Well i hav'nt got my licence for a while due to stupidity a while ago (drink driving, not hooning), but i want another Zx and i want to do it up well, i have a fair bit of dosh coming my way and i want to put a bit of that into a nice Z i can be proud of and maby enter into a few shows, and a bit of track ie : TT or V8 mod That being said, there is a major problem i face. According to state laws i can not drive a high powered car untill i am finished my Plates, as the offense and subsiquent disqualification occured before i was 25. This has me thinking.... I buy a na z I drive this around untill i get off my P's I then do which of the following? I remove the Z's motor and replace with a small block v8 (as in the afore mentioned thread) Then modify as i see fit Or, i convert it into a TT and mod after that. The advantage of replacing the z motor with a v8 in my instance is 1, for the sound (which i must add gets my missus wet everytime) and 2, i have more power and torque and can still modify the engine as i see fit. I know there is quite a rift between those who wish z's to be left as they are, and those who like the V8 idea, but i am asking for opinions, and if offered, advice. I am only a average guy who loves z's, getting a few bucks from insurance and wanting to make a nice project car as well as look after my family, not a rich kid lookin to spurge :zlove:
mate.... a few members on the forum have dropped a V8 into their zed, just to be different. Although the purists may not like it, if done properly, it can be quite awesome. Do a search for V8 conversions on the forum, you will find plenty of threads. The other option is a TT conversion which I was going to do on my NA before I sold it (now have a TT). This is not too difficult, just expensive and time consuming. For my conversion, I had budgeted $10K for a complete rebuild of a TT engine (which I still have in the garage), new turbo's and all the extra's. I had acquired all the extra's and was ready to start this year. Problem is, the NA was a 2 seater, and our first child is due any day now. So I sold the seater and bought a 2+2 TT. Either way, both a doable, it just depends what you want to do..... Cheers
The V8 or modded TT question is really a matter of taste so I'm not going to advise you on that. However, I will suggest instead of buying an NA and swapping the motor later, decide what you want to do, if you are getting a TT buy one of them, if you are going the V8 route get something with a dead engine and either way keep it as a project car you can tinker with and work on until you get off your Ps and but something really cheap and reliable like a little Corolla to drive around in the mean time.
I reckon the most cost effective way is 1) take your time to find and buy a well kept NA that wont need any work done 2) when youre off your p's get a TT and sell the na I started off with an NA too but the mod bug bit... 1 year later when off my p's i wanted a TT. Managed to find one and bought that. While i was happy to keep 2 zeds for a few months i did ultimately need to sell the na. While i managed to sell it for more than i bought it - i got nowhere near the amount for the money spent on it(as youd expect). So if youre gonna go NA first look for one with mods done so youll be happy to have it without spending any extra $$$. When the TT/V8 comes along then you have extra cash to go nuts with
I think you will find most will reiterate what others have similarly asked and been answered with in the past. Get a NA, keep it tidy. Do some shows with it if you must. Than once you have full licensing back. Either sell the NA zed and buy a tidy TT, than go nuts with what ever you wish to do with it. If you're keen for a TT. Or if looking at a V8 swap. Swap the V8 into the NA. It really is one of the other. As most will agree that buying an NA and converting to a TT isnt necessarily the cheap way around it, when compared to the SB V8 on the cheap that others are doing. In the end its what you want. Some of us are very attached to our NA zeds and spending a heap on a new engine is no worries. Where others find it a stupid idea when you can go out and buy a "Good TT" and in return have change left over. What do you want?
Bloody hell! There were no posts when i started. Why does work get in between me and the forum! WHY! From the reports we all think similarly about the issue.
How well does a Zx go in mothball for say, a year or there abouts while i would tinker with it? Well i've done a bit more browsing, and it does seem that the V8 conversion would be the better option, with how you all pointed out the expense of rebuilding a na into a TT. That being said though just being curious, on the flip of the coin, can a TT be converted to a Na cheaply then converted back, and thus be cheaper than buying a original Na?
That would not be a problem at all, take the battery out and maybe keep it up on stands to stop the tyres getting a flat spot if you are not moving it in a long time. Short answer: no.
if your looking for around 250rwkw converting to TT is the cheapest and easiest route however if your more concerned about the sound and having something different as well as plenty of torque/power to boot drop an ls2/l98 into it. it will cost more, but you can virtually garuntee to drop jaws everytime you lift the bonnet or drive past someone in the know. while the vg can and is very reliable when maintained and working properly, it's easier and cheaper to have a more reliable L series engine you will have a tonne more space too, easily get your hand all the way down next to the motor you will need to have deep pockets though as l98 can run around 5k by itself + then the t56, ecu, motor mounts, sump and misc items. If your paying for the labour it's going to be real pricey. with that said, my plan is to drop an l98 into a Z in 2011
Step 1. Buy shitbox Step 2. Wait till you get off your p's, and save whilst on them. Step 3. Buy a good TT when you get your fulls.
In a way I think you've answered your own question. You or your missus love the V8 sound which you won't get with a 6. You will be on your P's for a duration which stands to reason you should buy an NA (better suited to a V8 conversion). You want it to be a bit of a show car, a V8 in the engine bay will attract more attention than the common V6.
All things going well, that sounds like the way for me to go. When you said there would be more engine space, would that leave enough space for further bold on mods, possibly even turbo?
I'm actually tempted to say get a TT as a base for the V8 conversion. You will get more $$ for the TT engine and pipework etc. The NA diff doesn't really suit the V8, mine is ridiculous, first 3 gears feel the same. You spend more time changing gears than getting on the gas. TT also has the HICAS lines which are good for pumping lots of fuel though Not hard to run larger lines though. Don't waste your time with the VH, go the LS. I wish I did
Yes in a way i did, but i still wanted opinions on it, and the pro's and cons for it from both sides of opinion. I would also like to know if there is enough room after a V8 conversion for the instalation of turbochargers and or bolt on mods.
