RPMS

quote: Originally posted by jeromio: Actually, the Aston Martin V12 is 2 "Duratec" (lame name) V6s plornked together. Plornked? PLORNKED? That's a wonderful word! Thank you for expanding my vocabulary today, Jeromio! Gee, and I thought I never learned anything useful from the high-tech board... Plornking happily away...

quote: Originally posted by jeromio: I agree with BLKMGK on the NASCAR thing. It's just not something I understand. What's to understand? Do you understand Big Macs? Take a product that is marginally acceptable, make it accessible to the masses, market the ever lovin' hell out of it, and you'll have a winner every time. Cynical? Who, Me? I agree with you wholeheartedly about rally races. They were an absolute GAS. It's too bad so many folks got killed racing, though. Heck, it's too bad so many folks got killed WATCHING them! I like the British version of stock car racing. Use a stock body and mostly stock interior, throw in a cage and an outrageous motor, and run it around twisty tracks at obscene rates of speed. TOO COOL!

quote: Originally posted by clint78z: Cadilacs idea of dropping injection on every other cylinder was dumb. This time however they were smart enough to open the valves so it doesn't become on big air compressor. It looks slick, hats off to GM in theory it should work great. Clint, GM didn't just stop the injectors from firing. The next time you're in a junkyard, take a peek under the hood of one of those 8-6-4 machines. Notice the BIG valve covers that hide the machinery necessary to lock some of the valves in place. Also keep in mind that if none of the valves open, the engine isn't labored because the air trapped in the cylinders acts as an air spring. Nearly all of the energy required to compress the air in the cylinder on the upward stroke is returned on the downward stroke. GM has the habit of taking a very good idea and turning it to rubbish as soon as it hits the production line. That's what happens when engineers run the design labs and bean counters run the production lines.

Well, I've got some time between my bacon cheeseburger and my Texas Double (God, I love this powerlifter's diet...) so I'll tell you my best theories on rust elimination. First off, let's be frank about this. If you've got perforating rust, there isn't any amount of POR-15 that will make it structural again, especially with the inclusion of V8 power. You'll need to do some welding in of new structural metal. If you can't do that yourself, and if your timeframe really IS ten years, you're probably much better off to drive the car for two or three years while you fix up the cosmetics, then sell and buy a solid, rust free chassis. This is the BEST way to go. If you're looking for the best way to save a car to which you're sentimentally bonded (or if you're like me, and your common sense has taken a back seat to your impatience) then you'll need to remove all the paint and undercoating from the affected panels using the method of your choice (a wire wheel, diesel fuel, dry ice, heat lamps (not in conjuction with the diesel fuel, please) a putty scraper, 4" grinders, and aircraft stripper have all been mentioned as means of paint/undercoating removal. Just use the 'search' utility and dig into past posts on this digest to determine which method is best for you and your situation). Then use some form of media blasting (sand, walnut shells, baking soda, whatever) to eradicate all of the rust. This is about the only way to REALLY tell how badly the rust has compromised the metal. When that's done, you can weld patch panels in place, then paint over them with POR-15 so that you don't have to worry about them rusting in the future. Just in case you didn't get the idea, solution #2 is a LOT of work, and is usually more expensive than just selling your car and buying another chassis, especially if you are indeed wanting show-quality results. Nothing beats the factory body in factory condition for a show car. Myron's right - putting a tube frame into a car isn't cheap, but it does allow for easy attachment of all sorts of nifty suspension stuff. If all you were doing with the Z was using it as a body shell (like a funnycar) you could do almost anything you wanted with the engine, driveline, and suspension. As long as everything fit inside the dimensions of the body shell, it would work. As far as putting a body kit and lots of lights on it, you're on your own. I wouldn't THINK about telling someone what they should do to their car, especially in this forum! What my suggestion boils down to is this: Fix this car's structural damage and enjoy it for what it is. If it's heavily rusted, you'd be smart to find another example to make into a show car. Have fun, my friend!

