Brad-ManQ45

I just recently built a blast cabinet (2'x2'x4') and I love it. Just bought some 14"x7" Western Turbine wheels that I will be cleaning up, painting and clearcoating. I will be putting drag tires on them, or maybe not, I'll use the Iron Cross wheels for the drag tires....They need to get cleaned too.... Of course the main reason I built it was the '75 project car and all its' woes...

Somehow I had managed top go through about 5 years (for sure) of emissions tests with my EGR blocked off by a cut-down tin can lid under the gasket. In the process of freshening the external parts, I removed the egr and saw it was stuck, so bought a new one.

Yeah, mine's only 8"....

By sanding, I mean sanding down and spraying more over that area. From my understanding, you do NOT want to use Acetone as a thinner, and DO NOT want to use a product over it that uses Acetone. Xylene will be what I will use to thin. ZR recommends scuffing for a good mechanical bond when it has cured, if one wanted to do a high build primer say, then do a seal coat and base/clear. Bruce even mentioned sanding the 'chalk' away before clear coating if the car had been left outdoors for a while. RacerX and I have been cussin' and discussin' this for about 3 years now. I lost my tech job and it took a while to get back on my feet, and then was busy with the new job, or I would have made more progress. Well, I guess I'll get to try my hand at spraying the DD ZXT before I paint the '75 project car, which need floor pans, subchassis connectors and a rear qtr in addition to minor front fender rust out that I think I can fill in with my MIG and grind. In a way, not too bad, because evetually need to yank engine out of ZXT and attend to a bit of battery tray rust out. Then I'll do the whole car.... I have gotten TONS of info from RacerX (thanks!) and also at: http://http://www.autobodystore.com/cgi-bin/config.pl?index I just came across the Stovebolt Forum for old Chevy Trucks that has a high regard for ZR also.

Used to see this all the time in the 'hood where my company had a restaurant. Super big wheels and 4th order bandpass boxes rule the 'hood...along with the concealed weapon of choice. Dumba**es would rather look good than eat. Honestly, their kids were starving... If they had brains I'd say they were oxygen-starved since birth. As it is, they are a complete waste of air and social resources.

I have a real aversion to losing parts of my body, so after I cut up the gussets for the rotisserie I told myself NEVER AGAIN. A Chop saw just WILL NOT cut 3/8" plate steel of any size (the pieces I had to cut started at 9"x7"). I DO like the Jet - to me it's worth the xtra $100 - better motor, better blade guides, better stand. Now I DID get the 20" swing 12 speed HF floor drill press when it was on sale for $339, but I had a 20% off coupon, and it has done an absolutely FINE job on everything I have thrown at it. I'm ALMOST tempted to try using it as a mill, but I like my appendages too much, besides, gives me an excuse to dream and eventually buy another machine... I really DO like good machinery......

Zero Rust comes in rattle cans, but also Qts and Gals. I bought 1 gal each of Red Oxide, black and white. I have a compressor and a few HVLP guns that I will be using. My first coat will be red oxide, then I'll use white to paint the car. That way I'll be able to see that I get good coverage. The BIG question is - how Sandable is ZR, IE: after the last coat, you have to let it sit for ~30 days, then scuff and shoot clear. I don't know how easily it sands for this step.....

I would imagine that an SC cam would not be quite as sensitive to overlap...

You can use Zero Rust as the Primer/base, but I would use a different clear on it - from the stovebolt forums, David Palmer (Zero Rust) said he like the U Pol single stage clear product. I too am in the need of getting some leaks fixed, but not ready for a total redo on my '83 ZXT. My clear coat is pealing and I have some dents and rust around the windshield and above the drivers' rear bumper. Since I intended to paint the car white, I've decided to just use ZR and a cheap automotive clear..... This will do for a daily driver and allow me to spend more time, money and thought on the '75 TT350 project.

I used an abrasive disc in my RYOBI table saw (after checking rpm of motor and disc) to cut 5/16" metal plate for gussets for my rotisserie. Other than having to replace the insert (plastic) around the blade, no problemo. But I'm glad I don't have to do any more of it on there. I bought a Jet Bandsaw in the last year.

Get a minimum of an 80 cu ft cylinder - prefferably a 125. The cost savings in fillups will make you happier. You'll need either .023 -.o25" wire for panels, unless you use Harris Twenty Guage, which is a powder-cored .030" wire designed for use with gas and helps avoid blow-through. Others have given good advice - HF has a nice AD helmet -I have 2 different ones - the one that comes either with or w/o flames has a replaceable battery. That kind is the one to get. Ditto the cart - I bought my MM175 with cart and just can't seem to find the time to build one that is better because I have other things to do. One of these days....

Don't get me wrong, from an engineering standpoint, what I do will work the first time. From either an esthetic or practical standpoint, it may be found lacking. Kind of the difference between an engineer with a lot of HANDS ON experience versus one just out of school - the technical side is ok, but the practical/ease of use/efficiency that comes from experience is lacking. But at least I'm thinking of it as I go along and get into it. Since I don't work on cars for a living and never have, heck it's been over 30 years since I tore out and built my last engine, I just don't have that practical experience that is always in demand no matter what area of work you are involved in. I DO try to think thinks out in advance - it's the anal programmer in me that requires it, but without a wealth of background, I simply fall short in envisioning sometimes. BUT I'M LEARNING - STILL! And enjoy building and wrenching and soon - bodywork (last done 34 years ago) & painting.

I'm charging the digital camera as I'm writing this, and will post pics later. I have a Ranch style house on top of a basement, and the living area is duplicated down below. I have a workshop in the basement, which is where I have the compressor, with air lines plumbed up to the garage and to the workshop. The air compressor is on a 30 Amp 240V circuit with the outlet in the garage for my MIG welder. The welder needs 19.1 Amps max, the compressor 15. I just don't weld when I'm running the compressor. The Husky 60 Gal. compressor is on CH's isolating pads, which gives me enough room, as you will see when I post the pics. I just built a 2x2x4 ft blast cabinet which will remain in the basement shop area, and having the air power tools certainly was a blessing. Before I start painting the ZXT, I'm going to add another drop with a retractable hose setup in the garage, currently I only have one outlet in the garage and one in the workshop, but they are located in areas for maximum use, and I'm using cheap HF hose reels (good hose though). I finally broke down and treated myself to a self-retracting setup that I will locate overhead in the middle of the garage.

I think I'd be inclined to decrease the exhaust lift. What rear gear and size tires are you running?

Pop: What year range Continental was it you got the fan&shroud from? Thanks

I'm having trouble finding a place that sells it by the gallon here in GA. $141.xx for a case though...

It's been a couple of years since I installed this kit, and ever since, I don't have to worry about water in my tank - now if I can just remember to drain the three end of runs.... Actually, get this only when it is on sale - the Valve and the Tee are the only things I used in the kit - the rest of the stuff - compression fittings and nylon tubing was junk. I struggled with trying to use the cheap nylon hose and just could not get it to work with the cheap fittings. I will avoid spending money whenever possible (do it myself if I know how, take more time to get it done etc)...But I right flat got pissed off at the crummy hose and fittings and had enough. Fortunately for me, a 2 mile trip to Royal Brass & Hose had me set up with the good stuff, for about $8. I had spent better than an hour trying to get the HF cheap crap to work, and with the new stuff it was all together in 10 minutes. I haven't been able to locate a cheaper solution anywhere. I haven't been able to find a source for the valve, and I suspect that it's because I don't know what to look for, but for the price, I don't care - it gits 'er done cheaply.

