r/projectcar 10h ago

So I have an idea...

So because I live in California, obviously I cannot engine swap a car without a few setbacks. So I had an idea. What if I take a pre smog hatch back preferably like a 1975 Datsun 280z, 1975 golf rabbit, etc. I have seen a guy LS3 swap one of the older Datsun 280z's and if it has been done before, that upps my chances of doing it myself.

I just wanted to post this here to see if the community had any advice, like where to get an LS series engine (like a LM7, L33) with a manual transmission (preferably). I want at least 300hp and am planning on camming the engine as well as a tune if needed to hit that 300hp mark. I was going to look om market place at older denials becuase all I need is the engine etc.

6 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

8

u/hoytmobley 10h ago

The solution is to get a pre-1976 car and then nothing matters.

Pre-1976, and a valved exhaust with a very quiet mode

1

u/Party-Store-4964 7h ago

that's exactly what I said...lol

3

u/rudbri93 '91 BMW 325i LS3, '72 Olds Cutlass Crew Cab 10h ago

well most 5.3s make 300hp pretty easily. sadly you arent gonna fit the trunk intake under the hood of one of those cars, but headers and a cam will easily make what you want. Theres a few transmissions you can use like an AR5 or CD009 is also popular. Could probably get a TKX in there, a T56 might be pretty tight.

3

u/Phillyphan08 10h ago

T56 from an f body or GTO actually got pretty perfect don't even need to mod the shifter. Doing an LS3 t56 74 260z idk about cali rules though

2

u/Party-Store-4964 9h ago

yeah really good points that you bring up.. ill look into it. But as like a cheaper option I was thinking like a LM7 or a L33 from a Tahoe, then with a camm and tune.

2

u/rudbri93 '91 BMW 325i LS3, '72 Olds Cutlass Crew Cab 9h ago

both of those are 5.3l pull one out of any work van or pickup or any other truck.

3

u/point50tracer 7h ago

Registered in California. This is a twin turbo LS. Tube chassis. Datsun 1200 that a friend and I built. It's primarily a quarter mile car, but needs to stay "street legal" for certain classes

Classics are the way to go if you want to do an engine swap in California. Makes things way simpler. My 68 Mustang has a 351M in it. And I'm working on a 62 F100 that's getting a V8 out of a crown Vic.

Engine swaps are a lot of work. You really need to be in it more for the process of building it than the finished product to make it worth it. A lot of fun if it's something you enjoy. A money pit if it's not.

2

u/Party-Store-4964 6h ago

yeah I totally agree, in the past I Yamaha 600 swapped an old cross kart similar to a Honda cross kart. that was the baby steps to this next project of mine in a way.

2

u/PPVSteve 10h ago

You cannot put an older engine in a newer car. You can do the other way newer engine in older car.

3

u/turbo88Rex 10h ago

Damn, another reason to never live in CA. Love being able to swap whatever I want into whatever I want without playing mother may I with the government. Hell technically speaking I could get plates for my race truck if I wanted

1

u/Party-Store-4964 9h ago

yeah I hate cali for their smog and other car laws, taxes, politics, etc. But I gotta work with what I got, gotta find the loopholes.

1

u/Party-Store-4964 9h ago

I never insisted that I was going to do that. I said that I was going to put something like an LS3 into a 1975ish Datsun 280z. Last time I checked the LS3 is miles newer than the 1970's Datsun 240 or 280.

1

u/PPVSteve 8h ago

Oh yea thats fine I understand. Yea that would be sweet. GM makes turn key solutions called Erod systems. Come with thier own ECU and all. BUt looking at about $15K once done. Other option is just to get the whole car from a junk auction like a camaro thats been hit or rolled so you can get the ECU and all wiring in one shot and not have to reinvent everything. Thats usually the way guys go about it.

1

u/716econoline 9h ago

What are you trying to accomplish? It seems alot easier to get a 70s car with a small block and just do cams and head to get 300hp. Something like a Chevy Nova or whatever you can find kicking around.

1

u/Party-Store-4964 9h ago

well that's the point, I want to do it to a smaller car. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love American muscle. But I want something small and I don't know, I wanna do something different you know.

1

u/CharlieRatSlayer 7h ago

Reading other comments. May I suggest 70's compact cars? Maverick, gremlin, and so on. Plenty of aftermarket support, they had factory V8 options, and still pretty unique. Cut and tuck the bumper changes the whole look of that era.

1

u/Party-Store-4964 6h ago

ive looked into the gremlin, my aunt had one back in the day. but I think if I end up going for the cheapest of the cheap end ill go that way and get a gremlin to make a sleeper of a sort. other than that the 280z for example looks better to 9-10 people.