79 280ZX project cars home, need advice on game plan.

[Guest racingfanscjww]

got my ZX home this weekend and will start taking it apart soon, this car was pretty loaded up power windows, mirrors, auto and cruise. need some advice, my uncle has license to buy at the auctions so I can get a complete Z28 or Firebird wrecked cheaper than what a salvage yard will sell me just the engine, my question is what year should I get? I can't get to new but can pick early to mid 90's pretty cheap. I'm going with an automatic (700R4). So any advice will help, thanks.

[Guest greimann]

This is according to Tim240Z in another thread:

 

"1995 F Body would be the most ideal. 1993 was speed density based, 1994 (which I have) has a MAF and different fuel rails, but the optispark is unvented. 1995 is still OBDI, but has the vented optispark. 1996 went to OBDII, which is more difficult/expensive to edit the PCM.

 

Tim"

[80LS1T]

Yup 1995 LT1 is the ideal motor if your going to stay stock. However if you are going to modify it a 1994 will be good too. I have a 1993 and the only downside is that you cant reprogram the chip in it, you have to have a chip burned. If you modify your engine you can upgrade to the 1995+(if you buy a 94') Optispark(distributor). Dont buy a 1996 or 1997 cause its OBDII and it costs 2 times as much to buy the tuning software! There is nothing special about the 96/97 anyways so dont waste your money on them!

 

 

Guy