Nismodealer Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Just thought I'd throw a feeler out there... I just picked up a project - 1970 240z and will be attempting to accomplish 2 goals. First of all, i want to make 500 -600 horsepower, with the drivetrain to support it of course. I've been doing some reading on this forum, and it seems to have a knowledgeable and helpful group. After a few days of reading, it seems like an ls1/ t56 may be a somewhat easy setup to accomplish, but part of me would like to keep it Nissan for a few reasons: I work for Nissan as an advisor now, and have all the access to whatever I need at a cheap cost. I really like the idea of trying a VG swap, but am still doing research on what it entails. Side note: anybody that needs a hookup on anything factory, pm me. I'm sure you all know the standard markup at a dealership 2 nd: I'd like to maintain decent weight ratio, as I plan to give the car a nice stiff setup at all four corners and drive at some auto cross events, etc. Basically, if anyone wouldn't mind listing their preferences and why I'd very much appreciate it. I know this is a total newbie topic, but I'm very excited to join the z clubs, as it's been something I've wanted for a while ( former 2 nd and 3 rd gen Rx7 guy ) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Donovan_ Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I went with a LT1, but after reading a post here about running the 5.3 LS1 I will probably go that route next time. If you plan on 500+ hp I guess you just need to start searching out what engine and price fits your budget and style. I imagine though you will not get many responses here because the way you worded your questions. Basically these type of questions has been beaten to death here and there is so many topics to search to get all your answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 I pretty much assumed that, just wanted to see who likes what they have and why. I'm obviously still researching, but it'd be cool if a few people mentioned what they like about the setup they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 I also am not planning on this being a cheap project by any means lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Why so much power? With how light the S30 is, not a lot of power is needed, especially in a cruiser/fun run around car. The desires you have are pretty open ended, just about any engine around can produce that kind of power. What are the uses of the car? Racing, boulevard crusing, grocery getter, etc? This could help determine at starting point, for best direction for you to persue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMission Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I agree with Six_Shooter... IF your going for straightline drags, that amount of power with a tubed rear and such will be fine, but for a street car, it's way too much to control. You are going to want to go ls1 direction for huge power, but there are a ton of different options for less power and great balance, or less power, and great fuel economy or weight. You can get 350hp out of my setup without too much trouble and be pretty well balanced and light doing it and have an insanely fast Z. I wouldn't want 500 hp under me in a Z... I'm stopping at 325whp and that's already scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldlion Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I chose to go carb'd v8. I chose this for the cost and because for a VERY long time I wanted a carb'd v8 car, and for a long time a v8 datsun. Now that I am almost done with the swap, I probably should have gone ls 5.3 to start with, but I was trying to keep initial costs down. I do know that I wouldn't have it any other way than v8 though. It just looks like it belongs in the bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ineedboost Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) I went with a carb'd v8 for cost savings as well. If I could do it over I would go with either a 5.3 or 6.0 ls motor. As others have already stated, that much power in a street driver s30 is probably more than you need. My motor should make ~400hp at the crank and I cant get traction in first and second to save my life. Edited February 20, 2012 by ineedboost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharaohabq Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Really, there's a lot of different ways you can go with it to make that kind of power. What I'd REALLY like to see is the VR38DETT swapped into an S30. I'm in the middle of a VQ35HR swap, but if I could have in anyway afforded the VR38 I'd be all over it. But as a Nissan advisor, maybe it's within your reach. It's REALLY not cheap though. In a 240Z, especially a series 1, you'll need to swap out the Diff with one from at least a 280Z to go from the R180 to the R200. The R180's are great for stock, but I've heard 300+hp you're asking for trouble. You might also consider going with something with an LSD. The newer Diffs (Z32, Z34 GTR etc) have the timing wheels on the shafts which if you're sticking with factory electronics you'll need for your speedo. You'll need to look at doing some body mods to handle the torque too. not to mention fender changes so you'll fit wider than 215's. on the back. Since with that kind of power and the weight of the