Michael

Here's a little dose of reality to all of you professor-hating kids out there: 1. Ever wonder why so many of your engineering professors are foreign-born and speak with funny accents? It's because native-born U.S. citizens are either too lazy/stupid to get a Ph.D. in engineering, or because having obtained one, they DO find greener pastures in industry. Now imagine that you are a foreign-national graduate student getting his Ph.D. in the US. How can you stay in the US after graduation? H1-B? Good luck! You can marry an American girl (again, good luck!) or get a professorship. 2. So why does your freshman-calculus professor ignore you? Because (1) he's probably a graduate student or post-doc and not even a professor, and (2) his performance evaluation has very, very little to do with how well he teaches freshman. Plus, most freshmen are obnoxious louts anyway, so why bother paying attention to them? But in all fairness to professors: yes, they waste a good 2-3 hours daily in stupid faculty meetings, chatting with colleagues on the phone, or just piddling away in their offices. But you know, besides giving lecture and preparing lecture notes, there are another 9-10 hours in their workday (typically 6 days a week) devoted to writing proposals, reviewing papers, advising graduate students, dealing with government program managers and otherwise whoring for funding. 3. Subtracting polynomials counts as engineering mathematics these days??? 4. An engineering education is mostly self-education. The professor's role is to apprise you of the requirements. It's your own responsibility to meet them. 5. There are dorks and cretins in every field, including professorship. It is quite surprising how many fools manage to graduate with a Ph.D. 6. Salary in most technical fields tops out at around $150K. Beyond that's management, owning your own business, executing various deals, etc. - not really engineering anymore. You can get to that salary in private industry, in academia or in government. The point is that there's convergence at the top of the engineering salary scale. So it's rubbish to claim that professorship is the consolation-prize after failing in industry. 7. The older edition of the textbook is generally more rigorous and is better written. Wise professors encourage students to buy the older addition, and hand out the new homework problems by photocopied pages in class.

It will take some work to get the 305 to produce 210 hp at the rear wheels. It ought to be possible with the stock heads, but would require some head-work (valve guides/seats, new springs, port-work), intake/carb, exhaust, cam/lifters/springs, and various other bits - assuming that the bottom end is healthy. Even if it is healthy, you will likely need new pistons to achieve a reasonable compression ratio... and that means balancing the rotating assembly, even if you do no machine-work on the block. The point is not that 305 are woefully useless, but that return on investment is inferior to that of a 350-383 class of engine. Since the original poster sounds like a person with preference for the turbo approach, it would likely make sense to persist in the turbo-refinement vein, if the objective is incremental improvements in power. But if the desire is to go from 210 hp to say 350 hp, then indeed the V8 approach becomes attractive. Do however please note that proper building of a V8 is more involved than the Datsun V8 swap itself. Or to rephrase: fear not performing the swap from L6 to V8; instead fear the proper building of the engine.

A full backhalf treatment would be pretty radical, and remains rare on Zs. And it would only be consistent to do a full cage and to deal with the consequences. What are the performance goals for this car (forecast/desired 1/4-mile time)? How aggressive is the powerplant?

That's a pretty healthy cam (247/254 @0.050") for a 327, especially if you install it 2 deg retarded, with 10.4:1 compression. Desired RPM range? Resulting dynamic compression ratio? Will the rods hold up at that piston speed? Carb is borderline too large (but should be OK if you will be spending lots of time above 5000 rpm and off-idle response is not important). Is this intended for nostalgia-type of hot rod, or any particular form of competition, or mostly a fun street car? This sort of combo enjoyed some popularity here in Z's about 10 years ago. The result was a decently peppy car, which did however require lots of aggression with the throttle to keep the engine happily revving. Gear ratio and transmission type?

This is a big block, correct? What cylinder head casting number? I am surprised that the two heads are not exactly identical, down to the drilled/tapped accessory holes. And accessory holes should all be 3/8-16. If not, then likely a bolt got stuck somewhere, was drilled out, and an oversized hole was drilled. Any more details of your engine build? And welcome to HybridZ!

