jleb@mhuxh.UUCP (LEBOWITZ) (09/05/84)
Sure I can think of some other good tales... but I would never have the audacity to bore the net-set nor anyone else with them!! I once owned a Datsun 240Z (1972) that was a great sports car for its day, having conversed with known authorities on upping hp's on the car I found that yes it is possible to get some heavy duty performance out of the Z. I also know that it would've taken "just a wee-bit" more than major changes!!! Before I get stomped on by all you rotary fans for comparing the 240Z to the RX I must say that the cars are indeed similar in that they are (were) the poor-man's (this is relative thanks to inflation) sport car. Were the 240Z's still alive on the production line today they too would be well engineered little hot-shots. BUT! even the Z's I've been in (or seen) that were TOTALLY modified (even to the point of a dual supercharged small block chevy installation) needed much frame/suspension modification to be able to use all that power. Granted they are fast, but I can think of lots of other cars that would take less work to be real monsters---since they were built as nasty, rip snorters to begin with! Maybe the 396 of Dan's article could not romp on his pedal because he was running 83 octane leaded gas, something those cars were not ever designed to use! More than likely the RX saga was a fantasy el Grande' . jleb at AT&T BELL LABS, Murray Hill N.J.