Purpling caused by the soap solution? I've never heard that one before. Might be true! The tint on my BMW is almost five years old, and it's still as black as the day it came back from the shop. Heck, if they'll do the job on my loose glass for a hundred bucks, I might just take it to a professional. The tint film alone would probably cost me fifty or sixty dollars. Maybe there are some jobs that are best left to a warranteed professional.

quote: Originally posted by zfan: Hey Guys, Im using duel spintechs. Yes they do sound somewhat like a flowmaster but the clearance issues with flowmaster suck Is there any way you could record how your car sounds so I could hear it? I've heard SpinTechs on a Dodge R/T, but that's a completely different animal than a Z. Plenty of room under there for big honkin' pipes, don't ya know. [ August 26, 2001: Message edited by: RPMS ]

Yeah, air tools are pretty darned indespensable once you start using them. Just being able to rotate your tires in five minutes flat is worth the cost! One air tool accessory that I consider indespensable is a good pair of earplugs. The whine of a die grinder will make short work of your hearing, if you're not careful. And James, keep on posting these updates! I love hearing how other folks are doing on their rides. It convinces me that there IS hope at the end of the tunnel!

As y'all can probably figure, summers here in Texas are Hell on earth, especially with a car that's BLACK (like mine now is! ) I've tinted my own windows in the past and was pleased with the result, but that was ten years ago. What products are available to the consumer to do this job today? I'm looking for a dark neutral grey tint that won't turn purple over the years. All the glass is out of the car right now, so the job will be just that much easier. Thanks,

*Whew!* I'm glad that's over with! No explosions took place, much to the delight of my neighbors! I wasn't aware that halogen lights posed a problem in high explosive areas. Add that to the list of things nobody tells you until it's too late! Here are some pictures of the end result. I apologize in advance if they take a while to load. I tried to shrink them down as much as possible: This first one shows my painting setup, with reflector lights hanging from the garage door, a small halogen lamp hitting the tail, and two halogen stand lamps at the front of the car, pointing at the ground for reflection (out of sight). There are two large fans blowing out the bottom of the garage door through holes cut in rigid plastic, so air circulated in at the top, and went out at the bottom. It kept the air remarkably clear, and didn't admit a bunch of trash to bug up the wet paint. This is how the doors turned out. Not perfect, but close enough for a 30 year old car! This is going to be a daily driver when I'm done, so perfection wouldn't last long anyway. You can't see it, but both doors have extensive rust in the lower sections, and I'm planning on replacing them within the year. The shot of the passenger door makes it look like there's a big dry spot at the front of the door, but that's just the reflection of the polyethylene sheeting. And here's my favorite view of a Z-car, showing that gorgeous sail panel. I ended up letting my friend Kirby shoot most of the car, after I helped with the preliminary tack coat. I was so nervous about screwing it up that I'd probably have messed up the whole job by dragging the air line over a fender, or something! I'll shoot the parts that can be removed and redone if I screw up, but the body was just to critical for me to allow my ego to get in the way. When Kirby shot the second coat, I watched as the PPG Concept paint just laid down as flat as you please over areas that I'd worked so hard to fix right. I thought of all the days and nights I've sanded and smoothed and primed, and it was all worth it. It was very much like birthing a child, to finish a big project like this! I'll put up more pictures when I have the hood, cowl, hatch and headlight buckets painted (which will happen tonight and tomorrow afternoon). Thanks for all your advice and support these past seventy days! I couldn't have done this without y'all. Scott Ferguson 1974 260Z - Now in STUNNING black paint! [ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: RPMS ]

Hey, Guys! I need everyone to fire up their Karma generators and point them in my general direction. I'm going to start painting my car in about thirty minutes, and I need prayers to the Great Paint Gods for smooth flowing paint and proof from dust and flying insects! http://www.powerbear.com/der4.htm if you want to follow along! Went to Home Depot this morning and invested in a couple of reflector lights, plus a big double headed halogen utility light so we can see what we're doing in my garage. I'd though that four 8-foot fluorescent bulbs would be adequate for the task, but when shooting the primer I realized that I still had a bunch of shadow areas at the bottom of the car. Not good! I've taped up poly sheeting over the walls and everything else in the garage to dustproof it, and I washed down the cement floor this morning. Geez, I hope this goes well. I've been prepping the car for over two months now, and I'm nervous as a miniature poodle on speed right now. WISH ME LUCK! [ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: RPMS ]

Oh, man! That's a gorgeous car! Are those Panasport wheels, or what? I didn't think that Panasports had rivets between the spokes? What an awesome ride! Oh, the mirrors DO look pretty nice, too!

CHROME! They must be CHROME! Chrome on a car is like jewelry on a woman. One or two tasteful pieces can accentuate, whereas more can be a distraction.

