AlleyCow

Update: Thanks for the advice guys. A big project car would be cool but it's definitely not what I need right now so two days ago I bought a black-on-black '04 S2000. Except for an iPod hookup, I'm not changing a thing. It's more than enough car for me right now... Sorry for using a 240z thread to mostly talk about a new(ish) Honda, but again you guys were really helpful!

Thanks, but I'm already very familiar with Jared Cullop's 240z. The problem is I've only seen discussions of what he's done, how he did it, and how much of an accomplishment it was. It truly was an awesome feat, but I'm more interested in if it was worth it from a cost/performance standpoint. Sure it's a great sports car but is that like Ferrari 550 great or more like turbo Miata great? *Again, fully realizing that the 240z and a lot of other cars aren't directly comparable. The 550 for instance has twice as many cylinders and weighs 50% more among other things. Just trying to get a feel for what other sexy 2 seat front engine RWD sports cars I could get for the cost of a big project Z.*

Again guys, thanks for the guidance. Not to redirect or anything, but some of y'alls responses got me thinking about the scalability of 240z cost/effectiveness. In the first post, I asked how a 240z would compare to a S2000 and got the response that the Z is much more of a enthusiast's project car and inferior for easy DD/track use. With a much higher budget (and unlimited time/patience to work on it), could a 240z ever be improved enough to compete with newer cars of similar price? Not that I have this kind of money, but if you're spending $50k-$80k on a project 240z (and do it right), how would it compare with say a Ferrari 550? Now before I get flamed to hell and back for asking that question, allow me to advance the notion that they're actually very similar cars in form/function. Their vast discrepancies are in performance/luxury, and that's what Z upgrades are designed to help with! I think it's a fair question. I swear I'm not trying to be. In a preemptive defense of this post, I couldn't find any info out there comparing an expensive 240z project with a 10 year old "practical" supercar and I'm genuinely curious.

Y'all are awesome. Thank you very much for the helpful responses. Donovan- Heck yeah I'm making up a wish list like a little child! As an adult though, I know full well no engine would meet all my criteria. I just wanted HybridZ's expert opinion on how close I could realistically get to my unrealistic goals. To clarify a little, handling and comfort would definitely take a higher priority than the engine. In fact, I'm working with a $40k total budget and I've already picked out a very detailed list of suspension, steering, electrical, brake, and interior upgrades totaling $18,600 (+/- $3,000 depending on my luck). The majority of them would come BEFORE an engine swap and hopefully make the car perfect for my specified horsepower range. That said, I still want to plan out 100% of my hypothetical project before deciding to make the plunge, if only to minimize the chance of it becoming a big headache. The reason I started this thread is I honestly couldn't find any good info out there that compares various 240z swaps with a "have your cake and eat it too" mentality (low cost + high performance + good DD + "character"). The consensus here is that the L28ET is the best bet, which is what I figured but couldn't be sure of. BrandenZ- Thanks for being so enlightening! I'm also very glad to hear you DD an S2k. The reason I mentioned it as a benchmark is because it has the "have your cake and eat it too" mentality I'm looking for. As far as I can tell, the only big compromises you DO make with an S2k are applicable to ALL roadsters and therefore don't matter when you're only looking at that class of car. That said, your post was definitely an inspiration for me. I'll get a S2k for now, and a project 240z later on when I have more time/money/expertise. I know when I do, HybridZ will definitely be my go-to place!

Hey guys, been browsing the forums for a few months and definitely learned a lot. That said, I've got a pretty in-depth question about engine swaps for the 240z. Reason I'm asking is I'm 23 years old and really want a great DD/track sports car while I'm still single and don't care too much about lumbar support. I'm absolutely in love with the 240z, but am concerned that it might not measure up to newer sports cars without throwing down some serious money. I fully realize this is an apples-to-oranges thing, but I specifically have the Honda S2000 in mind. SO... before I get a 240z I'd have to settle on an engine swap, and here's what I'm looking for: 1. 275-350 rwhp. The L24 may have been great in 1971, but it's really old and woefully underpowered in 2012 (even by BRZ standards). On the other extreme, 400+ hp seems excessive for a 2400 lb street car. 2. 6 cylinders a must. Being made by Nissan or being a straight-6 would be cool too. I like the idea of staying true to the 240z's roots, whatever that means. 3. 25-30 MPG. I'd want to keep this car for a while and am pretty darn sure gas is going to $8 a gallon in the next decade. 4. Handling. Higher midrange torque is nice, as is an engine that sits further back and helps with weight distribution. 5. Fuel injection. Kinda necessary given my horsepower & gas mileage expectations, but I also don't want to have to warm my car up every cold start. 6. Ease. I'll be doing most of the work myself and would want to get the swap done in 6 months tops. 2 or 3 months would be great. 7. Low cost. As in I don't want the entire swap+upgrades to cost more than $10k. I also don't want something that breaks down a lot or is expensive to get parts for. A great engine is important, but I'd rather save as much money as possible to put towards handling upgrades. While I'm on the subject, I'd prefer a NA engine. The way I see it, turbos are just a $1,000 expense waiting to happen. You can baby it to delay that $1k service bill, but that's no fun. In short, I'm strongly against turbos for everyday cars. 8. 5 speed transmission. 6 speed would be better. Also, the stick should definitely be able to fit in roughly the same spot as stock. 9. Room for A/C. I've heard this is a problem with the VQ series. Is that still the case with an entirely new system? (Like a Vintage Air unit?) From research I've done already, there aren't any engines out there that fit the bill perfectly. I'm also somewhat aware of the pros/cons of the most common swaps. My big question is which engine do you guys think BEST fulfills the above requirements? L28? RB25? RB30? VQ35? VQ37?