Project 630z - V8 powered Z32

[Bantambunny]

Well it's nearly there now so thought i'd share a choice few pictures. I'll do a full write up when it's all together with lots of photos.

After last years drag racing season i decided that 3 litres of V6 power weren't going to be enough to compete in 2009 so something was going to have to happen, i toyed with throttle bodies on the na and move the whole lot to a stripped out slicktop shell but it would be uncomfortable and noisy and i was fed up on continually having to strip the zed to get 0.1 of a second difference so decided to talk to Mike Feeney who put me in touch with a guy who was part way through a project but had decided not to complete it and sell the project on.

The project was a Z32 SWB targa and all the work had been done to fit a chevy sb and t5 gearbox into a standard shell.

The block is a 350 chevy unit but is being bored 40 thou and decked 10thou before having flat top pistons, stainless crank and con rods to take it up to a 383 stroker (6.3 litres)

I got most of the parts with the car ready to fit but needed heads. I've opted for a pair of Edelbrock Performer RPM ally heads with upgraded crower springs and 70cc to ensure the compression is kept about 10:1

I'm looking at howard solid roller cams and solid roller lifters and rockers to let it breath up the top end and all being well hoping to break the 400-450bhp mark.

I've had alot of advice from various people on the choice of engine but ultimately I had two choices: Either go for a balls to the wall insane drag car with 450bhp, racing clutch or something that could be used on the track but ultimate was a fast road car.

After having to drive my z32 with a 6 puck racing clutch i decided that racing cars on the road are not fun so opted for the fast road set up. Which will lose me 50bhp but give me a nice torquey engine.

Carb choice was a pain with so many options out there. Mike suggested a double pumper with mechanical secondary but after reading that it's effectively like putting a hose pipe on your fuel tank and letting it run out i opted for a 1407 Edelbrock Performer 750CFM carb to give me a nice trickle of fuel on primaries on long distance but lots of guts when the secondaries open. I may buy a double pumper with mech. secondaries later on to swap for the drag strip but it's my first V8 i've built so starting off small and experimenting to find the right setup. In the long run, nitrous is on the cards to give me the edge on the strip and the crower springs and solid roller lifters should be more than ample to take it on with a quick cam change

So here's some pictures!

Test fitting of the engine in the engine bay, note the steering rack has been dropped 3" so the whole engine sites in line with the suspension struts and a standard filter sits under a stock Z32 bonnet with no bulges

Lots of room...

Oil filter moved to the front, twin electric fan setup with an oil cooler

Lovely clean underside, Rudy did a fantastic job prepping this shell, fully poly bushed from front to back

Hood down

Full interior retrim in red leather (looks fantastic in the flesh)

Engine out to go to Crane Hill Engineering

Custom sump

Uprated edelbrock heads

Transportation back home (thanks Pete!)

A little bit of fiddling and fitting and he's back together with some new lights, all electric wiring done and everything working!

And all the goodies sitting ready for assembly!

 

[STEVE BURNS]

About time you let us know the progress instead of keeping us in the dark
or are you keeping part of it for the on-line mag

One bit of advise though please don't try and fit that odd looking spoiler on the left hand bed

 

[Bantambunny]

lol, I hate waiting so all these long term builds that take years frustrate me to read with weeks and weeks without updates so i thought i'd wait till i had quite a bit to show.

All being well it should be on the road in the next 12 weeks

Block goes in either this week or next week for boring decking and honing then it's onto the build.

I need to get the harmonic damper and clutch first so need some money in the bank for that, the heads set me back 950 notes The engineering work will cost £265 which isn't too bad then i need an engine brush cleaning kit and some engine paint to spray it up before the exciting bit of actually putting all the shiny bits together

I thought you'd like that spoiler on it lol

 

[ollyc]

Looks like a fantstic job and I bet its going to be a fantastic bit of kit when its on the road. Look forward to seeing more.

 

[Bantambunny]

Cheers buddy, we're hoping for about the 400bhp mark maybe a little bit more and the torque is going to be immense, i really can't wait to hear it fire up for the first time

 

[bandit]

looks stunning well done

 

[Bantambunny]

looks stunning well done

Cheers mate, there's lots of overspray i'm going to have to rub back and masking tape marks all over the shop but i'll deal with that at the end after i've fitted the new bumper and bonnet but it's a very tidy shell.

 

[Zed2k]

Top project, I have been out in Suzy n Chris Z32 V8 and can tell you,, it's awsome!! you'll love it, shell looks to be in great condition too!! can't wait to see it..

 

[pmac]

Top project, I have been out in Suzy n Chris Z32 V8 and can tell you,, it's awsome!! you'll love it, shell looks to be in great condition too!! can't wait to see it..

