Say hello to the most devilish incarnation of the Nissan Z ever. Like many automotive enthusiasts who enjoy modifying their cars, Fernando Gaytan began his journey with this Nissan 350Z with relatively normal ambitions. He bought the flood-damaged Fairlady a year ago, and after replacing the entire electrical system, he went the usual route that most people with sports cars go – fit some coilovers, install some sway bars, and get some nice wheels.
The stock VQ35 engine and transmission were okay for a while, but there must have been some hidden water ingress or previous damage because, after 5,000 miles of enjoying the car, the engine started making “some weird noises.” Gaytan tells me that his first thought was to go the LSA route, as so many before him have, but then he found a company called LOJ Conversions…
The Stars Aligned
At the time that the engine started making worrying noises, his shop had a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat on the floor, which was bought via Copart. This was partially repaired and was driven around for a while, but ultimately, some of its parts went to another project, and the goals for the Challenger changed; his shop recently acquired a wrecked Demon 170 with a practically brand-new powertrain… With the Challenger changing character, the team decided to build the first 350Z with a Hellcat engine. We should point out at this point that we came across an enthusiast doing something similar at home about three years ago, but the YouTube channel where he was documenting the build only got as far as the first start and never showed the completed car. As far as we know, Fernando Gaytan may well have the first running, driving Hellcat-swapped 350Z, but regardless of who was first, the good news is that it should be relatively straightforward to repeat.
“The project took about five months – a bit longer than we expected – but that’s just because we had to figure out a lot of things… but the swap is not hard at all.”
– Fernando Gaytan, Scrap Life Garage
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Making life super easy is that the stock CD009 transmission works just fine, which is no surprise given how many other engines it’s compatible with. Many tuners recommend this gearbox for LS swaps as it’s a budget-friendly option at roughly $1,700 brand new. Mediating the discussion between the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and the rest of the car is a Holley Dominator EFI system. Incredibly, the rear end is still the same as it was when it left the Nissan factory. The first start-up was just under a month ago, and now it’s time to clean the build up.
Power And Future Plans
So many high-horsepower builds and first-time Frankenstein creations tend to sap the energy out of those who got involved with them (ask me how I know), but Fernando seems positively upbeat when asked what’s next for this unique blend of muscle and Japanese tuning: “More power! Now, it’s making 625 wheel horsepower – the goal is 1,000 whp, then a body kit and refreshing the entire paint job.” It’s well-balanced across all four corners and looks like a hoot to drive, but we suspect he may need to upgrade some of the rear end if he wants any grip.
We love the subtlety of the current aesthetic, with that engine sticking its head out the stock hood, but we also look forward to seeing this 350Z evolve further. Once completed, where does one go from here? “For my next build, I’m still looking around for ideas, [but I’ll] definitely try something different,” says Fernando. If you’ve got some zany concepts, reach out to Fernando on Instagram or leave a comment here.
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