My First Post Here. I Want To Build A V8 240z for under $10

[Guest Power_Slave]

Including car I think.

 

Okay check it out. I am 20 years old and have been involved in cars heavily for many years now. While I like to pretend I know it all I don't.

 

I want to buy me a nice 240z with good body and reasonable paint so that I can dump some warmed over sbc into the bastard. Because I have to get rid of the Camaro for financial reasons. Judging from what you guys say the swap is cake. Just buy the JTR manual and kit and decide on the motor. I was thinking of either an oldschool head + cam LT-1 and go for 400rwhp (shouldn't be tough) or I could fork out a rediculous amount of money for a newer LS1 or LT1 which costs too much to make fast and is very limited. The only thing I really want to spend the money on is the T56. A grand tranny indeed. My most likely scenario would be a 400 sbc with a negative stroker kit that puts it down to 377 and go for revs. Maybe I will be the only 240z with a 377?

 

So on with my questions. Keep in mind I am new to the datsun game (I am a chevy guy remember). About you guys and your R200s. I am not sure about the average times you guys are running and I cannot seem to get an accurate average, but with 400rwhp in a 2500 lb car I would expect deep 11s. mid 11s at the worst. My gf's dad built a short wheel base 1974 minivan with a chrysler 383 and a lopey roll stick and some open scream pipes that ended up running high 10s and i can't imagine it having any more than 500 crank. BPU Supras (basic performance upgrade: downpipe, cat back, and boost controllers) can run high 11s/low 12s and they are hitting around 470 crank or around 400 - 410rwhp, but they are lardasses at a hefty 3500 lbs. My question in short is, if 3500 lb 400rwhp cars with a not so great IRS like the Supra can run low 12s and high 11s, then shouldn't a 2500 lb 400rwhp 240z run at least a half second quicker?

 

Also, exactly how tough are R200s? I know my stock 4th gen 10 bolt is pretty damn weak and might go out around 400rwhp if i drag radial it too often. Can I expect an R200 to handle a few trips to the strip with some mini drag radials like 245s or so? My goal is to build "Project Budget Racer/Streeter" and I picked the 240z out of a hat along with a 2nd gen nova and first gen firebird. That is how we do things around here I guess:)

 

This is getting long and I will get to the point finally:) If I can drop a Buick 430 into a car and do it for 150 bucks then I should probably be able to drop a mild head + cam sbc into a 240z for that much + kit cost. I realize I will need to do a bit of welding to get the body reinforced and put a cross member in the hollow doors and eventually a cage (which I hate. banned from local tracks cuz of no cage. jerks )

 

I want a mid to low 11 second 240z with 400rwhp and I want to make it handle well enough on a road course (close to getting banned there too though ) and I want to do it for cheap Comments? Questions? Advice for a young asscracker like myself?

 

Anyway, I should stop smoking weed so much cuz I don't even know what I posted. The idea of a nice V8 240z sounds fun to me. Grab a mysterious engine for 200, drop it in and see what happens. Although the last time I did this nothign happened and I had to take it out and rebuild it and I put the main bearing in backwards so I quit. Being 16 sucked. I was an idiot.

 

Finally. I guess I will settle for something like THIS. Just air up those tires, drop the motor in and go right? Wonder if that radio comes with it. Hopefully it wont take longer than a day because my dad gets super pissed off if I leave random cars with no engines in the garage where he likes to park.

[Guest Power_Slave]

Forgot. Head + cam + electric water pump + long tubes = 11.9@115. This is a 3500 lb car and it costs too much to mod. Dynoed 405rwhp with mysterious magical home ported LT1 heads. Got em on ebay for 100 bucks and had to do some exhaust port work but they ended up okay.

 

Gotta get rid of this thing cuz I hate it. Long tubes cost 700 bucks! 100 bucks if I had a 1969 and a real motor though. So can I get into the mid 11s on a 400rwhp 240z on DRs? I'll be damned if I am gonna go through the trouble of getting a 12 bolt rear in one of these things. Maybe I can get my friends drunk and have them do it? go back over the drunken welds for safety afterwards?

 

Regards,

PowerSlave

[jeromio]

You equal a snarvy bastage, no snake.

