Guest Anonymous Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Hello everyone! I've been a member of zcar.com for about a year now, and this forum looks great. I've had my 1972 240Z for almost 2 years now, and she's my first true love. L28 dual SU's and a 4-speed. I've been kicking around the idea of the sbc swap, and have an experienced V8/hotrod friend thats willing to help. I have a few concerns: -Can the R180 handle the power of the V8? I'd like to shoot for 350-400 hp -Time- With the help of an experienced friend, working most evenings and weekends, how long could i expect the swap to take? -Traction- How unsafe would it be to use my 15x7 zxt wheels/tires? -Insurance- Has anyone had problems with insurance companies? Am I obliged to report the larger engine to my insurance? If I dont am I liable? Much thanks to any you can answer. I tried searches, but this is much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Best advice I can offer (and most all will second) is to buy the manual from Jaguars that run. It will answer 99% of your questions. As far as insurance goes, can't say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Like Mike said get the manual: http://www.jagsthatrun.com , you can also get it at http://www.summitracing.com 1-800-230-3030 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Can the R180 handle the power of the V8? I'd like to shoot for 350-400 hp -Time- With the help of an experienced friend, working most evenings and weekends, how long could i expect the swap to take? -Traction- How unsafe would it be to use my 15x7 zxt wheels/tires? The answer to all of those questions can easily be found with the search function. However your question about the insurance issue is one that I have been wondering about too! So can someone shine some light on that one? Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 R180 would probalby hold it ok if you dont drag race. If you expect to launch on good, wide rubber, slicks or not, an upgrade would be in order. You can easily find an R200 for $100-$200 complete at a yard, not exactly an expensive upgrade compared to the cost of throwing in a V8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsun660z Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 It has taken some folks 11 plus years to complete the swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 -Can the R180 handle the power of the V8? I'd like to shoot for 350-400 hp 400 HP is getting up there. An R200 is easy to do and will remove the diff as the weak link. Well worth doing. -Time- With the help of an experienced friend, working most evenings and weekends, how long could i expect the swap to take? I think the key here is planning. Spend time reading the JTR manual and old HybridZ postings and get everything together before your swap. And I mean everything, brackets, bolts, wiring, fuel lines, throttle cable, paint, hand cleaner etc. etc. Then if you can stick to your plan once you start it should only take a few weekends of pounding and wrenching. The things that kill you are running out for missing parts and fasteners and the "while I'm at it" syndrome. I should also add that the advice in the JTR manual to not start your swap until you have a complete, running engine and trans combo is a good one. Do you really have room for a dead car and two dead engines in your garage? -Traction- How unsafe would it be to use my 15x7 zxt wheels/tires? I think the problem here is in your right foot and not the tires. A stock drive train will support 225 tires with no problems. Anything wider and you are looking at suspension mods and/or flairs of some sort. The good thing about using tires that are too narrow for your engine HP is it keeps you from breaking drive line parts. -Insurance- Has anyone had problems with insurance companies? Am I obliged to report the larger engine to my insurance? If I dont am I liable? As long as you don't lie to your insurance company you are OK. Just like you don't have to report to your insurance company when you get a ticket, you have to answer honestly should they ask. It has been my experience that most insurance companies use standard forms to determine insurance rates. Since the agent entering the information probably isn't going to have a box to check saying the engine has been modified, you are probably going to pay the same rate with a V8 as an inline 6. The exception to this is if you want comprehensive coverage. Since the car is so old you will need a stated value policy. In this case you will need to get the car inspected and appraised. In this case you will want to point out all the high $$ mods so you can get properly reimbursed should the car get destroyed or stolen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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