QuestionDan,
Seems like you are the man to ask a question if you are going to race a Datsun. I am thinking of building a all out track car out of this 1979 280zx. What o you think will it be economical and competitive at the same time???
The car is in average condition for the year. It also has been changed to carbs (SU I think) or it may have come with them. I have found conflicting information on the carb and injection system on the 79's some say they came with only ijection and others say the had some carbs. just wondering if I might use you as a sounding board if the project continues.
Matthew
AnswerHi Mathew,
I presume you're thinking of road racing. If so the 280 ZX is a fair choice, though the older 280 Z with fuel injection would be better cuz the suspension works a lot better.
Not to worry. In SCCA with which I am most familiar, you can run in Improved Touring (IT-S) reasonable cost, Production (EP) a little more costly, or Grand Touring (GT-3 I think, though it might be GT-2) bring your wallet and two GOOD credit cards.
In IT you'll have to go back to the stock fuel injection which was a pretty good system. You can try to find a 76 or 77 at a boneyard and pirate the Bosch injection system which is a good one. Be sure to get all the sensors off the head and manifold, and the brain box, located on the left kick panel , next to your ankle bone. Do NOT cut the harness wiring , rather take the time to retrieve it in one giant spiderweb of intrigue. Buy a factory service manual for that particular car from Nissan , or Nissan Comp. No the brains and harnesses aren't interechangable.
On to EP . You really need to get a copy of the SCCA General Competition Rules to use as a guide. I don't think you can use the carbs in that class and the ZX may not be allowed in that class.
In GT, you can run a glass body, tubular steel space frame, many modifications are allowed to the induction system, and to the rest of the engine. GT cars use a bit more fuel, and they absolutely EAT money.
All Z and ZX cars came with fuel injection after late 1975 , any thing with 280 in the number.
As far as compeititive goes: A lot depends on the region you intend to join. If you're in the Middle West it might be OK. Here in Central Florida you would find yourself wishing you had done something else. We regard the ZX cars as somewhat of a dog. They're heavy, and the rear suspension is something that Porsche tried in 1955 - -it didn't work then so they sold it to BMW who never made it work, and then Datsun copied it to the 510- - -didn't work- - -get my drift ? For a while the 240,260 and 280 Zs (note no "X") had a horizontal "A" arm system that worked quite well though there was a lot of motion. but then they brilliantly decided to go back to something that had NEVER worked - -on THREE continents, over 25 YEARS and give it another shot- - - it still didn't work, and your 79 has it !! The semi trailing arm rear end. Notice how the car squats badly under acceleration ? It does that coming out of a corner under heavy power, and everything goes to hell - - fast. The secret is to make the rear end REAL stiff. Add a larger sway bar, and stiffer rear springs, Lower the car about 2 to 3" (read the rule book ! ) Change to coil overs on the front, stiffer front sway bar, etc.
For now, if I haven't discouraged you completely, yes, you may use me as a sounding board. I do know a little about it, have built my own race car from scratch, a ground up restoration and modification of a 1972 510 Sedan, and won some championships with it. Don't start anything without a copy of the current rule book you will be using. I've seen people spend $2-$3000.00 on roll cages and equipment that were wrong enough to have ruined the project. Even hjelmets and suits have rules and there are no exceptions.
Do write again. If I can't help with a particular question, I may know the guy that does.
Good luck
Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida
