Guest mykoe817 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Hi everyone - I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Michael Vuong and I will be 19 this Augest. I am now a proud owner of the classic Datsun 280zx non turbo. I will be picking this up in the next few days for 600$ with 117k orginal miles. There are some surface rust but nothing major, and a minor fender bender on the passenger side rear quarter panel. This is my first datsun ever. However I partially bought this because my father owned one and loved it. It is his favorite car and currently his health is decreasing dramatically because of a sickness called Lupus - it has spread to his liver and lungs... I bought this car for many reason but that is one of it. To give my father something to smile about seeing his only son drive his dream car. I originally was a Honda head - still partially am. So I'm not completely new to the automotive hobby as I did most of the work myself since affording a mechanic was out of the question. I hope to become a valuable member of this club/forum and establish myself as a good hobbyist, I look forward to leaning new things about this classic series of cars. My car history: 1985 Toyota Cressida 5mge (swapped 1jz) SOLD 1988 Toyota 2 ton Pick up 1995 Honda Civic Hatch back. (extensive suspension mods) STOLEN 1999 Acura Integra GSR. STOLEN 1991 Honda Crx SI. Spun Rod - Sold. Current: 1981 Datsun 280zx non-turbo STOCK. My goal with the 280zx is to have it restored and running great. gonna be a daily drive / weekend car. I don't know much to decide on my motor options so I hope to be pointed in the right direction. I also don't know where to start for finding parts and etc. However I will use this forum and the SEARCH feature. Any input will be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 whereabouts in the IE are you located? im over in the palm desert-ish area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mykoe817 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I supposed its considered the IE - I'm over lake elsinore area. murrieta. I think its also riverside county? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Death69 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 welcome to the site man! im in the inland empire area too (just outside of ontario). as far as the motor goes, you can fit virtually anything under that hood. If you wanna keep it in the family though, id get a l28et Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mykoe817 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 sweet, thats what i like to hear!. i have no clue on where to look for motors... but i will keep that in mind forsure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 usually the junkyard is the pace to go for a l28et around here, i found ONE 280zx turbo parts car in the past 5 years in riverside county.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mykoe817 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 gees - in the past 5 years.. i will definitely look into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 OR you can convert your engine to a turbo with a 280zx turbo manifold, a turbo (holset HY35 ), modify the oil pan a little, and some other little parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 or just build a stroker and have more power to begin with.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mykoe817 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 what would be recommended to turbo my current l28e motor? should i take it apart and get it hot tanked and etc? while its apart change out piston to low compression pistons and bore it out a bit? i supposed work the head as well? i really wouldn't know what to do. i mean i think the concept is the same as with my old cars - hondas. but im sure its alot different. is there a good article or thread someone can point me too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 if your motor is in good condition with a good service history and under 200k you should be fine to swap on the parts, but theres a small list of things to do "while you at it" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mykoe817 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 things to do. like the typical tune up or other "things" im all ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 I think he was talking more about the modification arena, custom downpipe, fuel rail, intercooler, and many many other things might just "pop up" as things you want to modify. Really take your time and think about what motor you wanna put in there. When we say "anything will fit" we really mean it. One motor I never would have thought could fit was the ford 4.6 DOHC mod motor. I'll make a small list of common enough swaps to look into... small block chevy LS1/2/3/4/6/7 small block ford big block chevy VG30E - VG30ET (turbo) RB25, RB26 (all varieties) 2JZ SR20DET L28ET That's a good start that you should be able to find LOTS of information about through searching this site. It's actually really annoying when I don't find what I'm looking for on this site, only to be redirected back here by search on google... This place is THAT vast. As far as the L28ET goes, well I'm right about to finish a L28ET swap into my 81' 280ZX so I can give you a little bit of insight I hope. These aren't motors for the feint of heart. Pretty much any EFI work will be very DIY and not the simplest to tune. Replacement motors as a whole aren't TOO expensive which is nice, but as you probably know turbo parts in general aren't cheap. The common saying around here is: Fast Cheap Reliable You can pick any two. So, how much HP do you want? How much can you spend realistically on JUST motor modifications?(you can spend 5k on suspension, rims, and tires pretty easily) How temperamental of a car can you deal with? In my eyes the BEST swap to do if you've got the cash for it is a LS series swap. It's not the cheapest swap, but it's VERY powerful stock and shouldn't be much of any investment after the engine is in. It's also very reliable being such a new motor design. Some guys spend a lot more on other swaps, but compared to the el cheapo swap L28ET most motor options are really expensive. But the L series motors are gonna take more work to get to respectable power numbers, so it's all about what you want. I used to work on hondas a lot, so don't take offense to this, but this is a whole different beast. A turbo inline 6 is gonna produce tons of torque and a broad power range. You might find that 200 wheel hp is plenty for a casual car you're not looking to get much out of. The 400+hp possible out of a LS series motor might be a bit much Anyways, I'll shut up now and let you do some looking around. Feel free to IM me or PM me and we can chat about the L series some more. There's lots of information out there about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mykoe817 Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 that is exactly what i want to hear! I guess I'll be doing some research. I was falling between the lines of a L28et swap. Was thinking about buying a long block taking it apart and sending it out for the good stuff. but to be more specific i'd have to research and see what has been done. I'm not looking for a fully raced out car, or to even go sideways. I just want a beast. I've been in really fast cars (quad rotor rx7 turbo) and plenty of supras. So I assume between the hp of 300 - 400. time to research! 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.