Hi Braap: To answer your questions: Who is building your MS controller? Gary at Spark & Fuel. Will you been running MS-I or MS-II? I have been hoping that they get the wheel decoder working right so that I can run MSII, but right now we are going with I. I NEED MSII because I have a 4L60E in the garage that I am going to put in place of the T5. This car will become my daily driver. Will your mega squirt be able to fire sequential COP ignition for a 6 cylinder, or at least a 4 cylinder? I am having it set up for wasted spark because I am not going to go into the engine until I need to, and intend to get rid of all the troublesome stock stuff that I can. (you can search for posts on heat soak issues, and if I don't feather the last 1/4 of throttle under full boost the engine shuts down). As it stands now, MSI will definitely support 4 cyl seq. COP, and I believe it can support 6 and 8, but I may be mistaken.... And yes, I have a Q45 - a '94 Active Suspension model that has had the Texasoil accumulator rebuild done to it. It currently has 78K miles. My wife is using it as a daily driver and I am using a Lincoln TC, which I will have her drive daily and save the Q for all "our car" occasions such as "our dates", or family visits, just so it gets used 1 or 2 times a week to keep things working well. I will be putting a lot of miles on my car, and since I own my own business, I'm justifying my switch (and mods) to the Z for fuel economy reasons to my better half. I would MUCH rather have the Q than a Z32 - I can't even FIT in one of 'em and see down the road. I'm 5'11 1/2" with a 32" inseam and my head hits the roof if I can reach the pedals and steering wheel.

Hi Ivan! Haven't heard much from you since SEZ... Not sure about lift/duration, but i think the 114 lobe centers would be a definite asset. Which A/R and trim are you running on the hot side? That would definitely affect what you want to do with exhaust (and intake).

No, I usually do it, and part way though think of a better way, tear it apart and do it THAT way. When finished, I generally think of the ULTIMATE WAY to do it and say SCREW IT....then tear it apart and do it again.

VeritechZ: No, somehow FedX sent the package coming from you in Tampa to me in Atlanta to Los Angeles. What should have been 2 days is more like a week and a half.....

A good scrubbing with a Scotch pad and you're good. I personally am using Zero Rust instead of POR. Much less, no iso's, easier to apply - go to the AutobodyStore Forums and see what people's experiences are. RacerX here at HybridZ is a big proponent of it - uses it on his personal cars as well as any customers' that are not adamant about using POR. I use OSPHO on all my welding areas to make sure I have no rust, after cleaning with Acetone, after grinding/sanding. Yes, I am anal....

Hi guyus: Sorry I came in late here. I am having a MS unit built to my specs with peak & hold driver boards and 6 VB921's to run COP wasted spark on my '83 ZXT. One thing about COP wasted spark - make SURE that the coils you are using are good for double your intended rpm if they come from a non wasted-spark system. I am using COP's from 2 GSX-R 600's, good to 14K on the bikes, my measly 6.5K absolute max (and probably ony 6K because I'm gonna stick with the P90A head) will pose no problem. In reading through the MS forums about COP, someone had wasted-spark and then went to true COP and it really woke the engine up. He had mentioned the diminishment of spark, and (my memory may be faulty here) that even though the energy wasn't HALVED, the cylinder requiring an ignition event got a diminished spark. With COP wasted-spark, as long as you keep in mind the need for coils that can keep up, you eliminate the diminished spark. I would be interested in learning more about if there are any advantages to True Sequential COP over wasted-spark COP - particularly if both are running a crank and cam sensor - which pretty much eliminates more accurate timing as a possible difference. I can't think of anything that would make a difference, but then I am not an EE. If I am wrong about any of the statements, please let me know and point me in the right direction. I have been investigating MS for 2 years awaiting my final required emissions test here in Atl. GA area....

I may be wrong - have been before and will be in the future - but surging to me implies a big vacuum leak somewhere. I would think it would be between the vacuum tank on the passenger fenderwell and the actual AC system. As a test, block off the (should be single) vacuum line where it comes into the passenger compartment (behind the radio console I believe). I converted my Auto Air system to manual and only use one line, so I think you should only have one coming in. Also, make sure that the hoses in the engine compartment aren't crumbling. I have just recently replaced all of mine due to this very issue. The ends of the lines on the vacuum tank kept breaking apart until they were too short to reach.

I think I'd have rigged up something in the line of a pressure washer - kind of a souped up (more power) Tim Allen Bidet....