car, you'll find it easy to smoke them. There's tons of things you COULD do, but what you do is up to you, it's your car. If you wanted to stick with the V8 idea, then you're going to have a lot more mods to figure. Nissan makes the VK45, VK50, and VK56. And the last in race trim (FIA GT1 racing) is supposed to reach 600HP. Before you do any of that. Look at the platform you're building on. What does your 70' look like, Contition-wise? Is there rust? Are you going to renovate the whole car, or just swap. Will it be a race only, or Daily/ driver? What kind of budget are you thinking? Are you planning on doing all the work yourself? How many hours/week/month are you planning on putting in. How capable are you? Tools? Welding? These are a lot of the questions you really need to answer before taking on a project. lastly, What's your car's Vin? My 240z is 11/70' #5832- and it's in need of a bit of TLC. It'd be a shame to chop up a low # early 240, but it's your car and your $. Read about on here and elsewhere and see what you can figure out. We're happy to answer any questions you have, but make sure you've done a little reading, since we get tired of answering the same questions over and over... PM'ing you on some parts btw... Phar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Why so much power? With how light the S30 is, not a lot of power is needed, especially in a cruiser/fun run around car. The desires you have are pretty open ended, just about any engine around can produce that kind of power. What are the uses of the car? Racing, boulevard crusing, grocery getter, etc? This could help determine at starting point, for best direction for you to persue. More or less, just want the ability to hit the numbers. I'd really like to go with the VG for the versatility of fuel injection and turbo. Basically, I'd plan on driving on pump gas around 350 to 400, and hopefully tuned up (race fuel, higher boost setting) should climb between 500 and 600. I know I've heard of 300zxs accomplishing that relatively easily. Thanks again for the replies, and don't forget my offer for cheap factory parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Really, there's a lot of different ways you can go with it to make that kind of power. What I'd REALLY like to see is the VR38DETT swapped into an S30. I'm in the middle of a VQ35HR swap, but if I could have in anyway afforded the VR38 I'd be all over it. But as a Nissan advisor, maybe it's within your reach. It's REALLY not cheap though. In a 240Z, especially a series 1, you'll need to swap out the Diff with one from at least a 280Z to go from the R180 to the R200. The R180's are great for stock, but I've heard 300+hp you're asking for trouble. You might also consider going with something with an LSD. The newer Diffs (Z32, Z34 GTR etc) have the timing wheels on the shafts which if you're sticking with factory electronics you'll need for your speedo. You'll need to look at doing some body mods to handle the torque too. not to mention fender changes so you'll fit wider than 215's. on the back. Since with that kind of power and the weight of the car, you'll find it easy to smoke them. There's tons of things you COULD do, but what you do is up to you, it's your car. If you wanted to stick with the V8 idea, then you're going to have a lot more mods to figure. Nissan makes the VK45, VK50, and VK56. And the last in race trim (FIA GT1 racing) is supposed to reach 600HP. Before you do any of that. Look at the platform you're building on. What does your 70' look like, Contition-wise? Is there rust? Are you going to renovate the whole car, or just swap. Will it be a race only, or Daily/ driver? What kind of budget are you thinking? Are you planning on doing all the work yourself? How many hours/week/month are you planning on putting in. How capable are you? Tools? Welding? These are a lot of the questions you really need to answer before taking on a project. lastly, What's your car's Vin? My 240z is 11/70' #5832- and it's in need of a bit of TLC. It'd be a shame to chop up a low # early 240, but it's your car and your $. Read about on here and elsewhere and see what you can figure out. We're happy to answer any questions you have, but make sure you've done a little reading, since we get tired of answering the same questions over and over... PM'ing you on some parts btw... Phar Pmd you back. My vin is 2188 Condition wise, it's fair to good. Cali car with no rust, but it's complete. It'll need some new carpet, new fenders, and some body work, but it is one control arm away from being drivable. The car is complete with everything, and I have an interior guy that says its within the realm of repair. Mostly needs body work. I like the wide fenders I've seen, but they all look like add ons. Does anyone know if someone makes replacement quarter panels or fenders already flared? I will be reinventing most of the car myself (minus the body work). I can handle welding and any mechanical or electrical conversions, fabricating, etc. I have plenty of space immediately available, and a top knotch service dept. at my disposal, with some of the finest (30+ year) technicians I've ever worked with, equally excited about this car. I'm Trying to stay under 30 grand in mods for now - was thinking a donor 92 tt would be worth picking up, and already nabbed a 91 tt (minus turbos ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 More or less, just want the ability to hit the numbers. I'd really like to go with the VG for the versatility of fuel injection and turbo. Basically, I'd plan on driving on pump gas around 350 to 400, and hopefully tuned up (race fuel, higher boost setting) should climb between 500 and 600. I know I've heard of 300zxs accomplishing that relatively easily. Thanks again for the replies, and don't forget my offer for cheap factory parts. Understandable, I too want to hit a certain number, just because I've wanted to with the engine I plan on swapping in for years, mostly due to nay-sayers out there. Many people say it can't be done, since most people have only seen around 400 HP from this engine, and no it's not a Nissan engine. In reality I realize I only "need" about half of that power, which I pretty much already have with my turbo L28. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Remember, there is no BEST on HybridZ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Remember, there is no BEST on HybridZ. Touche - should have re-phrased that. *Favorite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Understandable, I too want to hit a certain number, just because I've wanted to with the engine I plan on swapping in for years, mostly due to nay-sayers out there. Many people say it can't be done, since most people have only seen around 400 HP from this engine, and no it's not a Nissan engine. In reality I realize I only "need" about half of that power, which I pretty much already have with my turbo L28. All things considered, how challenging was this conversion? I'm on the verge of buying a 92z as a donor, but I'm starting to get a little skeptical about how much work this will actually be. I'd imagine a well built and fortified L28 would put down some good numbers when boosted with methanol or race fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMission Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Here's a link to one option for flared out fenders/quarters for the Z. I know there are others out there as well, but ZCC is close by to me and I see his stuff around more. http://www.zccjdm.com/catalog.php?ref=azcarbum&dt=73726 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefedjib Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) I have a 1970 #3177, which I am replacing the entire drivetrain and suspension. No mods to the exterior or interior other than the steering wheel, the shifter knob and the climate controls. Engine: I read an earlier quote by someone here who said, paraphrasing: "I want the old style with the new technology". In my case, I want the old style with the old technology, squeezing as much out of it I can. Therefor, I have shipped my L24 numbers matching engine to Rebello Racing for their "Purist" engine build. Lower block is over-bored and stroked to make my 2.4L into a 2.84L. Head is bored for 280 valves, port&polish, new custom grind cam. It will be dyno tuned. All in all it will make around 270 HP, up from the 151 stock HP. This is plenty of power for a 240, in my book. I don't want Fuel Injection or Turbo; my SUs are awesome! I really don't need or want more, even though I plan on racing with TrackDaze. I will be trying my best to not lay rubber when the light turns green and get that ticket (it is my DD as well). Transmission: 1982 280ZX close ratio 5-speed transmission, completely rebuilt. Differential: Very rare R200, short-nose, 3.9 ratio, Gleason/Torsen racing ATB (T-2R with preload clutch packs: http://www.torsen.com/products/T-2R.htm) LSD diff. One of 80 ever made for the R200. I think it is a 5:1 torque bias ratio, but I am not sure about that. The link says "With a high torque bias ratio, the TORSEN T-2R can deliver up to 85% of available torque to the wheel with traction." I think that a 5:1 ratio means 5/6 of the torque goes to the tractive wheel, which is .833, damn close to the 85% mentioned in the link. Suspension: Tokico 280 HP springs/Tokico Illuminas/Suspension Techniques front anti-roll bar/full urethane bushings, except the T/C rods. Thanks JohnC! Rear disk brakes: from a 240SX, for my 14" wheels. Anyway, I thought I would just throw out my "favorite" modification preferences as an alternative to consider. Edited February 21, 2012 by reefedjib Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Here's a link to one option for flared out fenders/quarters for the Z. I know there are others out there as well, but ZCC is close by to me and I see his stuff around more. http://www.zccjdm.com/catalog.php?ref=azcarbum&dt=73726 Thanks, looks like i just found my next buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismodealer Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 So as luck would have it, looks like the swap is going to have to wait. It turns out techno toy tuning is located about 30 mins from my house, so suspension, brakes and interior are going to be first. Plus the Engine is pretty fresh. Pics coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Get an RB. Get an N1 block. Hit 800hp all day long. ?????? Profit. I would actually go for an sr20 because of weight and they are significantly cheaper than RB's and LSx's, but I'm not planning on getting close to 500hp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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