motox-010

Ok, so a 76 260Z caught my eye when I was drivin to the parts store today. I checked it over real quick before I went on my way. The guy wants 2500 for it, and I was wonderin if this is reasonable for these cars. I really need somethin that gets better mileage than my Jeep (a whopping 9MPG) and I figured that this little car would get good mileage. So anyone wanna fill me in on prices, mileage, what is good (and bad) about these cars, and possible upgrades?

Thanks,
Sawyer.

NismoPick

If you call 20mpg good...

Take a better look at it. We have a buyers guide for 280zx's (same for 280z's): https://www.zdriver.com/forums/240z-280zxt-s30-s130-tech-tips-275/280zx-common-problems-checklist-purchase-inspection-16386/ Bargain if you can / want to.

PS... welcome to ZDriver!

motox-010

Also, is there a turbo kit for it?

NismoPick

oh man... you had to go and ask that... no, there are no turbo kits, no it's not a great idea to just "slap on a turbo." If you want a turbo, buy a turbo motor.

motox-010

Are there engines that will swap into it that are turboed? I think that the lines on this thing are really cool.

NismoPick

um... you have an L28E... a 280zx turbo has an L28ET (T = Turbo). and yes, there are more differences than "a turbo"

hoov100

the only thing your limited to for swaps in these cars is physical size, even then that can/has been changed..

motox-010

So is that a yes on the turbo swap? Im sorry if I am being a noob and ask really stupid questions, but those old Datsuns look really cool!

NismoPick

Yes... swap a 280zx turbo motor into your 280z.

hoov100

just go out and find a 280zx turbo at a local junkyard and pull the: motor, trans, wiring harness, ECU. i would personally try and find one with an automatic trans, as they are less likely to have been abused, plsu they have an oil cooler from factory..

snwbrderphat540

also youll need the driveshaft. its a fairly simple swap i did it myself, but the hard way.

260zturbo

truly all you need is a turbo manifold, turbo t3,turbo pan,turbo injectors. everything else can be made or tuned. you can actually tweak a stock 280z fi. you might not get the most out of it but hey. you could grab the ecu and afm out the turbo car. or for 250 u can megasquirt. do a search its a independent fuel management system that does a WHOLE lot. the downpipe might be hard to get off. you can easily make your own and while your at it make new exhaust. stock is 6.5lbs of boost. on a good motor your prob looking at 170ish. give or take. you can buy turbo stainless steal braided line on the internet for a good price. i forgot what i got mine for. since your saying its a 260 im guessing you are over seas? if not its a 280. all z series go by their displacement j pipe from the turbo goes to the intake. the pan can be replaced without taking the whole engine out. the only difference between a 280 pan vs a turbo pan is it has a inlet to let the oil from the turbo back in the pan. a stock 5 speed can withstand a stock turbo motor. when u get crazy with it their are mods for other trannys. as for a turbo manual tranny . i personaly dont care for them. they are pretty weak. think its funny that a 240sx and a n/a 300zx have the sFS5W71C and its WAY beefier then turbo tranny. rear ends help alot in these cars. if u turbo keep the 3.54. dont get me wrong you can make a very quick n/a if u wanted. either way it comes down to how much you want to spend to go fast or look fast

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/reviving/index.html

77280zdude

why are you so obsessed with turbo's? why don't you just beef up the engine and leave it N/A? there are MANY upgrades, component swaps, conversions, etc. for these beautifully engineered cars and you can produce lots of power even without a turbo. sorry, but all i hear nowadays is people trying to slap turbo's on anything. if you do it, then do it the right way and get the engine with everything. don't just "slap it on".

260zturbo

zdude....face the fact that going out to a jy and finding a turbo is somewhat cheaper then building a hot n/a. to build a good n/a compression is a must. 10:1 is ideal for a hotsetup. people also do 11:1. i would not trust a jy motor unless i tore into it. if you a current running l28 ITS basically the same. just different coolant runners between n42 and f54 block. also for n/a you are going to need flat tops unless you build a combo thats just sick(another story) .turbo pistons are basically the same as a 280z dish piston. just cheaper to turbo a z to make hp. thats really what most people want. cheap power. even though it sounds bad facts are facts. "there are MANY upgrades, component swaps, conversions, etc." that all cost money so again it depends on what YOU want to pay. people dont like turbo lag but their are ways around that sorry im not trying to call you out zdude just giving my .02 cents

NismoPick

^^^ once you go turbo you never go back!

260zturbo

thats the truth...boost is a drug and you want more and more. suck,bang, blow?

snwbrderphat540

lol, ive never heard any one ridicule the idea of forced induction. its potential is MUCH MUCH MCUH MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! i repeat MUCH higher than on an N/A motor.... specially our measily 2.8 i6

NismoPick

There's a lot of people who feel that forced induction is cheating & the easy way to make power... which to me doesn't make sense. You have to build a turbo motor to withstand much more force than an n/a... so turbo builders must meet higher expectations than n/a builders. Turbos are free power... why not harness the exhaust the engine is already producing?

snwbrderphat540

^^^^^ ummmm, because that would make alot of sense thats why you wouldnt... DUH!!!

duowing

That's the justification for when you don't have a Turbo to start with. Although I do agree a built N/A can be pretty fun for the fact that the power is right there, with no lag, but like you guys said. Once you've had boost, there's no going back.

Goofyz

go get the june 2007 issue of SUPER STREET, it has a 240z with a RB26DETT swap in it that is truly amazing and just about the cleanest, best looking Moded Z I have ever seen. That is what you are asking right? The best Turbo motor you can put in your z?

77280zdude

i do agree with you 260ZTURBO about the turbo's vs. the N/A. turbo's are easier to get the power delivered and are just bad ***. however, the reason i say to do it the right way and get the turbo engine is because you will end up spending lots more money converting your N/A engine to turbo specs. compression MUST be lower than N/A; if not then you will grenade the whole engine as soon as the turbo spools (may take some time). also if you run lower compression you will have alot more room to play with your boost and the sky can be the limit. i have spent lots of time and money in my 280z N/A engine just to see how much power i can get out of it and whoop up on mustang's and turboed engines just with a N/A 6 cylinder, and it feels good. i am not going to lie to you though...if i had the money and time, i would definately have a turbo engine sitting in my 280 right now.

260zturbo

compression is not really a must. im currently running 9:1 on a turbo. maxima head with arp studs all over the block. its all about tuning i might not be able to boost as high at the moment. methanol can fix all that.

motox-010

Does N/A mean that it has no power adders?

260zturbo

n/a = naturally-aspirated. means its all engine. so you have the general idea.