Need performance advice

[Lockjaw]

His motor is far from cheap. He probably has 2 grand in the headwork and cam.

[DAW]

I would transplant an L28ET with all the stock hardware/ECU/fuel pump, relay etc, then intercool it with whatever (Saab, Volvo, Starion) source, 1st gen Eclipse BOV, and sell the stock L28E.

Bang for the buck, I don't think you'll do better than that. DAW

[HICKL]

I have a 76 280 (all stock) and am trying to decide whether to go sbc or hop up my L6. Without going turbo, how much HP can be achieved in my stock motor through cams, headers, pistons etc. I am afraid I may spend $2000 or more on hop up parts and still have 175hp or less. Any advice? Or, how available are turbo's and are do used ones last?

 

Thanks

Slow and confused.

[frank280zx]

He man,

agian this is all bout cash, i've seen a post the other day about a guy with 235 N/A line six power.

 

 

So you could get a stroker kit at $1900 orso or go with a high compression f54 flat top n42 or diffrent head combo, witch will hop the compression into the 10's a big TB diffrent injectors, programmable engine manegement system to replace the stock ecu, and or a cam, and head work would make the car faster.

 

Frank

[Dan Baldwin]

Here they are, costs for the 235 rwhp motor:

Bottom-end was built WAY back in '94-'95, for something like $1100, parts and labor. Used motor, rods, head and crank cost $700. Head rebuild $100. Fast forward to Winter 2002: $1500 in the headwork and cam. Carbs, manifold, linkage, air horns were $600 used. ITG air filter and backing plate $280 (yow!). Carter fuel pump and MSD 6-AL bought last year were ~$55 and $200 respectively. Comes to $4435 when you subtract out the head rebuild done back in '94. Anybody know of a cheaper L6 motor with the same or more rwhp?

[johnc]

235 normally aspirated rwhp for under $5000. That's a pretty good price.

[Guest torynich]

You will be amazed at what just adding a cam and headers with a 2.5" exhaust, dumping the air conditioning and bumpers, and putting in 390s or 438s will do. Just doing that puts you in competition with the mustangs no problem (appx. low to mid 14s) And thats not much cash for right off the bat.

[HICKL]

390's, 428's? What are you referring to. Pardon my ignorance.

 

Jeff

[yo2001]

Originally posted by torynich:

You will be amazed at what just adding a cam and headers with a 2.5" exhaust, dumping the air conditioning and bumpers, and putting in 390s or 438s will do. Just doing that puts you in competition with the mustangs no problem (appx. low to mid 14s) And thats not much cash for right off the bat.

Not in my heavy 280Z I done all that and still runs in 15's

 

BTW 390's and 438's are the diffrential gear ratio

[Lockjaw]

I got 307, with about that much spent on the engine, turbo and JWT fuel injection with bigger injectors, new ford MAF, forged pistons, and expensive machine work.

 

Then figure I paid 2 grand for the first car that came off the freakin tow dolly and totaled itself, the additional 1300 for the replacement car, 2500 in labor and towing charges to replace everything into the next vehicle.

 

200 for the big cartech fuel pump, 100 for jacobs wires, 100 for eletric fan and thermo control, 640 for replacement turbo, 150 for the Top end wastegate actuator, another 150 to fix the turbo after the USPS dropped it, and about 150 for 3 inch exhaust. Probably add 500 bucks for what I forgot, and that comes to how much?

 

I did recover 4000 from UHaul, and I got my money from the USPS after about 1.5 years.

[Guest torynich]

I would recommend going to:

http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/z.html

this guy does a pretty good job of breaking it all down into small areas. A lot of it is for carbureted cars, but the rest is relevant. And I do take back what I said about the times. 15s are correct, the 14s were with a little more mods done. It all depends on how much you have to spend. If ya got a lot do the v8, if not, there are a lot of stock pieces that you can use from the zx and slowly work your way up to a pretty decent performer.