Re: $1200 SBChevy
First let me sat that this is a great discussion and I am in no way insulted or offended by your posts or input. I also invite others to share their thoughts on this subject.
Now, you are probably right about the hp claims of the SBChevy in question. Now that I think of it, the poor thing was probably flogged on a dyno w/ full length headers, tuned intake and possibly fuel injection. However, its still not bad for under $1200.
About the warranty, it covers parts and labor required to remedy the problem. This obviously does not include R&R.
It's true that GM dealers can be a pain to deal with, but why tell them the motor is in a Z? Why not tell them its in your '77 Chevy work truck. This may be unethical, but think of how many people GM screws every year!
Now, about horsepower and costs. Yes its true that building a 400+hp SBChevy is not cheap or easy. And, yes power adders are very expensive. However, I think that building a 250hp L6 is more expensive that you are implying. Especially if it is naturally asparated.
However, building a powerful L6 on a slim budget can be done. My car is a testament to this. I used junkyard parts and spent about a grand on my turbo setup. For that grand I got a P90 head and rebuilt it, a stock T3 turbo, intake and exhaust manifolds, an aftermarket intercooler (which was on the car in the junkyard), exhaust down pipe, and stock'81 fuel injection system (complete w/computer, all sensors and injectors and fuel rail). Wow! That was a long sentence!
After I installed the system on the 3.0 stroker I already had, the car did a
[email protected] at Famoso, Ca, pinging all the way down the strip. After upgrading the fuel supply system with a NOS pump, 1/2' feed line, Paxton adjustable regulator, custom fuel rail, and Ford Motorsport 30lb/hr injectors, the car did a
[email protected] That was at the stock 6-7lbs boost. That upgrade cost me another grand. Now, I think that's pretty good for 2 grand. I can't wait to see what it'll do once I get the T3/T4 hybrid turbo, Accel DFI, and 15lbs boost.
BTW, were you aware that Steve Webb's stock turbo motor was purchased brand new from Nissan. I don't know the price, but it can't be cheap. Plus, he removed the head, shaved it, and redid the valvetrain to compensate. I also think he used an HKS head gasket, but I could be wrong. Anyway, he ended up w/ a non stock motor that probably cost more than $2500.
Anyway, we are in the same price ballpark as the advertised $2500 turbo motor, but I still argue that the V8 is a better value because it's brand new. BTW, all those guys who thought that $2500 was too much for that turbo motor should get their heads checked. And I don't mean their P90 heads either!
Anyway, my point is, after all this rambling, that there are ways to get 250hp from a Nissan L6. However, if you start from scratch, I think that you'd be over the $3000.00 it would cost for the SBChevy conversion. If I am wrong, please show me how to do it! I would love to have a 250hp L6 for $3000.
Keep on Z-ing!!!!
> I agree with you that there is nothing wrong
> with the V8 conversion cars, and I know that
> they can be fast. That wasn't my issue.
> Again, you have no way of knowing what
> conditions that 250hp rating was made under,
> and I think you're being pretty optimistic
> to think that they rated it under less than
> ideal conditions. What possible reason would
> they have for doing that?
> What exactly does that warranty cover? If
> these engines were intended as stock
> replacements, are you sure they are still
> covered in a custom, non-stock application,
> such as a V8 Z? At any rate, if you bring a
> broken motor back to them out of your V8 Z
> after 2 or 3 years, I doubt that you'll get
> much out of the warranty. Racing
> applications void most warranties, and
> they'll probably agrue that you were racing
> it (why else would you put it in a Z car,
> right?).
> Okay, maybe I'm being too cynical here, but
> remember it's probably going to be a GM
> dealership that you be trying to deal with.
> That's all true, but we weren't talking
> about and aluminum head 11 sec car here, we
> were talking about a ~225 rwhp iron head V8.
> Again, I was just trying to point out that
> if you want a car with a 225 rwhp L6, it's
> not that hard to do, and the price is
> competitive. If you want 400+hp, yes it does
> get expensive, but it's not as cheap and
> easy to get 400+hp out of a V8 Z as
> everybody seems to think, either.
> The big power adders cost money, no matter
> what.
> BTW, before Steve Webb went all out on his
> motor, he was making ~300hp with a stock
> bottom end, as I recall.
> Also, I was trying to point out that you
> were in the same ballpark price-wise as the
> guy with the $2500 turbo setup, and not in
> the same league power or torque-wise, yet
> everybody seemed to think that $2500 was way
> too much for that engine. Yes there is no
> warranty, and you'd have to have some way to
> verify the validity of the power claims, but
> you are still in the same price ballpark.
> I hope I don't sound insulting with this
> response - that's not my intention. Also,
> let me reiterate that I have no problem with
> people doing V8 Zs. I've seen a couple of
> conversions that were really nice cars. It
> just raises my hackles a bit when I hear
> people saying that there is no way you can
> do that with the L6.
