b__sosick Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I have a L28E powered 82 280zx. I'm wondering if it's even worth keeping the motor. it seems as though everyone is doing the L28ET swap. As a teenager still in school, i'm certainly on a budget. So a full swap is almost unfathomable to me. I'm pondering a V8 swap, but then I'd have absolutely no fuel economy, and a gaurunteed 4000$ hole in my pocket. Ugh. My hair is going gray trying to decide what to do. so: 1.) Restore, and go turbo? 2.) Swap for L28ET? 3.) V8 swap? 4.) other swap (rb, sr...) any help is greatly appreciated as figuring out what to do is extremely frustrating. thnx -b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 You need to answer these questions: How long do you plan on having the car? How much downtime can you afford with this car? How much time do you have? What is the current condition of the car? How much money do you have to throw into it? How skilled are you? What is your intended use? "Restore" can mean ALOT of things. Define it more clearly. Keep reading here and soon you will see the answers that you are looking for. Also, A BIG WELCOME TO THE BEST SOURCE OF FAST-CAR KNOWLEDGE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2126 Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Seriously, focus on getting the best education you can right nows! If you do so, you will likely be able to do what ever you want to the Z later on down the road of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Given your situation, I'd say keep it close to stock and simple for now. If the current motor is sound, and the FI hasn't given up the ghost, I'd say leave it be.. (If the FI gives you too much trouble, there is the option of swaping on older generation SU carbs, which can be had fairly cheep) You already have it, and the N/A L28 is a very stout motor.. it should last you a while. (IE; give you time to finish school, gather up some $$ and knowlege/tools so you CAN do a motor swap in the coming years.) I agree with the 'what does restore?' question.. Does it NEED a full resto? Or is it just some minor surface rust/ugly paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I agree with the other responses. But, for the sake of answering your question, I'll assume your current motor is in need of a rebuild or you wouldn't be asking the question. Given your age, I'll assume your on a tight budget and that you aren't a professional mechanic or have access to a well outfitted shop. With all those assumptions, I'd say your best bet is to rebuild the stock L28. It'll much less expensive than swapping in a small block or RB motor (and much less confusing/frustrating in the RB case). You could find and L28ET and attempt that swap. It's well documented, but it will still cause you some frustration and could cost you more that a stock rebuild. Buy a factory service manual and the "How to rebuild your Datsun OHC" book and go for it. It will give you some solid engine rebuilding experience to build on and you can make performance mods based on a solid rebuilt motor. Of course, if your already familiar with rebuilds that point is moot. One of the guys asked about whether you can afford for the car to be out of service for a while. If it's your only mode of transportation, a rebuild may be time consuming and you may want to swap another stock motor or go ahead and go for the turbo swap if you've got the complete turbo setup with ecu, harness, downpipe, etc, etc, etc. Not trying to steer you away from a performance swap, but I know how tight money was when I was in high school and I didn't have a lot of the know-how I have now (or in some cases, "know-who") Keep searching the archives for information and ask questions when you need to. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Wecome to HybridZ. We can already tell you are a sharp guy since you picked about the best resource for these cars out there IMHO. I would concur with the comments above. I will add one other thought. Think about what you want. I know you listed a few possibilities, but actually plan them out on paper and get an idea of the scope, cost and down time involved. If you don't know, keep reading this site and do some research. The best part about doing this on paper is it costs nothing to change your mind. Wished I followed that advise years ago. I changed my mind countless times after I finished. Not efficient and often expensive to do. Also, would like to agree that you should stay away from the RB swap if you are on a tight budget. I would argue that if you are on a tight budget and limited in skill the L28ET could be a tough one too. Lots of choices for upgrades and you can fall victom to the "what if I upgrade this" syndrone. With that said my recommendation is to stay focused on school and start looking over the weak points in your car: brakes, suspension, cooling system, etc., to see what needs attention first; that way once you decide on a motor swap or upgrade the rest of your car will be up to the task. Good Luck, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 hey I just got my z a few weeks ago and I'm in about the same situation as you are, I'm going to college and this is my only mode of transportation. Let me tell you it's difficult finding the time that I can do real work to this thing and money is scarce. You gotta learn to streatch your pennies and make the best use of your time. My car is generally at my friends shop on the weekends and I'm currently working on getting this stock l28 into good shape. These cars dont seem to age well and there are a million little things that need attention. I'd reccomend