[Aaron-83-280zx]

I got a 83 280zx T-Tops and was wondering what mods I could do to get a LOT better acceleration.. My father suggested a differential change but is there anything else that will help the acceleration besides that? Hope you guys can help me!!! Thanks,

Aaron

 

[Nitrouz boy]

well first of all what do you have on it so far? Do you need to smog your car where you live? You can put in a cold air intake, better exhaust, hotter ignition setup and yes definately the rearend will make a big difference. also you can educate yourself on the use of NOS. but make sure you read up on it. Dont go all crazy like the kids after watching "fast and furious" but if you study on it and use it wisely, you can have an extra 100hp on tap for when those 5.0's and z28 bully you out on the street. And trust me, its safe, if done correctly. Dont let people who have never used it tell you its gonna blow up your engine or anything like that. Just make sure and study up on it. ...NB

 

[Zuber]

Everything NB said.

And, you could lose some weight. If you really want to pull, that is. Spare tire, any gas over 5 gallons, carpet, pad, trim, blower motor, heater core, air conditioner, spare seat. You see what I'm talking about. Shed 200 pounds and your car will come alive.

You say you have a 83, so you probably already have the 3.9 rear end. If your car was a turbo, I think it has a 3.7. There are taller ratio rear ends (4.1, 4.3), but they aren't common, and they are expensive.

Practice your shifting under load. You may not be using your HP effectively. Keep in mind where your car developes the most power, and try to keep your shifting close to those limits. A lot can be gained just by improving the driver.

Our cars are not good dragsters, generally. Challenge someone to some twisties, and watch em squirm.

 

[datdar2]

I had an N/A 81 zx and im planning to get another one. I would second that on getting used to driving your car. Notice when it really pulls and adjust your technique accordingly. This is the setup i plan for, Intake, TB, turbo AFM, have a shop do a 3 angle valve job on the head, headers, exaust, and drop in a hot cam and probably NOS if i really felt the need for it. thats to give u an idea on stuff u can do. Of course its not going to make as much power as the turbos but for something driven every day id say its pretty nice. Get a Motorsports Auto catalog to. Also dont get hung up on purely drag racing, these are awesome cars, like zuber suggested take her up on one of those curvey roads on a hill or something and youll see what im talking about.