For Sale: Datsun '82 910 sedan, modified LD28 engine.

This is a unique must-have opportunity for the true Datsun L-engine aficionado. One-of-a-kind reverse-engineered LD28 engine fitted with aluminum head and upper physical engine components of 1975 280Z with efi. 10.0:1 c.r. gasoline engine runs very strong. Now has been parked for a long spell but ran great when parked. I got t-bone/sideswiped and lost interest in the car. Then other things came up and I had no time. Also I parked it because I had a header tube with a leak so I parked it for safety.

Details: CAR: 1982 Datsun 910 Diesel Maxima sedan. IRS, and the chassis is basically the S130 chassis design. I fit 280ZX Turbo sway bars F&R. Trans: L3N71B shifts great.

Infinity G20 15x6.5 wheels with proper offset. Handles fine for what it is, could use performance springs/struts to improve. 280ZX stuff fits mostly.

ENGINE: LD28 short-block in car after cast iron head removed (engine in car). Fitted N42 L6 head (open chamber head) with stock cam/intake and entire efi upper-end of engine from 280Z, complete with AFM and air filter. Required the modification of head bolt hole diameters from 10 to 12mm and fitting of various head bolts combinations from sources BMW, Volvo, etc, retrofit per dimensions and function. largely L20B front timing components & cover components but kept LD28 water pump. LD28 bore is only 84.5mm so I eye-browed the tops of cylinder bores on the exhaust side of the chamber for valve clearance. Note LD28 and L20B share exact block height.

PERFORMANCE:  I crudely tuned it by placing inline potentiometer in the coolant temp input to efi, and weakened the spring tension a bit on the afm air vane.

I had the potentiometer/mixture control with me in the cabin. I drove it around town and it seemed fine at the baseline I chose. I could enrich it to put black smoke out or lean it to ping with the knob control. But I wanted performance road testing so I took the ferry across to Seattle and got right on I-90 East which climbs the Cascades. I'd pick a truck lane and floor it starting from a known rich setting and tweak until I saw black smoke behind disappear and then carefully lean it. At the slightest ping I would back-off the knob setting to halfway between black smoke and ping while pulling. That became my prescribed setting and i left it there. The diesel trans must have a lower stall speed than the gas engine trans, IDK, but the car tends to jump off the line at a stoplight. The throttle response with the high compression is instantaneous and it is just funny to have to be careful of the throttle. Audi 4000 front air dam and later Nissan trunk lip spoiler. Has water to oil temp oil cooler stock LD28.

ROAD TEST: Ski trip. From Bremerton to Stevens Pass (map it to see), skied, and then onward to stay in Leavenworth. Return next day skiing again at Stevens. Driver me, one of my teenage kids and two of his friends on board plus all of our ski gear.

Car performed flawlessly [except for a snowboard started to slip off of the roof rack]. Climbed strongly, no problem passing trucks on mountain climbs. A month later I got T-boned/sideswiped by a Ford Expedition. It was in slo-mo but crushed the R doors in. The car still drives straight but makes me sick to look at it and I just parked it over a decade ago. I had it stored on a friend's farm for many years after it got hit but he sold property. Now it is overflow parking at my shop.

This is a unique car. I did the work on it about 20 years ago. For many years I've crunched Datsun engine spec numbers so much that it would make Jason Grey look like a dilettante. I determined on paper that this hybrid build would work. I even discussed it with NISMO staff long long ago (Ron) and he said naw, it won't work; but I was certain it would and I was right.

If it were me, if I were to continue the evolution of this prototype engine rather than sell it, I would explore tall-block L6 possibilities re long rod/stroke L6 engines using this concept (a tall block L6). LD28 rods are 140mm with pistons of huge compression ht (like 46.5mm or so)...so there are available Nissan rod lengths possible in the 140+ range (L20B,Z22etc) using compression ht of normal gas pistons for higher rpm use and r/s ratios of 1.75 and higher......but even as-is the present bottom end would stand up to turbocharging well. No high rpms use in store for it but tune it for torque. It would mean fitting a modified P90 head to drop c.r. to turbo it. Plus P90 has a quench chamber advantage over the N42. Since the diesel engine used a vacuum pump, there is an oil drain already in the pan which could drain the turbo.

Lots of possibilities to explore. It fits under the Maxima hood with the taller N42 vs diesel head on engine, not sure if a Z car would need a scoop/space for valve cover. Block is 19.7mm taller than L28.

I hate to part company with this successful experiment but I'm getting too old for having as many cars as I do. Serious inquiries only. I'm not here to teach you how to do it on an LD28, I'm selling a car. Sold as complete car only. Clear WA title. Driveshaft is disconnected for tow-dollying; but trailer if for more than 40 miles or so. Tires have deep tread but are old and should only be used for transport. Pick up only, no delivery.

I'll get photos up when I have time and if I have genuine buyer interest in the info provided thus far.

(This ad was supposed` to be in 'Vehicles for Sale' not 'Wanted' ad. I asked mods to move  it though.)