Small Block Chevy restomods are hardly unique, but placing a Chevy bowtie on this 280Z’s grille is a charming, informative detail. I’ve seen Ford and Chevy emblems slapped on transplanted Volvos as well, but it looks more appropriate here.
A lot of people might scoff; why alter a balanced, lithe Japanese sports car with a big, torquey American V8? Well, as someone who prefers a turbocharged red block Volvo to the idea of one with a big American V8, I understand that viewpoint. But I’d offer that as a sports coupe, a Z is expected to pack a punch and that an emissions-strangled L28 six, with about 130-ish horsepower might not deliver the goods for today’s drivers. And, if it’s an aluminum LS-block, it very well might weigh less than the original engine. Any such disapproval should be saved for similarly modified RX7s or MX5s, whose characters are more at odds with such a robust powerplant.
As this particular car isn’t the last word in good taste, I’m guessing SBC swaps might lack cachet among certain demographics. One look at those driving lights, and you can understand the reservations of those not enamored of such a swap; they’re becoming played out in the eyes of some enthusiasts. I’ve certainly heard complaints.
That’s too bad, as I think it would be fun in a car like this. The owner has seen fit to invest in the larger rolling stock necessary to put all that power down. If the suspension’s been properly massaged, this is a very effective and rapid classic daily, with the muscle to back up its looks. Thanks to ActuallyMike for uploading these pictures and to Washington state for preserving this Z long enough for a heart transplant to become available.
I saw years ago a movie where an american boy and his retired soldier dad who lived in Japan, took out an old Mustang with no engine and they’ve put inside an inline six Nissan engine/transmission in order to drift race with a local japanese lad and his automobile. If I remember well the “Nisstang / Mustsan” won the race…
The movie you’re referring to is “Fast And Furious- Tokyo Drift”. The spoiled brat wannabe Yakuza thug racing against the NisStang drives a modded 350Z.
At some point during the race the punk in the Z loses control and smashes into a Nissan Figaro.
Scarab Engineering put a 327 in a Z car and it was tested by R&T in 1978. 0 – 60 mph in 6.2 secs, 0 – 100 in 14.8. This Z needs front corner bumpers. Nice find, ActuallyMike.
SBC installations in Z cars are nothing new. If the battery is relocated to the rear, it has been said that weight distribution is nearly 50/50–and the cars much fun to drive.
–I eschew all the overheated rhetoric about the various travesties committed by mad rodders. In my view, we can keep the hobby affordable for all of us if we have lots of hobbyists doing lots of work–this will keep the aftermarket well fed, and the availability of reproduction parts and/or tools plentiful–be it from JC Whitney, Harbor Freight, or Ford Racing. Keep rodding, keep restoring, keep DRIVING!
an inline 6 is generally speaking quite heavy for its displacement compared to a V8 or a V6, the SBC into Austin Healey 3000 was quite a popular swap back in the days before a big Healey was too valuable to modify and a small block Ford certainly did the AC Ace no harm
Austin C series motors weigh only slightly less than the moon motor and trans some 7cwt anything was a weight improvement in a Healey, in the Datsun/Nissan its simply convenience more instant power/torque. works well too.
I’ve heard of people putting V8 engines under the hood of a Datsun Fairlady Zed. I’m not against the idea, although I would’ve preferred putting a more contemporary Datsun 280ZX or a Nissan 300ZX. Don’t both engines deliver more power and torque? Both are important to drivers.
I’ve seen a number of these conversions, from back in the day even. It was *the* swap to do, a SBC into one of these. The iron V8 (back then) wasn’t much heavier if at all, and packed a LOT more punch, than the original six.
I would have to imagine a contemporary LSx or LTx would be an even better proposition with the lighter weight block and modern fuel injection (if you choose to install it). IIRC, the SBC sat at or behind the centerline of the front wheels and improved the balance of the car greatly.
First one I ever saw was a 283 and that was a long time ago. Concur that this activity stirs the pot. YMMV
Can’t say I’ve ever seen one like this, usually the engine lasted far longer that the Z cars extremely rust prone body.
I’m more outraged over those railroad tie bumpers, they sure ruined the look of these cars. Get your torches and pitchforks!!
This Z suffers from a severe bumper imbalance: too much bumper out back, not enough bumper up front.
Mullet bumpers.
I like the bumpers. They provide protection from low speed bumps that would otherwise do some serious damage to the car’s finish.
