Noob ?'s about 280z 302

[water.boy]

Hi all. Short time lurker, first time poster. I've always been a fan of the Z and how it stacks up against the competition for styling and performance. I took a kick to the junk a couple of years ago when I got rid of my 90 ZXTT that had some decent mods. I regret doing it and now I'm thinking of getting something to fill the void. I can't afford to build another TT and I'm looking for a good bang for the buck alternative but still want the Z styling. I'm not a fan of the middle models but I love the S30. It's light, looks great, and has tons of ways to power it. Of course you guys already knew that

 

I've been pouring over google and hybridz about converting a 240/260/280 with a 302 and I have some questions. Most of the info I've found is either a little dated, or not concise enough for me. Here we go:

 

1. Does anyone know of a ready to go "kit" with mounts that require minimal fabrication and is done the right way? I've seen the JTR but I don't know if it's specific enough for me. I'm looking to save time, don't have fab skills or equipment, and don't like to eat up other people for labor unless I have to. By the time I get the equipment to do it myself, I could probably buy what I need, ready made if it exists.

 

2. I've read that the 240's are lighter and weaker than the 260/280 and the 280 has the latest features/gadgets are better suited for injected setups, and should already have the R200 diff. I'm wondering if the 280's still require a lot of stiffening to hold the power of a v8 and if someone already makes frame rails and other things to tighten it up. Again, ready made if possible.

 

3. It also seems that unless you can drop the chedda for an LS2 setup, the 302 with aluminum heads and T5 tranny is lighter than a SBC/LT1 with a T56. Not to mention the 302 has the distributor up front and the early SBC have it in back, which lets the 302 sit further back for weight distribution. Is all that right? I have friends that are into Stangs and said they can source me the 302 and most of what I need, and a bonus is I can pick up their goodies when they upgrade.

 

4. Since I'll drive it fairly regularly it seems the 280 is also better suited for AC, but is getting it hooked up a pain?

 

I'm not looking to build the fastest thing on the road because of the money and because there's always someone faster. I'm just looking to have a good platform that looks great and handles well, and give me that funny feeling in my stomach like I had with my other cars, and I guess I can't forget my wife

 

I'm waiting on an answer from a friend, but I think I might have line on a 280 that's fairly local. If anyone knows of someone near Wichita, KS that has a 280 they want to get rid of, or is a guru of all things Z, please let them know about me.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you guys can help!

[ckelly78z]

I think for the budget minded individual looking to do a V8 swap, the 75-78 Datsun Z is a better choice than the more rare and expensive, not to mention weaker/delicate 240Zs.

 

The 302 is the way to go, because of the availability of the motor/transmissions, the power upgrades, the lighter starting weight, the front distributor (better weight dist), and how easy they are to work on.

 

The JTR rear tranny crossmember with the exhaust cutouts is actually designed and built for the Chevy 350, but with redrilling only a couple mounting holes, will accept the Ford T-5, so that is a plug-n-play item.

 

As far as stiffening up the body/chassis on a 280, I would definately go with front and rear strut tower braces that will also improve the handling a bit. When looking at potential cars to do this swap into, look real close at the entire length of the frame rails for rot (take a screwdriver and poke around), or areas where the car has bottomed out and the rails are crushed. In either case, I would replace the section of rail with new just for the piece of mind it would give me.

 

It seems like the most common area for frame rail rust is visible in the front wheel wells behind the front tires where all the road debris, water, and salt have hit it for years.