ZZzzz

so i have the opportunity to pick up a sbc 355 tuned to get 425hp at the crank for $1000. is this a good idea for a daily driver, or just plain stupid? i could get a 325hp 350 for $750, but am i going to want that 100 hp for 250 bucks later down the road? the car is otherwise stock, but i plan on getting better suspension (tokico blues or kyb)

for a transmission im thinking of getting either a camaro t5 or a 700r4 auto, depending on which is cheaper/available locally. is there any reason not to convert to a sbc in a z? is it an extremely difficult swap? i have heard that it is hard to get the room for the headers/exhaust under this car, as well as needing to change the transmission mounting points in the tunnel.

i have heard that the MSA 350 mounting kit is bad because of the angle it forces the engine/tranny into and there is a better one called stealth or shadow or something. if anyone has any experiance with the two, please let me know.

NismoPick

In case you missed this today:

https://www.zdriver.com/forums/280zx...-thread-35327/

ZZzzz

yes, but $1000 for 425 hp, plus ~400 for the mounting kit and ~600 for the tranny=
$2000 for a new l28et block and head alone. add shipping, turbo, downpipes, exhaust, intercooler, etc. and we are well above just putting in a sbc. unless someone knows where i might find all those goodies for under $2k near spokane, i dont know if it would be worth it. plus, im not trying to sell the car any time soon.

all the junkyards we have here in spokane have is 1 l28e n/a out of a 1981 280zx. after spending time reading on this forum, an l28e n/a would be lucky to get 200hp for anything resembling a reasonable cost, and 300 maximum out of a l28et.

perhaps i'm wrong though. i do not men to speak ill of any information i've gotten from you guys here at zdriver and am more than willing to try to understand more. however, i guess i dont understand how the l28 could ever hope to compare to a sbc, cost-to-performance. add that in to the fact that there are very few people who have even heard of this engine, vs a 350 which has a half-century+ of gearheads tuning it, it doesnt seem to compare even at the service cost-over-time.

please let me know if everything i've said is just plain stupid. for reference- the cost of the 350+tranny+mounting hardware was costs that i found while shopping online from MSA and craigslist. the cost of the l28et block was on ebay, and was rebuilt to compare to the v8 which was rebuilt 3 weeks ago. i did not price out a turbo or the accompanying items required to turn the car into a l28et. i stopped at the block.

NismoPick

We have several active members from WA (Bleach being one of them) who probably know where to get an L28ET or even a 280zxt donor car.

I bought my 280zxt donor car for $300. I could have just dumped the motor straight into my car, crank the boost to 10psi, and have 200whp (I chose to do a lot of machine work instead).

If you want to drop in a heavy-*** old school V8, and throw off the almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution, go for it. Just be prepared for all the stuff you will break on a pure stock weak 280zx chassis.

Do it, and let us know how it goes.

FricFrac

You have to consider what you should be upgrading in a car that was built to take 145hp when you drop in a 425hp engine. That's the expensive part....

SportBikeMike

Meh....horsepower is overrated. Its handling that makes a car fun.


My Fiat X1/9 has 75 horsepower......and is the funnest car I've ever owned.

ZZzzz

okay, i see what you are talking about. i didnt think about the chassis not being able to withstand the torque. we just saw a bunch of those mods screaming around youtube and my buddy and i got excited. 300 bucks you say? there is a z-car specialty shop in seattle, but thas around 7 hours from where i live, and i would have to either pay the guy there to do the work, or find a friend who has a truck that can haul it back here.

i agree that handling is what makes the car fun, but my motor is making that clicking sound, which according to my research is caused by a worn piston at the top and bottom of each stroke. im beginning to think that when people say this engine can outlast so many others they dont know what they are talking about.

however, apparently there is a way to get good horsepower out of this engine by switching the head because i have a flat top piston 1982 motor. curious about how much horsepower. I would honestly be happy with 250 hp in this car. i wanted to make it a road track car. guess the lure of 425hp kinda made me forget that.

NismoPick

Are you sure it's not a valve / lifter problem? How many rod knocks have you previously diagnosed?

Not to sound like a total jerk, but do YOU know what you are talking about? You just said you wanted to dump a 425hp V8 into a stock 280zx.

Those guys running 300k miles on their factory motor must be lying. As with all motors in general: TAKE CARE OF IT AND IT WILL LAST A LONG TIME... that is especially true for Japanese motors.

https://www.zdriver.com/forums/280zx...x-280zx-35349/

ZZzzz

well, we just redid the valve lash, and everything is within specs, although it was pretty tight on 11 of the 12 (#1 was still within specs!) so that has been done. i have never diagnosed a knock, but i am unsure of what else could be the cause.

the comment i made about these engines lasting a long time is based on my frustration with having the engine break every 15 miles or so with a new problem. undoubtedly if you take care of it, it should last, but i guess whoever had it before me did not.

also-250 at the crank would be enough. i just want a 0-60 time of under 7 seconds, which is not possible with my car right now.

anyhow, add in all these mechanical disruptions, along with the new electrical issue and my wife's frustration, its all just a huge friggin headache right now.

77280ZX

i hope you plan on "BAR"ing the car and you have a rust free frame. that 425 hp will rip that car up with a stock frame. plus youll get shitty fuel economy(daily driver). id just put the l28et in it.

SHADY280

i bulit a 450 hp chev car for a member here, it was a 81 2+2. there is a thread somewhere, guy was called zach. the car lost a bit of its handling with that much weight added IMO but the torque was much better than the l28e. his motor had actually died so for him it was an upgrade. he barley made it to my shop. i used the msa kit with a 700r4 trans and b&m shifter (another cost) dont forget these cars also dont slow down too well so your gonna need to upgrade with at least porterfeild pads or better brakes all around. i see the chev install to a only upgrade torque as the hp goal can be reached without issue for the same cost. i would also advise in getting a lsd diff and better axles if going the chev route. that power has to be put down some how