Jaundice,
Welcome to HybridZ. THE source for extreme Z car performance.
An LS-x in a 280-ZX, yes it is very much possible. I’ll be honest, that question is like asking, “Is a Z car with a V-8 fast?â€
I don’t think anyone here has found any production automobile engine that wont fit forward of the Z car firewall. Some swaps just require more imagination, money, discipline, tooling, skills, etc than others. The LS-x conversion is not the easiest, but is also not the most difficult either. Depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, that alone will dictate just how intense and exhaustive the conversion will end up.
Due to the Z cars cavernous engine bay, the real question is when are you getting started on your LS-x powered 280-ZX? We would love to see that project come to life and documented here on this forum.
Being as you are new here, I ask that you please read this link thoroughly, #11 will help considerably with your question, and don’t forget #2, that one is the most important and seems to be the most ignored.
Read-me
Welcome to HybridZ