RPMS

The subject says it all. The JTR book says to replace it, but they don't tell how. How DO I remove the old one?

Yeah, I say get it fixed and trade it in. Tranny problems are like herpes. Once your car has them, it's usually got 'em for life. Last time I bought a used tranny it cost me nearly $600. (but then, that was for a Mercedes...) I think spending that much at the shop to get it in sellable condition doesn't sound too bad.

I sure hope someone in the crowd is packing a gallon jug of Bactine. He's gonna need it.

Never mind. I just sent the guy an introductory e-mail. I hope he elects to join us. I could learn a lot from someone who makes his own bellhousings!

Somebody invite that man over!

Hey, you asked for advice, and they gave it to you. Just wasn't what you wanted to hear! I agree, a Porsche powered Z would absolutely max out the "wow" factor. I don't know of anyone else that's done that, primarily because of the horrendous expense of maintainence. But if you got it to work, the world would be your oyster.

Something in the picture looks fishy - especially in the upper left hand region of the mirror, there are some pretty significant signs that this may have been photoshopped. If it were to be done, however, it's not a difficult process to explain. Take apart the two ultrasonically welded pieces of the mirror housing, probably by band sawing it in half. Then you can make a window in the mirror by scraping the silvering off of the rear of the glass with an X-acto carving blade. The silvering comes off pretty easily and should come loose before the glass scratches, if you're careful. Then you can epoxy whatever you want to the back half of the case, so that it shows through the window. Please note that this is MUCH easier said than done. I was going to put turn signal and high beam indicator lights in my rearview mirror, but decided that it was too much of a pain in the butt once I saw how it was assembled. I might still try, though. Seeing this picture has given me hope for success. Thanks!

Mike, Thanks for the reply. Do you think it would be worth my while to swap out starters for a staggered-bolt unit so I could go with a larger diameter flexplate? I'm wondering if I should take advantage of the greater mechanical advantage afforded by the 14" diameter plate? The motor is a low compression rebuild, so it shouldn't present a difficult load for the starter to turn.

Sorry, Fastass, but I think you might have given some incorrect information. Guy seems to be driving a ZX, and I'm not sure they're 5" gauges. They look a bit smaller, but that might be because they're clustered together in one housing, like you can see here on Greimann's fine ride. I haven't seen Phantoms installed on a ZX yet. I suppose it could be done, but I don't know what circuitry is behind the individual gauges in the instrument cluster. Might not be possible without fabricating something completely new.

Howdy, Glen! Welcome to the group. One place digital gauges are available is from Jegs. They have the Cyberdyne line of gauges that might suit your needs. I have not seen a 5" tach or speedo from ANY company, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there. Let us know when you find something that works (this might be better answered in the "High Tech" group) As far as electronic lock and window kits, I think one of the best places to look might be in the back of one of those custom trucking or hot rod magazines. They're forever shaving off their handles, so they might have a better idea. I haven't got any experience with power windows in an early Z, but I've done power locks. Not a lot of room to work in there, but if you're creative you can do it. Good luck (and remember to turn off your "caps lock" key!)

Hey, guys! The Jeg's catalog lists some dampers as being specifically for 1984-1995 small blocks, and others just list the application as "SB Chevy". Does it make a difference? And which application do I ask for that utilizes a 7 1/4" damper? Parts guys these days need to know what a 7 1/4" damper oringinally went in before they can pull it off the shelf. Apparently the days of looking in a paper catalog are long gone. They found one that was 6 3/4" diameter, but it was almost twice as much as an 8" one! For that money, I could almost afford a Fluidamper. Also, I don't know whether to get a 153 tooth or a 168 tooth flexplate, and I'm so ignorant I don't even know what qustions to ask. What necessitates the use of which flexplate? I'm using a 700R4 tranny, and I'm using the full sized starter out of a Chevy Camaro, one that seems to be on the JTR "approved" list. So which flexplate would you recommend? I'm just weeks away from pulling the inline 6 engine out of my car, but I've got these few niggling questions to be answered before I dive in. I've gathered most of my parts, but the flexplate/damper issue has me stumped. I've not worked much on American engines before, and the education process is PAINFUL! Here's the information Mortec had on my block: 14093638...350...87-95...2 or 4...Roller or flat tappet cam one-piece rear seal Engine casting F3093, indicating a production date of July 30, 1989 Thanks, Scott Ferguson

Wish they would have put some performance data up. That site's always got something of interest on it. One day I may actually subscribe...

An SR-1, huh, brad? You DO have low swingers, don't you? I'm still trying to scare up enough cash to buy my buddy's ZX-11. He only wants loose change for it, but first I have to sell my current bike...

ALL 260 doors? Don't the later, big bumper ones have the same door latch as the 280's?

