I bought a '72 240z about a month ago.

It has a straight body, great frame. One spot of surface rust on the rear bumper, which I'll be replacing.

The car runs very rich and has 178k on the stock L24, and it needs a valve job (not badly, but bad enough). The clutch engages really low (like, barely off the floorpan) and offers no real resistance.

I love the crap out of these cars, and I want to turn this Z into a smooth-running, sleek-looking automobile. Nothing terribly fast, just something nice to throw sideways occasionally. That being said, it has a nearly stripped interior (I'm getting most of the pieces I need from a parts car), ground problems (Lights decide to work erratically, upon pressing brake pedal the reverse light comes on (right side), etc.), and will need a new paint job before I'm through. I want to fix it up and make it nice for around three thousand dollars, which is not unrealistic for me, as I work for Nissan and have hookups out the wazoo. However...I need to decide on engine. The engine has a massive amount of miles on it, and I want something fuel injected. I could do a FI conversion, but part of me would feel better swapping a low mileage RB or SR in. I'm pretty much decided on either the RB20DET, RB25DET, or SR20DET. Gotta have that BOV. However, which engine is more reliable, and more importantly, easy to find parts for? I don't want to have to abandon the project once something breaks or needs replacement. I'm aiming for 250whp or so, enough to get moving quickly, but not enough to make me lose control of the car (or need to replace most of the drivetrain). Oh, and the car must be converted to a 5spd. Hate that 4. That being said...what are your suggestions, guys? Keeping the 3k project total mark in mind, what would your suggestion on engine be? Thanks.

if 3K is your limit you had better be very thrifty, a decent SR20 is going to cost you $2500 alone. I have seen some RB swaps in australian mags so i know its posible. If your just shooting for 250 rwhp just save up to swap a RB25DET, that will get you there stock with a boost controler. http://www.jarcoinc.com sells skyline clips and is a reliable company.

Your probably also going to have to convert to the R200 rear differential (will probably be included with clip if you decide to go with jarco).

As far as auto -> swap, i cant comment on its difficulty, but it might be posible to retrofit all the parts off of the skyline clip onto the Z. This will let you use newer parts and they will work with the skyline components.

Sorry Gema, 3K won't buy a decent paint job. If you have a spot of surface rust, then you have buried rust. Especially if the car is a long time Maryland car. If you don't have 6K of spendable CASH don't start a conversion of any kind.

One of the kit car mags published an editorial last year that said that 80% of all kit cars purchased are never finished and the money invested is lost. I suspect the statistics on engine conversions are the similar.

Consider a nice head job (I'm talking about the engine!) with a mild Bullfrog (brand name) cam, rebuild the twin SUs (professionally rebuilt ones cost $400 or so), an '81 or '82 ZX distributor, and enjoy what a 200hp motor will do in a 2300 pound car.

If all the Frenchmen who claim to be members of the French underground in WWII were actually in the underground, the French would have had the largest armed force in the war. I'll bet the same applies to engine swap claims made on the internet. I've done several, they are not cheap or easy.

Try this car in a nice near stock condition before you start dumping cash on it.

The paintjob is going to cost me the cost of the paint. 3k is possible for a complete job, it's just going to be difficult. I still haven't ruled out rebuilding the L24.

id say go with the RB25! my next project will intale a 240z with an RB25 and if u do it now then that means i have someone to go to for help lol. but yeah i plan on spending like 3500-4000 for the swap and thats with a good hook up for a motor!!!! but u must remember all the custom work that must be done!!! i havent researched it much yet cause i still got at least a year before i even start saving for the swap, but i bet barly anything will fit .

Yeah its by no means cheap...i've got 10+g's budgeted for my swap and i'm worried that won't be enough...RB26-280zx...3g's will be really tight...

Redline

I'll be using the L24 block with a P90 head, and rebuilding both with performance components. I might add a turbo as well. Just gotta find out what all I need, then visit my local junkyard...