tabassem

HELLO, my friend and i suddenly decided that we want to build a project car. we have no idea how to fix anything. but we do know a fair amount of info(car enthusiasts).

we are thinking of getting an old datsun 240 or 280 and shove an LS1 in there. but we're still college students and kind of on a tight budget. we also dont have any tools or anything. we found a roller for $1k, 240, it has the engine and pretty much everything. but it sucks in appearance. it needs a lot of work.
so what do you guys think
-is it a good car to learn on?
-how much will the build cost? we just want an ls1 240z that can be a daily driver.
how do we start??

thanks a lot in advance.

McNasty

iTrader: (1)

No idea what you are doing, few tools, tight budget, no idea of cost...you're gonna have a bad time, just saying.

BigEd_72455

iTrader: (7)

First off, NEVER (edit: I WOULDN'T) start a project with someone else. If you two have a difference of opinion on who should pay for what, it turns into a sitting project that everyone ignores.

An example is a friend said he would help me out with my S-10 then wanted to get paid for doing 20 minutes of incomplete welding. He knew the exhaust was loose once he started welding and said nothing to me (said I SHOULD have known it was loose before bringing it to him) causing me to lose both collector gaskets from leaks.

If they are willing to help you out with wrenching, fine, but I never will start a project with someone and expect them to spend money like I would or do on a project. It turns into an "i'm gonna get this set of heads for $2000!! Where is your half?" Then a huge fight...

Starting out on an import for an LS project is gonna be expensive. Better to start with a Camaro or mustang because there is SOOOO much more info readily available if/when you get stuck.

First thing I would buy if I were you guys, is two sets of tools from sears that are simple sets for about $300 each. My set was $279, had all 3 ratchet sets, wrenches in standard and metric, allen keys, and some misc screwdriver tips on a switchable handle.

Then get a compressor and an impact (1/2"), electric grinder, extra grind wheels and about 10-20 cutoff wheels.

After that would be a small floor jack (2 ton would be fine) and safety stands.

then find your project car and start on your project.

looks are not everything, but reliability is the difference in a 20 mile walk home, or making it without a problem. Looks can be worked on once the car is reliable and dependable and done mechanically. Besides, if you spend all your money on a paint job, how are you going to get anything to make it run and go down the road.

hunt for your items you are wanting, don't grab the first thing that you come across as an impulse buy.

Good luck and hope you find what you are looking for.

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

You can buy a complete, bolt in install kit that will let you do the swap in as little as 20 hours

http://www.brokenkitty.com/zcar/zcar.htm

The 20 hours assumes you have everything ready for the swap and know what you are doing before you start. For a newby plan on a few weeks to months.

There is a web site dedicated to V8 swaps into Z cars, www.hybridz.org. If you post over there what you posted here your thread will be locked and you will be told to use the search function cause everything you want to know has already been answered on that site. There are some good swap write ups over there, so go there and start reading.

Price of the swap is almost impossible to say. it really depends on what you start with. Having said that 240's are notorious for rusting out. Rust is an absolute deal killer for someone like you while an old car will often need suspension parts, V8 or not.

My guess you won't find a serviceable 240 in your area for anywhere near a grand. Think at least 4-5 times that amount

If you are hell bent on building your own car, start with a 280. They are heavier than the 240's but that is because they were made stronger. they are also more common and don't command the price premium that 240s do. If you can get a running one so much the better. Drive it for awhile and get everything in working order. Once you have a solid daily driver, swap in a 5.3L with an automatic trans out of a pick up. You will need to swap out the intake and accessories, but the price of the 5.3 motors is so low it is worth it.

A better option would be to try and buy an already swapped car. You might need to pick it up in Arizona or California, but even with that you will be dollars ahead compared to doing it yourself.

Tough realities. but I tell you what, LS powered Z cars flat haul ***. Scary stuff.

BigEd_72455

iTrader: (7)

So do the S-10's.. I only got mine to top out with the 4.10 gears, never did with the 3.08's..

archull

I would say you should budget at least $12-15k to do a half decent build on that platform if you do the work yourself. You will need to update the suspension, upgrade the rear end because they are notoriously weak, then the swap parts to get the motor under the hood alone will be around $3k+.

A friend and I are currently trying to find a decent pair of 280z's to do LS swaps in currently.

I agree with the comment of looking for a 280z over the 240 because the 240's are pretty rare, hard to find without rust, and they are pretty flimsy compared to the 280's. The 240's are much lighter however when you are putting down more than 3 times the hp the car did stock that is a relatively mute point, especially when the 280's still weigh in at around 2800 lbs.

Try looking around on craigs list for a decent roller, I have found good bodies for around $5k that do not have any rust, a dash that is intact, and will require much less money and work overall to a car that you will pick up for a grand. Just about any car you will find the interior will be crap however carpet kits are around $180 and a good set of recaros race buckets will be much better suited for the car.

The parts are relatively hard to find to make a complete chassis so spending the extra money on one in good condition is worth it.

I am not sure if I would attempt the build without the knowledge to begin this project, I have seen too many people do this and it ends up being a disaster. These projects cost alot of money and many people loose interest before completing a build after they have spent thousands of dollars they will never get back.


Edit:

Oh and if you so chose to do the build here is a link to a build writeup you can view. It was a picture step by step guide to the install using the JCI swap parts.

http://www.4moores.com/280z/files/JC...Update%202.pdf

tabassem

guys.... thank you sooooo much for all the info. will start looking when i sell my T/A(unfortunately). kind of leaning towards a 280 or a 260, if we dont get lucky, then we'll go with a 77 camaro or so. but seriously, i really appreciate the info and the support.