goten929

I'm rebuilding a 69 z/28 but the dz 302 is almost impossible to find, I have the cross ram intake setup ready to go but I don't know if I can put it on another engine? A 327 maybe since that was the block for the 302? Help!!!

cnorton

If you're asking, "will it bolt onto a 327," the answer is yes. It may not run all that impressively, however. Those things were always a pain on the street. The 327 heads have smaller valves and the cam won't do much for that X-ram.

Good luck,

goten929

I want it to preform well, what other suggetions do you have, as far as engines and such that are correct for the year and model?

cnorton

Wow, that's a big question. I'm sure that you know that there's only one "correct" engine for the 1969 Z28. Also, I'm sure that your research has confirmed that the combination of 302 cubic inches, big camshaft, and big carburetion can be a challenge on the street. Everything that is said about the single four-barrel 302 is magnified by the addition of a cross ram and the loss of low-end torque that goes with it. They're beautiful to look at and they sound awesome when they're tuned and running right but they really don't start to get into their power band until the higher RPM ranges. There's a good reason why the standard rear gears for the Z28 were so steep. They were just beginning to come into their own with 4.10s.

Having said that, there are a lot of combinations that could be made to look and even sound like a Z28 but they would have more cubic inches and torque, a less aggressive camshaft and the original 4 barrel manifold and carburetor. If the car is an original Z and you want to keep it original, you have limited choices. Doing it with a crossram could the biggest challenge of all. If you're thinking about going for a 327 until you can locate a 302, you'd might as well opt for a 350 or a 383 stroker that could be dressed out as a 302 and would be easier to drive. They'll not sound the same as a Z but there are always trade-offs in this business.

FiefSS

Or you could sell me your cross-ram setup....

Good luck with it, I agree tuning that thing and driving on the street will not be quite like a good 350, but it would be worth it

cnorton

I should have mentioned that there will plenty of people (like FiefSS who, I am sure, would be willing to pay a fair-market price) who might want to deal with you for the crossram, especially if you have the hard-to-find accessories like the linkage, the air cleaners, fuel lines, etc. Authentic crossrams are rare since they were never factory installed on a car. You might well finance a good part of a restoration with the money from selling a pristine, fully equipped crossram.

FiefSS

The prices are quite insane... last I saw a few were at the 7k+ range.. but i'm sure thats higher now. I just bought an rpm airgap for mine.. it was nice saving 6800 bucks, but yeah if you do not want the hassle it might be worth it to go that route!

goten929

I would like to keep it as original as possible, it is a real z/28, that is to say if i'm not mistaken in thinking that x33 is the code for a z?

cnorton

If you're interested in optimizing the performance and value of an original first generation Z28, you'll find a lot of people with similar ideas and interests at Camaro.net and www.camaros.org/forum/index.php. They are knowledgeable and helpful.

Good luck

Blue89Bird

you're on the wrong site for 1st gen info - camaros.net/forums