Newbie trying to plan first build

[SonewSodumb]

Well... after much trolling, googleing, and Craigslist shopping here we go!

 

I'm about to begin my first major car rebuild, and at the same time going for the 350 swap into a z.... so the one thing I'm sure of is that I'm about to add a lot to my plate. That being said, I'm extremely excited to finally have the time and a little extra coin to start something that has been a dream for many years. I have a million questions, and while I've been searching for answers, I don't want to bother anyone with something that simply could have been researched through the right link, right book, etc so if there's another thread I didn't find, book to read, or a site I should read please let me know. I just ordered the JTR v8 swap book, which was obviously the first step, and my next day off I'm hitting the used book store for a couple 350 books (suggestions appreciated). My questions for all of you who have been through this before (and some of you many times) is regarding my strategy for getting this going.

 

From all of my searches through the forums, I understand that my budget and what I'm envisioning for the Z will have a lot to do with what is recommended. First and foremost I want to do as much of the work myself as possible. I understand this WILL be more expensive and time consuming than other options, but as much as I want the finished product, I want the project and the experience (including my screw ups along the way). I don't have the cash set aside to drop 3 or 4k at a time, but depending on my commission check I do have an extra 5-600 bucks a month. The car will need to be capable of daily driving duties, and live life on the street. I want something that can light 'em up if I felt like it, and wouldn't hit the strip except just to see what it could do. So in that light, 350/350lb would probably be fine given the weight of a z, and leaving options open for further craziness down the road.

 

My plans and questions at each step:

-I'm going engine first, only because I have access to what I feel are a couple great deals currently. I can pick up a 350 2bolt short block for under $200 or a friend has offered an LT1 longblock for $600. I'm leaning towards the 350 simply because I'm not sure of how or what I would need to change out of a stock Z to move to fuel injection (opinions please!)

 

-Finding the car.... while I'm rebuilding the engine I'll be keeping my eye out for a good deal on a tax exempt Z. Not too concerned over 240z light weight vs. 260/280 more rigid body at the HP I'm aiming for (unless I should be?) While I haven't been out to see the cars it would seem a Z can be had for under 2grand, and I would just sell the engine and transmission.

 

-Fixing the body, taking care of the rust, buying my buddies beer to help with any welding necessary. Posts I've read say I might not need to go with a cage/ frame reinforcing at this hp?

 

-Acquire transmission, drive train, new rear end (is r200 swap necessary at this hp?), and install. Again, beer for the helpers... lol

 

-Paint, interior, sound system, etc.

 

I know I'm probably missing a ton, but am I at least on the right track? What pitfalls should I be aware of, and looking out for? Besides the setbacks that I will cause myself due to lack of experience is there any advice you can offer that will save time, money, and frustration?

 

Thanks a ton HybridZ!

 

Josh

Edited May 1, 2011 by SonewSodumb

[Fauxre]

Welcome to the information highway for the V8Z,

 

Like you, I'm doing my first major car project. It's a Velo Rossa body kit with a JTR 350 swap. Vacaville Velo Rossa thread ( http://forums.hybrid...__1#entry813716 ) if you're interested. And I too want to do as much of the work as I possibly can. I've found the threads here cover just about every problem you could come across... a little searching goes a long way.

 

As for books, these are the ones I have been using with excellent success:

 

How to Rebuild Your Small-Block Chevy, by David Vivard HPBooks

How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car, by Wick Humble, California Bills Automotive Handbooks

Datsun 240Z,260Z & 280 Repair Manual, Haynes Publishing

Datsun Z V8 Conversion Manual, JTR Publishing

 

You should probably decide on which engine to use first, as JTR has a separate manual for fuel injected engine swaps. Or I suppose you could get both manuals and then decide which is more to your liking.

 

As for avoiding pitfalls and frustration...? The nature of this kind of endeavor won't allow it.

Taking the first step is the hardest part.