 

Der V8 240z is well docked and quite lite. LT1 has hassles with accessories in a Z, so If you wanna drive it to work, be aware of trouble. LS1 is a don't do (you could ask me, but don't bother). But any 350/400 will bolt up straight quick with JTR and a carb. R200 is plenty good. Ujoint half shafts suck though. But, 280ZX turbo CV shafts are a bolt in ala 2 flavors: ZXt comp flange and 25 spline 240 stubs (with some hurt due to thick flanges binding the CVs) or 280Z 26 spline (yes?) and some Ross C adapters (which are thinner and introduce less CV bind).

 

Either way, Indy rear hooks better due to absence of axle twist (wheel lift). You get a nice squat with both wheels doing duty - even with an open diff. High 11 sec is not uncommon. Lower and you're likely to break stuff though.

 

Roll cage is not a bad thing. S&W make a nice one for a Z for less than $200 that will protect bodies and stiffen the frame.

 

Better brakes can be bought from MikeSCCA or RossC (or fabbed self-wise from junkyard parts ala Terry O.)

[Guest Power_Slave]

Hmm, well drag racing really isn't my priority neither is accessories. I'll throw in the first motor I can get to 450+ crank for as close to free as possible:) I would never touch an LS1 car ($3000 for a decent head + cam package AHAHAHAHA and still makes less power than the good ole LT-1s per mod). LT1 isn't really my style. I don't like the current motor in my car. Also too expensive to mod but not as bad as LS1.

 

As soon as I see an IRS car cut better than a 1.5 short time, I will agree that IRS good for drag racing. Fact is, I know it is bad for drag racing and I feel that this might be the reason for V8 Zs having trouble breaking into the mid to low 11s. I know I would run quicker with a solid axle, but I don't want to bother cuz this isn't going to be a drag car.

 

So anything faster than high 11s and stuff breaks huh? I guess I should mention that my local track is 6200 ft above sea level and everything typically runs about 1 - 1.2 seconds slower. So I will be happy with mid 12s up here with the 400rwhp through the R200. Definitely gonna need to go lsd for the road racing. Crap, looks like I am gonna have to go with a cage. Damnit. I keep telling everyone I won't put a cage in my next car but I am going to have to huh? I feel kinda lame running a cage if I don't have a 9 second car though. Oh well. 200 bucks is a good deal though so it won't hurt too bad.

 

This is going to be a crazy adventure thats for sure.

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

LT1 isn't really my style. I don't like the current motor in my car. Also too expensive to mod but not as bad as LS1.

What don't you like about your Lt1? I have a hunch you'd like it in a 2500lb Z in which you wouldn't even use 1st gear with the T56......Lt1's aren't pricey to mod to reasonable levels ala 400hp for the reliability and mannerisms one gets with that package IMO. To each his own. I've seen Lt1/T56 lower miles /fine shape powertrains as low as $2500 previously. Even at $3500 I think that's a fine deal if it suits your plans.

 

Sounds like you're looking more at the easier to mod setups, keep us updated

[Heavy Z]

Welcome to the forum Power Slave, if you haven't found it yet check out the search feature. You'll find that almost everything you can think of has been covered - from the R200 to the 377, etc, etc...

 

I will try to answer some of your questions:

I am not sure about the average times you guys are running and I cannot seem to get an accurate average

Check out this site - this'll give you an idea on potential 1/4 mile times.

 

The 377 would be a nice choice, use the search and you'll find some info on it.

 

The R200 can handle 400 RWHP so you can forget about a rearend fabs unless you go big. The R200 was one-legged until they went to limited slip in '87, something to consider.

 

I know you want a T56, but here's a thought: I've got a T5 5spd from a Camaro and the engine is a 327 vette engine, and (I can't believe I am saying this) I wish I had a 700R4 auto! I am of the mind that a sports car must be a stick....until I got my Z. These cars are so light and with the torque of V8's you will find that the time between shifts is dramatically reduced because your engine will be up to 6000 in no time, and you'll be buisy shifting more than you think if you hot-dog it. Next time IMO it'll be a 700R4 auto trans with a manual shift kit for me. If you are looking for a 1/4 mi car, then the auto is the way to go. If you go with the T56, you'll find first gear a granny gear and most likely you'll get lazy and just start in 2nd. This depends of course on rearend choice, but generally speaking it's what you'll find with a T56. You do have the coveted 6th gear, however.

 

Now that you've stumbled onto this site you'll find that it's the next best thing to having a mechanic at your side. This site has personally saved me hours of frustration - use the search...