If you "drive like a grandpa" then you'll likely be happiest with the C5. It is remarkably tolerant to low rpm/high gears. All of the others require attention to being in the power-band that the engine most prefers. My M3 (the regular E36, not the 2-seater) has a 3.7 rear, whereas stock is something like 3.15. This definitely helps with apparent feel at low rpms, but the price is high highway rpms (3500 rpm at 70 mph), the hit in mileage, and the need for a very early 1st-->2nd upshift. The C5 Z06 is geared more deeply than the regular C5, so that's another reason to opt for the Z06.

No first-hand experience on the S2000, but a few days ago I drove a Z3 M (that's the convertible version of the M3 Coupe), and had about a week's seat time in a friend's 2001 Corvette (stick-shift, hardtop, but not Z06). My former daily driver (now occasional weekend car) is an E36 M3. The Z3M feels much more nimble airy and purposeful than the "conventional" M3. The M3 is quieter, has higher-quality interior and has the obvious advantage (to some) of a commodious rear seat. But it's just not as lively as the Z3 M. The base-model C5 is remarkably quiet, has impeccable highway manners, and gets superb gas mileage on highway drives in 6th gear (~30 mpg). The torque delivery is very predictable and linear (the BMW S52 engine is lethargic below 2500 rpm, even with properly functioning VANOS). But the steering is numb and the overall feel is that of a muscle car: large, brawny, commanding, but lacking litheness or poise. I would not worry about E36 BMW reliability. It is not outstanding, but repairs are relatively straightforward. That said, spending some time underneath a C5 Corvette for basic maintenance (fluids, belts, etc.), I'm surprised how well-built and competently engineered it is. I still can't figure out why it feels like it's 700 lbs heavier than an M3, while in reality the weight difference is maybe 100 lbs. For pure highway cruising, I would recommend the C5. For overall driver-feel and nimbleness, I recommend the Z3-based M-cars (convertible or hatchback). The M3 sedan or coupe are bargains; moderately-worn examples can be found for under $5000. But it's just not as satisfying to drive as the Z3-M.

Somewhat off-topic, but perhaps a useful data point.... A fairly close friend of mine was a professor at the U of Mississippi. Originally he's from upstate NY. He reports that the environment was very insular and unaccommodating of "yankees" - even around the university. Even though he was awarded tenure at the university (he started on the ground floor, as an assistant professor), he eventually moved; the environment was just too toxic. Datsuns and foreign cars in general may not receive a warm welcome.

What is it about the speed limits in Australia? I've driven a bit around Victoria (mostly the Melbourne area). Yes, there are some urban areas with congestion.... but there are some really wide-open areas, with excellent and largely empty roads - even in Victoria. How does the public countenance 100 kph limits? In the US, in many circumstances driving 10 mph over the limit is still within the safe-zone. In LA or Atlanta, 15 mph-over is generally safe. But in Australia, 7 kph (or sometimes less!) will get you nailed. Again I ask: where is the public outcry?

Traffic laws, like all laws, are written to further the interests of those who influence the writers of said laws. The connection with morality, decency, justice, and safety is purely incidental. That might explain our predicament with weighing stations, speed traps and the like. Last year, on a long-distance road-trip, my daily-driver suffered a serious failure. Fortunately I had the gold-plated version of AAA membership, good for a 200 mile tow. Some 150 miles into the two, the tow truck driver was pulled over, for failing to stop at a weigh station. He didn't have a log book. He didn't have a fire-extinguisher or other safety gear. The fine was something approaching $1000... I was worried that the police would impound his truck, with my poor dilapidated vehicle strapped to the flat-bed. As for the issue of this discussion not being appropriate to HybridZ, I would like to repeat a snippet from one of my posts last week: "Unfortunately this forum is becoming a victim of its own success. Now it is more of a library, an archive or repository, than a discussion group. It used to be a bunch of guys yakking at each other trying to figure things out. Internet forums used to be the nerdy man’s alternative to the biker bar or the downtown club… it’s a place to relax, to trade gabs and jabs with one’s buddies, and maybe to pick up the occasional technical nugget of wisdom. Now it’s a kind of medieval monastery, the hallowed keeper of knowledge of antiquity, lovingly preserving fine learning while being surrounded by illiterate peasants and idle lords. "