Wes

[Miles]

Your sucess will depend to a large degree of how much planning you do before starting the actual build. Take your time and plan the project system by system. If you are handy with Excel, make a spread sheet that lists all of the parts you will need to buy showing source, p/n, cost/part and summery of total cost. I spent about three months planning and revising my spread sheet before buying parts. This gives you a purchase plan and helps budget your money. It also helped me avoid the "while I'am at it" syndrome.

 

If you want a reliable daily driver keep it simple and use tried and true engine, drivetrain, fuel system, cooling system and brake system approaches found here and the JTR book.

 

[kamikaZeS30]

I would, whichever way you go, try to find a complete engine (if it's EFI, make sure you get at least the engine harness and ECU).

 

I had my engine built by a shop, like a crate motor, so that's where most of my expense went in the project. And, now, I have a really sweet engine, but the rest of the car is trying to play catch-up.

 

I would also recommend chassis reinforcements of some kind. I went with the bad-dog frame rails, some good strut-tower bars and the "Ron Tyler" diff mount (used in conjunction with the stock mount).

 

Other lessons learned: measure, measure, measure and double-check your measurements, test fit, measure again!

[GOTHALOSISM]

Go with the LT1 long block, its a SBC 350 already.

 

Of course I am a little partial to the whole thing...

[rsicard]

Go with the LT1 long block, its a SBC 350 already.

 

Of course I am a little partial to the whole thing...

 

The Generation 1 SBC can be as effective as the LT1 and parts and options are more plentiful. Summit Racing has 350 blocks already prepared for 383 stroker components. The cost effective approach is to go directly with the Summit block, Scat cast 3.75 stroke crankshaft, scat I beam rods and SRP Pro Pistons. This is an easy assembly of parts. Add an oil pump and pan and the bottom end is done. Add a good camshaft, pete jackson timing gear drive and timing cover. Then go with self oiling solid roller lifters (.300 taller), Comp Cams heavy wall push rods, 1.6 ratio rocker arms and AFR cylinder heads. The latter will be the most expensive but well worth the price. Then you will know EXACTLY what you have in the engine.

[kamikaZeS30]

Don't forget the "small things" people normally don't think about during engine swaps but it comes to roost when it comes to first-start and initial tuning time.

 

Think about what accessories you're going to need to otherwise replace or upgrade to support the new engine.

 

Fuel:

 

The stock fuel lines in a Z might support a factory stock SBC, but you start doing anything performance wise and you've put yourself way outside that envelope. So, new fuel lines and an appropriate pump/regulator combo are in order. Depending on how much fuel you need and what kind of system you're running, this may mean adding a sump to the stock fuel tank with bigger lines or getting a different tank altogether.

 

Cooling:

 

There's a million different opinions on what to do with the cooling system. Personally, I like a good flowing electric fan, the biggest one you can find to fit whatever radiator you end up with, a good shroud and the right components (like on temp switch and thermostat).

 

Starter:

 

Starters are another thing, do you plan on going above 9.5:1 static CR? You might find that a lot of the available OEM starters don't work so hot in that application, also clearance with block-huggers (a necessity in an S30, unless you want to drop ridiculous cash on custom made headers) becomes an issue.

 

Electrical:

 

Now, you have a nice big cooling fan, high torque starter, electric fuel-pump and don't forget, the ignition is going to require more juice since you've got two extra cylinders and double, even triple the displacement. You're going to need relays for most of these new accessories, so you have to think about how you want to mount them, wire them in, etc. You're also going to need a beefier battery to give you enough starting power (what if it's a warm day, you drove your car somewhere and now the fan is on when you start the engine again? and now you have an electric fuel pump that may draw as much as 7 amps). Also, working over the grounds in the S30 electrical system goes a long way. You can replace all the wiring, but the stock harness was pretty well sealed and insulated, it just starts to lack stable grounds as it ages.

