Engine swap shops
 

I have a 76 Datsun 280z Im planning on swapping in a VQ35, Iv been trying to find a shop that has had similar experience in doing this swap - that is reliable and honest.

I had talked to Garage 5, speed syndicate, West Coast hot Rods..

Seems like WCHR has the most experience and capability to take on this kind of work.. has anyone here gotten swaps done there before? I was quoted roughly 5-6k for the engine + swap + mounts etc, however I could not find any reviews with this shop..

Also, typically how much do you need set aside as a "contingency fund" in the case something else pops up and needs to be done at the same time?

Thanks

Sorry, I don't exactly have any input on shop availability. But a good thing to do would be to price out the swap as if you were going to do it on your own. Things that will effect the price will be engine management, condition of engine etc.

5-6k sounds pretty cheap to me. Try and get a breakdown of what they are giving you. If the shop has done a similar swap before, and they know the vehicle they are probably much more likely to get an accurate price estimate.

You can try 360 Fabrications. Known for high end builds but I'd assume they are crazy expensive. A client of mine had a bunch of work done on his Aston Martin there and it was all top quality and the invoice reflected it.

In terms of a contigency fund, I'd say keep at least 30% on top of your budget aside for pop-ups.

Does seem a little cheap. Will that quote account for ecu tuning or uprades that will inevitably need to be done (brakes, axles, exhaust, etc?)

Whatever the quote, try to keep double the amount in mind. If you want it done right, you'll want to replace things like the water pump, timing, gaskets and so forth. Things can also break doing an install.

Good point ^^ don't forget drive shaft as well. 5-6k could be reasonable if its a common swap but I'm betting a lot of fab will be needed to get everything look and running proper. ECU tuning won't be needed if it's an OEM motor with OEM ECU. However wiring all that in is still a major job.

Berz out.

Looks like all the swap parts are available online (sans exhaust), so it's just a matter of sourcing a drivetrain, doing all the preventative maintenance on it and getting everything installed.

VQ-Zcar parts Products McKinney Motorsports

Tommy @ independent speed shop.

Yes il most likely be ordering Mckinney parts, rather than go the custom fab route. Anyone have any experience with Vance at WCHR though? Any experience, even if its not a engine swap?

I almost dropped my phone when Garage5 ball parked me 10-15k for the swap alone, excluding the motor and trans :badpokerface:

TSS.
I've seen thier work firsthand. Well worth it.

Grip Bunny: A Different Breed Of S13 - Speedhunters

I was also thinking about doing a VQ swap on my S30, but I might just build the L. It's going to be cheaper to get the VQ/tranny on your own. I was going to contact Paulo at AES auto.

He's done a few swaps for me in the past with KEEP. Never had any issues.

Im going to get speed to do some of the work when i swap an RB26 into the S30, They have a 280z they are sort of working on, its on a rotisserie right now