 

Best of luck and welcome aboard,

 

Heavy Z

[QWKDTSN]

I think you'll fit in fine on this board. That was a very nice introduction.

 

tell me why i have to be a powerslave...

i don't wanna die, i'm a god, why can't I live on?

 

i'm a big Iron Maiden fan.

[BAlford]

Sounds like dog races to me. wolf, wolf

[Guest Anonymous]

Welcome. I'm a little unsure about what the title means. You mention a T56 and your budget goes to hell from my experience. You can get them cheaper, but what exactly is this 1000.00 part? For the shell, for a tranny, for the whole deal inclusive? If its the later, forget about it unless you already own everything you need, the misc nuts, bolts, exhaust system, radiators, hoses, block huggers, JTR kit etc will already put you out past 1000.00 IMHO. (This is of course where you get to say, I own that stuff, and I'll make the JTR kit.) Fair enough, if your that far ahead of the game, go for it, you're in the game.

 

400 hp will easily run in the 11.0's. Is the IRS a great drag rear end, well, no, its no surprise, it works and believe it or not people have gone 1.5 or faster in the 60' times with it.

 

Matter of fact a member runs into the 9's using the IRS (and he breaks halfshafts on a regular basis). The center section is stout, it'll take 500 hp and 500 ft/lb's of torque with no trouble (long term, I donno, but quite a few guys have pushed them this hard and the center sections didn't fail for them).

 

My own opinion, if your gonna feed it a diet of slicks, rear end the car with something stronger (if you use a 12 bolt as you know, make sure and put in the ford style bearing retainer (I'd put in a 9" and be done if I were doing that, but thats my own opinion, unless I had a 12 bolt laying around).

 

I'd pass on drunk friends putting it in, the suspension system is no where to get messed up and engineer. (I'm sure that was a joke, but thought I'd put it in just in case... ).

 

Anyway, if you budget is a go and you have the pieces, the Hybrid will do everything you want and much more I can assure you. First time you mash down on the loud pedal. Instant wood.

 

Regards,

 

Lone

[Guest Power_Slave]

$1000 is probably too small an amount i agree.

 

I'll grab a random sbc for around $200 - $250.

 

R200 rear at a yard somewhere (I have found 2 or 3 at friend's yard)

 

JTR kit argh too expensive for my tastes.

 

Use random sbc parts like headers that are lying around.

 

bolts and other miscellanious items won't be a problem. I have a good feeling that every nut and bolt in existence is in my garage:) Course I dunno where to find any of them, but they are there, in hiding.

 

As far as the gumballs go, I probably won't drag it too often. Maybe an event here or there. Definitely want to go manual as it will be road raced (probably more than drag raced). I agree about autos being the better drag setups.

 

Back in HS my friend got himself a 67 Buick Special for about 125 bucks. Grabbed a 430 wedge for $200 bucks, caddy 500 for free I think, and some free weld wheels off some heap out near a creek bed. Did up the interior. Ended up better than I had imagined. Painted it pearl white with ghost flames. Obviously I didn't paint it. Ended up costing us less than 2000 total. Hauls a lot of ass too. Maybe I can do a 240z for this much.

 

As far as LT1 and LS1 motors. bah. One must realize the power potential of the pre smogger sbc. get a bigass cam for $100, long tubes for $150, electric water pump and all kinds of stuff for dirt cheap. Stroker kits for $300 - 400. ShamanWS6 races at Shannonville road race style and he paid ARE 20k to build his LS1 out to 422 cubes and he gets around 520rwhp. My god! Insane costs! Give me 3k and I feel confident I could pull that off with an LT-1. Don't need no super dooper forged crank or 6 bolt mains to keep the motor from tearing itself apart either:)

 

The reason I came up with this idea was because I saw the videos of that Darius fella and that looked like some good ole' fashioned fun. Of course I will skip the LT1 and supercharger part

 

An yes, Iron Maiden rocks

[Guest JAMIE T]

I have 4th gen Z28 also. I just put a HOT cam, Hooker LT's, CSI elec. pump, and some ported heads on it. I'm still putting it together, but from experiance, it should make about 375 at the wheels. I spent about $1200 on it(the headers were $600). But, still it is an aluminum head roller cammed small block chevy. LT1's are a good bargain for what you get. When the wife and I buy a Tahoe, I am gonna pull the LT1/6spd from the Z28 and put it in a Zcar.