 

Drive-train:

 

The V8 has a lot more rotating mass than the small-displacement L6s. The L6 rods are tiny by comparison to SBC rods. This is what presents the biggest stress to your drive-train. I think it's safe to say you'll be using some permutation or incarnation of an other wise standard GM transmission, but what about the diff? Like I said, 250hp from a built up L6 is different than 250hp from a V8. You're going to hit that torque peak much sooner, you're going to have more of it available off-idle, add to that you've got the rotating mass which is probably equivalent to 2 L6s spinning around driving the thing. My car feels like a motor-cycle, now that I have the v8 in it, in that I can feel the gyro effect from the crank, trans, drive-shaft and everything spinning. Sounds crazy, but I'm sure there are other members that will echo this.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I'd concentrate on all of this stuff and put a stock or refreshed SBC in. Overbuild the support equipment, then down the road when I have the money buy a crate motor or something.

[rsicard]

Don't forget the "small things" people normally don't think about during engine swaps but it comes to roost when it comes to first-start and initial tuning time.

 

Think about what accessories you're going to need to otherwise replace or upgrade to support the new engine.

 

Fuel:

 

The stock fuel lines in a Z might support a factory stock SBC, but you start doing anything performance wise and you've put yourself way outside that envelope. So, new fuel lines and an appropriate pump/regulator combo are in order. Depending on how much fuel you need and what kind of system you're running, this may mean adding a sump to the stock fuel tank with bigger lines or getting a different tank altogether.

 

Cooling:

 

There's a million different opinions on what to do with the cooling system. Personally, I like a good flowing electric fan, the biggest one you can find to fit whatever radiator you end up with, a good shroud and the right components (like on temp switch and thermostat).

 

Starter:

 

Starters are another thing, do you plan on going above 9.5:1 static CR? You might find that a lot of the available OEM starters don't work so hot in that application, also clearance with block-huggers (a necessity in an S30, unless you want to drop ridiculous cash on custom made headers) becomes an issue.

 

Electrical:

 

Now, you have a nice big cooling fan, high torque starter, electric fuel-pump and don't forget, the ignition is going to require more juice since you've got two extra cylinders and double, even triple the displacement. You're going to need relays for most of these new accessories, so you have to think about how you want to mount them, wire them in, etc. You're also going to need a beefier battery to give you enough starting power (what if it's a warm day, you drove your car somewhere and now the fan is on when you start the engine again? and now you have an electric fuel pump that may draw as much as 7 amps). Also, working over the grounds in the S30 electrical system goes a long way. You can replace all the wiring, but the stock harness was pretty well sealed and insulated, it just starts to lack stable grounds as it ages.

 

Drive-train:

 

The V8 has a lot more rotating mass than the small-displacement L6s. The L6 rods are tiny by comparison to SBC rods. This is what presents the biggest stress to your drive-train. I think it's safe to say you'll be using some permutation or incarnation of an other wise standard GM transmission, but what about the diff? Like I said, 250hp from a built up L6 is different than 250hp from a V8. You're going to hit that torque peak much sooner, you're going to have more of it available off-idle, add to that you've got the rotating mass which is probably equivalent to 2 L6s spinning around driving the thing. My car feels like a motor-cycle, now that I have the v8 in it, in that I can feel the gyro effect from the crank, trans, drive-shaft and everything spinning. Sounds crazy, but I'm sure there are other members that will echo this.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I'd concentrate on all of this stuff and put a stock or refreshed SBC in. Overbuild the support equipment, then down the road when I have the money buy a crate motor or something.

 

The small things are exactly that. The engine is the heart of the matter providing propulsion along with the transmission and rear end. A more powerful engine says that you need better supporting machinery to augment a more powerful power-plant. The 383 SBC is about the most cost effective (best ROI) approach to more power in a compact package. The refinements to it just make it more efficient. 1.3 HP/Cu In is good for a normally aspirated engine. And a better HP/Cu In figure can be obtained.

