I want a V8!!

[strotter]

If anybody would care to argue the "V8 swap vs whatever" thing, I'd be up for it all day long. However, the OP suggested that he'd already decided on a V8 and was asking about details. Let's just answer his questions, not debate something he's already decided on.

[rsicard]

The Small Block Chevrolet was introduced in 1955. Even now it is still popular as a Gen I configuration. The Gen III and Gen IV in Racing Corvettes are winning races and they are PUSH ROD engines NOT overhead cam engines! If you turbo charge or super charge them the power increases substantially. For the compactness of the engine it can produce much power. NASCAR is still using the Small Block Chev with Pushrods and still winning. The most prevalent problem with NASCAR engines is the valve springs. The overhead cam appears to be nothing more than hype. Formula 1 is something different because it DOES NOT have valve springs but has overhead cams.

[Pyro]

The poster seems a little green. He needs to know what he is getting into and needs to know about other options. I'm sure many V8 conversion have never been finished due to cost over runs and fabrication issues. While a turbo project is much easier to complete in both cost and skill required. For most people, a V8 conversion falls into the subject of "be careful what you ask for".

[DavyZ]

Nothing wrong with suggesting other swaps. It's good to consider everything. I will tell you that Ron Tyler (or was it Paul Ruschman??--I think they are the same person sometimes) did a V8 swap on the cheap...and I mean REALLY cheap. His conversion was very well done, but he totally knows what he's doing and what he is capable of.

 

However, let's not DEBATE what engine is better or faster, especially in the CHEVY ENGINE FORUM. Most of this is relative anyway.

 

The Chevy engine swap is 1) well documented 2) relatively "easy" 3) has a manual written for it 4) has a relatively cheap cash outlay if you want two more cylinders (but speed still costs money) 5) and has the cheapest aftermarket parts available.

 

The key is to just do and complete the swap without getting fancy. As soon as you get sidetracked and start buying "bling" and/or speed parts for a stock engine and/or tranny, you will find yourself delaying completion of your project, maybe never finishing, and possibly running out of funds. Plus, your wife will hate you.

 

Davy

[Michael]

Yes, many V8 conversion projects suffer from interminable garage-queen status. But is that due to the swap itself, or issues with the engine? I return to my earlier point: the swap itself is not difficult. The difficult part is starting with an empty shell of a Z, and building a hot rod out of it… including assembling an engine from scratch. If you have to build a turbo L28 from scratch, would it be any easier than a Detroit V8?

 

If you can find a cheap but complete and running vehicle with the engine of your choice, then that’s a superb swap candidate – V8, turbo, V6, whatever. I’m really not a turbo guy at all, but if I came across a $1000 turbo 280ZX, I’d buy it and would consider it as a serious swap candidate, just because it is so much easier to mate two running vehicles than to build one running vehicle from scratch.

 

So the enduring lesson here is:

complete, reliable recipient car + complete, running, reliable donor car with suitable engine = low-cost, low-effort, highly successful swap

 

However…

Recipient car with lots of problems and/or “upgrade needs†+ pile-of-parts for swapping = high cost and years of headaches.

 

The particular choice of engine is itself secondary!

[240zJon]

Thanks guys you have opened my eyes to how much of a pain in the a$$ it would be. i bought the v8 jtr book and realised its going to cost more than my 2000 budget. I still feel that although a turbo l28 would be nice im just not a big fan of them.

[sweetride2go]

I have done two conversions. One with the JTR kit, so to speak, and one with my own engine mounts and such. My first was with a 327, that I had rebuilt and I had thought I was going to be able to get this done kind of cheap, same as you. In the end, however, I had spent over $3000, and even though I used the JTR method, I made all of my own parts via the blueprints in the JTR book. Everything adds up, nuts, bolts, hoses, engine accessories, fuel pump, all the lil BS things that I didn't think of in the beginning is what suprised me in the end. I would also say that I spent half of that freshening up the 327 and having the 700r4 rebuilt though. So, I would still encourage you to go foward with this project, it's not super difficult, especially if you are starting with a clean and unmolested car.

 

You are a local guy, if you have the chance, you should come out to the Datsun show in Canby, June 13-14. There will be some of every type of modified Z's there.

 

Cheers

ryan~

[240zJon]

I've been looking on criagslist looking for donor cars. There are just so many different V8's i just need so guidence in what kind of cars i should be looking for. CCars or Trucks that have a good year of motor and trany. I know theres no best but any help is muchly appreciated.

[strotter]

Jon, there are as many routes to success as there are successes. That said, a low-mileage but terminally bent vehicle is probably your best bet. On the downside of that, "low mileage" likely means late model, meaning fuel injection. As I said earlier, and as you've probably gleaned from reading the forum, f.i. is more detail-ee than a carb. The JTR fuel-injection swap book points out some of the complexities, including speedo and tranny and Vehicle Speed Sensor and many other small but time consuming items.

 

A pickup will provide the right layout (front engine, rear drive). You'll find pickups are built with torquey grunt in mind, which is fine in the real world, though not as appealing to many who will evoke high revs and peak horsepower. Pickups will (in general) have less of the extraneous "stuff" on it that you'll just be tossing anyway. You might do a little research on what you want to "have" when you're done - I'm thinking a/c bracketry if you want an a/c unit some time in the future, type and location of air-cleaner, so on. Totally secondary considerations, but something to keep in mind.

 

Personally, I'm a GM-oriented guy, more out of familiarity than anything else, so I'd recommend a Chevy smallblock. 350's are a dime a dozen, parts are easy, working on them is easy, they're well documented (with the "documented" thing being the most important). Ford smallblocks sound mighty sweet, though, so you might think about that too. Lust orientation, very important to take into account.

 

Perhaps it might be useful to go out to a junk yard with a notepad, just look at the junkers and get some kind of idea of what you want. Get an overview of what's out there, what vehicles have what on them, which vehicles are common and which are rare, how the brackets are laid out, what has the right starter already installed, what has the right tranny, so on. Become familiar with the "look" of things, get your bearings, understand the "terrain". It's like when you're house hunting; you look at lots of houses, those above your price range, those below your price range, too big, too small, everything; the idea is that you begin to understand the market, where you stand, how to "get there from here". Ultimately you zero in on what's right for you.

 

Be patient. There are a lot of vehicles out there, if you don't get this one you'll get the next. Your way will be unique; that's why it'll be your swap.