]Hi, i'm new here :) i have a 1980 datsun b310 with an a12 engine. I am thinking about fitting an a15 in it. I was wondering what mods could i do to achieve around 140 - 150 bhp and the cost of it. Would it still be reliable if tuned it to this level? I would really appreciate any suggestions :) thx a lot :)

Depending on where you are and what you're allowed to do you should be able to achieve that power easily with a draw through turbo set up.

What you do will also depend on your skills. If you can fabricate your own parts building a turbo set up can be quite cost effective.

It's probably a good time to think about budget, what your skills are and how long you can have the car off the road for. Member Clyons is currently selling turbo manifolds (intake and exhaust).

Thx for your reply :) the thing is i don't wish to turbo it, i would rather install side draughts. Do you think its possible to achieve that power without a turbo?

Btw i'm in malta, don't know if u heard of it xD

Yes, we all have B310 and A15s in our countries.

To get an A15 naturally aspirated to 150HP usually costs about $5000. See Stage 3 buildup

I think the spend would be much higher as you also have to factor in the all the bolt on parts to make the engine put out these sorts of power levels. induction, exhaust system, fuel system, ignition, engine management if going efi, fllywheel, clutch and cooling system.

Transmission and differential would also need to be considered in order to handle the increase in torque

That does seem very cheap. Please correct me if I'm wrong but why would you turbo an A series if you can get that out of an NA?

I ask that because to put it into perspective I will have spent just over 4k turboing my A14.
Thats everything from upgraded engine parts & rebuild, all machine work and turbo manifolds. I was only expecting to get around 150hp for this build (conservative?)

If you can get that 150 from an NA for $1000 more that seems like turboing is a waste of time? I thought bang for buck turbo A series was the best value?

You need $10000 to get that power from the beloved a series NA.

If you are mechanical, patient and able to fabricate manifold and utilise bike carbs you can do it for less.

I have spent over $2000 on the cylinder head alone. I did spend my money on piece of mind parts like ARP fasteners, Forged rods and pistons and Tomei power parts. They all come at a cost. As Ernie keeps telling me, 1.5 HP /ci [cubic inch] is relativity straight forward. The closer you get to 2HP /ci it starts to cost a fortune. My total spend is closer to what clyons mentions above.

Ok i'm getting what u are all saying. Thx for the advice :) Now this is what i dont know: is the transmission of the a12, a14, and a15 the same one? Also, as benny said, would i have to change/ modify the transmission and diff if i get the a15 up to 150 bhp? Would the drive shaft be strong enough? I am not that mechanical, i wouldn't try to fabricate stuff myself or mess with the engine, but i can with my da's help. I would mess something up by doing it myself for sure! I am 19, still not experienced :/ Btw i would be happy with 120-130bhp as well :)