engine swap questions.
 

hi everyone. just looking for some input to figure out what direction i am going with my engine swap. i'v got an 80 280zx 5spd that is strait and fairly rust free (just around the battery tray), has koni adj struts in all 4 corners(they're toast and will b getting replaced b4 the swap), and has been lowered a fair bit. i'm looking to build a turbo engine to put in the car. i am planning to build it for 600hp but i am wanting about 500hp at the wheels. i have access to a complete L28et swap(engine, harness, turbo, fuel pump, ecu, and i think 5spd) that the guy wants $500 for. the other routes i am thinking is RB25/26, 2jz, hell even a 7M. the benefits of putting a SR20 in have also been preached to me. as for the wiring side i'm going microtech standalone and not going to have to deal with too much of the wiring other then for the interior. but with all the room under the hood and all the posibilities i just don't know what to do.

wello, look at it this way. theres only one 600whp l28et ive seen and it runs full standalone ITB's and a GT42 turbo. aka, lots of money and work. for the cost he put into that engine to bring out the power you could have swapped in and modded a better motor such as a 2jz or RB26. also, the SR doesnt make enough torque imho for the heavier s130. however make an S30 into a GREAT track car.

To properly build a 600 crank hp L28 turbo is going to cost roughly $20,000 and change unless you can do the majority of the work yourself, then you can do it for the cost of the parts which will cost you only about $10 or $12k.

Then you'll have to replace the rest of the driveline with something that can handle that kind of power.

The stock 280zx turbo tranny is good for about 300 to 350hp if you treat it nicely. The stock u-joints, half shafts, axels, clutch, will be useless at 500whp not to mention your brakes will be horribly inadequate for a car with that much hp.

If you want the turbo, then build a nice, driveable 250whp 280ZX and you'll smoke nearly every ricer and "old school" muscle car around.

i already knew that i had to replace the suspension, brakes, and figured the driveline too. i'v already figured out that to get the car ready for the swap is gonna cost me about $5-6k. and i have figured out where i'm getting the parts from too. the really nice thing is living in canada is that all the 240sx's here came LSD. my plan is to park the car for the winter and start accumulating parts for it. i figure the car will b done in about a year or so. there will b 3 of us workin on the car all with good mechanical knoledge nothing Z car specific other then mu buddy used to steal them all the time when he was younger. i'v been thinkin RB just cuz i miss the sound of my GTR and i have a few nice parts that never made it onto the car.

Go for the rb then, scrap the L.

I think either the RB or a small block V-8, would be your best choices. One serious advantage to the small block V-8 would be parts cost and availability though. It's also a lot easier to find transmissions built to handle 600hp for a V-8. Just another option.

Listen to LWW thats the route i took on my 280zxt 2+2 and even the little honda civics with there swaps are hard pressed to match what i got ... Its funny thou.. when i tell them they just got beat by a 25 year old car LOL

i know the sbc very well, and have had a few cars with em in it(77 charger, 80 malibu, my 88 blazer) but i didn't want to go that route with it. i'v been looking around and current price here for a 2jz with 6spd is between $5000-5800 so i'm thinkin that just for the 6 spd. price for a rb 25 is around 2500-3200. and i found a RB25 NEO for $5000 with rwd tranny for 5000. but i think for the money i'm goin with the 6spd 2jz

best jap combo imho = RB26 custom mated to TT Z32 tranny and rear end. the Z32 TT trannies and rear ends will take any abuse you can toss at them. and are not rediculously priced.

the owner at the shop that will b putting the engine in and doin the microtech wiring and dyno tuning quoted me $15000 for everything including the engine, intercooler piping, 3" exh + down pipes, customizing the driveshaft, and rear end install and setup. getting them to install the microtech also gives me free dyno tuning on the car for life for when i upgrade parts.

Sounds like fun... you might think on how hard parts are to get... If you blow a head or motor, your car will be down for a long time... a 250-300hp L motor would be good and fast... but a 500hp would be fun lol

Which engine? The 2JZ?

How "firm" is that quote? If he can really do it and do it right for no more than that, then I would jump on it.

But remember, quotes are just that "quotes". They're not binding "contracts" and lots of "unexpected" changes or needs could come up that require more $$$ to resolve.

Isn't it around $5k - $6k for the entire Skyline front clip (delivered) to get the engine, transmission, intercooler,, radiator, driveshaft and rear axle along with the wiring harness and computer? If so, to me it seems like $9k- $10k for installation + an exhaust and driveshaft modification is a little bit steep. I may be wrong though, and that might be the going rate in a shop. Most of the RB swaps I've read about were done by the owners themelves instead of being proffesional installs.

the front clip here is around $7-8000(i'v been lookin, and i'm beginning to think i should take his advice and do a 1jz instead. it'll do the power i want and b alot cheaper and just as reliable)
labour is quoted at aprox 25h @ $100/h
microtech+install+tuning is quoted at $5000(have to use the LT12s so i can run the coilpacks)

basically i will b dropping off the car to him and when i get it back i won't need to do anything but have fun.i'm prolly gonna get then engine and trany myself and do some mods and possibly a rebuild b4 it goes in so that i know it is solid. the reason that he suggested the 1jz to me is they have a 900hp 1jz that is all stock internals, except longer duration cams, running 24psi boost and they have yet to break anything. the origional 2200 i got quoted was for the LT8s and that was cuz he assumed i was gonna run a rotory cuz i was there with my buddy who had then street port his RX7 irons. i know they r a reputable shop and that i know it will get done properly the first time. the only complaint that i have ever heard from anyone is that the wiring job looks like crap once it is done. i have seen a couple of the cars they have wired including their 10 inj rotory on alcohol.

Definetly sounds nice being able to just pick it up when it's done as long as you can afford to have it done by a reputable shop, much less headaches that way. I also just noticed you're in BC, and I don't know what the cost would translate to in US dollars, so sounds like it could be a much better deal than I initially thought when i replied above.

considering the Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar now, it is actually MORE than you thought.

Wow I remember a few years back the US dollar was worth around $1.5 CA. I dodn'y know it changed so much since then.

i gotta ask, you gonna daily this thing? the roads here arent at all any good for more power. i got maybe 200 at the rear wheels, and it is more than enough for traffic. all i do is go mission to abby every day, and then a road trip from time to time. 500 would be nice tho!!! ill hav to give you a ride.

No. Typically, the "Front Clip" includes the transmission forward, no drive shaft or rear end.

If they can do the complete swap in 25 hours including fabrication, ie. 3 days, I'll be amazed. So much so, that I'll actually tow my '72 240Z rolling chassis up there and have them do the swap.

The Canadian dollar has been higher than the US dollar for the last several months.

Ok I see what you mean about most front clips not comming with the rear axle or driveshaft. I was confused because I had seen these.
http://www.jdm-online.com/index.php?...products_id=89

well it will prolly end up being close to the quoted cost cuz they have 240z and a 260z at the shop with the same swap(2jz) done. but again this was just a quote but i believe it will b fairly accurate

Are you considering a 1jz or a 2jz for $15,500 CA?