any one know how much it would cost for v8 swap with a 240z?

[Guest Anonymous]

any one have any ideas or estimates on how much it could or would cost to swap a 240z engine for a lt1 vette, and any tips if you do, that would be great im kinda new to datsuns and this whole scene so any helpe would be appreciated

[Guest Anonymous]

What kind of condition is the car in? Rust, Body Damage, Paint, Bar Fights,etc...

[80LS1T]

Do a search for "cost" or "cost of building" you should find plenty of info.

 

I am doing a 280ZX LT1 swap and I have spent over $13,000 on my swap! Although I did rebuild the engine and "warm it up" a bit! I am a picky person though so everything has/had to be right and not a hack job!

 

If you want just and LT1, R200, T56, and a new radiator... I would say you could do it for $5,000-$6500 easy. Thats with no body work needed though. If you have a rust bucket you might as well just junk the car!

 

 

Guy

[Guest Anonymous]

oh man, i think i might have mislead you into thinking i already bought a car lol, well i apologize, i havent yet at this point, but im trying to find a car with no rust, and basicly evetything is in great condition cept the engine is optional, im gonna take it out any ways so might aswell find one without one, but yeah, got any idea for total cost, with new tranny, and engine and all the needed work, ill eventyualy do what you did, and add more into the motor but for now just the swap stock

[Guest Anonymous]

oh and i guess, what i will need for the swap, if you some how have a list or your really nice you could tell me, otherwise ill do it, i just want to know from some one who knows what he is doing rather than me just thinking what i need

[Guest greimann]

Mr. Lazybum, (hopefully that is not a literal nickname). You can expect to pay anywhere from $3000 and up to convert a car that you already own. The low end is using all junk yard parts and doing all of the work yourself. The high end is buying lots of new high end stuff and paying someone to do some of the tough parts.

 

Through all of this, part of the fun is figuring out how to do some of this and what you need to accomplish it. The JTR manual is a good start. It is probably the most complete documentation of stuff that you will need. I'm not sure that any of us has a complete inventory of all the stuff needed to do a swap, but using the search button for some of the basics is a good resource. Think about the project and ask specific questions about how to do certain things and there will be mucho help.

[Guest Anonymous]

well in all other aspects of life i am lazy, cept for cars, school. and working out, soo for the most part it is, any ways k ill look into that, and i kinda figured i phrazed that wrong, alittle to general, but thanks, when i get into the process ill be more than happy to hear from you guys for help

[80LS1T]

Here’s how I think a swap should be done if you’re on a tight budget (at first)...

 

1. Buy the best rust free car you can-a non-rusted car is the most important part of this type of swap!!!

2. Upgrade suspension with coilovers and new urethane bushings-coilovers are way better than regular springs and struts because it gives you the option later to use bigger tires and bigger tires mean better traction (most of the time)

3. Upgrade brakes-if you buy a 240,260 or 280Z then you can buy adapters from JSK (members name on this board) for a big brake conversion with 12" x 1.25" rotors and WILWOD calipers! This is only for the the Z's though (so far not for the ZX's.... come on JSK lets get them ZX adapters made! LOL )

4. Depending on your HP goals reinforce the chassis with sub frame connectors, strut bars, and some type of roll cage.

5. Now upgrade to the R200 or R230 with CV axles-you could also add the LSD or Quafie now too but both cost extra $$$!

6. Now you can start with the engine and tranny swap

7. Interior upgrades-gauges, stereo, etc....

8. Paint and body work

 

That’s just how I think it should be done. I skipped some steps when I did my swap. But I have completed almost all of those requirements. I did not upgrade my brakes yet but I will as soon as a big brake kit comes along! (JSK...hint hint! LOL ) I also did not do coilovers. I didn’t know about them till after I bought new springs and struts because I didn’t do my research first! I know I am going to have to go to coilovers so that I can get some more meat under the rear of the car! So I can get some traction!