Nicks project is very interesting indeed.
I too have been out in Suzy n Chris V8 when Darren owned it.
I have to say I didnt find it "awesome".
It was at Bruntingthorpe too. It sounded lovely and is well put together but didnt impress on the track.It seemed lazy and with a dissapointing gear change. Now some of that may have been down to Darrens driving but the 400+ BHP zed TT I also sat in with was very much sharper both in acceleration and braking.
so Im looking forward to getting in to Nicks V8 version for comparison

 

[Bantambunny]

Well hopefully this won't be a lazy V8, it's a stroker for a start, the inlet manifold and the forced choice of cam should make it quite a buzzy engine with that solid roller cam and lifters

I've found out the edelbrock carb isn't quite mechanical secondary and not quite a vacuum driven one either it's a mixture of both so should be quite an interesting choice once it's on full song.

Plus i've still got that carbon bucket seat i'll be slipping back in at some point so let's see how it compares with all that weight shaved off being a shorty

As you always say, bring it on buddy lol

 

[Bantambunny]

Top project, I have been out in Suzy n Chris Z32 V8 and can tell you,, it's awsome!! you'll love it, shell looks to be in great condition too!! can't wait to see it..

Cheers buddy

 

[Russ]

Strokers are more lazy!

Looks incredible, and the engine without all the mass of Z32 gismos in the way looks much happier in the engine bay. You have to get a video with some sounds up at some point in the future!

Nice one mate, don't give it all away when it's finished and put it into an article for the club mag!

 

[Bantambunny]

Cheers buddy

Ah it'll pull like a train wherever it revs, 400bhp+ will be more than enough. Going to be interesting to see where it gets its power and torque. I'm off to a dyno run in June/July to see just how much it's got when its done, just hope i get it all sorted out before then!

Cheers buddy, once i've finalised the spec (i'm still working it out as i go along but nearly there) i'll do a proper right up with dyno sheets attached and photos so you can pop it in the magazine

 

[Bantambunny]

Good news, i secured a loan this week to finish the car off while i prep the silver one to sell so i could get all the parts done.

Tomorrow i'm making a visit to crane hill engineering with the block, heads and flywheel. The head will be skimmed 10 thou ready to bolt together with a felpro gasket set.

The flywheel will be skimmed 30 thou ready to go on and the block will be skimmed 10 thou, bored 40 thou and then honed before being hot dipped. I might also see if they'd prep the block and paint it ready for when i pick it up rather than waste any time (depending on cost).

I've also been in contact with Keith5700 who did a 383 stroker conversion on his Z32 and is breaking it for parts i'm off to his tomorrow night to go and get as much i can from his car. Possibly a serpentine belt conversion and also the belhousing, clutch and actuator from his car.

There's a number of goodies on there i want including the nordskog gauge set up which looks immense!

When the engine comes back with the help of Rudy (previous owner) and Laurence from Star Motorsport we'll be transporting the shell over to his unit for the engine build, the fitting of the clutch and flywheel and then the final bit of putting the whole lot into the car itself.

I'll probably be getting the headers off keith to connect to the exhaust that came with the car which should at least get it on the road so i can transport it up to sheffield and Exhausts UK who are going to make me up a full set of custom 3" polished stainless headers and exhausts with electric cutouts in front of the silencers.

I only need to buy a few things to complete which will be ordered before it goes in for the engine build (cam, solid lifters, etc). So exciting i can almost here it start up for the first time

I'll post up pictures as and when i get anything physical done, probably tomorrow when i go to visit crane hill engineering!

 

[wow300]

Spot on

 

[Bantambunny]

Cheers buddy

 

[Rob Gaskin]

This will be a hell of a quick and interesting car, wonder if it will stop and go round corners?
Two none car comments, is that your house (the mansion in the country) and it's always good to see PMac with a big smile on his face:lol:?

Looks a top job!

 

[Bantambunny]

lol, it's running Wilwood Superlight calipers and 328mm discs so i'd flipping hope so! It's also got lowering springs and uprated shocks although that element of things will be improved next year when i've got the money to do it properly.

That's the house that owns the stableblock conversion i'm renting at the moment, wish it was mine (7 bedrooms!!!!) lol

lol, Pete is always a little ray of sunshine no matter where he goes

 

[mikecart]

I thought you might have moved ... noticed there were no Z32s by the school in Ashby any more ...

Mike

 

[Bantambunny]

lol, there is one around Ashby he's just moved there as i moved out in November

I've currently got the two on the my driveway here.

Well just another update after going to visit keith5700 in derby last night i've arranged to buy his full serpentine belt system with pumps, pulleys, belts and mounts. Also buying his Tremec TKO 500 box, bellhousing and clutch setup along with a few more suprise goodies which i shall reveal later on.

I'm also having his..... (wait for it) supercharger set up with methanol injection for next year once the engine is broken in (I can hear Mr F jumping around for joy on that note lol)