Donor Vehicles, I already tried searching

[savageskaterkid]

i searched the site for donor vehicles, and the only post i found was the one about a Carbed 350 wit a 5 speed

 

I wanna get a carbed engine too(less wiring, plus after my Z-i never wanna deal with old fuel injection again), but i want an Automatic, cuz my Z is auto, and i'd like to keep it that way(not to say im lazy, but its just alot easier to deal with at times, and i dont wanna hafta set up a cluth pedal and linkage)

 

Can neone think of a Carbed, Automatic(don't care how many speeds)-prefferably a 327 or 350 and higher?, i don't mind about the output, becuz im gonna put a better V8 in there sumtime-this is just to get me around untill then

[Bartman]

Be sure and get the JTR Datsun V-8 Conversion Manual. It discusses the possible donor cars that you could use for your swap.

 

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html

 

You have a wide selection of possible donor car's based on your requirements.

[Guest 77vegasz]

There are a host of possible donors, look at older Camaros, Monte Carlos, Pick up trucks, Suburbans, Caprice etc. Go to http://www.mortec.com and print out the block casting numbers to take with you to the yard so you will know what you are getting.

 

Jon

[skipzoomie]

This post is directed to all of you SBC guys. I don't see a lot of info on the 305. I've used a lot of 305's and had terrific luck with them. With just a little tweaking they will perform every bit as good as the 350. Better fuel mileage is just one of the benefits. As though that mattered anyway. There has to be at least a bizzilion of them and that makes them a bit lighter on the wallet. Besides, it does not matter if you have 600 HP, you will never get a Z car to hookup unless you do some very serious chassis work. And that equates to mucho bucks. Something a lot of us home builders have to keep a close eye on. Be assured your wife is. For those of you haven't thought of using a 305, give one a try. You won't be disappointed.

[Guest Magnum Rockwilder]

99.9% of hotrodders will tell you 305's are good for boat anchors.

 

You just can't make good streetable power with a 305 when compared to a 350. A 305 has 17% less displacement, and puts out well under 17% less power than a 350, due to the small bores shrouding the valves.

 

So if someone has a low HP goal like <250hp, a 305 is fine, but if you're shooting for some serious power you can take a 350 and get a "free" 50hp. Where I come from, 50hp isn't anything to sneeze at, especially when it comes with a heap of torque alongside it, and it can be acheived with a milder cam. You can build a 400hp 350 with a 244º cam that will idle the same as a 300hp 305 with a 214º cam. Idle quality, idle vacuum, and low rpm torque are key to a streetable motor, so big cubes are where it's at. 350's aren't hard to find, nor are Ford 351W's, which are an excellent alternative for a cheap street/strip motor. I'll leave 305's to taxis and cop cars.

 

Also, Z's have excellent traction. They have a short wheelbase and the JTR mounts set the motor back, so there's plenty of weight transfer on launch. I've seen plenty of folks on here running low 60ft times with stock setups with decent tires.

[Mikelly]

Exactly... For the same money spent on a 305, you can generally get a 350, so why bother? Unless of course you live in an area where 305s are plentiful and 350s are rare to be found, which is unheard of in the USA.

 

Savage, You should take a trip down to Chesterfield Autoparts and walk through their yard... They have 350s with automatics bolted to them for cheap... My guess is you could get a motor trans combo for less than $500.

 

Mike