Guest Hceline17 Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Ok, so I've decided, definately getting a 240z in the next couple of months, definately going to do a 350 V8 conversion at some point with the car (thinking a fuel injected zz4, anybody used this powerplant and can offer some thoughts?). Some things I've been thinking about: I was thinking that while I saved up money for the V8 I could do things like the bodywork and upgrade my wheels, and brakes. Then it occured to me that I might want to hold off on doing the wheels and suspension until I got new axles for the car that could handle the V8's power for the future conversion, and not put on springs until I got the springs that could handle the weight of the V8 (please offer some recomendations on rear axles if you could). If I'm going to do axles though it makes sense to swap out the rear differential for a stronger one too (R180 to R200 is the regularly done and recomended swap right?). Now I was thinking I could probably stop here before worrying about the V8 swap, but would I need to change anything else to mate the R200 to the inline six that I would then need to replace once I got the V8 (for instance the driveshaft)? Or is it looking more like I should have the engine, transmission, radiator, distributor, alternator, driveshaft, rear diff, axles, brakes, wheels, power steering junk, exhaust, x number of brackets etc... all ready to go at once? If that's the case, its going to be a long time before my car gets its 350. Some thoughts on this please, or should I just by the JTR manual now and figure it out from there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobythevan Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Boy its always gets more complicated when you think of all the planned stages for the conversion. And to think I bought my 240z 2 years ago to do the V8 swap and now here I set with a second 240z that I did a turbo swap into in the mean time. Well anyway, you can put the R200 and CV jointed halfshafts in there and use your existing 240z driveshaft with no mods to it. And the caveat... As long as you watch which pinion flange is on the R200 you buy. Worse case you would end up swapping pinion flanges to use the 240 driveshaft. An R200 from a 280z will go right in. An R200 from a zx turbo car has a different flange bolt pattern. And if your lucky and find the R200 LSD from 87-89 300zx turbo it of course has a different flange all together. But the pinion flanges can be intechanged between any of those. Hope that helps and doesn't confuse you too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hceline17 Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Thanks Moby, encouraging to know I can in fact stop somewhere and get back a drivable car at another stage before I put in the 350. Not to open too large a can of worms, is a new zz4 350 long block the appropriate choice to make for power/budget? I get the feeling I won't be able to pull one over on a junkyard man for a cheap used engine. Also, I'm a fan of new parts, where can I get the high strength axles I'm looking for? Not sure where to look on the web. Any links people could throw my way would be helpful, trying to get my parts price list, restoration schedule etc. in order as best as possible for once I get the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 You can try Scoggin Dickey, Jim Pace, and various others. What you need to ask yourself is what kind of a car you want. You can go as fast as your wallet is fat. If you want something mild: http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?action=prod_detail&catid=128&pid=110 If you want a bit more: http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?action=prod_detail&catid=120&pid=462 All the way to this: http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?action=prod_detail&catid=1578&pid=2598 Or this: http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?action=prod_detail&catid=1579&pid=9010 Your choices are wide open depending on your budget. You could start with a basic package, then upgrade heads, cam, intake etc down the road. Obviously this will be a bit more expensive in the long run, but cheaper in the short run. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hceline17 Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 http://www.automotix.com/engines_by_size/chevrolet-gm_v8-parts.html Has anyone worked with these guys before? Their prices are low enough to get an inquiry out of me. Going to go over their list of 350's with a couple of friends to determine which is the best to work with. I really want EFI by the way. As for the ZZ's I've found online I've decided that they are more than I can afford. As it is I'll be moving out of the city to the suburbs so I can afford a place with a garage, I'm 20, in college and this project is going to break the bank if I let myself get too carried away. Also, wondering if I should ask my axle question in the suspension section? Put it here originally because my first post was mostly about how to section a GM V8 swap project into livable pieces. Just don't want to violate the rules on re-posting in different sections. /sigh, new people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baddriver Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 If you are planning a v8 swap with fuel injection and an R200, you might want to consider just getting a 280Z. They are a little heavier, sure, but that is because a lot of weak points were upgraded. Engineers do not add weight to a car without good reason. The 280Z would already be set up to run fuel injection, plus you could get one with an R200. The small additional weight will be more than compensated for by the V8 power, plus save you some time and money. If you really don't like the old bumpers, you could replace them with the earlier bumpers from a parts car for a lot less than an R200 plus fuel injection mods. I bought a 260Z, and while I like it, by the time I add the R200 and get it ready for fuel injection, I will have spent a lot of money that could have gone to other things. Just another point of view to consider while planning your swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 The R180 will live a long life if you take care of it. Power doesn't break diffs, traction does. This is the order I would do it if I were to do it in stages: 1. brakes...you can never have too much braking, even with low HP stock engine. 2. Chassis stiffening (whether as simple as strut tower braces, to full cage and sub frame connectors, it will help, even with low HP) 3. Drop in the V8. 4. Do the suspension work...whether it's just new bushings, or complete upgrade to coilovers.... 5. Cosmetic and interior. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 The R180 will live a long life if you take care of it. Power doesn't break diffs' date=' traction does.Tim[/quote'] To be more specific, torque and traction will kill a diff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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