which engine to go with?

[Jeff G 78]

$8500 will get you a nice powertrain. I paid $500 for a donor '82 F54 engine, 5 speed trans and 3.90 diff and then put another $1000 in machining and parts. You would still need an intake, carbs and a header, but for $3000 you should be able to build a nice complete engine. I'm not sure what a Rebello engine costs, but you are probably in the ballpark of your budget. I'd strongly consider going with ZTherapy SU carbs when you build your motor unless you really want triples. Triples are harder to tune, but they sound great and make better power on a modified engine.

[bsw1221]

Im gonna check out the rebello. Do some homework. Thanks for the info

[Zedyone_kenobi]

8500 is plenty of money for an entire drivetrain, but you have not clearly answered the question, what are you going to use the car for? This is critical. It is FAR better to have an engine that has a good easy to obtain smooth idle and great reliability that can take 91 pump gas with zero issues, than to have a ultra high strung 'race' engine that is always requireing maintanence, tuning, timing, etc. Having a car that will start EVERY single time is far more fun than having an unreliable mess. Do not go chasing HP numbers either. It will lead you to spend money on parts you do not need, AND it will inflate the bill fo the rest of the car. Building an Uber high HP car with OEM brakes/tires/suspension is a recipe for an unhappy ownership experience.

Keep your expectations mild. Keep you build mosty OEM. Concentrate on quality OEM parts that have been checked and cleaned like they were going into a sterile environment. The more stock the car is, the easier it will be to reference parts, troubleshoot later, and set things correctly. I concur with the Ztherapy recommendation. They build an amazing product. And back it with fantastic customer service.

Keeping things mostly OEM should also put more change back in your pocket, as body work costs can dwarf engine building costs. YOu may need that money elsewhere. At the end of the day it is better to have a complete car you can drive and enjoy than a killer engine on a stand while you save up for the body work to be completed.

by the way, I went to school at USL near rayne. Frog capital of the world!

Tell us about more about your use of the car.

[TomoHawk]

But is a 2.8L I6 going to be as powerful as a 350ci (5.7L) V8? Well.... probably not. But it's going to be a sweet engine nevertheless, delivering an honest 150 hp, give or take, in its stock configuration. Will you humiliate anyone in a late model Camaro? Probably not. But you don't have to. You'll look and feel twice as cool.

Amen, Sarah.

That's why I would really love to have something like a 1950s Ferarri Monza. It's got an engine with only 4 cylinders, but it's not 312 cylinders-worth of cool.

I'd say the same for a Z with an L-series engine. It's probably not going to get you a trophy at a drag track, but you definitely won't need a trailer to get there!

For our Mr. bsw- I'd suggest going with an early L24. they go pretty well, sound great, and they have a redline that will melt any modern engine.

[bsw1221]

Thanks for all of the help and I will be using the car mostly for weekend cruising and enjoyment. Sometimes my brother who is about 4 hours from me will have something going on so id like to be dependable enough to drive that far. So obviously im not looking for a stroker motor. A friend of.mine has a 383 stroker and cant drive more than 30mminutes without worrying about the cylinder walls.

[bsw1221]

And its nice to hear from a ragin cajun

[TomoHawk]

Them you'll be doing well with any stock S30 engine. I took the extra time and effort to go over every part and perfect it, and it paid off with better-than-stock performance and reliability. I wish I could do the same wit the 40-year-old wiring.

[madkaw]

Have you driven or ridden in a well sorted out early Z car with a L6? All these suggestions are useless( I know appreciated) without perspective. I recently gave a guy a ride who is building an LS1 Z. He had NEVER even ridden in a z before. He thought my 2.4 triples was quick. But what did he base his build on--nothing but what he read.

Find a Z guy and take a ride. Hopefully a modified L28-it's fun and they came in these cars-

[TomoHawk]

I think he's right. The Zs were designed for the 150-200 HP L engines, not big-block engines, so if you put in a big engine, all you will do is spin the tires when you take off and skid when you stop (from a car I saw at autocross at the 2008 ZCON.) Having the correct engine in the Z makes the ride a lot better, safe and fun, instead of unpredictable and dangerous.

Or would you like to add 2,000 LBs of dead-weight to go with your 343 bigblock?

[bsw1221]

i am about to begin a new job site. Once I get settled I will be sure to reach out and try to hitch a ride with someone. I am somewhat intrigued with the idea of an l28 build. But with a few of the redneck swaps i have seen with a chevy small block i am tempted to do that but do it right and not just take a 350 out of a pickup and yell out watch this as i do burnouts. I mean to get the suspension front and back right to make it handle properly as well as the brakes to stop that weight. so many decisions. the ride I take will be the deciding factor. Probably won't go wight he 350 because it isn't "pure" but its just so tempting to show people how things can turn out when you do them with class and approach them thoughtfully. So many of my friends build these cars (have them built) with their daddies money and their engine bay is a mess and don't have the little touches or the motors they have they don't get the blocks and accessories painted. the little touches go a long way. any who i have began to ramble. thanks again for all the guidance. i will keep you updated with the decision and the ride. Oh one more question. in this build would it be beneficial to add sound mat to the interior process? I'm def a fan of how quiet cars are now days. I feel like if the weatherstripping is fresh and the sound mat is in place old cars can be the same? any others have experience with quieting the ride?

[TomoHawk]

Let us introduce you to the Search system. Look for the box on the right near the top of any page.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

If I may be so bold.

Go to any autoshow and walk around. There is nothing, I mean nothing, you can do to a small block chevy that will shock or surprise anybody anywhere. It has been done, and you will probably see 3 just like yours no matter where you go. They are the ubiquitous build up engine. They are more common than lying politicians.

But you show them a built and tuned L28 and the sights and the sounds will amaze them. I present my humble engine, not even close to some of the best ones on this board. But there is a never ending line of people who what to talk about my Z at any car show. They walk by the 256 different classic mustangs to come talk to the only Z there.

Keep it a Datsun engine, and your dedication will be rewarded 10 fold.