not really?

My container is leaving on the 22nd. Race Ya

Haha well if you want to play that game I think my boats going to be faster than your boat I got an email tomorrow saying there's now a container load and it should be going by the middle of next week, just waiting on more precise emails so that race is on! Yours is in face departing on my birthday as it so happens. Where's yours coming into?

 

[SacCyclone]

Congrats Mark and a beautiful looking 240. Can't go wrong with a orange series 1 car IMO.

 

[johnymd]

It's going to Felixstowe with a planned arrival of 20/8.

 

[Red7]

Thank you very much, I much prefer the look with a chin spoiler. I may change this one and also go black but that can wait for now. That's awesome, just looked in your gallery the car looks very clean! Serious engine work gone on? Haha I'm glad you can sympathise I'm like a child waiting for Christmas day driving loads of people mad with all my incessant talking about the car!

Me too, I really like the one yours has on it, maybe in the same grey as OEM hubcaps and rear panel?

I'd say my car is 80% there, it's only had the N/S dog leg repaired, not that well as it happens, that will get sorted when it's stripped over the winter and repainted, it's only had a set it triple 40's on and tuned, just for the look and sound really, it goes well enough, all the way back from Le Mans above 4K revs and didn't miss a beat, it's quite floaty compared to my old one but that's because of the anti roll bar up front and having none on the rear, I've got those to upgrade over winter too, keep us posted

 

[Woody928]

Congrats Mark and a beautiful looking 240. Can't go wrong with a orange series 1 car IMO.

Thanks man, I hope not. Its certainly my favourite combo Do I spy thats you track your car? How does it handle? I still haven't even driven one of these yet! lol I only got taken out in one last weekend for the first time, well after buying my one.

It's going to Felixstowe with a planned arrival of 20/8.

Nice, must be excited! Albeit I'm sure you've got lots to keep you busy in the meantime by the looks of your signature! I'm hoping to get mine slightly before as I really optimistically want mine road ready for the Goodwood Revival. How long does it usually take to clear UK customs and get the car registered with a number plate from the DVLA?

Me too, I really like the one yours has on it, maybe in the same grey as OEM hubcaps and rear panel?

I'd say my car is 80% there, it's only had the N/S dog leg repaired, not that well as it happens, that will get sorted when it's stripped over the winter and repainted, it's only had a set it triple 40's on and tuned, just for the look and sound really, it goes well enough, all the way back from Le Mans above 4K revs and didn't miss a beat, it's quite floaty compared to my old one but that's because of the anti roll bar up front and having none on the rear, I've got those to upgrade over winter too, keep us posted

Cheers, that's not a bad shout. I think the wheels may go Flat/Matt black so I may match that as I want some bullet wing mirrors like that as well. It certainly finishes the front of the car off. Personally I really like the one on this car linked below.

http://petrolicious.com/this-nissan-fairlady-240z-l-is-a-rare-japanese-survivor

That's still a long way down the path! sounds like you've got it all mapped out for the winter then. I can't blame you, I love the look and sounds of the webbers What sort of power do you reckon your getting from it? I was pleasantly surprised by the one I got taken out in, for its time it is a really strong engine. Were you over for the classic then? I may have seen your car on the club stand? Interesting, did they only come with front roll bars then? Definitely will keep this thread posted

 

[uk66fastback]

I think US ones only came with front ARBs ... the suspension is softer when stock in the US ones as well. I hope I have that the right way round ...

If you search saccyclone on YouTube you'll see Mike's Z on the track ... so you'll see how well it handles.

 

[Woody928]

Right ok, sounds like a rear arb will be on the upgrade list. Is there much aftermarket choice? Will be interesting to see how it copes with the UK roads then if its softer it may actually be preferential with the amount of pot holes we have! I've got a fast road setup MR2 Turbo with track capable suspension so in no need of another firm car.

I've just had a watch, nice driving. The car looks incredibly composed! Would have thought it may be a bit tail happy but looks very planted. The circuits in the in the US also look fantastic! weather and track temperatures must be a lot better as well! lol Is yours intended purely for track use? or does it hit the streets as well? (I saw the triples sound test on the road, some nice inspiration)

 

[SacCyclone]

The track video was with SU carbs and different exhaust. I will post a link here to another track video with triple Mikuni 40's and newer exhaust, also added T3 suspension front and rear and lowered a bit too. I had to shift at 5K due to fuel delivery issues. Still need to add a electric fuel pump and dyno tune the car, my carbs are still not correct. Loading video now, link to follow.