I don't mind the gills, but I do think they're mounted too high to look right. I also wonder how the smooth Z28 (I think) gills would look...

quote: Originally posted by Drax240z: Scott, if I remember correctly there is a pushrod that is adjustable between your brake pedal and booster. Sounds to me like you need to adjust this to be longer, so that it actuates the booster immediately. Come to think of it, that sounds like it would produce EXACTLY the symptoms I'm experiencing. Dang, you're a fount of good information today!

One more thing, on a COMPLETELY different topic: 7000 RPM?!?!?! One of three things is happening here: 1) Your tach is seriously miscalibrated, and you need to get it fixed so you can accurately set idle speed and such (this is my personal guess, since many stock tachs are highly inaccurate when used with non-stock running parts) 2) You're experiencing massive valve float, since the engine in question might be redlined at as little as 5,000 rpm, depending on its previous application 3) The P.O. (previous owner) spent some serious bucks building a killer engine, and you got one HELL of a good deal! If all you've driven before have been injected Japanese cars, you're probably used to getting into your power band by revving the engine into the stratosphere. *Most* pushrod 350s are much different, since they develop their power at much lower RPM's. Unless they've been seriously built, there's no benefit in wringing them out. Better to plan your shifts so that you're always at the peak of your power band. It doesn't sound as dramatic, but it does make you go faster. My unsolicited advice is to keep the revs fairly low until you have solid knowledge of what you're running. By spinning 7000 rpm, you're courting disaster until you know for certain what your redline is. Anyone have a differing opinion? [ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: RPMS ]

If you're going to do ANY wrenching on this car, (and you will, given your monetary status, the age of the vehicle, and the fact that it's not bone stock) I've got two words for you that you will either live or die by. PENETRATING OIL. When I took off the bumpers and trim to paint my car, four (4) bolts did NOT break. All the rest of them were rusted in place after 27 years of neglect, and twisted off just as easy as pie. It is possible (but not adviseable) to live without a service manual, a large collection of tools, or even one kidney. But it's not possible to live without penetrating oil. When I took off the grille, I finally wised up and heated the bolts with a torch before trying to remove the screws. They came out with very little effort. So that would actually make four words: PENETRATING OIL PROPANE TORCH Oh, one more. BACTINE. You'll be scraping lots of knuckles, too.

quote: Originally posted by Z-Gad: I have seen a couple of Z's with the 280zx brake booster. They had to be turned upside down to mount properly. Not so! I've got a 1979 280ZX booster and master cylinder, and they bolted right up with NO modifications. That doesn't mean that everything is well, though! My brakes are odd. The first inch of travel of the brake pedal does very little, although there is SOME slowing of the car. Then the next 1/2 inch grabs BIG time! It's almost like using pneumatic brakes, if you've ever had that pleasure. If you're careful, you can modulate smoothly. If you're not careful, you'd better hope that you've got your seatbelts on, because you're about to discover the unhappy limits of adhesion! I'm thinking that this will go away when I install the bigger Toyota calipers up front. Could this two-stage behavior be due to air hiding somewhere in the brake lines? Or do you think it's an issue of adjustment in the rears?

Thanks for the link to the Mortec site (member #45, with only 20 posts? You're a quiet one, ain't ya! ) I've been there before. In fact, I took a hard copy of their casting number pages with me to the junkyard as an identification guide. The problem is, their site only gives generic info on my particular casting. Like Night Rider said above, 14093638...350...87-95...2 or 4...Roller or flat tappet cam one-piece rear seal 14102191...87-up...305/350 I'd like to know compression ratio, head volume, valve size, flow numbers, etc. that don't show up. Or at least have some idea of how many horsepower I'm dealing with. For all I know, I've got a limp-wristed milquetoast of an engine! Night Rider, I'll get you the suffix codes as soon as I can - right now the engine is without valve covers or an oil pan, and I've got it wrapped in plastic to keep dust out of it. I might be curing that condition this weekend, though! Edelbrock center bolt valve covers seem like the hot ticket for me.

Are you sure that's the dashboard? It kinda looks like he rear-ended an Airstream...

Eric, I don't really know all that much about welding steel, but it sounds like Rob and Mike have a good technique to follow. I'd also be interested in seeing how well a TiG torch (no gas, just the arc) would work in that application. Much more precise heating of the weld, and it wouldn't require any consumables - except electrons, and them's cheap. I can buy about 800 quadrillion for just a penny or two!