just making this motor go until you can save up the funds for a turbo swap and then in the summer when you dont need the car so much to get to school you can swap out that tired old thing for a nice sound turbo engine that's been rebulit the right way, you dont want to put something in that's gonna sieze up and die after a few weeks you cant be in a hurry, you gotta do it right, ballance everything, machine the head for warpage and a little extra compression port it etc have some fun with it! This hobby isn't for people who need fast results you gotta be willing to wait you gotta put some time and work into it and in the end I'm sure you will appreciate the results much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tony78_280z Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 With that said my recommendation is to stay focused on school and start looking over the weak points in your car: brakes, suspension, cooling system, etc., to see what needs attention first; that way once you decide on a motor swap or upgrade the rest of your car will be up to the task.Nah if you do this you end up getting a piece replaced or rebuilt that you wont need after your swap. Do it NOW!! You only live once! and think of how much fun it'll be to ride around campus in your toy!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 WOW. I had no idea I would get this much feedback. I greatly appreciate it, as 8 replies has done wonders for my stress meter. Haha. The current L28 I have right now is in fairly decent shape, and I suspect it was rebuilt sometime in it's 23 year life time. The body is also in fairly decent shape, with minor exterior rust (around the gas tank, near the windshield wipers. . .) There is a HOLE in the floor board near where the driver's feet go, which needs to be bondo'd asap (gas fumes=headache) there is also a whole near the two rear wheel wells (which from what i've read, is pretty common) The ac/heat is completely gone. I suspect the previous owner was sort of a moron, and the hoses that lead into the "cockpit" are cut about 3 inches out of the engine bay =( Luckily, my mother said she would help me with the cooling/heating systems, along with the disastrous upholstry. I was planning on getting the popular tokico struts that seem to be in every catalog and ebay page on earth. Also, I found a monza cat back system that looked very attractive in a victoria british catalog for less than 200 bucks (before shipping) OH. That raises another question; Since I do plan on going turbo sometime in the future, would it be worth getting the n/t exhaust upgrade? . . . Right now i'm working on minor things. The previous owner broke a bolt off that holds the valve cover to the head. I have to tap-drill it because 7 bolts isn't enough and is causing a bunch of oil to leak on my alternator (something i do not want to have to replace) I was very surprised when I first bought the car to see what worked. All of the interior accent lights work, and even fade off after i think 3 or 5 seconds. The motor compartment light works wonderfully. But I was also sort of bummed over the things that don't work, such as the turn signals, speedo, odometer (yeah, ouch.), reverse lights,parking brake, and the rear hatch struts need to be replaced. *sigh* This is alot of work for a 15 year old with a job and school. haha.Luckily I don't really NEED the car for transportation until november. So I have plenty of time to work on it. And even then, my mom has a POS Rodeo that I'm sure she'd let me borrow if need be. . . Sorry I sort of got into a rant. But I have had all these things on my mind without a single person to discuss them with. Once again, thanks to all the hybridZ forum members for their help and expertise. I expect to enjoy my stay here, as you lot seem like a pretty cool bunch. OH WAIT ONE MORE. WTF is the "auxillary cooling fan"? I'm sick of having to remove it every time just to get my valve cover up.I've seen lots of z's that don't even have it. wtf does it do? can I remove it without detrimental side effects? thanks again ---b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 (answered for convienince) You need to answer these questions: How long do you plan on having the car? I plan on it being my daily driver for as long as i can until i wreck it or die. How much downtime can you afford with this car? My mom will let me drive her rodeo if I need to work on my car. How much money do you have to throw into it? As a student and busboy at a local resturaunt' date=' I don't exactly have unlimited funds.[/b'] How skilled are you? Skilled enough to do some work, and have skilled enough friends to teach me whatever I can't do. What is your intended use?daily driver/occasional appearance at the local 1/8th strip. "Restore" can mean ALOT of things. Define it more clearly. Keep reading here and soon you will see the answers that you are looking for. - Also, A BIG WELCOME TO THE BEST SOURCE OF FAST-CAR KNOWLEDGE!!!! also thank you for the welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240hoke Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Rock On Man! I was 15 when i got my first s30. Me and my dad worked to get it into driveable condition and then I took over from there. Ive wasted, some would say, all my money on it for the past 3 years and have enjoyed every mintue of it. Youll be surprised at how much you learn once you just jump in and start working on it. Many havent said this but you may want to consider buying another cheeeeepppp beater car to have while your working on your z, that way you can take your time and do what you want with your project. Anyway no matter what people