[kamikaZeS30]

I wasn't talking about the power-plant, I was saying he should think about what he'll need to support the power plant. The 383, at a minimum is going to require 3/8" feed for the fuel, you're shooting for roughly 200 lbs./hour for a mild 383.

 

Having completed the 383 SBC swap, myself, about 4 weeks ago, I'm now in the "oh ****, this just broke/is inadequate, etc." phase. Of course, I foresaw a lot of things happening months ago, mentioned it to the shop I hired to do the swap, they ignored me and gave me something I feel is incomplete.

 

And, the small things aren't small. That's the point I was trying to make, they're the things that keep you off the road and suck all your money and time like a dehydrated vampire. I'm going through this right now. I just broke my starter because the one they gave me was inadequate for my application.

 

Also, don't use cork gaskets or stamped steel valve covers. Yeah, you CAN get them to seal, but the Fel-Pro permadry gaskets and a good fabbed aluminum valve cover seem to do the trick without using any RTV or wasting any of your time chasing down oil leaks that could've been prevented by using these things in the first place-- worth the extra money, IMO.

[SonewSodumb]

Wow,

 

An absolute ton of information to get me started. Thanks to everyone contributing to help me get this project started on the right foot. Wes, reading your thread through gives me real hope that I can see this through, and if I can get the results you seem to be I will be thrilled. Thanks for the books suggestions as well, I ordered each of them from Amazon last night. After all of your suggestions, I am going to commit to a 383 build for the engine. As Miles suggested, I am putting together a spreadsheet to cover the build in systems. Thanks to Kamikaze for the list of areas that I probably wouldn't have thought about ahead of time, I've added these to the spreadsheet. After rsicard pointed me towards summit, I'm holding off on purchasing the engine for a couple days while I finish out comparing what I would spend re-building the engine vs buying parts from summit. It's actually a lot closer in total price than I had thought.

 

Again, thanks a bunch for taking the time to give me the head start on this build.

 

 

Josh

[frank280zx]

Can i be the devils advocate?

Whilst i run a 406 SBC, if more available here in Europe i would choose to go for LSx engine.. I have seen 400HP from a stock LS bottom end with just a 'fast' intake. I have seen LS and LQ engines sold for as low as $500...

It is by far the best bang for the buck and it fits under your hood!

I had to use a 4" cowl to get even a half decent air cleaner on the SBC using a victor JR and a Barry Grant, Given this is in a s130. In the s30 the same cleaner did not fit even with a EFI throtthle plate!

 

If i would have lived in the US id go LS all the way!!!!

 

Further I guess you have a ton of information right there!

And yes it is the ton of little things that cost the most time and money, dropping in the engine is the easy part. Hooking everyting up, and fabbing takes time!

[kamikaZeS30]

If i would have lived in the US id go LS all the way!!!!

 

You must have money coming out of your ears, bro. I do like the LSx, but you look at how much more work and money it costs...

 

I know someone with a no B.S. NAPS Z (79 280zx) with an LSx swap and he keeps saying he wishes he'd gone carb'd SBC.

[emeraldlion]

Meh, I have to go to the LS side for this one kamikaze. Yes it is more expensive for parts. Overall I'm not so sure the swap costs any more IF you are comparing a similarly sized and powered sbc. The ls is just a better more sophisticated starting point. If you compare a solid well running sbc combo running 300 to the wheels with easily sourced parts then it will probably be similarly priced to the ls swap. (lq9 or lq4 setup). I went sbc because I like carburetors and fiddling with my car. It will never have DD status, always hobby car.

[frank280zx]

You must have money coming out of your ears, bro. I do like the LSx, but you look at how much more work and money it costs...

 

I know someone with a no B.S. NAPS Z (79 280zx) with an LSx swap and he keeps saying he wishes he'd gone carb'd SBC.

