vg30dett conversion?

[SickEddy]

has anybody done or seen this conversion before? i have searched around and cannot find anything.
it is the engine from a nissan 300zx, 3litre v6 twin turbo producing 300bhp stock.
also does anybody know any reason why it wouldnt fit into an e30 cheaply? insurance and cost of a donor car are both very cheap.
if anybody has any info it would be much appreciated, thanks

[fuzzy]

japanese engines come with lots and lots and lots of wiring and can be a nightmare. i assume youve had insurance quotes then? i couldnt get a quote for a twin turbo skyline conversion but had no problem with the cosworth.

[SickEddy]

ive had some quotes of around 1400 3rd party fire and theft with 1 years no claims.
for a skyline rb25det (not even the 2.6 twin turbo) was 4k.

[Theo]

A manual 300sx is a bit hard to come by I thought?

Sounds like massive hassle to be honest, go for a turbo 325i engine to keep things simple.

[SickEddy]

i love the sound of a v6 engine, would prefer it to a straight 6 tbh. l6's seem smoother but v6 have the sound (i am comparing to other engines as i am after something different, m52, sr20...not my m20 which is a godlike sound)
i can get a manual donor for less than the cost of parts for a turbo. for some reason i cannot get a decent quote for a turbo m20 but can with this. also with the petrol my m20 is drinking at the moment, the vg engine it will be cheaper by quite a bit from what i read online, any way better on petrol over a turbo'd m20.

[Theo]

Sounds like you need to get your tape measure out and start working out whether it will fit.

[ShepsEvo3]

japanese engines come with lots and lots and lots of wiring and can be a nightmare.

Not only that, they come with lots and lots and lots of stupid little vac hoses too which are a nightmare!

[Eddie25]

For noise purposes the JZ is king

[SickEddy]

i actually prefer the vg noise.
i want something powerful but cheap n either 300bhp or can be modded cheaply do it. sr20det would be perfect if it was a 6pot
when i say cheap i mean to insure and run (m20 when i put my foot down only a little a bit is only giving me 8-10mpg, granny driving it does 25-28 easily) not toooo bothered about repairs or install prices, have a limit of 2-3.5k depending on engine for installing, i wont be doing the conversion myself

[Theo]

I think you're underestimating the work involved in fitting an engine from a different manufacturer - I can't imagine you'd find any skilled garage to do it all for £3.5k. You'll need custom engine mounts, prop, gearbox mounts, rad mounts, intercooler mounts, exhaust system, possible modification to the transmission tunnel (the 300zx box is quite chunky) the exhaust manifold/turbo on the right bank might give clearance issues with the steering linkage, brake servo will probably need relocating or mounting remotely. The sump and oil pick up will probably also give grief come to think of it. Add to this the whole wiring saga you will encounter and you start to see that there is some serious work needed.

[SickEddy]

hmm. i would be able to do some of the work myself but then if its not been done before would be tricky sorting out a half and half with a garage.
any recommendations on a swap? like i said im after around 300-350 bhp and really want it a 6 cylinder. preferably lighter than an m20. preferably already turbo'd but not a must. and within that price range. do you know if the sr20 and rb25 use the same gearbox? thanks for the info

[steve_000]

sr20 and rb25 dont use the same gearbox, but theres a chap on driftworks and sxoc that makes and sells conversion plates for the rb25 box to mate with the sr20.

[fuzzy]

3k for the installation wont be enough. mine was £2600 just for labour and its a far simpler engine in comparison.

[Theo]

So your criteria are: 300-350bhp, 6 cylinder, already turbo'd, lighter than M20 and all on a really low budget?

I think you're dreaming mate!

I'm still saying turbo the M20, although your one sounds as if it could be a bit ropey.

[Jhonno]

So your criteria are: 300-350bhp, 6 cylinder, already turbo'd, lighter than M20 and all on a really low budget?

I think you're dreaming mate!

I'm still saying turbo the M20, although your one sounds as if it could be a bit ropey.

As the hero says

[SickEddy]

my m20 is fast, lot quicker than standard and as far as i know its just cammed and with scorpion exhaust but it has done over 150k and it seems to drink a bit. does anybody know roughly how much an sr20 conversions is? i said id prefer a 6 pot but isnt 100% necessary

[Theo]

Alot more than £3.5k!

[SickEddy]

cheers. ok sounding cheaper to turbo my m20 and pay the extra for petrol then...

[fuzzy]

if its a supply and fit conversion you will be looking at £5000+

[Jhonno]

cheers. ok sounding cheaper to turbo my m20 and pay the extra for petrol then...

Er.. You're expecting any one of those conversion suggestions to be economical?!

[fuzzy]

and not forgetting the higher maintenence and repair bills that follow.

[SickEddy]

not wanting something economical...just hopefully better than 8mpg.
to turbo the m20 i would do it myself so will be cheap, i just dont want to do a conversion myself. i have been quoted 1.8k for an m52 conversion inc parts and m50 manifold. amazing engine but not that easy without turbo/super charging to get above the 300bhp.

[sheebie]

not wanting something economical...just hopefully better than 8mpg.
to turbo the m20 i would do it myself so will be cheap, i just dont want to do a conversion myself. i have been quoted 1.8k for an m52 conversion inc parts and m50 manifold. amazing engine but not that easy without turbo/super charging to get above the 300bhp.

