Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Done with all three of the following criteria met.

1. Exhaust down and inside the frame rails
2. Firewall not pushed back
3. Stock hood not cut

I’m well into the chassis mods for this swap and I still believe this is do-able. I am documenting with pictures & notes and will create a new post with all that when I’ve completed the chassis mods for the engine placement.

I would love to hear from anyone who has or has seen these three criteria met when doing a SBF swap. Thanks, Jim

When I first got into roadstering, one of the first few people I met was "crazy Eric" (he embraces that nickname) with the 302 Roadster.
We still do backroads drive together, though the SBF-Roadster has gone to Australia, and Eric is now fishing exclusively in the E30 BMW pond.

The SBF Dats went thru 2-3 trans choices after he bought it, including an AOD at one point.
Alvin will have pics, but the hood had a second scoop, the tunnel had been widened (though that may have been for one of the earlier trans's) and the pedal box was real narrow. (because of the flared tunnel)
Ford 8.0 rear end. The steering rod had a couple of pillow blocks in its course around the engine.
X-member had been removed, replaced with a bolt in H-member. (I think Mopar guys call this a K-member)
I have the weight sheet and comparison when he and I (bone stock '69 U20) went to the trucking scales and weighed both ends of both cars.
A little surprising, as the 302 did not do to F/R balance what you think it would.

https://youtu.be/j96gRMKL1eM?si=JtG32n0cBLoOwTj0
Watch out
But street racing is fun
https://youtube.com/shorts/zkXuCOvIjog? ... bOO2D7OudE

fairlane292 wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 12:11 pm Done with all three of the following criteria met.

1. Exhaust down and inside the frame rails
2. Firewall not pushed back
3. Stock hood not cut

I’m well into the chassis mods for this swap and I still believe this is do-able. I am documenting with pictures & notes and will create a new post with all that when I’ve completed the chassis mods for the engine placement.

I would love to hear from anyone who has or has seen these three criteria met when doing a SBF swap. Thanks, Jim

Eric's swap won't meet any of those criteria (I'm sure you already know!), but there was a blue roadster with a 289 that I'm certain met all except for a louvered hood (punch vents like a hot rod). I need to find the photos.

Sid might know, better yet I think he's dropping in a SBF into a roadster and may be of assistance

Alvin wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 5:54 pm

fairlane292 wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 12:11 pm Done with all three of the following criteria met.

1. Exhaust down and inside the frame rails
2. Firewall not pushed back
3. Stock hood not cut

I’m well into the chassis mods for this swap and I still believe this is do-able. I am documenting with pictures & notes and will create a new post with all that when I’ve completed the chassis mods for the engine placement.

I would love to hear from anyone who has or has seen these three criteria met when doing a SBF swap. Thanks, Jim

Eric's swap won't meet any of those criteria (I'm sure you already know!), but there was a blue roadster with a 289 that I'm certain met all except for a louvered hood (punch vents like a hot rod). I need to find the photos.

Sid might know, better yet I think he's dropping in a SBF into a roadster and may be of assistance

Gee thanks Alvin. Yes, I’m quite familiar with Eric’s car. Funny, I did see a video and maybe a couple pictures of the blue car you mentioned. I was not able to find who owned it or who to reach out to. I have communicated with Sydney Raper in recent past if that’s who Sid is. He’s doing a SBF but at last check he was doing exhaust out the body to side exhaust. I think he had sent me the link to the blue car vid. Hmmm….

Any pics of what you have done?

There was a guy in or near Huntington Beach that had a small block roadster back in the late eighties that I had seen. Not super clean install but it went pretty good.

Here's one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iC_lPfVV_9k

69roadster wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 7:23 pm Here's one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iC_lPfVV_9k

Thanks. Yeah, that's Eric's 302 but he needed to cut the hood and add a hood scoop on top of the factory scoop. That would be done of course if the engine can't get mounted low enough. I don't know how he had his exhaust set up. Running the exhaust down inside the frame rails is the challenge I'm working on while also looking to get the engine low enough for factory hood clearance. I believe I have a way to this but I'm still a couple of weeks away from completing the fabrication (and only then will I know it can be done properly and tastefully). I'm taking lots of pictures and keeping notes on the process but there's no point in getting into that info until I know there's no need to change direction.

Gregs672000 wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 7:14 pm Any pics of what you have done?

Yes, I'm taking lots of pictures and keeping notes on the process but there's no point in getting into that info until I know I won't have to change direction. Running the exhaust down inside the frame rails is the challenge I'm working on while also looking to get the engine low enough for factory hood clearance. I believe I have a way to this but I'm still a couple of weeks away from completing the fabrication (and only then will I know it can be done properly and tastefully). Once I have the engine on the motor mounts with the exhaust manifolds on and clearing the stock hood, I'll share whatever pics and info folks are interested in. At the moment the body is off the frame and the frame is upside down for frame rail metal fab.

Ah... I thought you had already solved these issues. I understand now that it's the goal...

On Eric's car, he lost a front air dam one time, picked it up and threw it in the trunk, and the car immediately started to run much warmer, heat was not being evacuated from under the hood. Screwed it back on and it was OK.
When he/we got home, we made a "new" one out of one of those plastic sheets that admin's use to roll their desk chairs around on.
It effectively created negative pressure under the front end, which then sucked out the radiator fan air, and car stayed cool.

FergO2k wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2024 1:23 pm On Eric's car, he lost a front air dam one time, picked it up and threw it in the trunk, and the car immediately started to run much warmer, heat was not being evacuated from under the hood. Screwed it back on and it was OK.
When he/we got home, we made a "new" one out of one of those plastic sheets that admin's use to roll their desk chairs around on.
It effectively created negative pressure under the front end, which then sucked out the radiator fan air, and car stayed cool.

That’s interesting. I’ve been thinking of a few ideas on evacuating engine bay heat, particularly when the car is in traffic or at a stop. One thought is a couple of smaller strategically placed electric fans always running with key on.

I don’t want to do this but if I find I still need another inch on lowering the motor I could raise the hood scoop one inch with cowl extension and opening. I could add the inch to the scoop opening trim and have it chromed. I really want the hood to be stock but that one inch would be pretty subtle and the cowl opening would expel a good amount of engine bay heat. I have an extra hood so I wouldn’t mine modifying one. I’ll know about that one inch soon.

This is the video of the blue roadster from 9 years ago. Username mrfiero88gt. Anyone here know who owns this car now and how to contact them? Thanks.

https://youtu.be/gaqouTZltJg?si=ZqofiNB7WKKBvOgt

fairlane292 wrote: Thu Oct 24, 2024 12:35 pm This is the video of the blue roadster from 9 years ago. Username mrfiero88gt. Anyone here know who owns this car now and how to contact them? Thanks.

https://youtu.be/gaqouTZltJg?si=ZqofiNB7WKKBvOgt

Nice find!
The roadster Sid and I saw photos of is also blue, but a low-windshield model. Gotta find it for you!