i have a 1982 280zx. and i have a 302 engine just sittng in my garage. iv heard about engine swaps. does anyone know what i need to do and what to change to put this 302 engine into my 280zx. its from a 1985 5.0 mustang.

 

You'll just need custom motor & tranny mounts, and a custom driveline. That's about the hardest part if you have a running engine to drop in. Not many people use a 302. Mostly people use the SBC 350. MSA sells conversion kits for it... but you might be on your own for the 302. I have seen one 280Z (S30 body) that had a Mustang 5.0 engine... but I don't know how it all went together.

www.hybridz.org has a lot of V8 swap info too.

 

what kind of engine is a sbc 350?????

 

you might as well just stick with the stock motor, if your askin that....

 

why u say that. im not to familier with engine codes. in from the desert area my self.

 

where at? DHS, coachella, indio, LQ, PD???

the sbc 350 is the "small block chevy and the 350 is one step from the 302, but it basically one of the worlds most famouse engines, produced for about 50-60 years..

 

the 302 swap is easy, except that ya gotta watch the oil filter on them cause its at the front, could be a steering issue. not much of one tho. the 302 i a great candidate cause summit racing has a huge amount of parts for them, and the fuel injection is simple, that and the dizzy is at the front making the weight transfer better. and the complete engine weighs exactly the same as the stock l28.

 

man some one sounds a little grumpy today, and i too have a 302 waiting for me back home, already built and everything. And for me please don't go chevy, i dispise chevy. thats the motor you want though, cause fox body mustangs had rear sump oil pans. i think in 85, they switched to fuel injection and roller cam, so thats really a good engine to start with. just grab everthing electrical and anything the motor needs to work, you might have to make the trans. tunnel bigger if you use an auto also.

 

Bah... he's not grumpy, just stating a fact about SBC.

I've said it before (and Rod too), but I think dropping in a regular old V8 is bastartizing the Z, unless it's a wild supercharged V8 (Like the black Darius 240Z).

 

yeah i kinda think that too, but if i keep the zx, and can't find a vgtt, i'm going with the 302...mine will be turboed though...hmm, what should i do, give it to you? bastartize? or spend a grip on the zx and smoke chevy's

 

bastardize it. You'd probably be happier with the driveability and raw power end result as long as you try not to think too hard about the abomination you've created

 

very true, but its just like putting a chevy motor in a ford, its stupid, fords a made for fords. The only exception would be a ls1, for the chevy and a 351 windsor ford, unless you turbo the 302' like i'm gonna do!

 

And me too, he he

 

Let me get this straight, putting a Chevy in a Z is bastardizing. But putting a blown Chevy in a Z is not
And putting a Chevy in a Z is stupid, but putting a blown Ford is not

Purists

 

if you want a z with a sbc get an IROC-Z camaro, im thinkingo n one right now..

 

yes, yes it is...lol. No i just dislike chevy, especially the ones that think there sick, like cool or what ever you old people call it. And i didn't say blown did i...maybe turbo'd, doubt blown.

 

I'm just gonna sit on that one for a while

And I didnt mean blown in the sense of a supercharger. I meant blown as in a rod through the block. Cause thats what Fords do, they blow I kid, I've got nothing against Ford and have almost had a good experience with all 4 that I've owned. Now the F150 NEVER gave me a single problem. But the other 3...

 

ahh, yeah i've never had probs with ford, chevy on the other hand, will just say its not alive still. I doubt i will ever own another. Maybe old, before 70's. And my new word for turbo'd is tweeked, yeah tweek'd.

 

Fords have been two of my worst experiences thus far. My wifes Focus is constantly needing attention. As did my ZX2 when I had it. The mustangs were pretty old, but overall didnt really give me too many problems. Especially the '65. Once it was up and running it ran beautifully til the day I put her down I've never owned a Chevy so I can't speak for them. But my dad swears by the Camaro. He used to be a Mustang guy until they stopped making the fox bodies (he says they started looking like chick cars after that ). Then he switched to Camaros and hasn't had much fuss with those...

 

i agree with your pops, the fox bodies were sexy, the next gen. after that sucked, the more square after that were ok, but the new ones are sexy again, in my eyes at least....fox bodies tho, were the best...after the 69-70's.

 

I'm on the search right now for a 65-68 fastback for my wife. '69 is by far my favorite year though, with the 70 a close second (I prefer the 69's headlight/grille setup). But my wife thinks those are to masculine for her

 

i'm with you j, on the 69 as number 1. i like the 4 head lights, they look more mean. why 65-68? there two diff. body styles. I'll look my friend might want to sell his, 66?

 

65-68 cause she says those two styles are more feminine to her (shes got this thing against driving a car thats too manly looking ). She'd prefer a 65-66, but she says she'll do a 67-68. But it has to be a fastback either way and those are so damn pricey these days.

 

yeah they are kinda femie looking, his is a fastback, i'm sure he'll sell it too, he got into the gansta look with the 80's rivera and caddys...don't no where he went wrong. Oh and what of them s130 headlight covers!

 

My Grandfather Had A Restored 69 Mach 1 With the Cobra Jett In It. He Gave It To Me In His Will But Before I Could Pick It Up It Got Totalled By A Drunk Driver. Get This The Car Was In The Driveway Sitting There All Pretty And Waiting For Me Dumbass Drunks!!!