 

[SacCyclone]

https://youtu.be/DMMAVRStkko

Thanks.

Street car with some track day parts added. Not all that fast when compared to some other race prepped Zeds on this forum but I have fun with it anyway.

I have another full cage race car that still needs to be built later this year and I will start a thread on it at some point.

 

[Woody928]

Well it certainly looks like a lot of fun anyway. When you say T3 components are you running coilovers on there? Nice to have a good mix between street and track if you can. Definitely looks very clean in the photo for a car that hits the track.

In other news I've just had it confirmed that my car is being loaded onto a ship on the 26th July with an arrival date in Southampton of 15th August. Anyone who's imported before know how long it usually takes to unload and clear customs etc before your allowed to collect it?

 

[uk66fastback]

A day or two I would think - ask your shipping co. they'll be able to tell you.

Over a decade ago I felt brave and drove a '65 Mustang Coupe straight off the boat from Bristol across country to Peterborough one New Year's Eve in the wet and cold. Not sure I'd do it now. US plates, insured on the VIN.

No idea what the moral of that story was, probably that there was no heater in the Ford, and I was frozen.

Get it trailered!

Oh, and I've ordered the JDM lights now so looking forward to them coming over.

 

[SacCyclone]

No coil overs, just lowering springs and Koni shocks. T3 lower control arms front and rear with lots of negative for road course driving. Fairly basic set up with some mods. Works for me and didn't break the bank. LOL

 

[Woody928]

A day or two I would think - ask your shipping co. they'll be able to tell you.

Over a decade ago I felt brave and drove a '65 Mustang Coupe straight off the boat from Bristol across country to Peterborough one New Year's Eve in the wet and cold. Not sure I'd do it now. US plates, insured on the VIN.

No idea what the moral of that story was, probably that there was no heater in the Ford, and I was frozen.

Get it trailered!

Oh, and I've ordered the JDM lights now so looking forward to them coming over.

Spoke to them earlier, they said assuming all the paperwork is in order and payments have all be made then within a couple of days it will be released for collection.

Cool story, I'd love to have one to match however after speaking to the DVLA on the phone yesterday they informed me that it would be illegal to drive the car on US plates even with an equivalent MOT and insurance. So the car will be being trailered....

Snap! I went with the repro ones with gaskets, I prefer the look if nothing else so it should at least look the part. I've got too much to look forward to and the lights are fairly low down the list at the moment! lol

No coil overs, just lowering springs and Koni shocks. T3 lower control arms front and rear with lots of negative for road course driving. Fairly basic set up with some mods. Works for me and didn't break the bank. LOL

Ok good to know, I'm sure in the not too distant future I'll be considering my suspension options and brakes. Is that a fairly standard setup then? What sort of suspension do people usually run on these cars? Understandable, unfortunately everyone has a budget. I'm all to aware of this myself however I'm also of the view, do the job once and do it properly

 

[SacCyclone]

I did not want to cut or weld on my stock shock towers, thus I did not go with the coil overs.

Your preference on coil overs or not, lots of Zeds with them and lots without.

I run vented and cross drilled rotors, cooler can on the rotor, and race pads. Stock calipers with steel braided brake lines all around. Works well for track day car and my buddy runs the same set up on a BRE 240zed vintage race car. No brake fade and constant pedal feel.

Others out there run big 4 or 6 piston calipers and 4 wheel disc brakes....again your call and pocket book.

Hope that helps.

Mike

 

[Woody928]

Thanks for the info Mike, Coilovers don't appeal to me given the car has to be seriously modified. Seems a bit overkill for road use imo. Sounds like the stock system is pretty good if well maintained and has decent pads, much like my MR2. I'm sure I'll be visiting all of those subjects in greater detail is the near future as the project progresses.

In other news its been confirmed that the ship has now sailed and is expected to dock in Southampton on the 15th August. I'm hoping to get the car collected before the end of the week to take it to Fourways engineering to check over the car for me, do the light conversions and have it MOT'd in order that I can get it road registered. I was hoping to have the car road ready just in time for the Goodwood Revival, however I think I'm being ambitious to say the least. From my latest findings the paperwork is going to hold the whole process up, however we'll wait and see...

