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V8 sbc in a 510 .... Haters go away


logicali

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I have a fully built small block Chevy with Aluminum heads on it and has a bunch of lightweight racing parts I have a Borg Warner T5 transmission rebuilt ready to slap on and I have a Datsun 510 1972 2 door shell with the front suspension completely rebuilt already with 280 ZX parts .... I know all the haters are gonna say

Too heavy in the front ...but Bre did one and just set the motor far back , and had to cut the fire wall ...

 

 

 

I need to basically get

-Motor crossmember

-Trans crossmember

- headers

- Cut firewall

 

Everything else is easy

 

Any suggestions on the easiest way to get the crossmembers and headers

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I EMAILED PETER BROCK ,HE HIT ME BACK

 

 

 

Hello Ali....Needless to say this isn't a project for the faint-hearted :0)
There are no drawings! Even before you start cutting out the complete fire
wall be sure you build a substantial sub-frame and cage into the unit body
to absorb all the stresses that will be acquired by the extra torque of some
500 bhp. My advice is to just buy a complete LS4 Chevy with all the
supporting electronics and ECU that comes with it from Chevrolet. The rest
is just a matter of planning what you want the car to be. I have no
intention of racing mine but it could be a fun drift racer. My purpose was
to build a very quiet "sleeper" that was essentially stock looking on the
exterior and could be driven with complete confidence coast to coast with no
concerns about reliability. You'll have to build a complete new front
cross-member with rack and pinion steering. New struts and better brakes.
Use a 240Z rear end (bolts right in). Cost? Figure you can probably buy a
nice slightly used Porsche for the same amount. Not nearly as much fun but
perhaps more practical. You're always welcome to come and make notes.

Note....you'll probably never "finish" this project as there's always
something more that is "really needed" :0) Peter Brock

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There is nothing easy about this swap and even though it has been done before a handful of times it is not common. There is no one here that has a template to build a crossmember or dimentions to cut the firewall for your swap. You'll have to figure that out your self or pay someone to do it.

If you were doing a more common swap I'm sure many would chime in with tips since the vg30 KA and SR swaps have been done many times but you won't find a "chevy v8 in a 510" guide here.

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I have no desire to be rude, but may sound that way.

 

A v8 510, one you will still enjoy driving 5 years from now, is not a goal to be made on a whim. I am not opposed to v8 swaps. I'm not opposed to builds using what you have on hand.

 

Since you needed a fabricator, you are talking about investing SUBSTANTIAL funds into a complete reengineering of the front subframe and suspension. This could quickly and easily brake $10,000. Very quickly.

 

You are making a $10,000+ decision based on the fact that you already own an $800 drive train. So far as you've told us, your only major motivation is that you already own the sbc. That is not much motivation when you've invested 3x what the car is worth and you aren't even halfway done.

 

Brock isn't wrong about his price estimate. Anything easy will rapidly lose its shine when faced with the realities of a difficult car to drive.

 

Can i ask what your goals are? If v8 510 is that goal, that's fine. Define it more. Cheapest and easiest? It won't handle turning worth a damn. Best handling ? Now you are on par with Pete brocks build.

 

Or is your goal just more power? Better reliability? What do you want your 510 to do?

 

10K will build a 300 hp turbo KA engine, with upgraded suspension and braking to match. And it can be done with nearly zero fabrication on your part so you wouldn't need the shop.

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I would google "Chevy S10 chassis swaps".  You'll find a lot of 40's-50's American swaps, but the British guys use them for Anglias and Morris Minor V8 swaps, too.  Solves a LOT of problems, and getting a complete S10 that is being parted off CL is cheap and available.  The frames are easy to shorten, and you get proper suspension, brakes and a rear axle that can handle a V8.  There are drop spindles, bolt in 4-link, and rack and pinion steering kits for them as well.

 

I couldn't believe it, but the S10 truck has only 1/2" wider track than a Morris Minor... 

 

I think a V8 510 with a proper full frame would be a lot of fun.  I've always wanted a V8 320 wagon.

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Basically, you are asking way too many questions. Go do more homework (swap info, and what you actually want from the car) before tearing into the car. Im not saying dont do it, I am saying you may not be ready.

 

 

KAs can be had cheap, just depends, kind of like the $800 S13 convertible with a good dual cam my friend got... and then traded the KA for a CA...

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Not to be discouraging, but there are way more things to work on other than can you fit the motor in the car.  It took me 7 years to initially put my car together, 3 years at running autocross to get the springs, sway bars and settings, shock settings, tire pressures, close to being dialed in.  When I went to a new Ford Explorer crate motor, it took another 18 months to get the new motor situated and cleaning the rest of the car up and getting painted and re upholstered.  I run Wilwood brales. Koni aluminum racing shocks, corvette rear end, highly modified, etc. Chevys are about 3 inches wider than a 5.0 and the distributor is in the back (unless you have crank  fire ignition) plus the motor is about 150 lbs heavier than the Ford (cast iron).  Having the motor is the least expense if you want to have a driveable car.  

I used mine as a daily driver to work for about 12 years with no problems other than having fuel pumps quit (Holley electrics) a couple of times.  It is a bit noisy inside as I have no rugs or any insulation in the floor and the differential is mounted solid to the sub frame.  I did not add flares to the car as it was originally built as a "sleeper" to piss off Porsche and BMW drivers.  I did re-do the rear fenders on the inside to be able to use 225X15 slicks on 7" rims so the car looks pretty much stock and the paint is just an off white to not draw attention to the car. The car has no heater or defroster, so is not a great car in the rain or cold weather.  My wife does not like riding in the beast as it is noisy and only goes on a quick trip to the mountains once a year. The car has 50,000 miles and many smiles on it so far. 

If you want to make a driver and one that handles you need the skills and time or you need a bucket or two of money to make it happen.  The 240 Z swap is a much better set up if you don't have the time or skills to do the work.  Still expect to spend about 5-10 times as much money on the project to make it happen.  

Here is a video of the car running at Qualcomm this Sunday......too tight of a course, but still much fun!

 

 

Also are some pics of the car, motor, etc. and a car I built for Bonneville just for grins.

Auto-X-Practice-112109-200PC-1.jpg

 

510-V8-302_INSTALL.jpg

 

Interior-driver.jpg

 

Bonne-Project-500-012.jpg

 

As they say, enjoy the ride!

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