Phantom

Do have a website handy for the shifter? Does Jegs or Summit handle it? Thanks for the suggestion!

Bill - different animal from what you have - especially if you are carb'd.

This is going to be difficult at best but I'm going to try to compare the LS1/T56 280Z to itself in its previous life and to my totally stock '83ZX. Well - let's see - they are both Datsun Z cars and there the similarity ends - mostly. The original Z got about 18-20 mpg, the '83Zx gets 20-22 mpg, and the 280Z28 gets 19-22mpg - but on 93 octane. Ride - before and after the 280Z has a much firmer ride due to the Nissan Euro springs and KYB gas struts plus the lower profile 50 series tires vs the ZX with it's stock 14" 70 series tiresand original springs & struts. Seats - Zx is much softer, Z gives a bit better lateral support with it's thinner firmer more wrap-around stock seats. Cornering - This award goes to the Z. Better suspension, strut tower braces front and rear plus V-8 has a lower CG. Steering - 83zx with it's power steering is really nice. The 280Z requires a lot of effort a low speed and tends to be almost overly responsive, especially on rough roads when at speed. Weight distribution - original Z - 1400 front, 1400 rear, ZX- 1430 front, 1450 rear, 280Z28 - 1400 front, 1430 rear. Braking - the ZX with its stock disks all the way around gets it here, the 280Z28 has the Toyota 4x4 upgrade in the front but still the stock drums in the rear and the Toyota brakes have never been completely right. Major room to upgrade here. Shifting - Both the original Z and the ZX had the Datsu T5. Nice shifter, smooth, easy and precise. T56 - notchy, hunt a bit more for the gears - but what can I say - its a 6-spd and I can cruise at 60 at 1,500 rpm. Accelleration - original 280Z the slowest, ZX a bit quicker, 280Z28 has 365 HP at flywheel vs 149 & 145 respectively. Need I say more? Stereo system - original Z sucked, stock Zx is pretty nice, don't know anymore on the 280Z28 as I blew the fuse the other day. Another upgrade on the way. Creature comfort - The ZX wins hands down. Better AC, power windows & mirrors, cruise control, T-tops for the nice days. Fun Factor - 280Z28 all the way baby! I look forward to the daily commute to and from work like a 5 yr. old looks forward to his birthday. Cost - original 280Z 12 years ago - $3,200, 280ZX a year ago - $2,600, 280Z28 including original cost, 12 years of maintenance & upgrades - nearly $29k.

It's the way to go. That engine works so unbelievably well with the Z. It's like it was made for it.

Almost bought a 635 once. Really nice looking car. Then I realized no one would be able to sit behind me and that the 3.5 in a car that heavy just didn't cut it. You betcha - at least an LS1

Obviously she should have upgraded to the one with the chin guard section. At least then she would have had to put it on right.

T56 is a great transmission. I'm running one in my car now along with a 3.70:1 R200 LSD. It will handle the torque/hp you are considering no problem. Allows you to have trememdous accelleration - more than the tires can handle plus will allow really low rpms (think fuel economy and low noise level) at highway speeds. My car can be very stealthy cruising until I downshift from 6th to 3rd and light them up at 60.

Michael Don't forget - you owe me a ride once you get it streetable!

I'm running Center Line 16x7's on my Z. they come in 17"

Matt - how thick of a spacer are you running with those wheels? It ends up giving you what offset? 10mm?

Pic in my album, link below.

Thanks - wife laid down the law. Car must be reliable, fast, and of show car quality. I still have a long way to go but it's getting there.

Briguy - Good to see onother LS1 powered Z on the road. Nice looking install. Warning about the LS1 - you think it and you're there. My early warning device is my windshield wipers - they start to flutter when I pass through 110. The problem is dropping out of warp once you get there. I'm doing an upgrade on my brakes next.

Measure carefully first -I think it's a 25% restocking charge on returns.

I don't know about fitting a carbed engine. It definitely won't go over the carb. It may go around it? Depends on size of carb, air cleaner, and engine location. Lot easier with FI.

LT1 with Procharger boosted to about 16 psi. Good for around 800 HP.

