zangiefisgod

K bud, thanks for your $.02

By 'ideal' I meant that I want as much bang for my buck as possible without PTV clearance issues. Hood clearance is also a consideration, but not unless the manifold is significantly taller than OEM. The car will see roughly 1-2k miles per year and will be setup for 'street' use. It would be great if LQ4/9 guys could chime in with something like, "I have an LQ4, with stock heads, an 'X' cam and 'Y' intake and made 'Z' rwhp."

I just took a look into comparing the 317 heads with the L92's: http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iv-internal-engine/1046983-lq9-lq4-317-l92-heads-2.html If I stay with the 317 heads, what would be the ideal intake & cam setup?

Ah ha, the all mighty metal snail... yeah, those stock 71cc chambers are very boost friendly! Are you going with a twin setup or single?

So I jumped over to ls1tech.com to ask those fellas the same question. It became quite apparent that a stock-block LQ9 or LS1 can easily lay down 400+whp with correct heads, cam, exhaust and tune setup: http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-internal-engine/1223479-poor-mans-ls2-five-grand.html Now the question: is an LS1 a better starting platform or LQ9? The LS1 seems to have enough stock block/head potential to reach those power numbers, however the LQ9 boasts a .3 liter displacement advantage. Anyone care to comment?

OK- so I've been doing some research on a SBC build in the $5k-ish range that will yield 400+whp. Some say LS1, some say LQ4/9, some say just muster up the extra cash and buy the LS2 - let's get a thread going on SBC builds that match/exceed these power numbers and were built on a budget.

Makes me want to keep the VG!!! Great welds BTW...

Is that a custom intake manifold?

WOW. Great power numbers! Any feedback on a cost effective 500whp LQ setup? I would plan for a heads/cam/nitrous combo to get there intially; with future plans of a turbo configuration.

I've had a hard time finding LS1's in that price range! I guess they go super fast when they are out there... The LQ route may be an option as well. Any LQ9/4 guys wanna chime in with some setups??? I've seen some great deals on longblocks lately...

Stony's motor is definitely beast. But, anyone out there care to compare a turbo SBC in the mix? i.e., NRE 1650HP RX7, "The Sleeper Part 2" New! High | Low | iPod

I really hope they come out with something soon for the Z32 - I had exchanged a few emails with these guys and they said that it is still in development (roughly 3-4 months ago). The swap kit for the s13/14 calls for some BFH work in and around the trans tunnel - I don't think they will get away with that on the Z32 though - definitely some cutting...

Nice man, t56 I take it? What kind of clutch/flywheel setup are you running with the power you're making?

You're definitely right; there are many other platforms that accept the SBC much more easily than the Z32. However, personally, the reason I chose this platform is because the car has been in my family for 20 years and I purchased it for next to nothing. Secondly, I think the Z32 has one of the best body lines ever made and it's cool to see guys like Dan (dts300z) create successful swaps in this virtually unprecedented chassis.

I have a 1990 non-turbo coupe with a manual trans. I believe this is the lightest chassis for the Z32. Without twin turbos, intercoolers, HICAS, leather, airbags, iron brake calipers, thicker rotors, etc - the curb weight is only in the 3,300 ballpark. I hope to reach 3,000 lbs by removing the HVAC and all related accessories, much of the interior, exhaust, stereo, cruise control, wiper & antenna assemblies, spare tire/jack, and going with lighter seats & suspension. Also considering the LS1 is roughly 100 lbs lighter than the VG30DE, I expect to see a 200 lb loss with the aforementioned items. Here's a great link showing where & how to shed extra L-B's: http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/forums/technical/view/1065404/Weight-Reductions-101---Part-1-The-Basics.html