 

Last time i checked it wasnt money coming out of there haha BTW what is a NAPS S130 as that is new one

NAPS stands for Nissan Anti Pollution System and the engines called NAPS are the 'Z series'

 

All Z20, Z22 and Z24 engines were known as NAPS-Z engines, NAPSZ motors had dual sparkplugs per cylinder except the pre-82 versions and later versions of the Z24 as fitted to the Pathfinder. However all NAPZ engines sold in California reportedly had dual plug heads regardless of the year.

 

There is no NAPS Z ZX

 

Back on Topic; I dont see where it is more work the kit is much harder, like said ( i'm talking from experiance here) Dropping in the Engine is not the hard part!

And A LS/LQ engine can be sourced as cheap as a nice SBC.

He is talking 383 allready, that is not your avarage junkyard engine! Even at the Pomona swap meet a complete engine like that with half decent parts will set you back between 3500 to 4 grand, or if you build it yourself about 2 grand in parts.

You can source a LS/LQ engine with a T56 for the same money or less! Complete! If you can do the swap or an engine rebuilt you can build or adapt LS engine mounts.

 

Anyhow it is just a thought and the prices dont vary that much on a complete build to justify 'money out of my ears' if that was the case i would have advised to use a Ferrari v8

 

And daily driven a LS/LQ with stock EFI is the better option in my book

[deja]

My take on all this. If you are building a daily driver I say go EFI without a doubt. Carbs were cool in their day but for today's driving and fuel economy I think EFI wins hands down. I am running a 4 bolt LT1 with a LT4 cam kit from Summit. Great daily driver with a little bit more HP than a stock LT1. If I had the extra money I would have gone LS series. But in reality it is more for the cool factor than anything else. At twice the price over the LT1 it just was not worth it for my needs. BTW the guy that programmed my ECM talked me out of building the 383 even though he had done it. He said it just wasn't worth the extra money over the 350 especially for a daily driver. When he finally blew up the 383 he relaced it with the same GM 4 bolt short block I have. We both got the GM short blocks from Powertrain Products To each their own, but I am perfectly happy with the LT1.

[Michael]

The most troublesome, labor-intensive, frustrating and incommodious part of the Datsun V8 swap is rust abatement and the related chassis-reinforcement. Rusty car ==> project will drag on for years. So spend the extra money on a reasonably “rust-free†chassis (there are no entirely rust-free Datsuns in the known universe).

 

The second most troublesome portion of the swap is the engine build. If you go the Gen-1 or-2 SBC route (350, 383, 406, etc.), be prepared for a rebuild and cost outlay for aftermarket parts: heads, cam and valvetrain, intake/carb, and so forth. Likely the eventual cost will be comparable to the LSx series. Reasons for building a traditional small-block (or big-block): (1) this is where your expertise lies, or (2) you have an established supply-chain for the traditional engines but not for the newer ones. Otherwise, go with the newer family. I say this as some one who built a traditional engine, and now regrets it.

 

The actual swap itself – engine mounts, cooling system, charging system, fuel routing, electrical, exhaust – while not trivial, is not particularly difficult, IF you have a decent host vehicle and a decent engine/transmission combination ready for the swap.

 

My recommendation is to first find a suitable Datsun, that runs reasonably well, that can be registered as a street car. Drive it for a year or two. Worry about the rust, about the suspension, about the bodywork, the interior, whatever. And only then, once you are familiar with the car and aware of its weaknesses, would you be well-positioned to work towards a swap.

 

Good swaps take years. Unsuccessful swaps take decades.

[strotter]

I posted this reply to a similar question a couple of years ago. I've edited it a bit to match your situation a bit more closely.

 

Welcome to the board. I've got a Z conversion (a fuel-injected 327 with a T5 transmission) I'm in the final stages of finishing. The answer to your question isn't as simple as "you can do it" or "you can't do it". The correct answer is "It depends on what you're doing".

