David's 72' L28ET Swapped 240z Cruiser

Mr. Bonnett reached out to us a couple of summers ago about an engine rebuild and swap for his 240z build. He has had this 240z for a quite a long time, and finally wanted to break ground on a heart transplant. He pulled a complete engine, transmission, and rear differential out of a 280zx turbo, and wanted to swap everything over onto his 240z to give it some modernization, as well as some much needed horsepower. A true DIYer, Mr. Bonnett has years invested in wrench time on his 240z project, whether it is body work, mechanical, or otherwise, he has had his hands in this thing for many years, but this time he was ready to pass the torch and trust us with delivering his vision.

We had him drop off his engine and drivetrain for complete overhauls. We gave his L28ET engine the standard GRW treatment with all new bearings, seals, a fresh set of 0.040” overbore pistons, a 5-angle valve job, and all of the accompanying machine work that goes with a quality engine build. We were given budgetary guidelines with this build, so we made the best decisions possible given our assigned budget, and were able to meet our main goals of cost-effectiveness and reliability, to give him years of service.

After we addressed the engine block, our next focus was on the transmission and differential. The transmission he pulled was a Borg Warner T5 5-speed, found in all manual 82 and 83 year model 280zx turbos. At the time, Nissan didn’t think their standard FS5W71B would hold up to the additional power of a turbocharger, so they out-sourced their transmission needs to Borg Warner (now Tremec). These early T5 transmissions had their share of failure points, one of the main ones being the cast aluminum shift forks breaking under heavier load/abusive driving conditions. We tracked down a full rebuild kit with synchros, along with some updated Tremec TKO parts that were interchangeable, and lastly, a set of billet shift forks to complete eliminate one of the main failure points of this transmission. We finalized the transmission rebuild with a nice Billet aluminum short throw shifter from Summit Racing.

The last bit of business to address for refreshing his parts was the rear differential. The 240z originally came with the R180, and while they can hold their own, when you have the opportunity to install an R200 in it’s place, it should be something to give serious consideration to. Mr. Bonnett took full advantage of the strength of the R200 differential, as well as converting the rear driveline to CV axles, and ditching the out-dated u-joint half shaft design all together. We complimented the R200 differential conversion with a TechnoToyTuning billet rear differential front mount, as well as a billet rear mustache bar. Once all of the rebuilding was completed, we moved onto the modernization aspect of the build.

We outfitted Mr. Bonnett with our standard offering Megasquirt 2 Plug and Play ECU and harness kit, along with a set of Bosch EV6 injectors, fed by our ever popular Pallnet billet aluminum fuel rail. We opted to keep as much of the factory L28ET components for now to stay within budget, so we utilized the factory J-pipe, turbo inlet, and fan clutch, although we did decide on an aluminum radiator upgrade due to the cooling demands of a high performance vehicle in the state of Texas. The final touch was adding a complete Vintage Air HVAC system after a heater hose failure prompted us to begin the conversation of a partial dash pull to service the OEM heater hoses. Although the initial expense of a Vintage Air system is expensive, it pays dividends in modernization, simplicity, and sheer cooling volume when compared to the antiquated dealer add-on from 1972.

Once we completed all of the work we were tasked with handling, Mr. Bonnett took delivery of the vehicle, and will continue onward with the true DIY enthusiast spirit, and keep chipping away at this build until it is completed. As always, we are honored to be a part of every build we do, and even if we’re just a stop a long the journey, we take pride in being here for our clientele, and contributing to the Datsun community as a whole.

ENGINE SPECS

  • L28ET Engine w/ 0.040” Oversized Dished Pistons {F54/P90}

  • Borg Warner T5 5-Speed Manual Transmission

  • Billet Aluminum Shift Forks

  • GRW Megasquirt 2 Plug and Play ECU and Harness [Single-Coil]

  • ARP Head Stud Kit

  • ARP Connecting Rod Bolt Set

  • GRW Fuel Rail and Injector Upgrade Kit [Pallnet Fuel Rail / Bosch EV6 Injectors / Aeromotive Fuel Pressure Regulator / Billet Intake Manifold Adapters]

  • Walbro 255LPH Fuel Pump

  • DNA Motoring 2-Row Aluminum Radiator

  • Allstar 40k Volt Ignition Coil

  • EGR Block Off Plate

  • CX Racing 3” Downpipe

  • GRW Built 3” Stainless Steel Exhaust w/ Magnaflow Muffler

EXTERIOR/INTERIOR SPECS

  • Eibach Lowering Springs

  • TechnoToyTuning Billet Front Differential Mount

  • TechnoToyTuning Billet Rear Differential Mustache Bar

  • GRW Complete Vintage Air HVAC System

Christopher Miller