Guest mylesofsmyles Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I have poked around on this forum for quite some time; I have always had a fetish for classic Z cars and the hot rods they become. A dream has been to have a 70's Z with a G-Nose, G-Fenders and a motor swap...jet black with lipstick red leather! As for now it is merely a dream as I don't have the knowledge, money or car do do it, but someday... I have decided that the Cadillac Northstar V8 is the best motor for my interests. It is light, modern and powerful. I like having dual overhead cams and possibly fuel injection. I want it to be a setup that is efficient and easy enough that I can maintain it...are carburetors difficult to keep running? Now comes the how...I see little information on such a swap...is it possible? Is there a reason I have not seen a completed Northstar V8 powered Z? Is the Northstar motor compatible with a SBC motor mount? Thus would all I need is a standard SBC conversion kit? Bear in mind that my automotive skill set is limited to what I read online and my ability to detail my VW with a Mother's 3-Step Process. The Z car, like many cars, have such a cult tuner following that motor swaps are made to sound like simple, no brainer tasks that simply require a conversion kit and a Craftsman socket set. What will it take to install a Northstar V8 with T56 tranny in a Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I have poked around on this forum for quite some time; I have always had a fetish for classic Z cars and the hot rods they become. A dream has been to have a 70's Z with a G-Nose, G-Fenders and a motor swap...jet black with lipstick red leather! As for now it is merely a dream as I don't have the knowledge, money or car do do it, but someday... Well, with enough money, anything is possible. Start saving up a ton of money!! I have decided that the Cadillac Northstar V8 is the best motor for my interests. It is light, modern and powerful. I like having dual overhead cams and possibly fuel injection. I want it to be a setup that is efficient and easy enough that I can maintain it...are carburetors difficult to keep running? Well, those motors are setup for a FWD car, so transmission is going to be a major problem. There are no kits to make it a "bolt in". Also, those motors (along with the Aurora V8) that have some miles on them are total crap. They have a problem with coolant leaks and headgasket issues. I don't think that taking off the EFI and trying to adapt a carb setup of some sort makes sense. Now comes the how...I see little information on such a swap...is it possible? Is there a reason I have not seen a completed Northstar V8 powered Z? Is the Northstar motor compatible with a SBC motor mount? Thus would all I need is a standard SBC conversion kit? Bear in mind that my automotive skill set is limited to what I read online and my ability to detail my VW with a Mother's 3-Step Process. The Z car, like many cars, have such a cult tuner following that motor swaps are made to sound like simple, no brainer tasks that simply require a conversion kit and a Craftsman socket set. What will it take to install a Northstar V8 with T56 tranny in a Z? Well, I'd say there isn't a chance that you'd be able to do that transplant, unless you pay a shop $100/hr to do all the work for you. Good luck with that. At least you have a dream! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonGu Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Make it easy on yourself and go with a more common swap. If you're stuck on having a V8, just go SBC or LS1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEvilrps13 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 yeah northstar V8s aren't that great of an engine, even when they're in cadillacs, never mind when swapping them into other cars. LSx FTW. modern, fuel injected, bada**. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mylesofsmyles Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I read somewhere that Northstar V8's aren't rebuildable...thanks a lot General Motors! I like the fact that it is light, small and dohc. I figured it would make good power and sound, perfect for my future Z. But maybe it isn't the engine...I have thought about a LSX, but they seem way more expensive. Assuming I stuck with the Northstar V8, just for conversation sake, what would it take to install it into the Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage42 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Well, just to play the game, it would take custom engine mounts, a custom transmission adapter, custom headers, dealing with all the accessory & intake problems that a FWD setup has when trying to install into a RWD config and so much more. Heck, if the FWD SR20 doesn't work where the RWD version does (in a 510 or Z), then you can see why this really isn't worth the effort. If you had a bottomless pocketbook and were doing it just to be different, then you can make anything work. If you are looking for ease of install and best "bang for the buck" with a V8 conversion, the SBC or LSX is really the best way to go. (of course, some Ford & Mopar guys may disagree!