1972 Datsun 240z Turbo - L28ET, 5-Speed, LSD, and more

1972 Datsun Z-Series 240z Additional Info:

Up for sale is my 1972 Datsun 240z. It is a California car that has a very solid body, has an L28ET swap, 5-Speed, R200 CLSD, and much more. It is a driver that has never been restored, it is fast, and is a fantastic project and weekend car. I am selling it because I don’t have the time to dedicate to it. I will do my best to detail everything I know about the car below, please read thoroughly and contact me if you have any questions. Below is a video, be sure to check out the rest of the photos at the end of the ad.

1972 Datsun 240z L28ET Swap - YouTube

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Drivetrain
L28ET
N42 Block
N42 Head
ARP Head Studs
“A” Grind cam
Dished Pistons (0.020” over)
TWM (Or Borla/MSA) 60MM Throttle Body
Non-webbed, non EGR, N42 Intake
T3/T4 Turbo
Large Front Mount Intercooler
Vintage HKS Blow Off Valve
Brand New “Green” Brand Cone Filter mounted up front
Z31 ECU and Harness swap (’84 ECU I believe)
Z31 Coil
High Quality Injector, TPS, CHTS, and Air Regulator Connectors
Pallnet Billet Fuel Rail with Rebuilt Volvo 300CC 14mm o-ring injectors
Professional Products Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator with Gauge
MSD 2225 Fuel Pump

5-Speed
3.9 R200 CLSD from a Z31
Technoversions R/T Mount (top mounted)
Centerforce Clutch

Brakes, Suspension, Wheels
Brand New Yokohama S-Drive High Performance Tires (205/55)
15” Enkei Mesh Wheels
Front – Stock
Rear – 280zx Discs
280zx Master Cylinder
Brand new hydraulic lines
Fully flushed brake system with new DOT4 fluid
New rear pads come with the car (not installed)
MSA Lowering Springs (unknown struts)
Front & Rear Sway bar

Interior
New AEM Wideband Gauge
Autometer Boost Gauge
2-Gauge Pillar Pod (easily removeable)
3-Point Seatbelts from a later Z
New lower vinyl for drivers seat (The rest of the new vinyl seat covers included with sale also)
New rear hatch seal
Door seals look new
Previous owner installed a new stereo (Bluetooth) and speakers, honestly haven’t used or tested it
Cracked dash covered by carpet
Center console has some damage
Interior carpet is somewhat old and faded but works
Rear vinyl is torn
Interior plastic panels all seem to be in good shape
Luggage straps in good shape included with sale

Exterior & Lights
Repainted and repaired front air dam
New high quality and bright LEDS all around (signals, taillights, side markers)
New electronic flasher relay installed (another included for hazards)
Turn signal stalk contacts need to be cleaned up and refurbed as they don’t work consistently, good guides online I just didn’t get to it

Extra Parts
See the photo, but a short list of things includes:
New Seat Vinyl
New Rear Pads
New Poly bushings (control arms and more)
New steering rack boots
Luggage Straps
Greddy Profec B Spec II Electronic Boost Controller
NOS Datsun Emblem
NOS Interior Clips
New Door Keys and Locks
& More

I purchased this car from the guy that had owned it for the last 20 years or so. When I got the car, it had been sitting in a garage for a while and wasn’t running super great. I purchased it and the head gasket fully went shortly thereafter, I suspect it was on its way out prior to my acquisition.

I took this as an opportunity to do some upgrades. I replaced the head gasket, intake and exhaust gasket (metal), and thermostat gaskets. I installed ARP Head Studs rather than the old, stretched out head bolts, and the intake/exhaust manifolds have all new stainless hardware and new yokes. Since doing this, the car has been running great and I’ve put a good number of miles on it. I installed the fuel rail, regulator, and bigger o-ring style injectors along with an AEM Wideband O2 sensor. The car is running a Z31 ECU setup (lots of documentation online) which is a big upgrade from the 280zx system. The car has been “tuned” by adjusting the fuel pressure to make it safe in boost. I have been running about 10PSI for now, but this turbo is big enough to be efficient to higher pressures in the future. I installed a vintage HKS Blow Off Valve which I disassembled and inspected before installing (in like-new shape). Currently, a manual boost controller is installed, but a Greddy Profec B Spec 2 electronic boost controller is included in the pile of parts coming along.

When the cylinder head was pulled I found some indications of detonation from a poor tune prior to my ownership which is what caused the head gasket issue. I cleaned the cylinder head/block and checked they were true and reinstalled. The next goal for me was Megasquirt and a P90 turbo head, which I would suggest the next owner look into. The larger o-ring injectors and wideband are a great start heading that direction and are compatible with MS. The car runs just fine with the Z31 setup and makes a lot of power, but there is a lot of refinement you can get out of a modern ECU.

I found the drivetrain had a lot of slack due to the old and weak original 240z diff strap. I upgraded to the TechnoVersions R/T Style top mount which I ground down to straighten the driveshaft angle. There is now no more slack and it’s great, but the new bushing does transfer noise into the cabin. I’m focused on the turbo noises and the drive, so I tend not to notice, but with the sale, I’m including the snubber bushing, and the factory bottom mount if you’d prefer to swap back to that.

The 3.9 clutch-type limited slip diff is fantastic, you can get off the line incredibly fast and it puts down the power very well. Even with the LSD, this car has no issues roasting the rear tires, though. The previous owner told me he was running 12s and I believe it. It easily has more in it with some more mods and boost, I was trying to keep it conservative until I installed Megasquirt.

I installed new Yokohama S-Drive tires which are very grippy. I went through the braking system and installed all new hydraulic lines all around and flushed all the old fluid with new DOT 4. The rear pads have some life left but I have a new pair to go along with the car.

According to the previous owner, the car had been repainted just before he got it. The paint looks good from about 10 feet, but it has plenty of age showing. The reason I purchased this car is because of how “rust free” the body is, these Japanese cars are known for rusting out if you just say the word water. The floors have the original undercoating and have not been repainted to cover anything up (like most old Z’s on eBay), so look at the photos below to see them for yourself. Minus one small hole in the corner of the driver’s floor pan, I haven’t found any rot. The frame rails are solid, though with some dents (likely from being used as jack points). The battery tray is solid, with surface rust (again not painted over) but no holes and no rot. Engine bay rails are solid. Spare tire well is solid. Rear hatch sill looks like it may have been filled in, however, I looked under the interior panels and the metal looks pretty solid so my guess is there may be some pitting underneath the paint. There are a couple of small bubbles on the car, and I can see a few locations where bondo has been used as I’d expect from a car this age. I have gone around the underside of the panels and fenders and have found no indications of damage. I can’t tell you exactly what lies under all of it but I’ve seen a lot of S30’s and nearly all of them were much worse off than this.

I love this car, it catches attention everywhere it goes and is seriously fast. I know I’ll regret selling it, but unfortunately, I have a certain goal in mind for another car right now and I don’t have the time, space, or money to finish both. This will make a great weekend warrior and driver for someone that enjoys working on old, fast, modified cars. As I mentioned before, I try to be fully transparent when selling a vehicle and I’ve written everything that I can remember, but please if you need clarification on anything feel free to contact me. My cell number is (530) 919-9798, you’re welcome to text or call, but leave a voicemail if I don’t answer right away. Locals are more than welcome to come to check out the car in person.