mtmlegit

wfritts911: good stuff man, good stuff. Even before your advice i've been reading non stop, i've taught myself many things before by just reading until a blood vessel in my eye goes. I'd really love to set up a date to ride in one of these to get a good feel of it. I realize that a big chunk is on the engine and not everyone would recommend it, but here's my main reasoning: I will never need more power, it's brand spankin new, anything within 50k is covered my warranty, and since its built from the ground up by pros i know it will be reliable. Considering this will just be a hobby car ill definitely run out of the 2 year limited warranty rather than the 50k. It's still be a while before I buy even the car but the last thing I am is a procrastinator; the thing i hate most is jumping into something uninformed. i may take you up on the swap offer, i'll pm you some time to work it out.\ Thanks everyone

Thanks for the replies everyone. Still looking for a few answers to these questions or advice. I realize that having work done for me will be expensive but I don't have the know-how to do a whole engine swap. I have a friend of my dad's who works on everything from street cars to tractors (he's a "good ole boy"), ive been planning on giving him a shout. I also realize that the power:weight ratio in this car is going to be nasty, and although i could be satisfied with less, that's not the point; it's not a driver, it's a toy i plan on holding onto unless something unfortunate happens. I like nothing better than having to train myself and tame something. As soon as I got my wrangler I hit some trails and had a blast. Next thing I knew I was wanting 35's, a winch, dana 60 rear, KC's, etc. I can be easily satisfied but i get drunk on car love. I've ridden in a stock z, never a swapped one. I'm used to some pretty fast cars, ive driven a few v8 stangs and maros, an m5, an svt lightning, and a 454 chevelle, so speed isnt all that new. My budget? ehhh its hard to say at the moment, but in my initial set-up (no suspension upgrades) i plan on shelling out maybe 15k. I want some things like the actual swap done by a pro for ease and peace of mind that it's done right. Most other things I can handle myself. I want this thing to be nice but I dont have the ambition or cash to turn this thing into my true dream z for at least 4-6 years after i officially start the build. Just keeping my wrangler in the 32's is pricey. This is going to be more of a hobby/weekend driver thing for me. i never want to sell because i'll miss it and lose a lot of money even if i get a good sell. RebekahsZ: If I ever find myself in the area ill be sure to PM you ahead of time so we can arrange something. EasttTnZ: My grandmother lives in maryville/alcoa. I go up there some times so I will definitely be in touch with you over the next few months.

First off, i'd like to say hey to everyone, as i'm new here and this is my first post. I'm not sure if there's an introduction section, i hope i didnt miss it. Onto business: I've loved z's ever since i was a tiny kid and didn't know the first thing about them. Now, after learning more and more about them, I want my own. Here's the rundown: I want a 280z, maybe year doesn't matter too much to me. I want to drop in a chevy, I found an ls3 I like. I realize this thing is gonna be fast but i dont want something thats only enjoyable on the track. Although I want to do this right and not cut any corners, i dont want to spend an ungodly amount of money on this as it really is just a toy. I'm not new when it comes to street cars, i've driven plenty, but ive never owned anything personally other than yukons, dodge 1500's, and wranglers. So having said that, i dont know a whole lot when it comes to mods like this. Here are my questions: -How does this engine seem? http://paceperformance.com/i-7739382-19259233-special-ls3-525hp-with-free-shipping.html a bit pricey i know but i like nice things and horses -The only axles i'm familiar with are the ones for my wrangler, so fill me in on what you'd recommend for 400-500 hp -I understand the t56 is a preferable transmission for this kind of build, does someone mind to elaborate? -what rear tire sizes are you guys fond of? what brands/models? -I've heard of some people running mustang brakes or toyota brakes, what do you guys have/recommend? -Although i eventually plan on adding a completely new suspension, painting it, other "pretty stuff", etc, what are things that you guys see as "essential" for an ls swap? I'm not trying to break anything or die cause i know ill be giving this thing some hell. Lastly, do you guys know of any places that do good work on z's? I'm in the nashville area of tennessee. I want them mainly to do the heavier stuff like axle and engine swapping. Thank you all in advance, can;t wait to get some answers.