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mylesofsmyles Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Well, just to play the game, it would take custom engine mounts, a custom transmission adapter, custom headers, dealing with all the accessory & intake problems that a FWD setup has when trying to install into a RWD config and so much more. Heck, if the FWD SR20 doesn't work where the RWD version does (in a 510 or Z), then you can see why this really isn't worth the effort. If you had a bottomless pocketbook and were doing it just to be different, then you can make anything work. If you are looking for ease of install and best "bang for the buck" with a V8 conversion, the SBC or LSX is really the best way to go. (of course, some Ford & Mopar guys may disagree!) A fine point you make...well said. And yes, as I said, I don't have the funds yet to even consider starting such a project however, I am interested and my curiosity has got me going! I understand that a SBC or LSX would be much more cost effective however, that seems a little insignificant considering any one of these projects costs an abundance of money, and for the money it would cost one to "simply" convert to a SBC or LSX, think of the production vehicle one could simply purchase. But I think that's the point, it is a matter of interest and daring to be unique that keeps any one of these projects alive; it is the art of hot-rodding! So yes, I could save time, energy and money with a SBC or LSX, but it would be a compromise. I like the idea of a light, small displacement, high revving, high compression V8 over the likes of a SBC or LSX. The sound, vibrations and throttle response are all things to be desired; I think the likes of a Northstar would be great! I'd even throw around the idea of a SHO V8 however, I think that isn't an option...too much work. I have seen all sorts of motor swaps and conversions...mid-engine Integras, V8 RWD Preludes and various other V8 retrofits. Many of them are made out to be so simple and nearly plug-and-play. Assuming I had a Northstar V8 a T-56 transmission and a bare Z body/chassis tub...who would I consult regarding mounting them in place...roughly how much for something like that? Again, it is my lack of knowledge in the field of motor swaps that has me asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Custom trans adapter setup $1k+ Custom motor mounts built to your spec with engine and car in hand $250+ Custom headers $1k+ Custom trans mount $150+ So that's at least $2400+ in parts, and there's always other stuff you forget, or didn't know you need. Most people double any guess. So that's now $4800. And I wasn't even considering labor to install these parts. I'd be very impressed if anyone was able to do a northstar swap for less than 5k on their own, with no paid for labor. I'd be impressed if anyone could convince a shop to do this swap for less than 10k. By contrast there's plenty of guys that have done LS1 swaps for half of those figures. You can then halve those figures AGAIN when you look at the budget SBC swaps... I've seen some insanely cheap swaps done. If you want to look at a small DOHC V8 you're better of looking at the 1UZ or VH45. Those are at least RWD to begin with. Still under 5 liters, so they're not massive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mylesofsmyles Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 How ridiculous would it be to install the VH45? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 How ridiculous would it be to install the VH45? People have already done it and people are currently doing it. I don't know how light or small the Northstar is. I doubt it is as small as an OHV design or as light as something like the Buick. There are longitudinal mount Northstars, but they are newer and thus more expensive. Might look into the modular Ford's. I think someone put a DOHC version in but it is a very tight fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Just to reitterate further on what chris said: You'll almost never beat the power weight ratio of a OHV V8 engine. They have a TON more cubic inches per physical cubic inch of motor size than OHC engines. Example time The LS motors fit into the Z better than the ford mod motors. Camaro LS1 = 5.7 liters 305hp 335 torque Ford mustang SOHC = 4.6 liters 260hp 302 torque Corvette LS7 = 7.0 liters 505hp 470 torque Ford Racing Cammer DOHC = 5.0 liters 400+hp 365+ torque (power numbers variable on headers, motor comes withouth them) So you should start to see that on average OHC engines are much more effienct per liter... but look at the difference in displacement here, and the mod motors are larger, and often heavier than the LS engines. Just some food for thought. If you want a light, small motor that still produces power then OHV sure starts to look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdmanZ Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 If you're set on the Northstar, check this out. http://chrfab.com/ 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.