Eric, In my job, I do some spot welding of polypropylene pieces with an ultrasonic spot welder. The materials in question are different, but the techniques are the same. I've occasionally had to un-do a bad weld spot, and here's what I've found. 1) When you apply the arc to the weld spot, you will liquify the metal on both sides of the weld. Once this is done, the metal pieces will no longer be bonded at that spot - the problem is, the two pieces will be bonded at the next weld spot a few inches away. Unless the pieces are flexible enough to bend away from each other (without distorting them unduely) 1/4 inch or so, you're no better off than you were before you struck the arc. 2) Precision is important. If you can't hit exactly the same spot as was originally welded, you'll end up with a fresh weld puddle right next to the solid weld spot you're trying to remove. True, you could maintain the arc long enough to expand the puddle to encompass the welded spot, but that might get real messy, real quick. You pose an interesting challenge. The solution should remove welds quickly, cleanly, and easily. If carbide tipped drill bits wear out too fast, what about some type of carborundum grinding bit? Maybe you could grind the weld down instead of drilling it out. Or maybe a blast of inert gas while the weld spot has been re-liquified? That probably would just result in a larger, hollow spot weld, huh? I suppose that if you hit the weld with a lower amperage jolt than would be necessary to liquify the metal completely, you might be able to pry the pieces apart while you zap them. I believe the key would be to soften the metal in the weld w/o liquifying it. Good luck, and let us know what you find out. You know, I envy you, getting to play around with Z cars all day, and getting PAID for it!!

quote: Originally posted by Eskimo1: Generally speaking, the GVWR is not only the limit of the springs, but the vehicle itself. ...you *should* be OK... But don't make any sudden moves with the car... ROFLOL!! What, ME, make sudden directional changes in a Z-car? Never! These are straight line machines, right?

Guys, y'all are encouraging! Thanks for the lift. Mike C, can you clarify a point for me? If I'm reading you correctly (and that may be questionable, seeing how I just put in a 14 hour day at work!) you're telling me that I'll need a specific intake manifold? Is this the one where the bolts going into the heads are angled, not straight? Okay, who's got one of those nifty little simulator programs? If Mike K's truck will do an 9 second 1/8, how fast will my little Z do a quarter mile??? Mike, what are the HP/torque ratings on your factory motor, anyway? I looked up some of Made For You's stuff on the web. For mostly plastic pieces, they look pretty nice. And the price is certainly right. Maybe there's hope for this engine after all!

Thanks, Mike. I hadn't considered urethane bump stops - do you have any idea where I could source some of those puppies? Are they a standard speedshop item? And it sounds like a great excuse to convert to coilovers. The adjustability and the ability to fit wider wheels makes it almost a no-brainer, doesn't it? And Ross, your adjustable spring perch idea sounds great! I'd like to keep a realistic ride height, so my fiberglass pieces stay in one piece. They sound like just the ticket.

I'm about through with paint (this weekend, if all goes well - any bets???) and I'm starting to think about how to finish out my mystery engine. You may remember that it's a newly rebuilt, late model 350, with center bolt (valve covers) iron heads and a non-roller cam. I know very little about it, other than: block casting #14093638 head casting #14102191 I don't know compression ratio, cam grind, or anything else that would help. Sorry! This was kind of a "pig in a poke" deal. I just hope this pig's healthy This is to be an intermediate engine, and doesn't have to generate huge HP. Can someone tell me the performance potential of these heads, and whether I'll need anything special to make them run correctly? I'm pretty sure they were specific to fuel injected engines - will my Q-jet work on them? The reason I ask is that just about 95% of the Jeg's catalog is dedicated to standard, perimeter bolt valve cover heads, not center-bolt. I'm afraid I'll buy a bunch of stuff, only to find that none of it works with these heads. Were they so abysmal that nobody even thinks about hot rodding them, or is the only difference in the way the valve covers attach? I have to admit, I'm embarassed to not be able to figure this stuff out myself. But nothing I read seems to give me any direction! They all were written as if I know the differences already. Since this is my first American engine, I'll probably be asking a LOT of questions on how to dress it out. I trust y'all a lot more than I do the Hot Rod mags, who are (seemingly) only interested in pleasing their advertisers.