Guest Anonymous Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 I am buying a '79 280zx and from what I have gathered from this site (extremely well done site if I do say so!),is that it has not been done very often/or with much success. I was wondering if you guys could help me out with this since I want to drop in a 327 or 350. how much harder will it be? will I still possibly be able to referance off of th JTR manual? and use their mounts? also a little off the subject here but what do you guys think of the 327 chevy motor? I am currently leaning towards that as my choice motor and I want to know how you guys think it rates as a candidate motor. is it easy to get power out of and still keep reliable/streetable, i would like to make this car my daily driver. thank you much, patrick ------------------ how was I to know that it would do that!..heh..cool...do it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 17, 2001 Share Posted February 17, 2001 One reason also might be smog related. At least in my state you want 73 or earlier just to be exempt. As was stated each year the 'Z got a bit more structural reinforcing and luxury items until it got heavier and heavier. I believe I read somewhere that the original Mr. 'K' was no longer on the project and Corporates vision of the car and the original design were two different things. Later version were going for the luxury/sport segment and not the traditional sportscar sort of market. I'm not sure if theres as much latitude in moving the engine back on the later model Z's, so aluminum parts would be more important for them IMHO. Either way you go, you get big fun and great style (I personally like all of the generations, I bought an early one (72) just because of smog and the weight advantage.) That said, I'd rather be in a accident (if I had to be) in a later one that my 72. Oh well, just my usual $.02. Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhaag Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 My $.02 worth. I think the reason the ZX has not been used a lot for V8 conversions is that over the years in general, Zs have gotten heavier and have had more options. I think my 79 had the lowest stock horsepower of any ZX. More weight, more options tended to make the car less "hot" (for want of a better word) for the sports car enthusiast. It made it more popular for the masses (I think there were more 79s sold than any model year) but just by reading the car magazines of that period, you can see how often it was described as becoming a car with more luxury and image than performance. Also the 240/260/280 has been around a lot longer. I happen to prefer the looks of the 79-82 version more than any other model years but different strokes for different folks. Just my sense of things--I could be wrong. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 you know I do have to agree on the weight issue and I do plan on running as musch weight savings solutions as possible. like a set of trick flow twisted wedge g2 heads, alum intake, alum water pump, fibergalss hood, and maybe switch out the windows for lexan. (dont know on this one though, have to ask around about the practicality of it being on a daily driver), oh and also I will put on a MSA aeri kit 1 which should lighten it by getting rid of those big bumpers. as for the smog related issue, I dont have to really worry about that since i live in nevada. hell we can actually run straight pipes (no mufflers,cats,etc) legaly. so i am not woried about that. i can see how that would affect others though. do you guys think the as before mentioned mods will help cut down on weight?how much? the only md that I will be doing to add significant weight besides the motor is a rollcage. i would rather be bruised than rapped around a pole or another car ------------------ how was I to know that it would do that!..heh..cool...do it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 I think it's a bit easier to build HP than drop weight - to an extent. I wouldn't go with Lexan, especially in Nevada where the UV would be darned brutal though. If you've got your candidate and it's a ZX in good shape then by all means - go for it. Others have done this swap and it seems that they've documented it well enough to get you started even if it's not what most would do. My biggest reasons for the Z were that it had been done, documented heavily, and the smog laws. NOT because there was some reason the ZX couldn't have been done - it can. The mounts you should custom make or get threough MSA from what I've gathered from others. The JTR stuff will set the motor too far back. Getting power steering to work might be an issue and headers could be tricky too. Wiring is different than the JTR book I'm betting but if you pay attention to what goes where on the stock motor you should be okay. Folks here are doing it and helping one another - join the party! As for the motor, I went bigger because I wanted a bunch of HP and it's easier with more cubes. A 327 will rev higher than my 383 and to make the same HP would be more "high strung". That being said - there's nothing at all wrong with using a 327 and I think at least one person here has done it. If you've found one for the right price or that's what you want then go for it. Just be careful that you don't make it too high strung for daily driver status Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 Straight pipes legal? Wow, you guys rule. Thats great, I didn't know what the smog laws were in Nevada, but thats really cool. BLKMGK is right about the weight savings, budget permiting I'd put your suggested stuff in (with the exception of the Lexan, it'll scratch and really isn't needed unless its a race car), but building in a bit more power will easily take care of the weight difference. A stroker 383 is a good choice as well, it provides a broad powerband and is a pretty beefy mouse motor. Depends on budget and your usage of the car really. Good luck with it. Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Locutus Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 People seem to give the ZX a bad rap cause you can't do a "JTR" placement. The thing to consider here, is Nissan moved the crossmember closer to the firewall, effectively doing a JTR placement for you. The second thing to consider is the ZX has a considerably stronger frame in the rear of the car, it is also slighly heavier in the rear, making a 50/50 placement still very achievable. the mounting points for the rearend are more stout and give you a great place to mount a cage and subframe connectors. All and all the ZX is an excellent candidate for a V8 swap. Ask Ross he has to be the foremost expert on ZX's here. I think he can give you the most details on the actual swap. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 thanks guys you have been a big help and definately have given me a lot of food for thought. I will look into the 383 it does sound like a good motor. is it hard/expensive to build up this motor? what is the max HP I can run and keep it streetable? I do plan on running a supercharger when funding permits. most likely a ATI since i have heard a lot of good things about them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Hrm - HP goal? This is a driver right? Well, see if you can't get a GM crate motor or a salvage LT1 - with fuel injection if you can handle the wiring. Yeah, it's not a 383 but it would be more inline with a budget build. It won't have but maybe 300HP or so unless you get the ZZ4 motor with the "HOT" heads (383hp!). Then, when it's running well and you can afford it consider the blower Just be gentle on those Hypereutectic pistons and stay away from detonation. With that package you'll have more than enough power. For that matter - an LT1 out of a Firebird would be pretty good sans blower. You'll probably have nearly 900lbs less weight if not more! Can you say 'Vette eater? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Hey, it's about time someone else from Nevada got on board. I live in Carson city.Good luck with the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 that is cool that you live nearby. I live in elko if you have heard of it. really small town!. actually living there is the reason for my datsun conversion interest. there is zip out here to occupy us younger people! (elko is basicly a mining town) so there isn't much out here but stores, bars and casinos so ig your under twenty one youre stuck twittling your thumbs. that is why i goot in to cars i had to do something to keep me out of trouble and sane do you plan on putting your car into the silver state run? i would like to with mine once i get it done. maybe i will enter it into the gamblers run as weel since that is held in my hometown. hey blkmgk, I was pondering the thought of a lt1. is it any harder to mount than a regular sbc i.e. different engine mount points? also with any motor i get i will go through the bottom end to make sure it can handle the sc. my list was forged pistons,stage 2 connecting rods, arp bolts all around, splayed end caps, the best bearings i can find,balancing the whole recip assembly (internally of course). what else can you suggest to further bullet proof my bottom end? I think i might make a web page chronicling the conversion since this has not been done as much,that way it will help out anybody else who attempts this. all I have to say on that i prepare to see some rookie mistakes. I will make sure to take lots of pictures. plan on hearing from me a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jason Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Another reason I picked the ZX was for its improved aerodynamics. Although I'm not planning on driving at a speed where drag plays an important role, It should begin to pay off at highway speeds. The stock Z has a terrible CD of 0.468. I think a lot of SUV's could beat that figure, and there is only so much you can do to lower it without ruining the Z's classic lines. At least the Z doesn't have much frontal area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Locutus, I think most of us would agree that the JTR conversion does not apply to the 280ZX. The 280ZX seems to be as cheap, or in many cases cheaper than the Z in this part of the country, even though they are newer. I think the ZX is a more comfortable car by far and more "refined" in it's driving demeanor. A 383 conversion in a ZX would be an excellent driver and I really think I could get into one. However, I'm in love with the raw simplicity, lok, and weight of the 240Z. And as Lone said, the cars don't have smog issues at the moment... David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Honestly I've not done the LT1 swap but I believe others here have or are planningresearching it. My 383 is still in a box! What you're talking about sounds just like what Darius did with his car - ATI Procharger and an LT1. Not sure what he did to beef the bottom end but for a mild applicaiton you might not have to get too radical. The PM rods are supposed to be pretty good! In my case I went with forged pistons and crank along with Eagle H-beams (or was it I?). I overbuilt this puppy - you migh tnot need to goto that extreme... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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