Guest 69rscamaro Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 I have an 83 280zx in incredible condition, I love the car and have spent the last three months researching ways to make the nontubo car turboed, and other such things. I finally concluded that dropping in a V8 was the easiest route to power. I want to drop a LS1 with an 4L60E auto tranny in the car. What are the issues that I will run into, I don’t think I really want to run headers, stock exhaust manifolds are fine. I want to make a really nice daily driver. I probably wont mod the motor at all. Other than having to make up a new drive shaft will the stock rearend old up to the power 300-330hp? I know that when I drove my friends 02 vette around for the a couple of weeks I was averaging mid 20s to low 30s on the high way is there any reason that I should expect any less from this car? Who has the best kit for this conversion, brackets ect? The car as it stands is a 83 non turbo five speed. Thanks for any of your responses I am new to this so please give me all your knowledge and advice. I am not new to working on cars by any means I have built several street rods 34 ford, 69rs camaro, 72 mach one, and others so I don’t think this should be beyond my realm of expertise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynekarnes Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 JTR is working on a kit for the 280zx http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html though i don't think Dave's is an LS1 http://home.earthlink.net/~dvgreimann/index.html you may want to use the search engine, i think "280zx" may be enough to point you in the correct direction. Ross used to have a real nice V8 zx, until some bad guys stole it. http://www.modern-motorsports.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=26&PHPSESSID=371260782032b393e9a1d874b851d50b i think MSA may have a kit for the 280zx as well ... http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PRC01 maybe get you a step in the correct direction wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 There are no kits avaliable for the 280ZX for an LS1 swap. If you went with an older SBC or LT1 engine you could buy a mounting kit from MSA and headers from JTR. If you want the LS1 then you will have to fab up everything. There are no bolt in parts for the conversion. You can probably use the radiator from JTR, but thats about it as far as bolt it stuff. The part that sucks is there probably wont ever be an LS1 kit for the 280ZX because they just arent as popular as the GEN 1 Z's. So it would be kind of foolish for someone to go threw the trouble of making a kit that just wont sell as easily as a kit for GEN 1 Z's would/does. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zwitha383 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I think the only reason you couldn't get comparable gas mileage out of the ZX is because it probably came with a 3.90 rear and I'm not certain but I think that most vettes have 2.73. As far as LS-1 in the ZX alot might depend on the type of steering you have. If you've got the box on the fender I don't envy you. Even if not, I doubt the stock manifolds will work unless they exit to the rear on the driver's side (I'm not familiar with LS engines). JTR sells a D-port header which I assume is for the LS engines, it routes the exhaust between the firewall and the pesky steering shaft. I don't think they will work with the p/s box if you've got it though. Do some searching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Again, NO ONE SELLS ANY LS1 swap parts for a 280ZX. The headers that you are reffering to are for older SBC and LT1's. They require the use of the a rack and pinion steering set up and not the recipocating ball type steering gear box. Guy ps...just trying to keep the facts straight thats all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zwitha383 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Oh yeah! I think he's right about MSA having LS1 parts seems like I saw some............. Here's 80LT1: (I guess noone makes any swap parts for an LS-1) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 69rscamaro Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 thanks for responding guys, umm I still am wondering to myself who cares if there isn’t a ls1 kit, I think it still uses the same mounting points on the motor for the motor mounts so what is stopping me, maybe I need to buy that book before I go any farther, but honestly what is stopping me from doing it, I will just bolt up a hi flow fuel pump, make my own radiator bracket run an electric fan, make or mod a transmission bracket, and run a b&m ratchet shifter on the 4L60e tranny. who sees a problem with this? also the stock exhaust manifolds fit tight to the block and shoot strait down problems? I think this is a simple ordeal, I think I will buy a conversion kit and just do it the way I want making changes as I see fit. I have plasma cutters and more welders than I know what to do with I don’t see how I couldn’t do this. I want to run the ls1 because its lighter than the lt1. The fuel injection can be handled by painless wirings hot rod universal wiring harness. Please shoot holes in my strategy I need to know if its not doable with relative ease? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONGO510 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 If you have the skills and the tools go for it. This stuff ain't rocket science. You can fab all the parts needed with just a little thought and patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 The LS1's do not mount the same as the orignal SBC or LT1/4's. You cannot use the same mounts from an LT1 for an LS1. They are completely different. Do a search, look for posts by guys like MAS280. Also 80LT1 is absolutely correct. No one sells an LS1 swap kit for a ZX. ZX == no kit. There are no kits for a ZX. JTR sells components for an LS1 swap into a Z. Note, no X. That is because no one makes a swap kit for a ZX. John's cars sells a kit for an LS1 in a Z. Not ZX, Z. JTR and MSA both make complete kits for swapping a SBC-LT1 into a Z or ZX. But not an LS1. That is because no one makes a kit for swapping an LS1 into a ZX. If someone knows of an LS1 kit for a ZX (not Z, ZX) please post a link, phone number or address. I would be interested in knowing about it. BTW, 80LT1 is a pretty knowledgable guy. He has never posted misinformation that I have read. You would do well to pay attention to what he posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 69rscamaro Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 hmmm well it has been established that no one makes a kit for a ls1 LOL. I actually got a laugh reading some of you post, point taken.... I still dont see why I cant fab up my own motor mounts for the Ls1, who cares about a freaking kit, I probably will buy one just to see what they did and if I can scavenge any parts off of it, or mod them. On the note of the LS1 motor mounts they cannot be that dimensionally different than that of the Lt1 and yes I know they are different, but the didnt redesign the car the years they switched so it stands to reason that it could be made to work. They cannot be more than two or three inches off which I can certainly account for with my welder and band saws. On another note how much heavier is the lt1 over the ls1 cause if its not that different I may say screw it and just do it with the lt1 and avoid any fabricating all togeather. They are easier to come by and cheaper anyway. Those of you have done this swap have you used the four speed transmisson or did you go to the 350turbo? I would like to keep the overdrive tranny in the car for milage reasons. I am building a daily driver here, thats the end goal.... also can anyone tell me what the stock differential is capable of handeling. Umm I will post more questons as I think of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 ...On the note of the LS1 motor mounts they cannot be that dimensionally different than that of the Lt1 and yes I know they are different, but the didnt redesign the car the years they switched so it stands to reason that it could be made to work. .... The mounts are quite different. They mount from underneath near the mid point of the engine. Most guys have had to (with the first gen Z's) build a new cross member. I don't know if anyone has put one in a ZX (did I mention there is no kit?) and I seem to remember someone saying the ZX did not lend itself well to such a swap. You seem to have the right attitude. With enough metal work you can fit anything in just about anything. However I am afraid you are about to get thumped for not reading the rules. Use the search tool and read through some old posts. You will find all kinds of pictures of mounts and the info on tranny's/diffs/weights you want. People on this site don't mind helping with specific issues, but they get rather inpatient answering the same question over and over. You then take the risk of some moderator setting himself on fire (so to speak) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I still dont see why I cant fab up my own motor mounts for the Ls1, who cares about a freaking kit Oh by all means please do fab up some motor mounts but be sure to post pictures! Motor mounts arent really that hard to make themselves but getting everthing else in the engine bay to line up is the hard part. You have to think 10 steps ahead on how everything else will fit with the motor sitting in "X position" I personally would love to see an LS1 280ZX. If I didnt have a nice LT1 in mine I would deffinetly go with an LS1 no question about it! But I would go with the T56, like I did with the LT1. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.