'83 280zx V8 questions.. (a lot of em)

[Guest mikey_clark]

I highly recommend the book from Chevy High Performance magazine titled Small Block Chevy Engine Buildups. They take a stock long block 350 and get more than 400hp and 400ft/lb torque out of it pretty cheap. And by starting with a salvaged engine over a new one you can save a lot. In Sacramento, I can get a salvaged 350 in good condition for $100. Doesn't matter that they are low compression over smogged from the mid 70s and early 80s. Pop on the $400 vortech heads, a good cam, a holley and some headers and your gonna be darn close to 400hp.

 

Have fun. I'm still trying to decide between the 350 V8 and the 4.3L V6. I'm doing the Vello Rossa GTO body conversion and want the car to handle as well as it looks which is why I'm thinking lighter v6.

[danc]

PhaTTY:

You might want to consider a crate motor from GM Performance Parts; or for that matter one of the other vendors like Edelbrock. I started out with an 88 Caprice COP car as a donar and planned on rebuilding the engine. After countless conversations with engine builders, and guys with crate motors, I spend $4000. on a FASTBURN 385 (385 H.P. and torque) and then another $800. for the "HOTCam" and now have 430 H.P. and torque. You can buy an H.O. 350 crate with 330 H.P for around $3000. as I remember. That will put you solidly in the 13s... There are tons of options that area all directly proportional to how much money you want to spend, and how much of the work you can do yourself. I agree with one of the guys' comments on buying the whole car and scraping the rest. I ended up scavenging little things like wire connectors I never gave a lot of thought about until I needed them. Ended up looking a lot more professional and easier to troubleshoot in the beginning.

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

If you can build an engine, do... You will save a lot of money over buying a crate motor.

If you buy your engine in a box you wont get nearly as much power for your money and will soon go way over your budget for your swap.

Think outside the box!

[Guest RunninOnEmpty]

Even though the SBCs are largely the same regardless of the year, for us Calif. guys, and possibly guys from other states as well, we must use an engine that is the same year or newer than the vehicle. In my own case, that's 81 or later.

 

Can we use an SBC from any year and simply mount the smog stuff for a year that's the same or later than the vehicle or must the block itself be of the same or later year?

 

Thanks, John

[Guest greimann]

If the block is reasonably close to the year of the car, that is close enough for late '70's , early 80's motors because they are all the same. The induction system and smog system has to be an exact match of the year or newer. Unfortunately for you, '79 was the last year that Chevy offered a purely carbureted car. From '80 to '84 they used an electronic feedback carburetor that I have not heard any good things about, and there are no legal replacements for on the aftermarket.

 

BTW, would you like to buy my car as a turn-key donor for your project? See link below.

[Guest Anonymous]

can a ls1 out of a newer f-body work?

[Guest greimann]

can a ls1 out of a newer f-body work?

 

That would be a good fit, but since the motor mounts are different than the earlier V8's, you would be breaking new ground in the ZX cars. You will need to design and fabricate your own hardware.