Guest Anonymous Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Hi all. I'm whatcha might call a newbie to this forum. I've searched the archives for the last two days, only to get a little confused. I can't seem to find excatly what I want to find out. Here's the situation. I'm a Z car nut. I have 4 of them plus a few parts cars. I have an 85 280z tnat's just dying for a 302 to be put into it. I have an 302 from an early Granada that's in good shape. I want to run the C4 auto with it. My knees are bad and the auto helps. I'm not looking for fuel injection or even air conditioning. What I need to know is. the web sites where I can buy the mounts, headers, and a radaitor. The rest I can handle on my own. I've built a coouple of street rods in my day, so I know a little about fabrication, paint and body and wiring. I plan on taking my time (I'm tired and retired) and want to do a log and take pics of the progress, from stripping and painting the body to the first burn out. Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thanks 85zord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nic-Rebel450CA Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 You arent going to be able to buy mounts unless you find someone on here that will make them for you and sell them to you. There is not a kit for Ford swaps. As for the radiator, you can probably use the radiator that Jags That Run sells, even though their swap info is for Chevy swaps. You should check out their conversion manual too. I dont know if you will be able to find headers for your swap, but block-huggers may fit. Browse the Ford V8Z forum and you will find some members who have already completed Ford swaps. Welcome to HybridZ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Hmmm, beginning to sound more and more like building a street rod. I've read somewhere that some camaro radaitors fit, The local radaitor shop could change over the necks for me. The local driveshaft fabricator can build me one. I can fab the mounts myself, but will have to buy a new welder to replace the one I sold. Headers, now that's a diffetent animal. I may have to do some hunting for them. I plan on running a holley carb, so no FI to worry about. Mallory dual points. Strictly old school. If it quits on me on the road, I can fix it. I can't do that with todays electronics. Just a set of good flowing heads, headers, cam and a holley. What more does an old fart need? Anybody out there have any ideas about headers? 85zord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve-Z Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Hello 85zord I just joined this website and am trying to do the same this as you. Here is what I have gleened from reading thru all the Ford forum posts. 1) go to this website for Alsil and he will give you a summary of how he put a Ford 5.0 into his Z-Car: http://zcar.netdojo.com Al also sells the engine mounting crossmember shown on the webite. 2) There are no kits for this installation, but by reading thru the topics in this forum will help with the big pieces of the puzzle. 3) Like many people have written in this forum, you should get the JTR book on how to install a SBC into a Z-Car. This book is thorough and will dicuss all the topics you need to address during the converion process. But, some of the details will be different because of the different engine. 4) It seems like everyone putting a SBF engine in their Z-Car has their own ideas about how they want to do things and they will tell you about how and why they did it. You just have to decide which way is the best for you. Good luck Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Many thanks. I've been saying for awhile that I wanted to build just one more car before I quit. I've built street rods, 55-57 chevys, a few early mustangs, and a couple of 4x4's thrown in. After joining the local Z club, I got hooked again...Hard... I just gotta build one of these babys. Headers will be my biggest problem. I had even toyed with the idea of a carberated chevy V6. Who knows? I still have another Z car just setting...85zord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 85zord, You said your car is an 85 Z, well that makes it a 300ZX which is a different animal from a first generation Z. As far as I know no-one has put a Ford 302 into a 300ZX so you may be the first so document it and keep us all informed. If your car is a 75 280Z then be sure to contact Al Silvera and buy his crossmember mount. His handle on this site is alsil and his website has already been listed. The crossmember is very well designed and made. You can use the tranny crossmember from JTR. If you go with the auto tranny the rest of it should be very much like a Chevy install. You might have to put a u-joint in the steering shaft to clear the header and build a speedo cable but not much else will be different from a Chevy install. I had planned to put a 302 in my 240 until I ran across a great deal on a Montana Cop car with an LT1, if I build another Z it will get a 302. Wheelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 My Bad. Just blame it on old timers desease. I ment to say 75, not 85. Now I got to go and change everything. Being old really vacumes at times...Now 75zord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bobs302z Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 I have a similar setup to what you are describing ... I have ran it for 2 years going on 3rd.. I agree with what everyone else said .. I bought to jtr book and spent countless hours on this site before I built mine.. if you look at some of my post you might find more info .. THere is not set way for motor mount etc for the 302 .. alias mount seem to work good .. I made my own out of 1" pipe as a cross menber... I have full lenth headers but would not recomend it as they are very tight... If you have questions email me i would love to help.. Good lucK I will be worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Thanks Bob. I've read some of your posts and was really interested. Did you have any probs with the oil pan? We used to go with the early bronkos (I believe it was if my warped memory sreves me right) with the rear sumps when we put them in street rods. I thought I might do the same..I'll definatly be hollerin at ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bobs302z Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 I used mustang double sump ...check out my broth site you will like it .. http://members.shaw.ca/rguido/ my family likes cars.. my dad is building a 31 5 window coupe right now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Some real nice cars Bob. I like your Dad's fairlane, but your Z is awsome. I'll be keeping in touch as mine progresses.,.,Now 75zord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluex_v1 Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 ...Did you have any probs with the oil pan? We used to go with the early bronkos... I think this is going to greatly depend on how you end up deciding to mount the engine. If you are going to fabricate your own mounts, you could place it so the whole oilpan is behind the stock crossmember so you can use whatever you want, or mounted up so an EB or double sump mustang pan can sit over the stock crossmember to really gain clearance for lowering the car. Alsil's mount does appear to place the engine back and low, but I'm not sure exactly where it puts your oilpan in relation to the crossmember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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