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

Hey Slammed68, I was looking at the LQ4 blocks - what kind of heads are you running? Any power numbers? PS: Good article on the engine specs - very detailed! http://www.quicksilvertrucks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233

qwik240z, Thanks for the invite to check out your Z, I'll shoot you a PM to get more details. My goal for this project is to ultimately build a fast street car. I want to start with a platform that will get me to 500 whp without building the engine, but still has potential to run much faster. I came up 500 whp as a figure that would allow me to run in the C6 ZO6 ballpark, to start. The only reason that I am not considering just swapping a VG30dett is because of the pains of working in/around the engine bay and sheer weight of the motor. Also, since I plan to reduce the weight of the chassis to around 3,000 lbs, the aluminum LS1 seems like a favorable alternative. I've also been researching LT1's as another option, simply due to the significantly reduced entry price and equal aftermarket following. My gut feeling is that the SBC is the better choice; whether the LS1 or LT1. The Z32 is a porker and stepping down in displacement probably isn't the smartest move I'm thinking...

Either or really. I'm trying to gauge the fabrication needed compared to what I've seen so far. If you've done a test-fit, a bare engine bay pic would be great!

Can you post a pic of the complete engine bay?

http://www.nelsonracingengines.com/video_must_see.html Click the link and check out this video: NRE 1650HP RX7, "The Sleeper Part 1" New! High | Low | iPod Thing is a beast!!!

I can't wait to see the rest!! Great job!!

Speaking of the wiring harness, what are you guys using for the LS1? The Painless kit seems to be very popular...

It's hard to see where your J-bends mount to the headers - do you have any pics of them removed from the motor? I really like the down pipe side-exit setup...

Do you know what the weight difference is compared to the LS1? I've read that the LT1 is roughly 60 lbs heavier but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Also, were you running stock cam/heads in your dyno vid? Is your turbo manifold custom? The LS1 seems like a great turbo motor!

Cool article... possibly one of the first?? http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=123551