Not too thrilled about replacing S's with Z's. I put that in the same category as dotting your I's with little hearts. Something as nice as your Z deserves the subtle touch, one which takes a bit of thought. I like Matt's idea of FT LBS. or 15 PSI. BLOW. NO N2O. SPOOL. TERIBLE (a play on your name). Good luck, and have fun!

That little tool you have with a round base and a clear tube is a balancing tool (or "Uni-Syn"), and you'll need to use it to make sure that the front three cylinders get the same amount of fuel as the rear three cylinders. You can tune the carbs by ear, but the tool does a better job of things. You use the tool by removing your air cleaner and pressing the round part of the tool against the opening of the carburetors. Air passing through the tool will make the little red ball float up in the tube. Your goal is to make the ball float the same distance up the tube in both carbs. You do this by twiddling your idle speed screws. I was going to steal a page from an MGB carb tuning website and pretend it was my work, but I'll be honest instead. They do a good job of explaining it, and it's entertaining to read as well. SU Carb Tuning When you balance the carbs, remember that it takes patience, and you'll probably have to go back and forth several times before you'll get it right. Things will go faster when you get the hang of it. Enjoy.

Some of my buddies on the BMW lists have used Surflex products with great success. They report both the dye and the leather softener (the manufacturer calls it "soffener") have gotten rave reviews. One popular source is: Color-Plus 3767 Sunrise Lake Milford, PA 18337 Phone (570) 686-3158 Fax (570) 686-4161 www.colorplus.com/home.html 8-oz costs $26.75. Black is a standard color, but they can custom match a sample. Good luck!

I doubt it. They look awfully wide, and early Z's are pretty tight.

SOOHADOTO? Whazzat? Single Orangutan's Other Hand Amputates Delicious Oranges To Osculate? Or maybe, Some Other Octopus's Hammer Dots Out The Origami? I'm stumped.

I like them. I think I'd like them even more if they were recessed another inch or so. The faux bolts don't bother me too much, as long as they don't fall out like the phony rivets in my truck's wheels are doing! Nothing screams RICE! like having your imitation fasteners fall out.

I guess you could beg and plead for Terry Oxandale (BlueOvalZ) to make you a set out of fiberglass. Looking at his car, he really knows what he's doing!

But... but.... That's what the salesman said, so it must be true, right? Y'all should see the idiots in Texas getting after it during one of our ice storms. They don't seem to realize that just because they've got an SUV (we're not even talking 4 x 4 here) they're king of the road. They'll happily blast by you on the straightaways, ignoring the fact that dozens of trucks are stuck in the ditches to both sides of them. Either that, or they drive 20mph everywhere they go any day the temperature is below 30 degrees, and they slam on the brakes every time they go over a bridge. Idiots and morons, every one.

Go buy a pair of old door panels that have already been cut up, put your virgin panels in a safe place, and put your speakers in the doors. I've had four Z's with door speakers, and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that it's about the only way to get good sound. The fiber kick panels have almost NO space behind them (adequate for a 4" speaker, perhaps) and they're poorly placed. The toolboxes can be used for bass reinforcement, if you can find a 6" or 6 x 9 woofer that is tuned for 1 cubic foot enclosures. Make sure that when you buy speakers, you get some which have rigid baskets. The ideal place in the doorpanel IS NOT FLAT, and when you tighten down the screws holding in the speaker, if it doesn't have a rigid basket you'll warp the speaker and end up rubbing the voice coil inside the magnet, making a crunching sound. Not good. But you have to balance the need for rigidity with the limited depth of the door, too. Make sure that wherever you purchase from will take them back if they don't fit. Whatever you do, don't buy a crappy set of thin mount speakers. The sound isn't nearly good enough to justify cutting up a pair of doorpanels, and they warp very easily. I've got Infinity 6 1/2" speakers in my doors, and the sound is very good. I have no clearance problems with them, either. A pair of good 6" speakers in combination with a 6" Bazooka Tube in back will be plenty for a small car like a Z. I'm running a Kenwood CD/MP3 deck, Alpine amplifier, Blaupunkt eq/amp, the aforementioned Infinity door speakers, and a 10" subwoofer in the hatch. I'm pretty picky about sound, and it's good enough for me. Let us know what you decide to do.

Agreed. Get a vertical tank if at all possible. They take up half the floor space fo a horizontal tank, and they raise the compressor up to a level where they're easier to service when necessary. I've got a (relatively) inexpensive SpeedAir compressor, and my life is MUCH easier now. Research it. Buy it. Buy lots of air tools. Don't look back.

The silver car in the pictures you link to doesn't appear to have had the vents frenched in. It looks like the vent is not really flush with the surface of the hood. I can't think of an easy way to make something like this sit flush. Anyone else have an idea?