Engine Purchase Question

[kerrys914]

I have two options in front of me for my L28et swap:

1. Complete car with a locked up engine but car is in okay shape ~ $600

2. Running engine but car is crap ~$1100

 

With engine #1, I would take the needed L28et parts off the bad engine and put them on my L28 NA engine which is running well now and sell off the unused 280zx car parts

 

With engine #2, I would put the whole engine in my car as the swap. Not sure I could sell the unused car parts off due to the pool condition.

 

Thoughts and thanks

[grannyknot]

With Z's as with many other cars from that era, the condition of the car is way more important, engines can be had, bought or built.

A Z in okay shape is months and months of hard work better than a crap Z. Nothing kills enthusiasm faster than rust.

[grillhands]

Grannyknot is spot on. I'd be nervous using parts off an engine that seized. By that I mean if metal got thrown around in the oil it probably made its way through the turbo and the head.

[grillhands]

Just to put in perspective I cut the floors out of my 280z and replaced them with ZED Findings setup. I welded them in then had it towed to a shop to check my work and install new rails. They also repaired rust in my engine bay. That cost me 1700 in labor. The price for the floors and rails was close to 400. The time I put in myself was probably 30hrs. Rust is a mofo!!!

Edited September 16, 2016 by grillhands

[grillhands]

Here is my baby

[NewZed]

I think that he already has a car and he's just going to buy one of these two for the engine or the turbo parts alone.  The car body and extra parts will be sold.  Look at the other parts like the transmissions and differentials.  Determine the value of the other parts, and do some math.  Wrecking yards will always give $100 or so just for the value of the metal.

 

If the engine in the bad car runs and can be evaluated I'd probably go for it, especially if you're going to use the ZX ECCS engine management.  You'll have everything you need, working.  You'll have a running turbo engine for the the car you have, plus a running spare NA engine for when you blow up the turbo engine.

 

The locked up engine car could leave you with a pile of parts and still no turbo engine.  Who knows what else is broken in the locked up engine?  

[kerrys914]

Thanks.

Correct. AllI really need is the engine and related ECU.

 

I am searching on here for additional info but it swaping the parts over from s complete car seems doable.

 

The car with a bad engine (ran low on oil do to a failure of some kind) car has been sitting for 8 years and it 100% complete. Looks like the car had some good parts to sell off. Wheels, T-tops..etc

 

The other car with the good engine is being hacked for a body kit. Body is junk but drivetrain is reported to be good.

 

I was also thinking maybe I could rebuild the bad "locked up" engine while running my current engine is running with the turbo parts.

 

Big difference in price too, 2x the cost.

 

 

Thanks again.