My eye keeps being drawn to the Safeway store in the background. With a little imagination, this is what a modern Studebaker dealership would look like.
Mine too.
It’s a shame that Studebaker is no longer around as a car company.
I think they moved to Japan and changed their name to “Subaru.”
Back in the 90s I worked with somebody who was building a Chevy 350 powered 260Z. Other than breaking engine mounts (resolved with a chain running from a cylinder head to a strut tower) and some hood clearance issues that required a scoop it was a pretty straightforward job that was very quick with still reasonable handling.
It’s an abomination. A “Z” car should be either left alone or restored. This is just like those farting cars, mostly previously quiet Hondas. The overly stupid owner should turn it into a Buick with those ventiports, like I see on Neons and mostly those Buick Chrysler 300s. Just plain stupid.
One interesting thing about this car is the “Ralph Williams Chrysler-Plymouth” license plate frame. I remember Ralph, but I don’t think he ever sold Datsuns, at least not new ones. I don’t think I took any interior shots, but I remember this car as having an automatic. I generally prefer cars to be as original as possible, but the V-8 swap was so common back when these cars were relatively new (at least here in the Pacific Northwest) you could call it a ‘period-correct modification.’ Overall, it’s a good-looking car and in good shape, but it needs some real bumpers up front if you ask me.
Meh on this car, but the Ralph Williams plate frame I like, too. I remember he had at least one new car dealership down here in the SF Bay Area, plus a Ford franchise in LA. He was certainly “colorful”.
You could almost look at the SBC swap similar to the SBC swap that went into many 50’s-60’s hot rods. If it was good for a 1932 Ford, it was good for a 1972 240Z!
Of course, Ralph’s pitchman was Chick Lambert and his dog Storm, which was the inspiration for Cal Worthington and his “dog” Spot. Here are a couple of the funniest outtakes in the history of TV featuring Chick Lambert (NSFW!)….
Ralph also had a store in Seattle (also NSFW)……
Not sure if this 1980s spot (which did air) was before of after Ralph’s stint in the can for tax evasion……
Are there any videos of that lunatic Dick Balch from the Seattle area? You know, the guy that sledge hammered his car of the day to “assault” high prices? He was the logical progression of the car dealer as “crazy”. PS – leave the HLS30 cars alone. An L28 is easily massaged to 200 hp and keeps the intent of the car intact. I cannot imagine the stock axles staying right with 300 ft.lbs.
Im ok with dropping a SBC into a Japanese car. Sure, its been done like infinity times, but who cares? Biggest concern Id have would be beefing up the unibody. SBC swaps have been known to tweak the ‘chassis’, if you can call it that like a beer can.
When I was attending automotive classes at El Camino College, I knew a guy with a Chevro-Z. It was bright metallic blue with classic Centerline polished disc wheels, a fiberglass front clip, and an IMSA style whale tail and widebody rear fender kit. The powertrain was pretty straightforward- 350 SBC with a Carter AFB, an old Edelbrock 2PSP intake, and original Corvette rams horn exhaust manifolds.
He never had any problem with body twist, but he lunched three Nissan rear ends.
He lived not far from me and I used to see the car parked outside near his apartment. As the years progressed the car looked a tad rougher than it used to, but was still presentable.
That’s right, you needed to do something with the rear ends on these cars, as the OE rear end couldn’t take the torque of the V8 motors…
As mentioned previously, this was a common swap. Quite easy to do, but most guys made the mistake of trying to make a dragster out of what was basically a lightweight, somewhat flimsy sportscar. The best one I ever saw had a .060 over 283 with a hot cam, block hugger headers and a single 4 barrel. Not much torque, but plenty of top end power where a car like this could use it. The rear end and motor mounts on these things were not built for big torque, and if you had enough traction to use all that power something was sure to go bang quickly. Cooling was another problem, common to most big engine/little car swaps. I had a side business building V-8 Vegas at one time and considered building one of these, but even in the early ’80s it was tough to find a structurally sound Z car in these parts. By the time you got one of these sorted out it would have been cheaper and easier to start with the car you were trying to build in the first place-a Corvette!
A pretty awesome one I’ve seen locally had a 383, T400 and a GTR awd system, later gaining a blower. With wide slicks under flares it runs autocross and hillclimbs. The 0-60 time would have to be in the 2-sec bracket