We spent the last installment bolting our LS1, Tremec Magnum transmission and accessories into our 350Z at the LOJ Conversions shop. Now that the drivetrain was installed, it was time to make it run.
First up: The cooling system. LOJ's kit includes a custom C&R Racing radiator and the necessary hoses to install it. The cooling system bolted right in …
Soooo, what's the total cost involved for this swap?
This update explains the costs of the kit:
This is absolutely not a down-and-dirty low-buck project compared to some of the things we've built over the years, but we think it'll be a great value compared to what it's able to beat on track.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Once labor is factored in, it's starting to look like a really-expensive way to build a Corvette.
Fascinating project otherwise.
This reminds me of one hero car of mine, the Porsche 928. There are similar kits to fix and/or replace problematic bits and pieces with that car (okay, pretty much the entire drivetrain) by swapping in various Corvette odds and ends, including both a manual or automatic transaxle (ZO6 manual units are preferred).
Small problem: The cost can run up pretty quickly, to the point where you can buy at least two C5 Corvettes for what it costs to do all of this.
The bonus in all of this, however? I fit into a Nissan.
I don't fit into a Corvette.
^Exactly. And we're already planning to run this car against our similarly-modified C5 Z06. They cost almost exactly the same amount by the time it's all said and done.
I LS swapped my Porsche 944 Turbo. By the time I was done and truly had it completely sorted out, I could've easily bought a C5 Z06 AND had a TON of $$ left over in my account.
I try to not think about it but I will *never* do another non-native engine swap again. Most likely I'll never do an engine swap ever again period.
In reply to docwyte :
I dream of swapping my Solstice someday. Then I try to do something in the cramped engine bay and remember that a Vette is way cheaper.
In reply to Dave M :
I'm impressed with how integrated this swap is for the 350Z, that wasn't the case in my 951. The LS doesn't fit all that well in the 951, it has a really narrow engine bay and not a lot of frontal area for cooling. Those, in combination with the environment I live in (altitude and HOT during the summers) weren't good for how I used the car, which was on the track.
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