All of the above are the reason the lads have given you are why im planning to do an m30, Do you see what i mean now?

[SickEddy]

my car is not having an m30. i want something more economical (not economical but just more than what i have) something light and around 300bhp. same problems with m20 and m30, need a turbo or supercharger to be capable of 300bhp so not worth swapping to something worse than what i have, if i was after 240bhp then maybe though i would still avoid it and go m52 for that

[sheebie]

the reasons i was refering to were the complicated nature of the conversation, whereas a m30 is more straight forward.
remind me and i will introduce you to one of my mates who has a turbo skyline at 300 bhp, and he will let you know about how economical turbo car are.

maybe im missing something but and how is an m30b35 worse then an m20b25? from what i have read there is not a huge difference in economy if your getting those figures.

[Nobby_N]

After reading this thread im smiling so much, I too would love a 300 bhp car thats economical plus i only want to pay £3.50 20 B&H and 2 pints of Strongbow for the wholee job PMSL great thread btw

[SickEddy]

i meant worse as in the things i want out of the engine are more economy (m30 is worse than m20 even if it isnt much) less weight (m30 is heavier than m20) and i want 300ish bhp (m30 would still need turbo to reach that)
u mean moes skyline?

[sheebie]

After reading this thread im smiling so much, I too would love a 300 bhp car thats economical plus i only want to pay £3.50 20 B&H and 2 pints of Strongbow for the wholee job PMSL great thread btw

lol

[GeoffBob]

japanese engines come with lots and lots and lots of wiring and can be a nightmare.

Not only that, they come with lots and lots and lots of stupid little vac hoses too which are a nightmare!

Like they say, stupid is a stupid does. 'Worked on plenty of Jap engines and never had reason to complain. No more complex than any other modern engine. If your frame of reference is an 80's E30 then you better not look under the bonnet of a modern BMW, you might mistake it for a ricer

Sick Eddy, if you are looking specifically for straight six Jap engine that'll easily do 350hp, then consider the twin turbo Toyota 2JZGTE from a Supra (if you can find one). It'll be right at home in a BMW since it was developed by the Krause Maschinenfabrik in Germany and the V160 six speed manual gearbox is actually a GETRAG Type 233 box. Less rice in these ricers than you may actually realise.

[Jhonno]

i meant worse as in the things i want out of the engine are more economy

Don't drive with a lead foot then.. No reason you can't get over 30mpg out of an M20

[fuzzy]

to your average joe public driveway mechanic ,jap engines are far more complicated than on same era bmw's. obviously if thats your game and is your bread and butter then it will be easy.its not my game and my years 10 spent in the jap car scene pre e30 days proved that to me.
a cosworth yb is a very simple basic 4 pot engine in comparison and can be just as reliable as an everyday runner.
probably more expensive for the initial outlay though.

[SickEddy]

to n88byn, 3.5k can easily get me 300-350bhp and what i should have asked is 'is what mpg im gettin driving economically right for my m20'...which it doesnt seem to be. and for the swap ive been quoted 850 for an m52 ecluding parts, i wouldnt have thought it was thaaat much more work for the vg30, its only around 1500 for a full mot'd donor car so still leaves 2k for labour and other needed parts.
i think the best idea (which i have been told to do by a few people) is just turbo the m20, but possibly a new one with less mileage and without the cam. the main parts for the turbo should transfer over if i decided to swap for an m52, turbo, ecu and intercooler so that might come a year after. probably best to do m52 1st but i would love to have the m20 sound.

[sheebie]

to n88byn, 3.5k can easily get me 300-350bhp and what i should have asked is 'is what mpg im gettin driving economically right for my m20'...which it doesnt seem to be. and for the swap ive been quoted 850 for an m52 ecluding parts, i wouldnt have thought it was thaaat much more work for the vg30, its only around 1500 for a full mot'd donor car so still leaves 2k for labour and other needed parts.
i think the best idea (which i have been told to do by a few people) is just turbo the m20, but possibly a new one with less mileage and without the cam. the main parts for the turbo should transfer over if i decided to swap for an m52, turbo, ecu and intercooler so that might come a year after. probably best to do m52 1st but i would love to have the m20 sound.

After seeing how nice ur car is. i think if most people saw your car they would want you to leave it standard, by another one a 325se and turbo that one. leave the sport unmolestered lol

[SickEddy]

thats the main reason i want to turbo it and not m52 it yet, completely reversable (ish, some mounting of intercooler) and its easier to take out and swap into another car if i ever decided to get one

[reddrifter]

i know of a place in gloucester that does a lot of conversions, at a reasonable cost, man knows what hes doing, ive owned a 300zx TT and youll get 5mpg booting it and they are a VERY heavy lump so it would handle like a pig with all that weight up front... and they go through turbo seals like i go through socks as youll have no cats to have right back pressure for turbos... great engine but only in a 300zx shell.... call Fred at Vauxsports 01452 529602 he will advise options... hes in the middle of turbo'ing a e36 325i using a T4 turbo the size of a gorillas head and looking at 500bhp minimum...

hope this helps

Lee