280Z/SBC what works together

I have a Datsun 280Z that I am going to put a Chevy V8 in. I have seen a lot of the posts regarding building 283, 302 & 327 motors. I do not want to do the "normal" V8 swap ie 350, 383 or any combination of the 5.7L and above. I want something different. I purchased a 283 from what looks to be a 67 or 68 F body car (Camaro I believe). I did not spend alot on the short block so if I decide to go another route I do not mind spending the money. What I believe I want is a smaller displacement motor with Vortec heads and TPI and a street cam. I know the parts for anything other than a 350 are more $, however I do want something unique.

If I go the 283 route, will the TPI from the Camaro & Firebird's 305 or 350 fit and work? Also, what Vortec heads will fit/work with that set up?

If I decide that the 5.7L TPI motor is the most cost effective route, what will I need to de-stroke the motor to a 327?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.Thanks in advance


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you should check out hybridZ.org. Lots of conversions on that site.

I have a 71 z8 z and a 76 turbo 2.8 liter z. The v8 z runs 10.7 at 135mph in the 1/4 mle and 6.9 at 110 in the 1/8 mile. The turbo runs 110mph in the 1/4 mile, in the 12's, and is a nice daily driver (ac, stereo, quiet, good mpg....).

when doing a V8 conversion in a z, building the engine is the easiest part. So I say, why make a difficult project even more difficult by trying to be unique? It is already unigue enough to put a v8 in a z..

why someone would destroke a 350 to make a 327 is a strange idea for me. People spend money trying to increase displacement (for a good reason).

No vortec heads will not fit the tpi intake. and vortec heads will bolt to a 283 block but the little bore of the 283 will hurt the flow of the votec heads.

get a late vortec 350 (96 and 2000) and tell everyone it is a 283.

even better, get a "complete" 5.3 liter with transmission. Get unique with a late model engine install. can get a complete 5.3 with trans for less than $1500 and it makes 300-315hp stock.

I bet my 275hp (at wheels) turbo 2.8 liter will beat any 283 and do it at 1/4 the price. Very simple, easy, and cheap to turbo charge a 280 engine. My engine is only boost at 15 psi and I have room to increase that to 20 which would yield 320 at the wheels. all with a stock cam.

Personally, I'd use a Ford 302ci. The distributor on the chevy pushes the engine too far forward...

Plus, the 302 is much narrower...

if itwas my car.. and you did say tpi, so efi's black magic doesn't bother you..
I'd stop what you are doing.. and rethink this,, if you want a more balanced car.. I'd go find a caddy, truck thts totalled, and get the 6.2ltr ls III , or a lsI 5.7 out of a camaro/ta/vette/gto . both are all alum.. so it's lighter than the iron 283.. makes 400+ hp stock.. (5.7 was 350 ish)
and gets you overdrive..
food for thought..

Thanks for your inputs. One of the reasons I did not want to go the turbo route is that I made a deal with my daughter a couple years ago. I found a 82 280ZX turbo parts car for $500. I was going to use it as a donor car and sell what I could, but she had to have it. I made her a deal that if I could not fix it into a daily driver, without a ton of cash, I would buy it from her and use the parts. Well so far, the project is still alive. I cannot convince her to give it up. Worst case, I have a turbo and a V8. Maybe I should put the 283 into her car and I get the turbo.

There is a v8 install manual for the 1st gen Z (JTR V8 conversion manual).

easier to put in an automatic trans but I prefer the T5 5 spd from a V8 camaro.

Id go one simpler and just use an aluminum 5.3l, they're much cheaper and still have more than enough power for the 280z. Id go with a manual od trans too, it adds a lot to the fun factor. Down the road you can do a cam swap and get some headers so you still have over 400hp. Put too much torque in these cars and they start breaking.

what 5.3's are all alum?

some from 05 through present, i may be off a year or two.

you sure your not thinking of the 6.0

This was taken from Wikipedia.




The LM4 (VIN code "P") Vortec 5300 is an aluminum block version of the LM7, and had a short production life. It should not be confused with the L33 described below. LM4 applications:
2003–2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
2003–2004 Isuzu Ascender
2004 GMC Envoy XL
2003–2004 Chevrolet SSR
2004 Buick Rainier
[edit]L33
The L33 (VIN code "B") is an aluminum block version of the LM7, and was referred to as the Vortec 5300 HO in marketing materials. Power increased by 15 hp (11 kW), to 310 hp (230 kW), over the LM7, and torque was unchanged. It was only available on extended cab 4WD pickup trucks. Only 25% of trucks made in 2005 had the L33 engine.
L33 applications:
2005–2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD
2005–2007 GMC Sierra 1500 4WD
[edit]Generation IV
The LH6 with Active Fuel Management replaced the LM4 for 2005, and was the first of the Generation IV small block V8 truck engines to go into production. It is the aluminum block counterpart to the LY5.
LH6 applications:
2004–2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer including EXT (through 2006)
2005–2009 GMC Envoy Denali
2005–2006 GMC Envoy XL
2005 GMC Envoy XUV
2005–2007 Buick Rainier
2005–2009 Saab 9-7X
2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2007 GMC Sierra 1500
[edit]LY5
Introduced in 2007, the LY5 Vortec 5300 is the replacement for the LM7 Generation III engine. For SUV applications, it is rated at 320 hp (239 kW) and 340 lb·ft (461 N·m) of torque; for pickup truck applications, it is rated at 315–320 hp (235–239 kW) at 5200 rpm and 335–340 lb·ft (454–461 N·m) at 4000 rpm
LY5 applications:
2007–present Chevrolet Avalanche
2007–present Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2007–present Chevrolet Suburban 1/2 ton
2007–present Chevrolet Tahoe
2007–present GMC Sierra 1500
2007–present GMC Yukon
2007–present GMC Yukon XL 1/2 ton
[edit]LMG
The LMG Vortec 5300 is the flexible-fuel version of the LY5. Power and torque ratings for SUV and pickup truck applications are the same as each application's LY5 rating.
LMG applications:
2007–present Chevrolet Avalanche
2007–present Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2007–present Chevrolet Suburban 1/2 ton
2007–present Chevrolet Tahoe
2007–present GMC Sierra 1500
2007–present GMC Yukon
2007–present GMC Yukon XL 1/2 ton
[edit]LC9
The LC9 Vortec 5300 is the Flex-Fuel version of the LH6, and is found in 4WD models. SUV applications are rated at 310 hp (231 kW) and 345 lb·ft (468 N·m) of torque.
LC9 applications:
2007–present Chevrolet Avalanche
2007–present Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2007–present Chevrolet Suburban 1/2 ton
2007–present GMC Sierra 1500
2007–present GMC Yukon XL 1/2 ton
[edit]LH8
The LH8 Vortec 5300 is a variant of the 5.3 L Gen IV small block V8 modified to fit in the engine bay of the GMT 345 SUV and GMT 355 trucks. It produces 300 hp (220 kW) at 5200 rpm and 320 lb·ft (434 N·m) at 4000 rpm. It has a displacement of 5,328 cc (325.1 cu in).[23]
LH8 applications:
2008–present Hummer H3 Alpha
2009–present Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon

A 283 brings the same weight as a 350, 383, 406 and presents the same effort to install. So why is there a need to be different with a 283? This is not a case of less being more. If you just gotta be unique put an SB2.2 in there. You can get a low mileage used NASCAR mill built to the 9s for about 20 grand. You want to impress your friends drop one of those 800 horsepower monsters in there, by the way it's all aluminum block and heads, that take some weight of the front end.

Bogie