 

I have seen a couple of super low buck V8 Zcars run at the drag strip. They mostly run mid 13's.

[mobythevan]

Myself, I would rather drive the log skidder to town and run over a few cars. Now that would be fun!!!

[Pop N Wood]

Ron Tyler documented a budget V8 Z.

 

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~rontyler/blackbird.html

 

He did it for under $2500. If you went with swap meet OEM style carb, intake, exhaust and grabed a Camaro radiator you could probably cut another $600 or $700.

 

But good luck. He got a hell of a deal on the car to begin with and managed to keep from getting too fancy.

 

Like posted above, t56 trannys alone run around $1500 on ebay.

[Guest Anonymous]

A Datsun hybrid could be built for a $1000. but you would have to come up with the Zee and a donar car for around $800.00 and be able to fabricate and scrounge the rest. A person would have to rely on timing to obtain the best deals. I am stockpiling parts for a second and third project at rock bottom prices. I see the whole key is finding and selecting a loaded z with multiple after market products and a hopped up chev with the desired drivetrain and scrounging for parts on a fulltime basis..( and you will not find these combinations very often).

[Guest Power_Slave]

Hmm that guy had the right idea kinda with that budget build. I woulda gone after a much older 350 though.

 

I might wo with an M21 or M22 instead of a T56. Maybe if I can get a busted ass T56 and rebuild it then I would stick with that.

 

The only thing I am worried about is that I end up making the same rwhp as my Camaro (~400rwhp) and ending up running the same time if not slower (high 11s typically) eventhough the 240z is gonna end up weighing in at 1000 lbs less give or take a hundred. It just seems that way from what a lot of you v8 swappers are running. Of course I can't tell if you have a stocker goodwrench crate or something else.

 

arg arg. wonder how im gonna fit a bigger radiator in there. this project is gonna be nutty.

 

Regards,

PowerSlave

[Guest bojo68]

Well, I'm on this trail, so far I'm in 205$ for a running driving 79 zx that got 29.82 mpg from Seattle where I bought it to Portland.(supposedly had a bad head gasket, overheated in .75 mi, I poured stop leak in it, and 2 hours 50 minutes later I was home, 175 miles away. Still runs fine aside from losing a heater core.) I'm still having bad feelings about tearing up a good one for a project. In fact, it may even be a zxr, all the colors and options are right, and it's been repainted solid metallic primer. I came close awhile back to an engine, they said they'd sell it to me for 75$ with everything except the power steering pump, alternator, and smog pump, then backed out of the deal after I'd spent 8 hours getting the wiring harness and engine loose. Still looking for an engine. Anybody ever put a viper differential in a z? I've seen a lot of videos of v8z's burning rubber, getting all sideways, and generally looking dangerous and stupid. Anybody got any cures up their sleeve to make these things hook and run STRAIGHT? Stock mine squats like a pig when ya poke it, gives you away when your trying to sneak up on a Carerra. (YES, I'm eventually going to eat me some Carerra's)

[JMortensen]

You realize you're reviving a post from 2002. To answer your question a Dana 36 Vette rear end has been done, I think it's very similar to the Dana 44 IRS rear end that came in the Viper, just a bit smaller It was used in the later Vettes before the transaxles came in. ScottieGNZ swapped the D36 and complete Vette rear suspension and was on the brink of high 9's when he parted it out and went to an GN powered FC instead. Now I think he has a 2JZ engine in the same FC... he's still around and obviously addicted to swaps.

[cygnusx1]

That google search engine really works...but is it always a good thing? Remember to check the dates!!! Alot of people are no longer here...but you can ask them anything you want anyway

[COZY Z COLE]

Well, I've seen a lot of videos of v8z's burning rubber, getting all sideways, and generally looking dangerous and stupid.

 

 

Yep,I'm GUILTY of that and I loved it.....

 

:lmao:

LARRY

[BRAAP]

...... I've seen a lot of videos of v8z's burning rubber, getting all sideways, and generally looking dangerous and stupid. ….

 

 

I’m Guilty to Larry… In a few Z’s and an Infiniti.. DOH!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...... Anybody got any cures up their sleeve to make these things hook and run STRAIGHT?......

 

YEUP! Know when to LIFT and how much!