DavyZ

The "art" keeps getting better and better everytime you post pictures! Keep up the very impressive work! Geehaaw! That is gonna be one BAD boy when its done! Davy

You can really do either one; it just depends on your budget and what works for you. The JTR book recommends buying a complete car and making sure the engine & tranny work--but that's not always possible! To put it another way, there are two main things you'll need for the swap: the engine and the tranny. What you want the car to do (its use) and your budget determine what you'll buy. You can get great FI V8's like LT1s & the accompanying tranny at a good GM wrecking yard--are you comfortable with FI? If not, you can get GM factory crate motors for pretty good $$$$--just look in any major American performance automotive publication and you'll see all kinds of dealers around the US selling them. Keep doing research on the subject before you make a definite decision, and use the search function in this forum!!! Best of luck! Davy

Mine is from an '89 Taurus. I think at the very least '89 thru '95 should be ok. They fir the JTR recommended radiator like a glove. The shroud covers about 98% of the core area; awesome. Davy

OK, for looks the polyurethane is key, because it holds up better by being flexible. Although there is a deformity issue at speed--otherwise you would not be installing aluminum bracing, correct Pete? Aluminum bracing would be ideal because of the light weight and good strength. I'll look into that when the time comes. I've thought about a chin splitter made of CF, but it would not extend too far back underneath the car--this would unfortunately take the brunt of impact and screw everything up if it was ripped off by hitting some small object or driveway, etc. Thanks for the replies--always good to get another opinion! Davy

Well Owen, you did mention that being ricey was in your blood J/K Davy

Lone, when I worked at the VW dealership, I heard unreal stories about guys using (no kidding) a 6 foot bar and had additional bodies help with the leverage. They are just nasty to deal with, period. Davy

I would think so, but just a larger pan won't solve all your problems at 5000 rpm! If you are going to the expense of changing the pan, you might want to look into a windage tray or something. Hopefully someone else will offer an additional opinion. You may want to ask John Coffey who races his Z on a regular basis. Likewise, Scottie GNZ does a lot of road racing (more than drag racing!), and Andrew B, Ron Jones, Rick B, etc, etc. drag race too. Hopefully some will chime in...guys? Davy

I recall a guy (no names) saying that he would never use a urethane airdam on his primo Z because they bend and get all distorted at speed. Now, on the surface this sounds like it could have some merit--but is it true? How fast do you really have to be going before that urethane sucker goes wacko? 140 mph? The guy currently runs a fiberglass airdam which shows signs of "driveway interference" and is a little bit cracked near the bottom. I know fiberglass is more rigid and I would consider using it--if there was a very compelling reason to do so--anyone have an opinion??? DavyZ

My project is not finished yet--so I can't say for sure--but I've been around enough of these cars to know what should work well. That's why I did not hesitate to buy the JTR recommended radiator and go with the Taurus fan. I'm convinced the whole thing comes down to airflow of you have a decent radiator--shoot, I know of someone (no names ) who used the tranny cooler for a while with no ill effects. The Camaro unit should do better than that, yes? If you have the unit, use it! If you don't, get a Howe or a Griffin--you can't really go wrong with them IMO. Davy

Let's just say you'll be shocked! There are nearly no similarities between the characteristics of the two motors. The Chevy just has a lot of good low end grunt and kicks some serious tail in a Z. This has been successfully done before by a number of members on the forum. First off, buy the JTR book and read it--the book applies to the 1st gen cars, but it will give you a good outline and graphic illustration about what is involved with the swap. Next, use the search function and find threads with Ross Corrigan's posts--he has a pretty wicked 280ZX V8 conversion. The search function is the best way to learn about this stuff--all the good info is archived. Good luck! Davy

Hang in there, Champ! Davy

Ditto to what Lone just said: easy fix. Unless this is a newly freshened motor, pull it apart and stab in a new cam and correct compression pistons...voila, you're there. Davy

If Jeg's says it can be used with either one, then it can. If you call up and ask someone on their help line, they can confirm it for you. It's something I would be concerned about--better to ask before you buy. Davy

I'll gladly deal with the problem of your roasted wires if you want to swap for my 882's! You have a strange problem there, and I'm wondering if you should just swap in some different headers. I have Summit cheapie block huggers that clear the boots just fine and use a loom for routing. There is no clearance issue. Tom, what do you think? Or are the heads really the problemo. Davy

