In the local junkyard there lies a hurricane damaged Infiniti J30(i believe)holding a VQ30DE motor in great condition, the entire engine is there as is the computers and anything else i would need for a swap. The only problem is i can't seem to find any motor mount kits/transmission adapter plates, not surprising and i know that having these parts custom made would cost a fortune, any suggestions? i'd really like to get this motor in my 280zx, i mean for less than a grand i could get twice as much power and that's without the need of touching to bottom end, from what i understand the VQ engine's bottom end can remain stock for up to 450hp, and the 280's tranny/rear end can handle around 400hp correct?. . . if this swap can happen for a reasonable amount of money i'll be psyched for a long long time

 

Use a 5-speed made for a VQ30 engine.

You will have to fabricate your own adaptors for the engine mounts and rear transmission mounts. You may even need to have the driveshaft custom made or modified to fit your R200 and VQ 5-speed.

If the Infinity never came with a manual transmission you might find one from a Frontier truck. Did they ever use the VQ30?

 

Surely you know someone who can fab up some mounts, thats not that hard. You might try hybridz.org for some help.

 

The Frontier came with a 3.0L V6 but im not sure if it was the VQ or not.

Sort of off topic but... My friend has a 3.0L V6 Frontier. I raced him in my Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.3L V6 just for fun. He go a jump on me off the line but I pulled past him by 40mph and had a full van length on him when we shut down around 60mph haha. I know its not relavent but it was funny at the time.

 

lol Drew has a caravan The Grocery Getter

 

Engine and tranny mounts are easy to fabricate, but unless you know what you're doing, it's going to cost a lot more than $1000.

As mentioned, hybridz.org is your best bet for any information related to this swap. Most will say, and I agree, it'll be easier and cheaper to put a small block 350 into your car. It's a well documented swap with a lot of 'conversion' parts available.

Any 'new' swap is going to take a lot of R&D and if you can't do it on your own, you're going to be paying someone else a lot of $$$ to do it for you.

If you have the time, I'd say go for it. If nothing else it would be a hell of a learning opportunity.

If you don't have the time to invest in it yourself, I wouldn't try it. Over 90% of all hybrid swaps never get completed.

 

Actually its my mom's minivan. I borrowed it to take an engine from my friends house down to the shop haha. I wanted to use the Frontier to haul the engine but my friend had just painted it and was being gay about putting stuff in the bed.

 

VG30DE. Better swap. It's a more reliable engine and has far more aftermarket support with lower costing parts than the VQ. Just a thought.

 

Been looking at a VQ swap, expense is a flywheel, adaptor and gearbox. The Z32 TT box may fit in. If I was in the US a complete package US made engine with gearbox would be the go for me

 

agh screw it, some things just came up and im gonna have to start saving up money. The new plan is to use the 280 as a daily driver while saving up and purchasing a 1990 nissan 240sx couple 5-speed with teh KA24E motor, or a 1992 240sx 5-speed fastback with a CA18DET motor in it. Right now the Z is just going to be too much trouble and Cost too much for me to Restore, even if i attempted to fix it up i wouldn't be able to do everything the way it needs to be done and in a few years all the money i spent on it would be a waste because some rust i missed underneath the body came through so im just gonna buy a new car, The Z will stay with me though, maybe once im a little older with some extra money i can think about doin it up. P.S. as much power as a smallblock chevy would give me i couldn't stand to do it because i hate the idea of taking one company's engine and putting it in someone else's car. . . I'd rather take the New TITAN's 5.6 liter and put that in the Z

 

oOoOo 5.6L V8.. perhaps with an aftermarket turbo conversion?? SwEeT!!! it would take some Modifying.. but where theres a will theres a way

 

I like to think of it as 'Where there's skill, there's a way.'

And if you don't have the skill, experience and time it takes a LOT more $$$$$