Z31 turbo vs 240sx - Your opinion

[simmode1]

Hey guys... I've have something on my mind for a while now as it seems the S-chassis craze seems to leveling out and hitting a plateau. Ppl are moving on to other platforms, some newer, some older. I'm feeling ready to move on from the S-chassis, but to what? I still want a RWD coupe with lots of build potential, so I had been looking at 350Z's, Sky Redlines, BMW Z4's, RX8's, ect... But then I realized, I need something cheap and disposable like the 240 because I'm gonna beat the living hell out of it drifting. So that wipes out anything that might require a car note.

So now I'd thinking to just acquire a truck like a 2005+ V6 Tacoma and find something to turn into a drift slut. Something that doesn't require an engine swap to bring out its potential.

Enter the Z31 turbo:




I love how it looks like the S13 hatch's daddy or something... lol... I see the turbo versions all the time between $1500 to $3000. They weigh under 3100lbs, dyno about 170whp and 220 ft/lbs if they're beat to hell or 190whp with 240 ft/lbs if well maintained.

But I don't know much about maintaining and upgrading them. Just wanted to get you guy's take on the cost of building one versus the well known S-chassis. I know Z31's don't have as much off the shelf stuff as 240's... but really, exactly how bad is it?

I guess the question is: Assuming I spent the same money on a 240 and a Z31 turbo, ($1500 to $3000) how far would a modest budget of something like $6000 get me on the Z? I know how far that goes on the 240, but is it realistic to think one could get a Z31's suspension/stance like the ones shown above and be making over 300whp reliably possible with that kind of budget? I mean, it is factory turbo'd... Would an MKIII Supra turbo be any better? Anybody know?

[simmode1]

Oh hey... Lookie here!
where-d-all-my-money-go-z31-build-t570870.html

[SoCal-S13]

I sorta answered your question in my thread ^ but to turn into a drift slut/track car the Z31 chassis rear suspension isnt ideal. You cant adjust rear camber and very few people make coilovers or any type of suspension for that matter for them. Swapping a Z32 or S15 rear subframe would take care of all your problems tho, there are plenty of coilover options for either but obviously there will be some modification necessary. As for an engine that doesnt need swapping to be awesome, the VG30ET internals are forged stock and what ive read online they are good up to 450hp. Not sure how true that is tho.

[Razi]

The engine is pretty robust, the rear suspension is the main weakpoint.
Some people swap in the VG33 from a Nissan Quest, since it's a bit more updated and has a bigger displacement.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilDdKsHic78[/youtube]
This guy made some crazy torque on his VG33.


Has custom intake plenum, Schneider cams, port and polished heads, and I believe a GT35 and stock internals.

[krash]

GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[SoCal-S13]

Lol $6000 into a Z31 would be enough to put out crazy power.

(I'm kinda paraphrasing what I remember from the article)
You can go up to 300hp on the stock setup. 350hp if you upgrade injectors. The issue with going over 350hp is the cost. You have to upgrade ecu, fuel management and delivery, maf, turbo and all of the necessary electrical components to maintain it. My estimate was $3000 for a setup capable of doing over 350.

[simmode1]

^^^LOL! I wasn't saying $6000 on just engine upgrades... I'm talking $6g's total into the car. From what I gather, the S13 Stance coilvers+Serial 9 adapters seems to be the popular answer to the front suspension issue, but the cost looks to be in the $2000 range once it's all said and done. But I might be wrong. As for the rear, I haven't rear up on that at all. What makes the Z32 rear suspension preferable to something like the S13/S14 stuff, which might be easier/cheaper to source?

Basically, off the top of my head, it looks like you might spend about $3000 to $3500 just to get the car's suspension to the point that 240's take for granted for half the cost. But maybe that estimate is a bit on the high side. But as for making more power, I'm thinking things are a bit more straight forward from there. If $3000 into the VG30ET will get you over 350hp, that's certainly cheaper than the price of an SR swap + GT2871r upgrade. And the Z would make boatloads more torque on top of being actually street legal.

Seems like a Z31 with a maxxed out stock turbo would stomp all over an maxxed out stock turbo SR. But do you need to pull the whole engine to upgrade the turbo like on the Z32TT? Is the engine bay less cramped than the Z32TT?

Razi - Yeah, that is cool that ppl are using the VG33... Didn't that engine continue all the way into the 2000's with the Frontier? But I ain't really trying to swap s***... I'd just wanna keep things as simple as possible with bolt-ons. All the suspension swapping is more than enough headache to think about! lol

[BadQ45t]

The VG33 continued all the way to 2004 in the XTerra and was just about as long in the truck body.......they used that thing in every car and truck they made for years.

One massive upgrade you will find between a Z31 and an S13 is the Z is way more of a comfortable car. I have a pretty much stock 84', sure not fast, but still one fo them most comfortable cars you will ever sit in. And all the air effects in my leather seats (Lumbar, under your knees and side bolsters) still work great.