Is it worth a rebuild?

[JabroniyourBalogna]

Hi everyone, wanted to get schooled and possibly some helpful advice. 1990 z32 NA is the subject with just over 200,000 and I feel it getting towards its end. She wheezes and I soft pedal in fear of it. I picked her up not too long ago and have been doing everything I can to keep in good health, but I doubt it was taken care of very well. Getting 120k next month bc of belt and several bad seals, she's purging oil. I've completely replaced all hoses, packs, and brake system, revamping the entire suspension and fixing every electrical to cosmetic issue I can get around to but I dread when it comes to the heart of it. Whether to rebuild or swap for an already rebuilt(have had little luck finding reliable source) which would be outright cheaper, end game to boost and get more power. To not drag this on any longer, Is it worth a rebuild or just outright replacement? I love the idea of a higher comp engine with the goodies to keep it safe from det, but at the same time does the age and/or mistreatment, if bad enough, spell failure for what I want. I've done some research and understand these engines are hardy but I know there are some sages on here who have the years. Any help is appreciated!

Also any experience with Z shack with rebuilding? szr pro wants 9,000 plus..

[NolimitZ32]

if your ultimate goal is boosted then sell your NA, and find a decent condition TT (its the cheapest and easiest route). If you're married to your particular chassis then the next cheapest route is to buy a rebuilt/built TT engine from Z1 or IPP and drop it in. You could also have the block/heads rebuilt to TT specs by a machine shop, since you're asking about Zshack and SRZ I am guessing you're in Houston. There are a couple great machine shops around Houston that know the platform well. One I know is in Tomball called G&G Performance Engines, they did my machine work when I built mine years ago. I have no experience with Z Shack, I do have experience with Dane Miller the owner of SZR, he is in my opinion in a class much higher than many shops. Also I'd make certain what the $9k is going to because to me that sounds like build and swap money (turbos, piping, ECU, etc. included) not just a OEM spec rebuild.

[JabroniyourBalogna]

Hey there again, Yeah man I'm attached to both I have they're twins in respect to color, chassis, and even the city they were sold in. Both Houston owned 100% of their life but the one in topic right now I'm considering just getting a TT to drop in but at the same time have been seeing some info on machining an NA to spec with the 10:5:1 comp squeezing out alil more but also with the risk in that. It'll cost more out right no question on that, but is it even worth it for slight power/unique sake? 50-80+ hp isn't a huge gain. I kinda like the idea of that risk you run but having something alil more unique but not crazy. In the end I'll end up doing what's the best for the wallet and the car itself but wanted to see if anyone has gone down that road with regrets or any good to say. Plus any experience in rebuilding 200+ mileage units for twice the output. Rebuilding I understand refreshes it, but worries with the "body" of the motor I'm also interested in. Dane is awesome man, he's been extremely helpful, great with explanation and has many routes to recommend. He's recommended the same last time I had a chance to talk with him. This past week I've been leaning on just buyin used and dropping it in and work from there. Definitely the easiest way other then just a new z

[JabroniyourBalogna]

Really appreciate the feed back man, for me a tough topic tend to overthink. Really glad you brought up SZR last time great shop, just wish I was loaded this would be a much easier tackle lol

[NolimitZ32]

Boosting a high compression engine is worth it if you are going to build the whole car for ludicrous power and run E85. If you are looking for 4-5 hundred hp levels then a factory spec TT build (or swap) is going to be the most reliable. Do a bit of research on this forum, there are quite a few people that have great daily drivable results with a factory spec TT and T22 based turbos. Minimal lag if any and peak power right at 500 or so. These cars have been around for a while so the only way you'll do "something special" is going full custom everything because anything else has been done. So maybe you should take a look at your budget first and figure out the build from there because a simple swap can be done with around $3500 but that involves all junk yard parts (read: unknown reliability and condition) and doing every bit of work yourself.