Inherited G-ma's '81 280ZX
10-05-2007, 05:45 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 19
Inherited G-ma's '81 280ZX
Got a great 280zx. Kind of a family heirloom. I'm looking for some easy performance upgrades. Car is completely stock, in awesome condition. I love it! Looking forward to showing these Honda's (with their chrome coffe cans) a little something.
10-05-2007, 08:14 PM
#6
Queen of Yachts
Join Date: May 2006
Location: warmspott, trollville.......somewhere sailing the seas--fla, virgin islands...wherever....warm water....LOL
Posts: 2,957
welcome
and
pix pix pix
pix pix pix
pretty please??????
geeeez----i wish MY gramma drove something besides a ford country wagon.....drudges......lucky boy...
.....make good use of the good fortune you have been granted.......
.....WOOOOHOOOOO.......
andpix pix pix
pix pix pix
pretty please??????
geeeez----i wish MY gramma drove something besides a ford country wagon.....drudges......lucky boy........make good use of the good fortune you have been granted............WOOOOHOOOOO.......
Last edited by z-hag; 10-05-2007 at 08:17 PM.
10-05-2007, 10:45 PM
#7
Head Muckraker
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 9,221
Best performance mod is to make sure everything is working absolutely perfect. Ignition, spark, vacuum hoses, timing, exhaust all working as originally designed. Depending on how you feel about a sparse interior, you can remove as much weight as possible and smoke a lot of ricer Honda's. The inline 6 makes a LOT more torque down low than the 1.5 or 1.6 liter Honda's which will usually put you in the lead right out of the hole with lightly modded Honda's.
Unless you've got some pretty serious money or some good automotive skill, there aren't really a lot of "easy" performance mods.
Cold Air Intake (CAI), performance cam, light head work, header, hi-performance catalytic (Cat) converter, 2.5" exhaust, 60mm Throttle Body (TB) w/spacer, turbo Air Flow Meter (AFM) conversion or Z31 (first gen 300zx) ECU/MAF (Electronic Control Unit = computer/Mass Air Flow meter) conversion are pretty much it.
Unfortunately, individually, they won't make much difference, but combined, they can get you up to about 200 crank hp which is a significant increase and is WAY more than 90+% of the Honda's out there. With my '99 Civic being in the 90+% exception of course...
Unless you've got some pretty serious money or some good automotive skill, there aren't really a lot of "easy" performance mods.
Cold Air Intake (CAI), performance cam, light head work, header, hi-performance catalytic (Cat) converter, 2.5" exhaust, 60mm Throttle Body (TB) w/spacer, turbo Air Flow Meter (AFM) conversion or Z31 (first gen 300zx) ECU/MAF (Electronic Control Unit = computer/Mass Air Flow meter) conversion are pretty much it.
Unfortunately, individually, they won't make much difference, but combined, they can get you up to about 200 crank hp which is a significant increase and is WAY more than 90+% of the Honda's out there. With my '99 Civic being in the 90+% exception of course...
Last edited by lww; 10-06-2007 at 10:52 PM.
10-06-2007, 06:27 AM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 19
Got the pics on...
Thanks for all the replies! I love ZDriver! I will have to research a couple of the terms you used but I believe I will go with you first suggestion and make sure everything is running perfectly. Certainly going to be more cost effective.
10-07-2007, 08:01 AM
#11
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 19
Thanks
Many thanks. I appriciate the education. I'm new to Z's. They are much more intricate than the other cars I've had ('66 Malibu, '63VW Bug and '67 Cougar). I need some exhaust work so I was considering a Cat back system. Seems that the only one I can find is "Monza Pacesetter". Are there others I might consider? I was considering the addition of a Header, any thoughts?
10-07-2007, 08:45 AM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Winnipeg, Mb, Canada
Posts: 290
Originally Posted by project142
Many thanks. I appriciate the education. I'm new to Z's. They are much more intricate than the other cars I've had ('66 Malibu, '63VW Bug and '67 Cougar). I need some exhaust work so I was considering a Cat back system. Seems that the only one I can find is "Monza Pacesetter". Are there others I might consider? I was considering the addition of a Header, any thoughts?
10-07-2007, 11:29 AM
#13
The Cake Is A Lie!
Join Date: May 2003
Location: WA
Posts: 5,690
10-07-2007, 10:44 PM
#15
Doesn't post much...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Escondido (San Diego) California
Posts: 3,617
Originally Posted by turboboost
If it were me, I would get a header, and have a local shop fab me up a nice 2.5 inch mandrel bent pipes, and a nice muffler.
There's a smiley there... Don't freak.
Rod.
10-08-2007, 06:42 AM
#20
Doesn't post much...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Escondido (San Diego) California
Posts: 3,617
Originally Posted by project142
My Z seems to squat in the rear while sitting still, more so when I put my foot in it. I replaced the rear struts and it helped some. Do I need springs or is it standard?
Yes and yes.
Rod.