 

My experience is that the actual conversion is simple. If you've ever installed a motor, you're mostly there. The devil, as they say, is in the details. And, there are more details than you might think.

 

The first thing to do is get a JTR manual:

 

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/

 

This will be your bible. Read it, then read it again, and then take some notes, and then put it in the bathroom next to the toilet and read it some more. Continue using the "search" function at HybridZ. It's invaluable. Ask questions as required, never never never consider them stupid, if you feel like an idiot for asking don't worry, you're in good company.

 

The next thing to do is figure out - with precision - what you want to do. If you mean to put a carbureted Chevy V8 into the car, with one of the transmissions mentioned in the JTR book, you won't have to worry too much. However, if you want a twin-turbo'd Northstar with a 6-speed tranny and a custom rearend, you might be looking for trouble. Fuel Injection is one of those complicating considerations. That's up to you, but I can tell you from experience it's much easier to at least start out conservative, and go from there.

 

Another thing that can make your conversion complicated is the condition of your Z. Nobody wants to spend a bunch of money on a car they're basically going to tear apart, but the rougher the car the bigger the job - and the more expensive. This was something that got me. My car needed a great deal of bodywork, interior work, and general cleaning up. I burned *hundreds* of hours doing things I wouldn't have had to do if the car had been more perfect. However, for me, I had more time than money, so it was a wash. YMMV. Remember, Z's are old cars now, and you'll have all the problems associated with old cars, along with the new problems the swap entails.

 

Another thing to watch for is the "since I'm doing "A", I might as well do "B"" syndrome. You're going to do a little work on the bumpers, you might as well repair that rusty spot. Whoosh, there goes 10 hours. You're replacing the struts, might as well rebuild the suspension, Ka-CHING! a couple of hundred dollars and many hours and busted knuckles. You get the idea. If you have the self-control to *do what you set out to do*, it's not a problem. However, human nature being what it is, your list of "To Do" items will get longer, not shorter.

 

Something else: your donor car. I would *strongly* recommend that you get an entire car for the swap, with the motor/trans combination in it that you want. Why? The details again. My donor car not only gave up its engine and transmission, it also provided the driveshaft, fuel fittings, radiator mount, hundreds of bolts and screws, instruments, wiring by the mile, relays, air conditioning gear, etc etc etc. If not for that hulk sitting in my back yard, I'd have spent many, many more hours at the junkyard. *Huge* time saver.

 

Next: work out a budget. After you've read the JTR book, sit down at your computer and create a spreadsheet including all the items they've mentioned. Be realistic (which is actually much more difficult than it seems). Take a couple of days, get on the 'phone, get some price quotes, confirm with any friends you're going to draft as assistants that they will, for sure, assist; look through all the catalogs you can find and get the best prices you can. Once you've got a total, figure out how much you can afford a month. Be straight with yourself - it's difficult to live your life entirely in the garage, no social life, no lunch, no dates. Everything costs money. And be realistic about your skills: I for instance am not a welder (though I'm learning) so I had to take the car to a muffler shop. Ka-Ching! $450 bux, a pretty good deal for the work he did, and well done too, but if I had the skill I could have done it for half that.

 

Anyway, once you have the total money you'll need to spend, increase that by 50%. Yep, just do it, trust me, it's right. So now you've got a big number, and that assumes you won't be adding goodies as the project continues. Take that big number, and divide it by how much you can spend per month. The number that will come out of your calculator is how many months it will take you to finish the job. Normally, the speed of the work is more limited by costs than by hours available. My project started out with a total budget of $8000. I'm *good* at doing budgets, and have some experience with large projects, and I'm a good backyard mechanic, but my total spending is at about $10,000 now, and has a short distance to go. When it's "done", I'll be in the $11,000 range. More than I expected, but I expected it.

