Z8driver

qwikrex - That's a good question about the Transdapt. I think one of these could be made to work, and it could save some fabrication. The trick would be to make the ends so that it could support the weight and torque of the motor when attached to the sheet metal "frame" of the Z-car. Based on the small pad size that they provide at the end of the tubes, it looks like the Transdapt was designed to be attached to real frame members. If you use one, I would recommend using a big chunk of angle at each side that goes over the Z's frame and bolts front and rear - then attach the Transdapt to the angle. I would think it would mount quite a ways below the top of the frame. Keep in mind that as you accelerate, the drivers side of the motor wants to lift up while the passenger side is pushing down. Good luck with your project - let me know how it goes.

I used Patriot H8427 headers. They have 1 5/8" tubes (oval near the head) going into a 2 1/2" collector. They are nicely made. It's a little disconcerting how the left one appears to be pointing into the motor, but that can be corrected with a little angle on the weld at the collector mating connection.

Jeff - Good question about mounting the motor cradle to the frame since you're right, the frame is thin material. That's an interesting approach mentioned by axman61 about using a spacer through the frame - I hadn't thought of that. I ended up with three bolts on each side of the cradle, but only two are of value. One of them goes down through the frame near the spot where the compression rods mount to the frame. The frame is much stronger in this area - the metal is doubled up underneath so you can tighten the bolts without crushing the frame. In the front, the cradle bolts directly to the crossmember that carries the steering rack, and also had the original motor mounts for the Datsun motor. Between these bolts, it seems strong enough. With regard to axman61's question about the color, it's a gray used in late model Mazda 3s. As I recall, it is called Mica. Brian

I did wander around the wrecking yards to try to find a good pair of cast iron headers. I couldn't find a decent one for the right side though. With regard to the standard '75 Z differential, I would guess you would be fine if you didn't get wild about tire size and drive somewhat rationally.

On my early Z with a V8, I use the TechnoVersions TachMatch with the MSD 6 trigger signal output as the input, and its conversion from 8:6 to make the tach read correctly. This is with the early Z current-trigger tach, but it works on the later Z voltage-trigger tachs too.

I thought there might be some interest in this. It's an electronics box that will make Z (and other) tachometers work after an ignition change, or after a V8 engine swap. TechnoVersions Website - TachMatch It was developed while doing a V8 conversion on an early Z-car.

Well, I hate to think about the costs too much, but I probably spent a little over four grand in the conversion (not including the cost of the car or motor). That would include clutch, driveshaft, limited slip R200 diff, new cooling system, bell housing, Tremec, oil pan, mounts, powder-coating, suspension rebuild etc etc. Lots of little things add up pretty quickly. Some of this cost is offset by left over Datsun parts that I sold after the conversion. By doing more shopping at the junk yard rather than buying so many new parts, one could reduce this cost significantly.

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad that my write-up has been some help. Makes taking the time to document the conversion worthwhile.

Thanks for letting me know about the error in the driveshaft length. It's really 18.25", I changed the writeup to reflect that.

I'm pleased that you've found the description helpful. Good luck in your conversion!

After installing a 289 in my 240Z, which I call my Z8, I wrote up a description of the process, and included drawings for the motor mounts etc. I thought this might be of interest, and helpful to some of you, so here's the link: Click here: 240Z V8 Conversion – Small block Ford Happy reading!