wrenchtech

I would love to see an LT5 in a "Z". My concern though is: How much support is there for that motor? It may be cheaper to wring horsepower out of an LS1 and parts are available everywhere. Of course it would be much cooler to run an LT5, kind of like the Jag V-12 one fellow on this list swapped into his Z. Also the initial cost looks quite high. Car-part.com shows wrecking yards offering LT5 motors starting at about $10,000 and running up to $16,000. If I had that kind of money I think I'd buy a seventies or eighties Porsche 911 and sink $$$ into that.

How well does the A/C work generally in 280z's? Is it powerful enough to keep things cool in places like Texas and Arizona where temps pass 100 regularly? Does it properly deposit the condensate water outside of the vehicle? Thanks Matt

The car in the picture in greimann's post above, with twin turbos mounted in front of the cylinder heads, makes great use of the space in front of the motor in the long Z car engine compartment. I think most of the packages available to twin turbocharge LS1 Corvettes put the turbos down low along the of side the block back by the firewall. The LS1 seems to have its accessories configured differently depending on which vehicle its installed in. In the top picture below you can see a Corvette configuration with the alternator mounted high in front of the left cylinder head where it takes up the space used for the turbo in the above example. The Camaro configuration below looks more promising, with the alternator mounted low and a power steering pump mounted high. If you could ditch that p/s pump you might have a nice space for your left turbo and more space on the right bank for the other one (do 240 -280 Z's have power steering?). The front mount idea is a good one as it would keep the intake piping to the intercooler(s) short. Of course this project would be foolish to undertake if it didn't include an intercooler because without one you would have to limit your boost to about 5psi which would yield about a 100 hp increase which you could get much more easily from a hopped up naturally aspirated LS1. We are not in this for half measures though so we should have a target of 550hp at minimum if we are going to go to the trouble of installing a twin turbo system I'm new to this Z car madness so I'm hoping some will jump in here and discuss possible placement of the intercooler.

Thanks. I saved that image for my Z mods ideas file. What was done on that Ferrari looks relatively simple. It's basically just a boxed in cut out in the fender with a couple of lights in it and a nice cover.

If you could put a Jaguar V12 into yours then why not a Viper V10. But 700 pounds! How much does the Jag motor weigh? There's currently a Viper motor and 6sp trans on eBay opening at $8500 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=2431311520 Matt

The Rover/Buick 215 engine swaps became absolutely outdated when LS1 Chevys became widely available. They are good reliable motors but are relatively low powered and expen$ive to build up. You get much more bang for your buck with a LS1. It is also difficult to find bellhousings and clutches that fit the Rover/Buick. Everything that you do find will be custom so forget about running down to the local parts store when you need a new clutch or flywheel.

The Datsun Z engine compartment seems to be able to fit just about any motor. An aluminum Dodge Viper V-10 would be very cool. I wonder what it would cost to get a good used viper motor and matching transmission? The Chevy LS1 and T56 transmission combo are relatively cheap and plentiful and give a lot of performance for the price. This is a supercar for people with modest income! Update: There is a Viper motor and 6sp transmission on eBay right now for an openeing bid of $8,500 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=2431311520 Matt

I'm just starting to get into this Z car action and so far I really like the look of the 280YZ body kit by Reaction Research. So far I have only seen it on race cars without head lights. I thought I'd add some headlights and driving lights right away using my trusty Macintosh and Photoshop The head lights are 2000 Mazda Miata and the driving lights below the bumper are Dodge Viper Venom units. I imagine it would be a little more difficult to actually do the modifications Here's my dream car boys.

I looked at your website: that's one sharp looking Z! Matt

I was going to ask just exactly what that is a picture of when I read the web address of the image (I knew it was a C5, just not what it was for ). It appears to be the running gear from a C5 Corvette destined for use under a 1968 Camaro body! Does the hybrid chevy-z have the motor set back more in relation to the front axle than what we seen in this example? Thanks this picture is exactly what was needed to illustrate the concept! Matt

I was pipe dreaming these last couple of days about the possibility of building a 240z with an LS1 motor in the engine bay and a Corvette T56 transaxle in the rear. I don't know much about Z cars. What are the prospects of hanging a transaxle in place of the R differential? Surely some sheetmetal would have to be moved and mounting points would have to be fabbed. What about the weight distribution? How close to the magic 50-50 ratio? The C5 vettes run this configuration as do the Porsche 928 and 944. Matt