 

There really isn’t a list. I all depends on what engine your going to swap and how nice of a car you want when you are done. Just like Greimann said you can do the swap for like $3000 if you already have the car and your just doing the engine and tranny. But if you want a car that has show and go be prepared to spend over $10,000 easily. I actually do have a list of almost every part that I bought and the price of it (prices are rounded though) Oh and its not the big stuff that gets your $$$ its the little stuff! Its all those nuts and bolts and hose clamps that you never think about that adds up!

 

ZX Conversion Cost... (So far)http://www.datsun-280zx-lt1.com/Big_Pictures/OtherStuff/Money-on-ZX-Conversion.txt The stuff on the right of the page in parenthesis is stuff that I sold!

 

Hope that helps!

 

 

Guy

[Z-TARD]

Good rule of thumb is to apply X2 to every aspect of the conversion. Estimate how much you will spend. X2. Time you anticipate on working on the car........X2, or maybe even X3. Also allow for the "While I'm at it syndrome", you may not know what this is now, but you will..... Try to set goals for your conversion, and not just finishing it either. Baby steps, baby steps. Think of it as a 12 step program towards self improvement, only with an extra 482 steps involved. Dont get discouraged, each portion completed gives a huge feeling of accomlishment, and an excuse to drink more beer

 

 

Mike

[dsommer]

BTW get a JTR manual ASAP it makes GREAT bathroom reading material. Of course a lot of it wont make sense till you have a Z in front of you, hell I can't tell you how many times I had to climb under the car to understand that damn rear end, then doing the R-200 swap after watching a video (Ztherapy) it was a snap. good luck!!!

 

Oh I've got about $3500 in just my engine and I assembled it myself...

 

ds

[utvolman99]

Just lurk on this and other boards then when a great deal comes up on a hybrid JUMP ON IT!!

 

I cant tell you how many times I have seen great cars that are WAY nicer than mine will ever be sell for WAY less than I already have invested in mine! Unless you just really want to have the satisfaction of building a Z buy someone elses investment!

[baddriver]

A minimum of $3000 is a good start, plus the cost of the car, another $2500 to $3000 if you buy a good car. IF you are refering to the old carbed LT1 from an old vette.

 

If you are talking about a new 1990's LT1, then add the cost of a fuel tank suitable for FI and all the hoses, fill tube, etc to go with it (this will run you an unbeliavble $600 or better. The fill hose alone is 100, and yes, you WILL have to replace it, and all the hoses), and of course if you want any kind of traction at all, add the cost of wheels (300-1000) and tires. Don't forget a few details like wiring the LT1, electrical connectors, fuel injection hose and clamps, filters, etc......

 

Of course, you'll need an R200 rear end, and there is no point in not getting the LSD from an 84 turbo, mustache bar, diff mount, throw in $100 worth of U-joints to bring this to about $600.

 

Oh, and you'll want a radio, and some working guages, probablty better add another $500 just to get the e-brake working, replace some bushings, lights in the dash, throttle cables, brake upgrades...

 

So, you can do a basic job for about $6000 total, but if you want your car to be able to use any of that power, you're into the 8-10 grand territory.

 

Do you have a set of tools? I'll bet everyone here who has done this conversion has at least 5K wrapped up in tools, from air compressors, jacks, wrenches, electrical meters, etc.

 

Don't ask what a paint job costs. You can easily spend $600 just buying the paint. Forget getting someone to apply it for less than $1000. ANd what's the point of all that power if you don't look good.

 

The bottom line, whatever you think it's going to cost, multiply that by two. And then add a zero to the right-hand-side.

 

You might be scoffing at this right now.

 

You will not be 1 year from now.

 

Have fun!

 

Jeff E.

[JKDGabe]

I thought they didn't make LSD's 'til '88. Can somebody help me out there?

 

Funny that so many people mention the $3,000 figure... that's what I want for mine.

[Joe-Z]

so could i do the swap for $5000 or under?

all i want is a stock 350 with a 5-speed.

i just blew up my L-6 and would like to V-8 my rust free 240.

just looking for the best bang for the buck.