If you are using a high volume oil pump, there is a possibility that it is sucking out most of the oil out of the pan before it has a chance of flowing back down. Just a thought. Remember, the oil is also beat to a frothy pudding at high rpms by your crank unless you have a windage tray and/or screen to combat that. Just food for thought. Davy

Tom, I remeber you posting about this before--are your plug boots 90 degree angled? Would it help to change it if they were not? How about the Accel short plugs? I can't see how the ceramic plug wires could hurt (unless you melt those too ) Sorry, I could not resist...Seriously, have you tried the ceramic boot "socks" that go over the boots by the headers? What about a good loom for the wires, which routes the wires away from the header pipes? Please refresh everyone's memory and maybe someone's grey matter will jog loose for a fix. Davy

Robert, the Camaro radiator cools a larger, heavier car, right? I would think that if you had an adequate fan and shrouding, there should be no cooling issues. I know that the high altitude does some funny things to boiling points, but the guys in hot AZ and here in the Bay Area run their cars easily with similar radiators or even (gasp) stock Datsun units! The key really seems to be the amount of air passing through the radiator, whether or not it does the job. I bought a Camaro unit and have a Taurus fan that I will use. I have seen Z's running with less than that, so I know this will work. If you already have the Camaro unit, why not try it? Just be sure your shroud seals around the outer edges and I'm pretty sure you'll be ok. If you do decide that a Griffin or a Howe radiator is for you, look on Lonehdrider's site or BLKMGK's site--I think they have that info there. Otherwise, use the search function again, because I know BLKMGK discussed this quite a bit in the past 2 months. HTH Davy

Good job on keeping an open mind! Welcome to Z Heaven! Davy

Owen, it'll be good to see it mounted. I have seen Datto's and I can say that it looks like it's supposed to be there. There is "racecar" mesh available from pegasus racing (don't know the url) that I saw on a post in Zcar.com; just thought someone would like to know. Davy

The Hemi looks at home in the Z, but I think the carb looks a bit puny??? I'd expect a manifold and carb with some BEEF to it on a hemi. Just a thought. Davy

Just what do they mean by "the rear end?" The R200 is very strong and in most cases won't get torn up. The front diff mount is prone to failure in a stock Z let alone a V8Z. Just tie it down--get the JTR book and it will answer all your questions. These guys that look down on V8Zs get a deaf ear from the 1000 members of this forum--maybe collectively we know a bit more than they do? Just a thought. They are purists and they are trying to discourage you from what you know deep down to be true...if you hang out here enough and get the JTR book. A properly built V8Z will not have the "problems" they espouse. Don't fall into their theoretical mental trap of doubt when there is blatant evidence in front of you. Again the R200 is nearly indestructible in a V8Z. The U-joints are items that will fail first if they do. Just how much HP are you looking at? Will you be drag racing this car? Sure, upgrades are necessary in ANY car if you do those things. Want a 350hp V8Z car for street use? Fine, most likely you won't have problems. Want a 500hp drag car? Fine, upgrade to a solid axle like Mike kZ did with his. Use the search function and get the truth hashed out over two years on every subject concerning the conversion. A Turbo buick motor can do the same damage as a V8--just ask Scottie GNZ. Davy

Redline, the first place to start is the JTR website that you can get to easily by looking for the link on the black speedracer intro page of the forum. Buy the book and digest it first, then do the shopping for the motor and tranny. You have the car and that's great, but you need the book, then the motor, then the tranny. The book is so very important because it lists the steps you must take to complete the conversion. Price things out and budget you money and your time. This is a lot of work, but well worth it. And just remember that babies come before cars Davy

Great writeup with good pictures, Owen. Thanks for posting that. You have really added a lot of info to your site since the last time I was on it! Davy

Craig, let us know how they turn out when you finish! It sounds as of there is not too much work involved in doing this--or should I say it sounds workable by the average guy who likes to work on car projects... Davy

Mike, are you totally set on using Flowmaster's? The reason I ask is this: you can fit two mufflers in back, but they have to be smaller. I have a BIG single Dynomax that is close to 4 1/2" thick, and I'm sure that two of those just can't squeeze into that space. The JTR book suggests using two small turbo mufflers. Pete Paraska's site has some of the most detailed info on using a dual system that pushes the limit on what (almost) fits. But, depending on what limits you want to go to in order to make it fit, there is the possibility of using a racing fuel cell, which gives you greater room for an exhaust on either side. You could also massage or cut away the spare tirewell and "make" some room. Hope this helps. Davy [ July 11, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]