i have a 81 280zxnt. that hasnt had much attentsion since its been new. im pretty sure that underneath is all untouched for suspension bushings, rubbers, struts, etcetc. i know for a fact that close to all the rubbers are cracked and/or rotted.

i would like to start a project of upgrading the suspension for a possible motor swap in the future, but also have that same suspension be great for the stock setup i currently have.

i just aquired a big v8 motor, and all i dream about now is that motor being in my car. its a chevy motor, thats at least a 350. i still havent got around to working on it so that would be the reason i am unsure of engine size. its currently at my grandmas buried under other misc parts. lol

but what would be a good all around suspension setup for both a chevy v8 and the stock motor. cuz im interested in making suspension nice now, and then later on drop in the v8 and not have to worry about suspension mods.

let me know what you think of this idea.
thanks!!

 

Oh man, I'm only going to say this once on this thread...

Shoving a V8 in a 280zx really takes more planning and engineering than you think (to make it work right). The 280zx has a close to perfect 50/50 weight distribution. If you shove in a heavier motor farther back on the front cross member, you throw off the balance, and have to over-compensate in other areas to fix it. IMO it's not worth it at all to use any other motor than an inline 6 in the S130. If you are dying for a V8Z, get an S30 (240z-280z).

And I'm done.

 

good to know. The motor i got needs alot of time, work and parts anyway to make it run.

but any thoughts on suspension upgrades for my current setup?

 

Well, do you want to do the suspension twice or once? If you want a suspension setup to hold a V8 swap, go coil overs. It will only set you back about $2k. Also a big brake kit ($150-$1000), some monster sway bars ($400), and all around poly bushings ($150). Then you'll want LSD so you can actually use that power ($500-$2000), and various other things here & there. So about $5k$7k would be good.

Or if you want to wait on that, you can spend $500-$800 right now & get KYB / Tokico struts & springs, & a complete poly bushing kit. Then rip all that out for your V8 swap.

 

well, now that ive given it more thought, im most likely going to just end up sticking with stock motor setup for awile. and since my car is all untouched since manufacter date. what would you personally do for a car like mine? as of right now suspension isnt too bad, but i know it could be better since i can see worn things.

any ideas of what direction of improovement i should take? cuz honestly i dont really know what to do at this poiint due to myself being undecided and tired since its late.

but thanks for your help thus far, appreciate it.

 

Honestly don't do anything till your ball joints, Inner and outer tie rods, And all your steering and front suspension are checked and shook down... Just for the safety stand point don't want to be passing your right front tire on the highway. Then hit up the rear end bushings and rear diff mount, Just some thoughts Also check your rear u joints in the half shafts. These are all on the cheap to fix but you cant go with out.

 

Ok, I had a 1979 280ZX GL, the list of mods I did was extensive however, I will point out that the gear box steering was the mistake I did not make any improvements to that if I had done so I would still have the car, but I had the following done; KYB shocks/struts, Eibach Pro-kit springs(no longer available for the s130) Powerslot rotors, SS braided brake & clutch lines Re-man calipers f/r, MSA swaybars(1" 7/8" f/r) Cusco Strut tower braces Poly bushings all around however after the tension rod broke on my car and I rolled it(steering failure in that aswell) I found out that RUBBER tension rod bushings are a better & safer bet you can go poly all around but the tension rods stick to the Rubber ones. After all was said & done with 2005's prices I spent about $2700+/- it was worth it but with my current S130 I am going to replace the power steering with manual rack & pinion steering from the base model S130... less question marks that way

 

On the issue of snapping a tension rod, Techno Toy Tuning (.com) sells an adjustable heim joint tension rod for the 280ZX. $199 a pair.

 

i installed a 425hp 350 in a zdriver members car. that thing was crazy to drive. it handled the power with stock everything, but i feel after driving it, the prior listed improvments are absolutly nessesary. make sure you have rack and pinion instead of the stock recirc ball steering to make your life easier. do the suspension first, see how it drives, then worry about power. youll def. like the suspension for the time being.