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Could Someone Give me Advice on Engine Swap for ‘78 280Z Restoration?

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engine swap restoration ‘78 280z
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1.3K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  OldSchoolZGuy  
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#1 ·
Hello there,

I am new here and recently picked up a 1978 Datsun 280Z. It is been my dream car for years; so I am pretty excited to finally own one. The cars mostly original; but the engine is a bit tired; and I am considering an engine swap as part of the restoration process. I want to keep the car enjoyable for weekend drives but would not mind squeezing out some extra power to really make it come alive.

I have been weighing my options between sticking with a rebuilt L28 to preserve some of that original Z spirit or potentially swapping in something like an RB25DET or even an LS engine for more modern performance. I know there are pros and cons to each; and I would love to hear some advice from folks here who have done similar swaps.

How complicated is the RB or LS swap in a 280Z compared to just rebuilding the L28?:unsure: Are there particular challenges with wiring; mounting; or other components?

For those who have gone with an RB or LS swap; was the power boost and driving experience worth the cost and effort?:unsure:

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.zcar.com/threads/advice-on-recent-workday-1978-280z-purchase.421418/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

I am looking for suggestions on transmission pairings with these engines. I would love to have a manual setup but want to make sure it will handle the power without constantly needing repairs.

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.😇
 
#2 ·
There is a HybridZ forum where you're likely to get better info than you do here, as most of those here are interested in keeping their cars original rather than modifying them.

Keep in mind that mods are expensive, they reduce the value of the vehicle compared to an original car, and nothing you can do will turn a 40-50 year old car into something competitive with today's better performance cars. There are too many limitations that come with the old platform.
 
#3 ·
I second the motion; spend the time/money to rebuild the existing Block/Head/Gearbox, retaining the vehicles pedigree and enjoying it for what it is, a classic 1st Gen Datsun Z Car.

If you have the luxury of time/money and you posses the necessary facilities/faculties to re-engineer/configure/manufacture the vehicle, go for it!

Or go out an plop down $45-65K on an new twin turbo Nissan Z with all of the bells and whistles and have fun.
 
#5 ·
vintagezracer said:
If you would like to keep your 280Z more original I just got in a complete low mileage (~60k) 280Z engine I would be happy to sell rather than disassemble.
You can email me at DocBRacing "at" AOL dot com
Click to expand...
This member has been with us since 2007. Might be an idea!
 
#7 ·
I've replaced my '72 240Z L24 with a Rebello L28 bored out to 3L while using my original engine's head and Rebello provided high performance internal components. Added triple Mikunis and headers. The whole setup doubled my horsepower from 150, or so, to over 312 on the engine dyno. With the OS Giken LSD and 350Z 6-speed, I will be very interested to finish my restomod so I can see what I actually end up with at the rear wheels. I've driven Rob's example of this setup at Z Car Garage and it is a going to be fun.

Rebuild what you have and maybe get it suped up a bit. The amount of time and hassle I've had with what I'm doing has been more than enough. The headache involved in a foreign type (V6/V8) engine swap would just send me over the edge.
 
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