I know exactly how you feel. My second run was a 13.2/108 on street tires. I finally got the car back this past Friday and a group of us are headed to the track on Oct. 24th. Goal is to break into the 12's. I'll still be running on street tires but I think I can improve my launch a lot, reduce my 60' times and shave .3 off my time. We'll see. It only took two runs down the track to get me started. Already spent a bundle on my own helmet. DR's and custom lightweight steel wheels next. Congratulations on some excellent runs!!

As an adder to the previous post - I have now installed the rear 3-point strut tower brace from Top-end Racing: http://www.racetep.com. It took one hour from start to putting away the vacuum cleaner after vacuuming up the metal shavings. Socket set, box end set, screw driver, hammer, electric drill, silicone adhesive/sealant, and floor jack. Had to jack the car at the differential to unload the suspension to allow passenger side strut to get loose enough to force brace over the studs. (gentle persuasion with muffled hammer) It is a really snug fit probably as the result of slight sagging of my unibody over 27 years. Photo of install is in my album. Direct link below my signature.

Jason, I made an entry error on the link. It's corrected now and works. I should learn to check those each time I enter them.

Jason - Make sure you read the link I posted above on chassis integrity for the Gen 1 Z cars. It shows why I was pushing the 280 over the 240. either one, however, can benefit from some careful reinforcing. Also, I guess Chad was a pretty happy camper Saturday. Did he rub in in much?

OK - OK - Just for you Jeromio - it barfed some coolant this morning. The LS1 has a peculiarity where it doesn't fill completely when installed. I usually end up adding 1/2 to 1 gallon of coolant over a period of about a week after it is installed / reinstalled. Not a huge problem but does bear watching. During the fill process it will occaisionally barf out through the overflow bottle. Once it settles in, everything is OK.

The bars were made by Top-end Racing, http://www.racetep.com, specifically for the Zcar. They were very leary when they heard I wanted to install it with an LS1 under it as they had designed it around the L28. No worries. It clears the LS1 by nearly 2". The big problem with non-adjustability will be that I won't be able to install adjustable camber plates to set up for crooked track competition. Again - since the car is planned as a daily driver, that is not a problem for me. You are correct in that they are non-adjustable but they are a VERY snug fit and quite rigid. Since my goal is chassis survivability as much as handling I figured that this brace was an excellent start. The rear brace is a 3-point unit too. Once I get it installed I'll get a picture up in my album. There is an excellent article on Z car chassis design at: http://zccw.org/Tech/Body/08-97AnalysisEarlyZChassis.html After reading it I am very glad I have a 280 and not a 240 or early model 260.

Go to http://www.procharger.com and get some of their information. They can provide you enough literature on their conversion that it will help with any conversion. You can boost a PROPERLY modified LT1 upwards of 20 psi.

The 280Z28 is home again! I've posted another picture in my album of the front strut tower brace from Top End Racing. It looks like it was made for the LS1 rather than the L28. If you look closely at the top of the picture you can see a bit of yellow in the center of the passengers side brace gusset. That is the dipstick - it centered up on the 1" diameter hole of the gusset and works beautifully. The engine sits just forward enough that the cross member of the brace is just aft of the oil filler spout (Jeromio). Love it. Had a young gent new to our board stop by yesterday to look at the car. He had never been in a Z before so I showed him the '83Zx and then opened up the garage and rolled out the 280Z28. When we got back from the "orientation ride" he was showing the goose bumps on his arm to his cousin. I think we have a new enthusiast. Anyway - turns out the 27 year old, 205,000 mile half-shaft universals had started to brinnel so the Spicer Brute Force units were just in time. John installed yet another set of motor mounts too. He's such a perfectionist. Tweaked them just a bit so that they are even better. Also had a drive-shaft loop installed. I guess y'all know what that means. Ennis on Oct. 24th!

LS1/t56 with .5:1 6th and 3.70:1 R200 LSD. 1st gear is a real stump puller and does a great job of burning up the stock street tires. 6th gear is 1500 at 60 mph and cruised there - and down to 50 mph ok. Gets excellent mpg - about 25 on th ehighway when in 6th. all I need is more tire to hook up the 1st.