My 72 build just starting

[badhabit]

Have a couple pics in the intro area. Started to monkey this afternoon. Got her running and she runs mint. About to mess it all up though, just picked up a pair of 40mm weber side drafts and manifold, hot rod camshaft along with a subaru LSD today. Car already has a 280 5 speed,spindles and brakes.I own a dynapack chassis dyno so i will post results of what is currently in the car, i will not be fine tuning this setup though as i will be puuting the time into the new stuff that has been purchased. Has some sheap header and exhaust on it but will have that sorted shortly also. i love this car!! Here is a crappy cell phone pic of engine bay.

[Byron510]

Is that the original paint under the hood, sure it's not a 73 model year.

The twin carbs will sure wake the ride up, if the carbs are in good shape. A lot of that stuff has been kicking around for years, it might pay to have someone go through them first, save you a lot of head aches in the long run.

Keep us posted. Nice list of goodies.

Byron

[badhabit]

For sure on the go through. Its handy because there is a fellow by the name of Jim at overseas auto which is right up the street from our shop, he is knowledgable with these. Car is a 72, my friend Brian painted it about 20 years ago and sold it to another friend Dusty. Dusty has been messing with these for some time also.

[badhabit]

Installed a couple webers

So I purchased a set of Porsche 924 front struts, an idea of which was not a hit in the suspension section of this forum but i did it anyway. Cut the tubes down. Didnt lower it huge only about 13mm,just looking to give it a little rake. Probably will come down a bit more when i do the other side.Only did one side so far. This pic is not lowered.

and here is lowered

[HudsonMC]

Well, I think we're a bit confused. Did you buy Porsche 924 strut inserts, and put them in your 280ZX struts, or did you bolt the entire 924 front struts onto your 510 control arms, steering, etc?

[okayfine]

I just didn't understand why you'd buy in 924 stuff just to shorten it anyway, when you have the ZX stuff that you'd have to shorten anyway. If the 924 stuff bolts on and was already short enough, or 924 brakes were bigger (if that's your thing), sure.

Flip side is that new parts avenues are always nice.

[two_68_510s]

Howdy, did you get any photos of the conversion?

[badhabit]

Sorry guys, my forum communication skills are terrible. I did use 924 inserts and shotened the 280z strut housings by 3/4" . I have a couple pics in the suspension forum. It is a really easy modification.

[okayfine]

That makes more sense!

[HudsonMC]

These ones, cross posted from his thread in the suspension section:

[badhabit]

Thats better !!

[goichi1]

Wow, you are a brave soul! why did you cut the strut that far down? If I were going to cut it that far down, I would at the least use a sleeve over the welded section to strengthen the tube.

You really didn't need to cut your struts to lower your car, you could have just lowered the spring perch, you could still use the shorter insert with a small spacer at the bottom of the tube. I guess there's more than one way to skin a cat!!

[badhabit]

That weld will not be braking. Not only that but the strut insert is an exact fit into the tubes ID. I had to cut the strut housig down. Changing the perch would not do anything except lower the car . I have shorter struts

[goichi1]

Yes, you can run those shorter inserts in a longer strut tube, you simply install a spacer at the bottom of the insert inside the strut tube, this will compensate for the difference in the insert length. Unless you are really going to slam the car to the ground, you don't need to shorten the struts. Where is your insert piston sitting when the weight of the car is on the floor? I think most like the insert to sit a about half way extended so you have suspension travel in both directions.

[badhabit]

Im sure you can, i put a shorter shock in it so when i ride around i dont look like a high school kid bouncing around with cut springs and factory struts, that and the fact that i like my cars to handle.The reason for the shorter strut is to lower the vehicle without preloading the strut. Shimming a shorter strut would be an absolute waste of time. I went with Sachs pieces rather then the budget KYB stuff.