Mke Vee

iTrader: (3)

This is probably easy fodor for those familiar with the Z-Cars.
A guy near me has a 1986 300ZX turbo for sale. The engine bay looks a little tight with the V6, but there's lot of other junk in there. Questions that come to mind are:

(1) Do the turbo cars have posi? This is an auto trans model if that matters.
(2) Has anyone found headers that work witout too much self torture?.
(3) Is the rear stronger in the turbo car? Better ratio?

I want to buy it and put a mild LS1 in it. The ground effects are cool in a retro sort of way, but it looks a little on the heavy side. Any insight into these cars would be greatly appreciated. Being a 1986 I guess you'd call it a second-gen <?>
TIA,
MikeV

Grr

iTrader: (2)

the 86 is by far the best looking of the Z31 cars. Also none of them have a posi, but you can use a diff from a Q45 SUV that is a viscious limited slip, and can be shimmed up to make tighter. or just weld it up like we do! Also, the rears are all the same R-200, but the turbo has a 3.54 ratio, while early N/A cars had a 3.70, later N/A cars have a 3.90. I havent seen what headers will work, but there is a ton of room in there, i think mustang headers would work just fine, but you would just have to ask for some measurements. Oh, and a 86 turbo is around 3500lbs.
Gary

Mke Vee

iTrader: (3)

Thanks Gary,
I found a few pages where folks install Nissan "VH" DOHC V8 engines in the Z31 chassis. I have a VH41DE on the floor of my garage, and it is definitely wider, with its fat heads, while it looks to be lower in overall height. Both the VH and LS1 are all-alooneyumm, but the Ls1 has considerably more displacement and is much easier to bolt to a large number of transmissions for little money. Thanks again for your insight. Love this list.
MIke V

CamH

A 1986 300ZX Turbo should have a clutch-type limited slip rear end and it certainly does not weigh 3,500lbs, Grr might be thinking of the Z32 Twin turbo model which is a pig of a car. A Z31 turbo should be weighing in around 3,200lbs, making it a slightly smaller pig.

Grr

iTrader: (2)

well the one sitting in my shop, a 86 na> turbo, weighs in right at 3370. The 85 turbo parts car was an open diff, and weighed about 3460. The 88 NA thats sitting in the back weighed in at 3310. All were open diffs, i have never seen a 300 with a LSD, though some have them, its actually pretty rare. Also i check my weights with alot of fuel and stuff so they are actually acurate. BTW, if you want to get rid of any of the stock turbo stuff PM me as i need another conversion set up.
Gary

Darth Z

Sounds like a cool project, I' ve always liked the 80' s 300ZX's! I' d be happy with a built turbo car, but it' d be bad as hell with an LS1!