[two40]

Just lurk on this and other boards then when a great deal comes up on a hybrid JUMP ON IT!!

 

I cant tell you how many times I have seen great cars that are WAY nicer than mine will ever be sell for WAY less than I already have invested in mine! Unless you just really want to have the satisfaction of building a Z buy someone elses investment!

 

I did exactly this for my last two cars and even though I haven't learned alot, I've had a heck of alot of fun. You get to enjoy the car right now and you have extra money to spend on making it look/run the way you want it to.

 

The bad thing is though, the car will never be yours if it is something on the special side. It'll always be Michaels old car or Tim's old car. This really gets to me but when I think about all the money they spent on them and compare it to the price I paid for them, I quickly get over it.

[80LS1T]

Or you could buy a done V8Z and then drive that one while you compile parts for your own V8 swap! That way you could have your cake and eat it too!

 

 

Guy

[DavyZ]

so could i do the swap for $5000 or under?

all i want is a stock 350 with a 5-speed.

i just blew up my L-6 and would like to V-8 my rust free 240.

just looking for the best bang for the buck.

 

Use used parts and get a basic motor with a home fabbed JTR kit to do the swap. Buy everything on sale or wait for bargains begin sold by members, then go from there.

 

$5000 is doable if you keep to a very basic conversion and DON'T get fancy. The minute you decide to start modifying anything from a stock Chevy, you have broken the rule and it just gets worse from there

 

Stick to a BASIC plan and swap per JTR---you'll be money ahead and can modify AFTER you do your swap.

 

Davy

[fl327]

5k is easy if you look at this way.

 

get an iroc or firebird, preferably a 350/700r4 or a 305/t5, they can be had for 1000 maybe more maybe less, just try to find one that runs ok and looks horrible-not hard. yank off all the tpi associated hardware and sell it on ebay, my buddy got 200 last week for just the upper and lower manifold with tb and injectors. the whole setup with ecu and relays ive sold on ebay for 500 and change. sell all the body parts of the car that you can, ttops, glove box, whatever, and you will have most or all of that money back, and have a drivetrain, and the driveshaft for the conversion.

get the jtr kit, its less than 300.00 after youve sold all the iroc stuff. then get you a nice four barrell carb, headers, vacum advance hei dist, electric fuel pump, aluminum intake, and other stuff to get the car running. also get the adaptor for the diff side of the driveshaft, and measure out how much would need to be cutt of that iroc driveshaft, which is frekin huge.

 

plop the whole mess into the zcar, bolt it down, wire it up, tune it, and let loose, if youre really gung ho, make the tpi work, true it sucks for high end, but so does the engine it came on. the 350 is good for about 245 flywheel, and the 305 is 180 at the flywheel. not hp motors, torque motors. youre stock L motor puts down about 110 if its lucky.

 

if i was going to do another one, i would build a cruiser like this with the tpi and a 700r4, or the t5 if i could find a 305/t5-those are pretty rare around here and the people that have them love them-mullet and all.

i would get a roller cam year though, forget which ones that was.

you would have a engine that loves 87 octane and wot, and kick a lot of butt on the street with it as well.

 

yes, i know the hp figures are low, what else could you do with a 5k max?

[tjcannon]

Well, I'm swapping a Small Block Chevy into a Z31 for what I hope will come out to less than $1000. So far...

 

Engine - $100

Heads/Cam - Traded for my turbo and cv shafts out of my 280ZX

700R4 Transmission from junkyard - Traded for my brand new roadhuggers from 280ZX

Dual Plane Intake with Holley 650 Double Pumper - $75

1988 Nissan 300ZX Turbo in almost excellent condition - $150 ($300 split with my friend cuz he needed the engine)

I'm making the motor mounts myself from Lowes for under $100

 

So far I'm on budget, and I don't really have much left to buy. I don't know if it's really a fair price, though, cuz I got a crazy good deal on both the Small Block and the 300ZX, and then I traded some parts from my old 280ZX.