anyone know of any sites describing coverting 280 zx to chev

[Guest Anonymous]

i have been looking but cant find any sites

[Guest greimann]

Try link below. It is not a complete set of instructions, but there are pictures of vital components.

 

I'll field any questions of course!

[Phantom]

John's Cars in Dallas, www.johnscars.com, sells components to convert the 280ZX to an SBC. I took a quick look at a very old conversion last night and it looked pretty straight forward - used the stock Nissan motor mount towers, etc. The distributor sat about 2" in front of the fire wall so it's not as far back as some people like but it didn't screw the interior up.

[danc]

frontera:

Suggest you use the search option on this forum and type in 280ZX conversions and see what you get back. I posted a grocery list of the primary parts I used May 17 2001 Topic: ZX SBC Conversion using MSA mounts if it's still out there. There are several guys here who have gone thru a ZX conversion, and as far as I know, this is the best source of no-BS info. I finished mine last November on an 83ZX and these guys got me thru ALL of the various & unforseen problems that came up along the way. There are several options on the mounts from fabricating your own (several guys have done that) to buying them from MSA or John's in Dallas. I talked to John a few times before I decided to buy my motor mounts from Motor Sport Auto. John was helpful, but he admitted the Jaguiar conversion was his primary focus, and he hadn't done much with the Z conversions since he first put the kits together. His price is also pretty steep in my opinion. You are at the right place for help. Good Luck.

Dan

[labrat]

There's really no need to buy a conversion kit for the mounts, they are super simple to make. Just use the motor mounts for a 69 chevy truck, and put about 2~3 inches of spacers between the motor mount and the motor (I used (3) 1" aluminum plates on drivers side and 2 1/2" on passenger side). They will then bolt directly up to the frame horns on the crossmember, putting an HEI distributor about 3/4" from the firewall. My first trans crossmember was just a piece of 3/8" X 3" flat stock 36" long with bolt holes drilled through it with the bolts running through the frame rails, and a spacer to get the tranny high enough in the tunnel. I'm going to put some bends in my next one, though, (similar to the jtr crossmember, which won't fit in a ZX) so that my exhaust will clear better and to give me more ground clearance. I would also recommend sticking a chunk of tire or maybe urethane end link bushings on the bolts between the crossmember and frame rails, those vibrations will rattle your teeth! The trickiest part about the entire swap is the drivers side header. There is maybe 2 1/2" clearance between the exhaust port on the head and the power steering gearbox, so header or manifold selection is limited. You will also have to go with an electric fan, as this setup puts the mechanical fan about 2" through the hood. Do the plumbing and wiring, then you're all set. It's a really simple swap, not difficult at all if you're handy with a wrench. It's all the little things that will really screw you up, but those usuall aren't in the book, anyway.

 

Bill

[Guest 280ZXT83]

Do I have an option as to whether I'm choosing an electric or mechanical fuel pump? Any recommendations/pros/cons/thoughts?

(I'm a 350 SBC in an 82 280zx 2+2).

 

Jeff P.