say now is a good time to do it, youve got no bills to pay, you have alot of free time, and not many worries. Check out my projects: http://www.geocities.com/projectzt i love to see young people getting into z's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 hey thanks. And luckily i already sort of have an old beater car to drive if i need too. And I have learned alot already just from turning a few wrenches here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraker_Jax Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I'm in the same situation too my friend. I took her into the dealership today for a diagnostic. $83 but hey they'll tell me what's beating her. I'm actually planning on doing a L29ET swap. I figure that crank change should liven things up a bit more. I don't post here much, but it looks like it wouldn't be a bad idea to start. Good luck and keep updates on the car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 When I was 15, my dad gave me the 1972 Alfa Romeo four door sedan with 100K+ miles on it. It was a major rust bucket and had all kinds of mechanical issues. I tore apart the motor and made it run. I ditched the mechanical injection and picked up a pair of junk webers and an intake for $65. I took apart the carbs, cleaned them and made scissor cut, home-made "paper" gaskets. My previous experience with fixing mowers for fun gave me the confidence to work on the car. I even used a hose clamp on the fuel return line as a fuel pressure regulator....The tricks and mistakes go on and on and on. It's the only way to learn. In your ZX I would keep the stock motor for now and plan a long term upgrade path. It is fairly expensive and/or difficult to repair rust properly. For now, focus on controlling the rust. Plan to fix it right later. Make the car reliable first, then plan the upgrades. If you need parts, post here and you will probably get some good deals. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 A good bang for the buck swap would be a head swap to a well prepped N42... I'd start small, get a feel for things and upgrade what you have given your funds. Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scarab73 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 If you are planning on going to the 1/8 mi. track, you gotta go v8. for sure. just get a junkyard 350 with trans and go from there. you will thank me later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 A good bang for the buck swap would be a head swap to a well prepped N42... I'd start small, get a feel for things and upgrade what you have given your funds. Welcome! N42? I havenseen that. I've seen the turbo p90 heads and such but what's the N42? Thanks! When I was 15' date=' my dad gave me the 1972 Alfa Romeo four door sedan with 100K+ miles on it. It was a major rust bucket and had all kinds of mechanical issues. I tore apart the motor and made it run. I ditched the mechanical injection and picked up a pair of junk webers and an intake for $65. I took apart the carbs, cleaned them and made scissor cut, home-made "paper" gaskets. My previous experience with fixing mowers for fun gave me the confidence to work on the car. I even used a hose clamp on the fuel return line as a fuel pressure regulator....The tricks and mistakes go on and on and on. It's the only way to learn. In your ZX I would keep the stock motor for now and plan a long term upgrade path. It is fairly expensive and/or difficult to repair rust properly. For now, focus on controlling the rust. Plan to fix it right later. Make the car reliable first, then plan the upgrades. If you need parts, post here and you will probably get some good deals. Good Luck[/quote'] Dude. That's badass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 The n42 head is from a 75 280z efi engine. It will bolt right up to your block but it has a smaller combustion chamber so you compression ratio will be higher so you will see about a 10-15 hp gain from just putting this on. For more explanation about this and lots of other usefull info look at these two webpages. Welcome to hybridz This link has lots of info on different engine heads for the your engine. Also lots of other useful info. http://geocities.com/zgarage2001/ This link has lots of misc info about heads and performance work. http://www.geocities.com/row4navy/head2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Thank you very much! I've considered swapping heads and was really wondering what would be best. I wonder how good a deal I could find on one...hmmmm .. ---edit oh jesus, the heads alone are 350-450 on ebay. :| I think the intake that I ordered a while back for 40 bucks will have to suffice for now. ahaha (joke) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysZ Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 hey man, that is awesome that you are getting into it so young. what i like about this board is that a lot of guys here have owned and worked on Z's for a huge chunk of their life. you learn a lot working on the car yourself and hopefully with buddies too, to help you along the way. the collective experience of all these guys makes the experience a lot easier for "noobs" like me the education part is a must. sacrifice a little bit now and do well in school, seriously it will pay off. keep your car stock and learn the little things that go wrong. things WILL go wrong and you'll be fixing major things as time goes on. after a while, you'll have more experience, money, and confidence to do whatever you want. then go for the swap! good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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