Thursday 10th April 2014

Datsun 240Z V8: You Know You Want To

The original Japanese muscle car, now with a little more muscle

---

Engine swaps always make for controversial cars, hence this 240Z being a YKYWT car rather than the lovingly restored original Zee featured as a Spotted in 2012. Cars like the MR2 V8 Harris wrote about, dropping LS7s into TVRs and the various V8 MX-5 conversions are always risky; what stands to be gained in hilarious performance gains, noise and reliability could be outweighed by tarnishing the originality and creating something where the engine overly dominates.

Out with the old, in with the... also quite old

Good engine transplants enhance the already desirable characteristics of the standard car and maybe add something new. VTECs dropped into Mk1 Elises seem like a good example. The worst are those that result in ruining the rest of the car for the sake of an engine.

So then, this V8 240Z. Taking the engine from a Chimaera seems like a wise move. Sure, it probably isn't as revvy as the straight-six but it apparently weighs the same as the old lump so there's no significant weight penalty. Perhaps it makes the Zee more muscle car than sports car now, but who can say they're not a little curious about how it drives?

Moreover, this car isn't a garage queen; it gets used, it has scratches so there would be no issue with the next owner continuing to do so. Reading the swap description, it's clearly been thought out with tweaks to the cooling, a new propshaft and an uprated gearbox. This wasn't just a case of dropping a V8 in and seeing what happens, or it seems that way.

Best have a tyre supplier ready

As well as this, the other tweaks to the 240Z should allow that extra performance to be properly utilised. There's an RS200 limited-slip diff in there somehow, brakes from a 280ZX, Tokico adjustable dampers and custom strut braces. A bit of a mongrel then, but rather appealing nonetheless.

It's not one for the purists then. But for those wanting classic style with usable (and plentiful) modern performance, there is surely a lot to be said for this 240Z.

 

---

DATSUN 240Z V8
Price: £8,000
Why you should: Looks great, should go rather well too
Why you shouldn't: Not exactly original, or immaculate

See the original advert here.

[nm121]

This is one of those impulse purchases I would happily pull the trigger on. If I had 8k sitting spare. Which I don't.

Nice one on the PH Forum with an M3 motor in it - nice build thread too.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Motor Trend also pitted a reworked 240 against a heavily modified 370Z and the old car put up a good fight.
http://wot.motortrend.com/old-vs-new-nissan-projec...

Would love one one day - whether original or not.

(edited to add links)

Edited by nm121 on Thursday 10th April 11:21

Edited by nm121 on Thursday 10th April 11:22