Guest Crema240z Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Every day im on here reading threads im realizing how much harder this 350sbc swap is going to be. Before any swapping starts im stripping the car prepping the whole thing inside and out and painting it. But with the swap im worried about things like the rear end , wiring , metal fab etc.... Does JTR cover every thing i'll need to know? For now im constantly searching and reading but soon I will be posting , Thanks for any help and answers any of you are going to give to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 JTR will cover the most part, but does leave out some smaller details. This site will make up for the missing info Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Depending upon what engine you are swapping, you may not have to do anything in the way of rear end changes or metalwork. If you do a carbed first gen SBC, then the JTR covers what you need to know (right down to templates for the motor mount plates). It is even easier yet if you buy the JTR pieces. If you want to run monster HP or fuel injection, then it becomes more work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crema240z Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 What do you consider monster horse power? Because the JTR starts explaining the 350sbc swap with a 180hp engine as an example , but i want like 300-320hp. I want to make this car a street car that i can take to the track. Thats why im questioning rear ends , should i get a lsd? Please understand my lack of knowledge , I am new in the world of cars but im learning. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartman Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 In the long term you will probably want a LSD, but to start with you can just run what you got. The JTR book covers wiring and you don't have to do any metal fab for most installations (you can get the mounts from several sources). It sounds like you're far enough along where you really need to get the book to determine how best to move forward. This site picks up where the book leaves off, so you really need to go through the book for some of the information you get here to make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 The book and this site and you're golden... I only had the book the first time around... took me 4 months to get everything in and another 4 months to debug... This site causes prolonged projects, due in large part to the creativity and BAR RAISING of the members... more than one "summer project" have been extended YEARS! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 What makes the V8 swap complicated isn't the swap itself, but the various improvements, hop-ups and "while I'm at it" modifications. To begin with, most people have a Z with a significant amount of rust. I'd say that >50% of the swaps which get mired into multi-year marathons ended up that way because of body work. Second, in an effort to build a competative street/strip car - rather than a mere street car for personal enjoyment and non-competative recreation - many people try to push the technology envelope. And third, there are indeed flavors of the V8 swap, such as using fuel injection or an unconventional engine, which turn the project from modest to very complex. If this is your first "hot rod"-type vehicle, the best strategy - and I'm speaking from 20/20 hindsight - is to follow essentially what JTR recommends; buy a mid-priced 240/260/280, buy a 1970's full-sized sedan with a 350 and an automatic, and mate the drivetrain of the latter with the chassis of the former. Don't worry about the rear end for now. And don't worry about the 300 hp. In the long run, it will be cheaper to install a 180 hp smog motor, get the car running, and later swap to a hot small block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crema240z Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 I am already in possesion of a 71 240z , I have also just finished a prep course at VCC so paint a body work is right up my alley that will all be done in no time. As for smog..I live in Canada Eh , we have air care up here and a 300hp sb can pass that no problem. By the time my car is totally primer'd and the engine bay is painted im planning on jumping right into a powerhouse 350 or 327 sbc. Thanks for all the help so far just this thread has cleared a few things up. As soon as the work begins im documenting the whole thing on cardomain so ya'll can check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjhafa Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Definitly buy the book, I drove 26 hours both ways to get the car I bought off ebay Nov2004. What started as a simple engine swap turned in to the "While Im at it syndrom" because I started reading all these posts and getting Ideas. Thanks guys! But I bought this as a project to keep me busy in the cold winter months. Well, I sat in the GM crate motor yesterday will everything shiney and new attached. I must have sat out there for 2 hours just looking at it, went out behind the barn and took a leak then stared for another hour. Tomorrow I start getting the drivetrain lined up. This site is a wonderful tool. You can do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 I'd say you'd be VERY happy for starters with a 200-250ish horse SBC. Quite do-able with a carb or simple (IE; older tbi/tpi) FI engine. And the stock rear end will hold up to that kind of power for a while, even if you beat on it. Really, that kind of power in a little Z is going to suprise you! Eventually, you can upgrade the engine later on, but for now I'd follow the K.I.S.S. rule and you'll be fine. Finding a Z that doesn't need tones of rust repair and frame work would be a good thing too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crema240z Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 The car needs little little rust removal like almost nothing its been kept up and the body work will be very minimal also , and yes i know exactly what u mean by surpising my freind has a 400 hp 79 camaro almost double size and weight of my little Z and that car scares me so I understand what this car will be capable of. Im having a hard time finding the book on buysell and ebay I searched but nothing came up if any one finds one on ebay post a link please and thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Doesn't anybody buy anything retail anymore? Go to http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html and order the book. It's like $35 - less than 1% of the cost of a VERY cheap swap, and 0.1% of the cost of a nice swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Doesn't anybody buy anything retail anymore? . What's retail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dudeboy Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Summit also carries the JTR Z swap manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Mine took a year, and that is without a whole lot of the "while I'm at it". Plus it will easily take 3 or 4 more years to get the car to where I want it. Keep in mind that these things usually turn into a multi-segmented project. My plan was to just get it running then work out the bugs, make decisions on the body work and paint, suspension and so on. I think it has served me well as my plans have changed since I got some ride time in this muther. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love-my-V8-280Z Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Id like to toss in my 2 cents.. I would not paint the car until the very last thing. My project has turned into a 4 yr event because of the "while I'm at it" problem. My car has been banged and bumped a lot. not to say how many times I have crawled under it and used my dirty hand to pull myself out.. I painted the unbody parts after I sandblasted them and reinstalled, I have done a lot of body work and it sits in primer.. I did paint the motor cavity of course... I feel the last thing is the paint, I want to go over the car with a fine tooth comb than put on that killer paint job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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