Guest Hrod382 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 With this being my first post I guess I'll introduce myself... I'm 18 years old and live in northern Kentucky. My dad has a 1970 camaro with a 548 BBC that we race, I am in love with drag racing. I just finished (about 3 weeks ago) restoring a 1969 Camaro that's a pretty much plain jane car with a new paint job/interior. Recently I've been considering to go one of two ways, put a slick suspension underneath my Camaro (it doesn't NEED it) or buying a Datsun and putting in a LS1 with a T56. If I did get the Datsun I would buy a solid car from out west probably and set it up as a sleeper type and if the paint was decent enough not even paint it or clean up the interior and leave the stock wheels (paint would come with time I have loads of hookups). What I want input wise from you guys is a couple of things. If all I wanted to do was stick the LS1 and tranny in what stuff would I 100% need. I know the obvious motor mounts and driveshaft along with the wiring harness. What stuff am I overlooking (I know it's bunches of simple stuff that adds up). I just want to put a list together of at least what to expect to pay for and see if it's feasable as I still owe on my Camaro and will be heading to college for at least 6 years. My second main question is how is dealing with the fuel injection/computer cars. I can work my way around carburated cars pretty well but have zero experience with FI cars but I would like to verse myself well in car knowledge. Do I just need to look into a load of manuals and teach myself as I go along? So what I'm looking at is finding the drivetrain first (my dad works in a salvage yard, I may settle for an LT1) Buying a rolling chassis early 70's Z car (hopefully under 1K) Spending next winter assembling the drivetrain and not worrying about the interior and exterior looks... for now. I want to do this all by myself so I can pull as much from it as I can. Sorry about the length, I know people have asked the same things but I just have a lot of questions and none of the people I'm around can answer them because they A. Aren't into the conversion idea and B. Only mess with big motors without fuel injection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 You should spend some time with the search function, but here is a basic list: Fuel pump Fuel lines Upgrade brakes upgrade suspension (bushings, springs, shocks etc) Radiator and hoses electric fan upgrade diff to R200 if you plan to hammer it. clutch hydraulics new filters and fluids PCM edit or buy the software to do it yourself ....and a million other little things.... good luck....and post some pics of your '69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Go to http://www.brokenkitty.com and look at the "components" they offer for an LS1 conversion in a gen 1 Z. With the independent rear suspension and fairly small wheel wells you're going to be traction challenged in a Z unless you do some suspension modifications along with the drive train - depending on how quick you really want to be. With basically no modifications you can get into the 12's, maybe even the 11's, but then you'll need to start working on it for 10's or beter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hrod382 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I've been on Jagsthatrun and brokenkitty and I'm trying to feel out what stuff you should buy from them and what you can improvise on. I would drive my car like I stole it, say I got a 320 hp motor (at the flywheel). Would the stock rear be able to stand up to it? Would the PCM edit be necessary or just for performance? (I know nothing about computer cars.. yet) I'm hoping that if the project went well enough I would sell my daily driver Cavalier and drive this car everyday and with the money from the cavalier I could do all the bodywork myself and make the car look good as well as function. Both of you have setups kinda like what I want to go after (very nice ones at that). Would you consider your cars practical as possibly being daily drivers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 My car is my daily driver. It's what I drive to work nearly every day. I've put about 16,000 miles on it since the conversoin and the drive-train has been bullet-proof. I'm running a 3.70:1 LSD R200 out of a turbo Z31. It handles the load fine. Any R200 should hold up pretty well for you but you can break anything on a car if you drive it hard enough. You will have to edit the PCM because your engine won't be set up identically to a stock unit. You want to get a donor car and pull the engine, PCM, wiring harness, transmission, driveshaft, and radiator fan assembly. Personnally I'd get the engine and transmission mounts for sure to get the engine set in a good position and then go from there. My car was the prototype for the broken kitty items so I know they work. You're going to have a bunch of decisions to make on the fuel system and the gages. If you get a 280Z - already set-up for fuel injection it could be a bit simpler - plus you'll have a structurally stronger (and heavier) car. You need to do a bunch of searching using LS1 and T56 on this forum. I know I have about 40 posts I put up on mine plus there are dozens more by other members here who have done the LS1 conversion. There is no absolutely right way to do the conversion because your personal preferences - and budget - will greatly affect what you do. Do the research and make the tough decisions up front before you start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hrod382 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 That's the route I'm going, researching all I can before I start to really consider it. Today I really looked through a 96 impala to kinda get to know the computer car monster of a wiring harness. That's my real big concern, wiring the car, the rest I've been there done that. I'll do some searching through here the next few days and see how serious I am about this. Also is there a big price difference in doing an lt1 to an ls1? From what I've seen I would assume an lt1 would be the better way to go on a budget. Does it hook up easy with a t56? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 You should be able to find a complete LS1/T56 for around $3000. I'd never go with the LT1 over an LS1 option ONLY because the LS1 is the in motor and you don't have to deal with Optispark. Plus the LS1 responds so much better to tuning and simple bolt ons... MY C5 picked up 40 WHP with headers, Hi flow cats, an LS6 intake and tune. Imagine how a cam would have helped. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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