 

[uk66fastback]

Have your rear lights from JDM showed up yet Woody? My blem units eventually made it here and the quality is superb - and I can't see any blemishes at all ... aim to fit them in a week or two when I have the time. Will do a write-up on the forum ...

 

[Woody928]

Have your rear lights from JDM showed up yet Woody? My blem units eventually made it here and the quality is superb - and I can't see any blemishes at all ... aim to fit them in a week or two when I have the time. Will do a write-up on the forum ...

They should have! lol Parcel force have been their usual brilliant selves and mis delivered and screwed me around a few times now. I'm hoping that they'll get delivered on Monday.

Glad to hear the quality is superb, I'm hoping mine will be the same. Should look the business either way. Much more cost effective than trying to get some genuine Nissan ones anyway thats for sure. Yeah it would be great to read a write up in due course.

I'll be sure to put some pics up of mine once they arrive

 

[richiep]

Thanks for the info Mike, Coilovers don't appeal to me given the car has to be seriously modified.

It's worth noting that there are options that don't extend to having to do things like chop around and weld in camber plates. For example, BC Racing and one or two other brands offer coilover kits that bolt to the standard strut tower tops. Camber adjustment is more fiddly (you have to drop the strut to make a tweak), but for a road car, once set, you are unlikely to be dicking around with camber much, and shock settings are easily accessible. McKinney Motorsports in the US offer a kit that can use either camber plates or the original factory top insulator mounts. I think TechnoToyTuning also now offer a top mount that negates the camber plates too with their very nice setup.

Of course, all of these require original struts to be cut and threaded tubes welded in place etc (although in the T3 case, they just sell you a complete package with all the work done - you can get a rebate/credit for sending in strut leg cores afterwards if you want).

 

[Woody928]

It's worth noting that there are options that don't extend to having to do things like chop around and weld in camber plates. For example, BC Racing and one or two other brands offer coilover kits that bolt to the standard strut tower tops. Camber adjustment is more fiddly (you have to drop the strut to make a tweak), but for a road car, once set, you are unlikely to be dicking around with camber much, and shock settings are easily accessible. McKinney Motorsports in the US offer a kit that can use either camber plates or the original factory top insulator mounts. I think TechnoToyTuning also now offer a top mount that negates the camber plates too with their very nice setup.

Of course, all of these require original struts to be cut and threaded tubes welded in place etc (although in the T3 case, they just sell you a complete package with all the work done - you can get a rebate/credit for sending in strut leg cores afterwards if you want).

Thanks for the info dude, I'm glad I was wrong on that front. Will be worth investigating more to see what my options are. I've got no idea what's on it at the moment so I'll have to wait and see on that count first. Personally I'm not sure I'd want to weld camber plates in, however each to their own. I want to go for more of a period looking setup if possible with a few modern touches here and there

I must admit I've always gone for shocks and springs on the basis that they do everything I need, are low maintenance and don't tempt me to constantly fiddle with settings. What' the ride generally like with coilovers? Given the setup I have on my MR2, I'm not looking for anything mental, I would quite like to keep the ride quite comfortable while stiffening up the chassis a bit to improve the handling. I imagine roll bars, strut braces and urethane bushes will be on the list to assist. I take it with the shocks you can just buy new inserts and its plug and play?

 

[johnymd]

I have run GAZ fully ad able setup on my blue car and the quality of the ride is superb. I wind the damping down for road use and it absorbs bump really well. Even at high speed when your on uneven roads or hit a bump in the road there is no drama and the car stays fully planted with no stearing adjustment needed. For ultimate handling on the track you turn the damping up and it performs like a track car should. I e owned quite a few 240's recently and driven them all a fair bit. The black car had standard US suspension and mostly rubber bushes and would ride very smooth and comfortable but not as stable/planted if you hit a big hump in the road. The green car had updated/lowered springs and full Urophane bush kit. It handled better than the black car and felt a bit more stable but ride was a bit harsh. I would choose GAZ every time for comfort and handling. My blue car also has fully rose jointed suspension and solid top mounts and still feels comfortable to me.