Pepping up a 300ZX NA

[turbo97se]

Hi guys

I am new to this forum but not new to car mods. I am looking to pep up a '87 Nissan 300ZX Non-Turbo. Don't want to spend a whole lot of money on it just want to wake it up a little. My budget would be around $1000 to $2000 or so.

Options I am looking at are as follows:

VG30E - get turbo manifolds and turbos slap on and ECU and injector changeVG30ET - get the complete motor and drop it in there. I have read that it may be just a s cheap to get a complete parts car .. but where?

VG30DETT - if I just got the engine and ECU and harness can this bolt up to the 5 speed and engine mounts I already have? From what I understand the blocks should be about the same between the VG30E and VG30DETT.

RB25DET would be nice but definitely out the price range.

Power goals in the 400 WHP range with some additional supporting mods for fueling of course and turbo upgrade

[Boosted 70z]

The vg30et is the only motor that will make that kind of power anywhere close to your budget, unless your an amazing fabricator with all the tools to put in a vg30dett by yourself. The sohc vg can make 400hp and bolts in with the correct mounts. Use the red search button up top.

[DJButton]

the VG30DETT being a DOHC as opposed to the VG30ET SOHC is by no means a bolt-in affair and will definitely require some fancy custom fab work. Beefing up a VG30ET ^ is propably the cheapest/easiest route I agree.

[evildky]

the VG30ET is a blt in, it just requires bolting in the crossmember as well, the VG30DETT however requires lots of fab work

I'd suggest the VG30ET, simple, reliable, cheap, lots of potential so you can start with the swap and add I/C later, and then larger injectors and larger turbo till you're happy

[turbo97se]

double post
Modified by turbo97se at 3:52 PM 12/30/2006

[turbo97se]

Thanks for the advice guys. Looks like the VG30ET it is then. I don't mind putting more money into the project but I need to get my other major project done first which is taking forever! For the Z31 I like the car and just want to give it a bit more pep. I have a turboed 97 Nissan Maxima and project Lexus IS300 as my other cars. I had planned on just buying and selling it but it drives so nicely just needs more balls! Is there more info elsewhere on the VG30DETT swap? I have searched some but not seen much info on it info on VG30DETT swaps into Z32 and 240SX but not so much on Z31 that I have found .. maybe searching on the wrong keywords. I see there is an RB25DET thread also. I have searched for VG30ET on places like Ebay but not much there, mostly VG30DETTs. I guess I should try car-part.com. Also is it better to just get a whole parts car?

Thanks for all the advice!
Modified by turbo97se at 11:48 AM 12/30/2006

[Redbeauty84ZX]

Personally I would turbo your NA block, the NA VG30E only runs 9:1 compression and is fine under boost & and you would have a bit more low end response then a VG30ET.

[evildky]

i think the lack of info and number of people who have done the swap is just the result of it being an unrewarding swap, with the single cams potential with so much less work and cost, if somene likes the twin cam so much it just a lot easier and cheaper to get a Z32

[BadQ45t]

There is a complete write-up on a turbo swap as well as doing a turbo onto a non-turbo one http://www.z31.com. I used to go there alot but now most of the posters are kids that cannot type and do not have shall we say similar interests as I do, but there is alot of good information on that site. You should search thoroughly on that site or you will get completely torched by them, but you will find alot more info there.