Guest smileyboy Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I am absolutly convinced that I want a Z. I saw the conversion and it made me want to cry. I owned a 535i 1987 BMW I put about 6 grand into the motor and it had probaly 50hp more than when i started. I wish I knew about this conversion beofre I did it. What a waste of time and money. I sold it to start my business. which is doing ok. But, Now I want another project car. I am wondering what is the most cost effective way to do a chevy small block? What is the handling like on a Z (keep in mind I had BMW please)? Would it be cheaper to just buy a Z that already has a V8 conversion? thanks josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannji Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Welcome to the club, Smileyboy! You need to decide right off how comfortable you are with real projects... as opposed to "bolt-in" upgrades. You then need to try to define what you want out of the project. Will you drive it daily, drive it hard on sundays, take it to the track frequently, AutoX it, ect..... Your choice of motor and suspension should be based on what you most want to do with the car and can afford. A good Z is capable of fulfilling most peoples darkest desires, depending on budget and determination, but there are an awful lot of Z's parked due to people realizing (belatedly) that they either under-estimated the project, or the budget. Others get it to the point of driveability, and realize that they really want to go in a different direction with it, frequently starting with their choice of motor and tranny. For example, I bought an already converted 240Z with a TPI 350 and 700R 4 spd OD, intending to make it look nice and just drive it. Riiiiiiight..... I knew by the time I finished the 2000 mile drive home that I really missed stirring the tranny, and the one-wheel spinning launch had to go, and I really wasnt too happy with the breathing and revving limits of the TPI.... and what do you know, I am in a full-blown project again. Hybrid Z cars are frequently up for sale, some of them well done. As a certain Mod here in the forum will tell you, anything is for sale for the right price..... but for many here, you cant buy the satisfaction of having done it yourself. As for how cheaply you could get into a conversion.... depends on the car and the conversion, but most of the cheaply available ones, in my opinion, will end up costing you in the long run. Usually they are being sold for good reason. I paid somewhat more than I should have for mine, and I ended up starting over from scratch on it. I am not too upset, but in retrospect, I wouldnt mind having the money back, so that it could have been better spent on a nicer chassis, as I am replacing most of the other components anyway. I think the most cost-efficient way to do it is to learn the skills and do it yourself, keeping in mind that you are risk of blowing more cash on "must-have" equipment, tools, and last minute additions to the project. Good luck with your new passion. you probably couldnt have come to a better place for support and commiseration. tannji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMS Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I am absolutely convinced that I want a Z. It took you this long to figure it out? I owned a 535i 1987 BMW I put about 6 grand into the motor and it had probaly 50hp more than when i started. Yep, you can dump a BUNCH of money into a german car and get minor improvements. You'd have been much better off just putting an M5 engine in there, but hindsight's 20/20, isn't it! I've got a 1985 535i, and with the exception of a Jim Conforti engine chip, I've left it pretty much stock. What a waste of time and money. I sold it to start my business. which is doing ok. But, Now I want another project car. Don't be so hard on yourself - it wasn't a waste. You drove one of the best sport sedans in the world for a while, you had fun with it, and even with the money you invested you still probably spent MUCH less than you would have by buying a new car and depreciating it. I am wondering what is the most cost effective way to do a chevy small block? Buy a wrecked car that has the engine you want, rape it for parts, then sell the remains to the junkyard. This is the most cost effective way, but it will take a bit more time and effort than buying everything new or going about it piecemeal. What is the handling like on a Z (keep in mind I had BMW please)? Funny you should ask that. I owned three Z's before I bought my BMW, and out of all the sedans I drove, only the BMW had handling anywhere near that of the Z. Good coils/struts/bushings will make the car handle like it's on rails, although it will probably be a firmer ride than an e28 5-series. They both are stable up to the limit, then they tend to break the rear end loose first, rather than understeer and plow into things. You can steer with the rear wheels in either one, but in the BMW you are more isolated from the driveline so it's harder for me to get a 4-wheel drift going. The Z feels MUCH lighter, even though the 5 is pretty lightweight. Steering in a stock, manual steering Z is amazingly precise when in good condition. The emphasis on both cars is sport, not comfort. Would it be cheaper to just buy a Z that already has a V8 conversion? Almost certainly, unless you do LOTS of work yourself. I've done just about all the work on my Chevy-powered 260-Z myself, and I've got about $2,000 invested in it. I'm probably in the minority, though. Most guys on this list have more than that invested in their engines alone! When you buy a complete V8-Z you'll probably spend less money, but you don't know the history of the car, the quality of the components, and you're accepting someone else's compromises. Besides that, you'll never be able to pop the hood and say that you did it yourself. To me, that's huge. Anyway, welcome to the board, and I wish you the best of luck in finding the perfect car for your conversion! Look at LOTS of cars before you lay out cash, and if at all possible, get the advice of someone knowledgeable about Z's. Someone in your local club would probably be happy to evaluate a car with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Some good tips: 1. (obligatory statement): Use the search function...top of the page. You WILL find an answer to EVERY question you may have. 2. Buy the conversion manual from http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html 3. Don't be in a hurry to buy your engine/drivetrain. Very good deals come up from time to time in the local papers/classifieds and once in a while on Ebay 4. Make a plan of attack, and stick to it. Most of us, me definitely included, get bogged down in "while I'm at it, I might as well do....." 5. You can almost always buy a completed conversion for less than it will cost to build your own. Sometimes though you end up spending $$$$ fixing the shortcuts that the previous owner made, but no always. 6. Build your own vs. buy completed: Depends on whether you want the "I built it myself" bragging rights, which to me is more important than the car itself....I do it for the pleasure of the work, not for the completed product....to me the satifaction of completion is fleeting, it's the satisfaction of the work for me, as this will attest to: http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=33497&highlight= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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