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79 280zx 302 swap happening soon


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I just picked up a 79' like the title says. I bought the car for some body parts for my 81'. I figured after I get what I need off of it, why not drop a 302 into it and make a monster out of it hahaha. the real perk is the l28e and the rest of the drivetrain only has 62k on it, so spare motor and everything else for the 81'. I'll get some pictures up soon and keep everyone posted on my progress

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ill have photos of the 280zx today, motor and trans will be out tomorrow then i get to fab out my mounts. looks like the 302 might not happen because i picked up a 351w and trans for a steal. so far im into it about 200 total hahaha. any advice or suggestions is always appreciated, ive done several motor swaps so this isnt my first rodeo

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Is this going to be streetable or just something to rip around the corn fields in?

 

1979 280ZX's have several possible differentials, from a 3.36 R180 to a 3.7 R200.  An R180 might not last long.

Edited by NewZed
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As I remember the 351w is a rather tall engine compared to the 302, you might have to cut a hole in the hood for the air cleaner.

The 302 will fit perfectly with very few mods and of course the best thing about the Ford engines, the distributor is on the correct end of the engine ;)

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Grannyknot, i agree with you 100% hahaha, the 351w is a tall deck but I'm building a cowl hood for it to accommodate the added height. I'm just going to run the motor stock for now but a 351 has a ton more potential than the 302 when it comes to displacement. have you done a similar swap?

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I did a 302 into a 74 Triumph TR6, it was rocket, scary fast. The design of the suspension and steering on those cars were ancient, that was the scary part, the car just was not designed for speed. The Z is great with speed as long as you can keep the air from getting underneath. Looking forward to seeing some pics of your project.

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