Has Anybody Done This???

Hey Im wondering if anyone has done a LS1 conversion, and YES I have searched and cant get any answers? Just wondering what went into the conversion like any suspesion changes and stuff like that
Thanks Tye

 

PM member thunder.

Or search under his posted for "ls1"

 

I have been doing a lot of research into this lately...

I know of about 6 conversions doen world wide with the LS1. Engine fits fine, it's the gearbox which stuffs you up, you have to enlarge the tunnel by about 80mm to fit the 6 speed in and maybe more for the auto.

Thunder's drift car is the only LS1 I know of in Australia.

Check out www.hybridz.com, a forum dedicated to putting weird and wonderful engines into Z's.:zlove:

I'm tending towards the VH41/45 engines myself as they are cheap, really nice twincam heads and have forged internals, 6 bolt mains, big bearing cap brace and more. And another thing they fit alot more easily and you can use the standard Z gearbox with an adaptor plate, not cutting the firewall! Yay!

 

Yeh the late Nissan V8's are a work of art, strong and light. So are you going to do it? Got a quote for a brand new Z32 manual box the other day, under $4K.

 

I researched this a bit last year.

The conversion sounded fine until I learned of the major firewall modifications to fit the gearbox. That means engineers, certificates and presumably arguments with police and inspectors down the track. So I gave that away.

The VH41/45 looked good too, but the overall height of that alien styled plenum meant a big hole in the bonnet, even bigger if turbocharging is added - that's a big turnoff too.

So I ended up pretty much back where I started, I am now going to build up a VG motor just like everyone else.

I understand ZX2NV is going to have a go at dry sumping a VH block to get the overall height down, possibly with new throttle bodies as well. That should be good to keep an eye on, but Jas has plenty to do right now and he tells me that project is more of a concept than a plan at this point.

 

Fleet said he could bring the new 5 speeds into Aus for under $3k

I'm still tossing up if I'll keep the Z and play swapsies with engines or just sell it and buy a different car.


The height of the motor doesn't bother me much, I'll just wack on one of those walkinshaw bonnets and make a 8 throttle intake like I always wanted :zlove:

Some of the guys in the states mod there cross member so the engine sits lower and fits with the standard bonnet.

 

Wrong car for a V8 swap I think, find a (much lighter) Datsun Z or something like that to get the real benefits of such a swap.

 

Maybe right, but I already have a Z32 which has been resprayed, suspension done and I have heaps of spares...

I was initially thinking of getting a 240Z/260Z to swap a V8 into, but finding a decent rustless one is increasingly difficult, specially for a reasonable price (i.e less than a Z32)

You'd save weight going to the ally block LS1/VH engine anyway

 

The Sureflo drift Zed

runs a LS1...the driver reckons it helped with the handling of the car...as the engine is alot lighter hence better weight distrubution.

Dont mind the GEN3's tho my old man has a VX Clubby with aftermarket extractiors, zorst and larger induction system...and alone that boosted the power from 255kw standard to 289kws. Very fun engine to drive with

 

Sadly that'll be never, the last good condition 240Z I saw for sale was $28,000! lol

I still say go with a single turbo on your current setup!

 

The mods you mention are nothing dramatic in the context of what is being talked about. For example, its not that difficult to make a new plenum, for a V engine its basically an aluminium box sitting on top of the motor.

If the present X member prevents an engine from being dropped to its correct height ie correct sump clearance to the ground, then yeh, modify the X member.

The Z32 has a lot of advantages over the S30 for example - brakes, drivetrain, steering, chassis and so on. Good hybrid S30's can cost a bomb, $40-50K easily, basically everything should be upgraded to handle the extra power.

Basic Z32 has a lot going for it :zlove:

Where is Fleet, I want to talk new gearboxes.

 

the spider manifold of the 41/45 is very tall.. go a custom manifold and it will fit under the hood, supercharge it and runner length doesn't really matter.

 

Drift Z is now a 7.5 litre cast chev V8!

Whats that make it 427ci I think(dont quote me - not a V8 head), mmm 800 plus horse power. Engine sits nicely but yes there is alot of massaging of the transmission tunnel.

MMM fun

MattB