McKaleJ Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Yeah I know that titles pretty lame, but its true! Sooo heres my story: I have read & read & read forums until my brain hurts. Pretty much everyone on here knows more about Zs than I will know in a lifetime, so Im hoping you guys can help me out by giving me some good answers. I bought my 1981 280zx 4 years ago; I have used it as my daily driver ever since then even though my goal has always been to restore it (engine, interior, body, all that good stuff) but I havent done ANYTHING to it yet & I now I am buying another car so I can park my baby in the garage & get busy. In laymans terms this is how I want my Z: -I am not going to be racing it; though Id prefer it to be pretty fast. I dont need to run 10s or anything, but when some fool pulls up next to me at a redlight & revs his engine, Id like to be able to beat him. (Haha, who doesnt though?!) -I want it to be loud. Obviously street legal, but a nice purr. -Monetarily feasible. Im not loaded, but I plan to take my sweet time with this, buy the right parts, & do as much work myself/with my buddies. Starting budget around $5K? -Reliable/an engine that isnt going to require constant maintenance. Ok, so I think that about sums it up. I dont have any pictures other than my profile picture. Please excuse the absolute NEWBNESS of this post; but I just need some direct answers. Ive looked at a lot of information about "V8s" (yes, I know thats a relatively loose term) & turbo converions from donor Zs. Any answers/tips/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismopick Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Welcome to the forum! An L28ET swap would be the most cost effective way to get "more power", though it may or may not be something you want to get yourself into (depends on your mechanical / electrical level). Second up would be a basic upgrade: Exhaust header, cam, ignition, MegaSquirt (a lil bit more advanced), maybe some intake work, head work (decking, valves, etc). More advanced would be a complete tear down of the motor, bore it (stroking would be more extreme), do some heavy head work, etc. It's really all up to you... You could get a good start by reading this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennysgreen280zt Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Cool, another seattle area member. Welcome! If you're not doing anything march 29th, you should check out the NorthWest Nissans BBQ. Its a huge event. http://www.northwestnissans.com/board/showthread.php?t=90868 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger.svoboda Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 take the 5K and buy the black z32 on craig's list. You will be able to take all the hondas with big pipes and lot of other iron that folks think is fast. If you really want to stick with the 280 (mine is an 83) buy a donor turbo car for under a thou and swap out the engine. The L6 properly cared for is a very reliable power plant. Do the suspension, wheel bearings, better exhaust, better intake. I like the looks of the 280 but I also think my z32 is the prettiest z ever made but the 370 might win me over. If you are interested check out our website at zccw.com meet some folks that have owned most of the Z's made from the 240 on up altho no one has popped for a 370 yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skib Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 You could get a good start by reading this: great book I had it on the work bench threw my whole L28et build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hop on a plane and I'll take you for a ride in mine, see what you think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skib Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hop on a plane and I'll take you for a ride in mine, see what you think Ill take that offer you buy the ticket and ill buy the beer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrariferg Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Welcome to the forum. I'm doing an L28ET swap some time in the future I hope. I'm not looking to get any MASSIVE power so there isn't any reason to do a V8 swap. Just depends on what your looking for in power. Hope to see you at Golden Gardens on the 29th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKaleJ Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Other Washingtonians?! YAY! But OF COURSE its just my luck Im going to miss that event, Im in Spain until April 2nd. cryyyyyy. We should just have our own BBQ. Haha. Allright, book first. Im starting to lean towards a L28ET swap as well, as I definitely think its within my mechanical abilities. And my wallets. So Skib & Ferrari, did you guys use donor cars? Or what? Tell me! Tell me everything. Haha. Have any of you guys been to Z Specialties in Clearview, WA? I know that guys got a lot of Zs, I havent seen too many on Craigslist lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Work on the mechanical stuff before interior and or exterior stuff, i.e. paint. Really though you should do some reading here to get a better understanding of what you want. This way, since your female, I suppose, you won't get a billion ideas thrown at you. Then you can ask more direct questions pertaining to what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKaleJ Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Really though you should do some reading here to get a better understanding of what you want. This way, since your female, I suppose, you won't get a billion ideas thrown at you. Then you can ask more direct questions pertaining to what you want. Haha Idk if the "I suppose" was to me being female or you suppose I wont get a billion answers? Im not going to worry about interior, paint, or body until Im done with the engine swap. And I have read a ton on here, its just that Im so newb a lot of either doesnt make sense to me, or its not what I am looking for. I just wanted some opinions as to what people thought I could do as far as money, time, skill, etc. This thread is helping more than most of the stuff that I have read! So thank you (everyone) for all your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSD Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Like previously stated, L28ET swap ftw. Unfortunately.. ( atleast around here ) most Z's seem to have been pillaged a few times at junkyards. I'm sure alot of people will be willing to help get you a setup put together. PS. I'll take a ride 260! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKaleJ Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Like previously stated, L28ET swap ftw! Thank you!! You guys are awesome. Just a general question: Have any of you guys done V8 conversions? Maybe 350s? Ive heard that those are usually the easiest to do because theyre so in abundance & there are so many performance pieces you can buy for them if you want to. So L28ET vs SBC(350 for examples sake) : Which in your opinions is easier? (For all aspects: mechanically, monetarily, time, skill, all that) Thanks again for everything guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Easy/simple/uncomplicated/cost effective.>>>> SBC 350 4bbl auto. http://www.jagsthatrun.com/index.html Get the books (2). Required reading!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKaleJ Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hey Jasper! I looked on that site too, it looks like a pretty sweet deal to me. Isnt it for 240s though? Not all of the parts are compatible, is that right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skib Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 So Skib & Ferrari, did you guys use donor cars? Or what? Tell me! Tell me everything. Haha. I yanked mine out the JY and scowered hybrid and locals for the little bits that where missing. heres a link to my build page on Ratsun, its a bit more up to date than my hybrid one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 (edited) http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Datsun-ZX_Order.html Edited March 6, 2009 by jasper spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmarchuk Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 swap in a turbo, get an intercooler, new fuel/intake/exhaust system. you could upgrade the suspension.. but if you like the way it rides as is and wont be racing, then its probably not a priority, as long as you dont have sagging issues, or bad shocks etc, then you may as well upgrade. when you get to the interior, message me or something, I have tons of pictures of everything I did to restore/change the color of my interior from tan to black, including fiberglass fixing broken panels, dash and new pieces, fiberglassing speaker mounts for the doors etc... it was all very cheap, and looks 10x better than stock. If you need any help with that its my specialty, and I live in Seattle as well. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrariferg Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I wish I could tell you how I did it but I haven't yet. lol. I want to get a donor car like I describe in my sig. If you come across one let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSD Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I guess it all depends on whether you want fuel economy or not. SBC's are sooo readily available. My friends keep bugging me to throw a 350 in my datsun, but I try to keep mileage and power both in mind... plus sbcs don't like snow and rain. I'm staying with my L28ET because I can still get like 28mpg with like 300 horse, and drive it in snow and rain.. * I know, my poor baby.. lol * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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