Guest KraZ4spd Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 I'm new to this thought of putting in a V8. I don't want to lose any of the stock interior look. Is it possible to put a 5spd in and still keep my factory console? If not I'm going to stay with an L28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 yes, with the jtr method it will look stock, you will have to change out the tach and the speedo though, if that is the sole factor that you are going to do the v8 swap, its better you not even dare. you should do it for performance reasons, your fabricating an entirely new drivetrain but you have a problem with having to cut up a dash and center console?????? cmon man!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 What year is the Z you want to convert? (280z? what year). You may not need to do anything to the stock gauges and have them work. Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 You can put a 280Z tach in and it will be very difficult t osee the difference. The 280Z tach is needed if going to HEI. The JTR manual (see links page) shows how to do this. You can also get a T-5 out of a Camaro or Firebird and not have to do a thing to the console. HTH, ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fast Frog Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 The answer is yes! Your JTR kit includes a speedo cable that hooks up to the stock speedometer and connects to the T-5 speedo housing(you may need to change speedo gears in the housing if later you find your speedo is off, but that's another post). The tach can be adjusted as stated in the JTR manual and you can use the 20,000(?)ohm resister as noted; however, you'll have better luck if you spend $80-$90 on a tach enhancer which gives the tach the 12Volt square wave input it needs. I got my tach enhancer from MSD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMS Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 Don't be too hard on him, Fairlady. If someone told me that I'd need to switch to square headlights to make the conversion work, I'd tell them to go find a hole and jump in. There are some cosmetic changes that aren't acceptable to me, and maybe KraZ feels the same way towards his console, I dunno. I kinda feel the same way about keeping the inside pretty much stock looking, while making it function better. Or it could just be that if everything inside stays stock, wifey won't ever notice anything different, hmmm??? "Honey, why is the Z so much louder now?" " Oh, it's just a new muffler. I saved us a few bucks and got a cheaper one, and it's a bit louder now. You know how it is." So Fairlady, I'm curious. Is there any limit to what you'd change cosmetically in order to go faster? Or is it all good, in the pursuit of better acceleration? I don't think I'd ever want to change the basic body structure. The Z is just too darned good looking to mess with its basic elements, IMHO. I want a faster car, but I don't want it to ever stop being a Z. Scott Ferguson Proud member of the Underground Upgrade Club. [This message has been edited by RPMS (edited April 18, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted April 18, 2001 Share Posted April 18, 2001 Yeah, stock console works fine - with the T56 too It fits a bit to the driver's side in the hole and a bit towards the back but it should all bolt-in. I too desired keeping th econsole and made sure the year I picked would allow it - had I been smarter and researched more I'd have tried for a 260 since I like their consoles better than my 240's. Finding a NOS console cost me a bit too - I will NOT cut this puppy up! Wish I could fixup the heater console a bit better though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedRacer Posted April 19, 2001 Share Posted April 19, 2001 KraZ4spd - check out the interior shot of my car in the "Featured Cars" section (it's the different looking red one). I have a 327 SBC and T-5 trans. in a 1971 240Z chassis. Per the JTR manual I used the later 260Z console and the shift lever came right up through the center. As you can see from the photo, it looks like the factory designed it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 19, 2001 Share Posted April 19, 2001 "< So Fairlady, I'm curious. Is there any limit to what you'd change cosmetically in order to go faster? Or is it all good, in the pursuit of better acceleration? I don't think I'd ever want to change the basic body structure. The Z is just too darned good looking to mess with its basic elements, IMHO. I want a faster car, but I don't want it to ever stop being a Z. Scott Ferguson Proud member of the Underground Upgrade Club. [This message has been edited by RPMS (edited April 18, 2001).][/b] i totally understand, and i would never put square headlights on a z, or change the body style besides what needs to be done in the name of performance. my shifter comes out of the fusebox(4spd muncie and scarab mounting) i had to cut the driver side of the tranny tunnel up and fabricate a sheet metal plate because of shift linkage clearance issues. if somebody told me that i would have to look like the primadonna to have a v8 in my z, ill run from it. honestly, would you give up the chance to have torque of the gods because you would have to buy an after market shifter boot and make some adjustments? your putting in a motor that makes double or triple the power the old drivetrain used too, and if it looks a little off it reflects the changes made in the name of bang for my buck! drastic frame altering stuff isnt for me, for the most part my z is stock exterior except the owner before me louvered the hood and had a airdam installed. i dont want to do very much to the exterior besides some nice rims and tires with some nice meats on them, maybe in the future a deck lid little skateboard ramp spoiler, three inch single exhaust(currently running el cheapo super turbo 2/5 single exhaust) and some import racing inspired touches to it that reflects the dual nature of its life. i would stop at the extreme, and wont do very much to my car altering wise that doesnt make me faster or safer, you could say that i do all my mods in the sake of neccesity, i run a fairly mild drivetrain right now and am doing most of my work now in the suspension and braking. im the kind of guy that would only do the sideskirts and some type of flare work to cheaply fix body work while improving the look and maybe giving it the smallest aerodynamic edge. im about performance, i mean is it really that big of a sin to have a funny console? you would already have a "funny" engine bay. would it make you sad that you had a funny console when you start that motor??? im sorry if i came off bad in my initial post, but its not like you would have to cut the frame rails off to do the swap or anything, if you go five speed it will look absolutely stock, while youre at it, stick a datsun pattern shift knob on the t56 and be a true sleeper. do any of you guys out regret having a funnyish interior because you swapped in a more powerful drivetrain???? cosmetics are skin deep, and i have nothing against the man who goes that extra mile and does some off the wall body styling to a z, but i love the true body form of the fairlady , beauty, my ex girlfriend once asked me: what year ferrari is that? i answered : 1972!!!!! hey if they cant tell, they just cant. come check out my car, it does look stock form the outside, only difference is the shifter location and gauges, which were changed out for a more accurate reading ------------------ http://photos.yahoo.com/lenster94116 come see the ghetto bird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMS Posted April 19, 2001 Share Posted April 19, 2001 quote: Originally posted by FAIRLADY 327: come check out my car, it does look stock form the outside, only difference is the shifter location and gauges, which were changed out for a more accurate reading MMMmmm! I love that red! I also appreciate your steering wheel and that big Muncie cue ball! I'm not sure whether having the shifter come out of the fusebox would irritate me or not. I don't have any problem with it on theoretical grounds, but I don't know if something like that would work with my ergonomics. Seems like someone with the typical Italian build (Long arms and short legs) would do well with that setup. My shoulders prefer a setup with the shifter lower down, and 2-3" further back than the plane of the steering wheel. I find Miatas really comfortable to shift, but I've heard that folks with long arms and short legs can't stand them! Scott Ferguson 1974 260Z - It doesn't move yet, but it's REAL comfy to sit in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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