 

Also, expect some "gotcha's". Here's an example: I have very little experience with fuel-injection. I decided I'd like to try it, 'cause it makes for a better-mannered street machine. However, I discovered that, once you put a computer-controlled motor into a different car you need to reprogram the computer to tell it about its' new environment. This ones new environment included a different motor, different throttle-body, different intake and exhaust, different cam, a lighter car, so on and so on. What this means is that I had to start learning about "PROM burning", which is basically reverse-engineering the GM computer and modifying the controlling tables it used to run the motor. This in turn meant I had to buy a Prom "burner", which hooks up to a laptop computer, which I had to buy because I'm a Mac guy and all the good software for PROM burning is on Windows. Then I had to build a cable to hook the computer up to the car, and I had to modify the wiring so I could do it easily (since I was there), and I had to find information about doing these mods online (mostly at ThirdGen.org), and so on. A combination of "gotcha" and "since I'm doing "A", I might as well do "B".

 

Another thing: expect to get bummed out about the whole thing. Working on a project is like working on a relationship: There's that honeymoon period, when you're just manic with excitement and good feelings and Joy-Joy happiness. Then you get to the real stuff. It's a lot of work, and it's been sitting in the garage for, like, a *year*, and you want to go to Cabo with your friends but you spent the d**ned money on the d**ned *car*, dammit, and you want something you can drive around *right NOW*, grr grrr grrrrr. Expect it, it will likely happen. The project won't go as smoothly as you expect, and it won't go as fast as you expect, and you'll make some mistakes, and it'll seem like a huge waste of time. If you're ready for it, it'll be much easier to handle, and you'll be able to move past it.

 

Finally: when you have no money to spend, and no time to do the work, and the garage floor is cold, and you're bummed out and the whole thing seems like a waste of time, engage the imagination. This is an important part of any large project, one which is frequently overlooked. You have to be able to *feel* and *see* the end, the result, the payoff. Maybe it's you spanking a Corvette (you see the driver shake his fist at you in your rear-view mirror), or maybe it's more like: "Ooh, Josh" she coos, her eyes glistening and her silky hair tumbling down her too-tight sweater, "You're car is soooo cool. Can I go for a ride?" Whatever your deal, you need to keep it firmly in your mind. After all, we don't live our lives in the physical world as much as we do inside our heads, best to take it into account.

 

So to summarize:

 

1) Keep it simple.

2) Get the JTR manual, memorize it.

3) Use HybridZ extensively.

4) Get a good conversion car, as good as you can afford.

5) Get a whole donor car, if possible.

6) Don't let the project grow as you go along.

7) Make a realistic budget, stick to it.

8) Expect gotchas.

9) Make a conscious effort to stay "up".

10) Have fun.

 

In any event, go for it. It'll be fun.

Edited May 3, 2011 by strotter

[Pyro]

get a used and complete 5.3 from fan to flywheel with efi system. And get the transmission while you are at it.

 

You should be able to get the complete engine with the trans still attached for 1200 to 1500 (the cost for a good set of sbc heads).

 

building an engine piece by piece will cost a bunch.

 

Trickflow has a 450hp 5.3 top end kit when you are ready from more power.

[kamikaZeS30]

Maybe I live in some sort of extra-dimensional plane from the rest of HybridZ, but all of the incarnations of this Z I've had have been carburetted. Have had few issues (other than dialing in the Webers, those were kind of a pain, but worth it) and $300 for a brand-new carburetor is cheaper than $700 for a used wire harness and ECU (If you can even source one for your application).

 

Fuel-economy, maybe, but if you have the right resources for tuning your carb (jets, needles, springs, wide-band AFR gauge, maybe an IR thermometer and common sense) the difference begins to narrow greatly and doesn't make financial sense.

 

Even if you find a REALLY good 240Z, the electrical system will need work before it can support an ECU, injectors, high pressure fuel pump, electric fan and all of the accessories.

 

For me, it was much cheaper to build a pre-86 small block than to even attempt to go LSx.