Right, and if one already had... - a well-sorted S30 with no rust and the good suspension bits already installed - the new engine, all dressed and complete - the new transmission, mated to the new engine, with the correct clutch and hydraulics - a shop with a lift, metal-working tools, pneumatics, and welding equipment - shelves stocked with scrap metal in various grades and sizes - cabinets with bolts, clamps, tubing and the like - decades of experience - a network of friends, suppliers and craftsmen in the automotive business - a thorough plan for exactly what one wants to achieve, and how to achieve it - business-savvy, knowing how to work the junkyards, E-bay, RacingJunk and Craigslist Then the cost would actually be negative... because your to-be-installed parts are free, and you can sell the parts that are to be removed during the build!

Your ideas are persuasive, and certainly you have a reasonable plan. The point is not to disparage the concept of refreshing a tired engine, but rather, that your engine is probably not all that tired. How can one be sure that even a freshly-built "performance" engine won't exude a rainbow of colors from its exhaust system, burn oil, backfire or foul plugs? My point is that either by luck or by skill, you've already hit upon a very elusive animal: a relatively inexpensive engine with a proven track-record, a modest set of modifications, and good all-around performance. A full rebuild would compromise many of these advantages and would return you to an earlier stage, with more uncertainties, more risks, more cost and possibly only incremental gain. So would it not be preferable to limp along with your current engine, performing sound maintenance but eschewing tantalizing new upgrades, until finally the old girl can breathe no more? If you insist on yielding to the siren song of progress, pick up a second engine (junkyard or whatnot) and treat that one as your research project, while retaining your current engine as back-up. A bird in the hand....

You make a valid point. While many members are tired of repeatedly having to answer the same question – especially elementary questions – the flip side is a snarky indifference to the innocent newcomers who want friendly encouragement and a sounding board to echo their ideas, as much as they want technical advice. Unfortunately this forum is becoming a victim of its own success. Now it is more of a library, an archive or repository, than a discussion group. It used to be a bunch of guys yakking at each other trying to figure things out. Internet forums used to be the nerdy man’s alternative to the biker bar or the downtown club… it’s a place to relax, to trade gabs and jabs with one’s buddies, and maybe to pick up the occasional technical nugget of wisdom. Now it’s a kind of medieval monastery, the hallowed keeper of knowledge of antiquity, lovingly preserving fine learning while being surrounded by illiterate peasants and idle lords.

Mike, you know that I respect your views and achievements. My post is a counterpoint to the tenacious but sometime Pollyanna-ish exhortation of “go for it!â€, that so permeates the American spirit. There is a time and a place for such spirit, but when a man loses his job, we should commiserate – not extol the virtues of entrepreneurial enterprise. It’s true that one shall never taste failure or success until one works up the courage for the undertaking. I’ll never know if I suck at being a professional cricket player, a male prostitute, a Sufi mystic, or an Elvis impersonator, until I try. But does that mean that I should try? I worked in industry briefly, before my government stint. It was a defense contractor. You want waste, wanton ineptitude, misallocation of resources, parsimonious remuneration of employees, myopic failure to think ahead – try industry. These days, I interact quite regularly with the “big 3†defense contractors, along with small businesses that leach from the SBIR program (government welfare for “entrepreneursâ€). They don’t have quarterly Threatcon elevations for “training†like we do, but in terms of ostrich head-in-sand solipsism – no difference! A ghastly ruse plaguing our economy now is the belief that the private-sector is efficient, while the public-sectors is wasteful. They are all wasteful. It’s just that one is more honest about it than the other – and guess which is which? If Owen wishes to try business-ownership, I sincerely wish him the best – as I have always wished Mikelly the best. And I wholeheartedly applaud success wherever I find it. But bear this in mind: it is a rare thing for an employee to be fired for incompetence, but an even rarer thing for a start-up business to succeed. Does one feel lucky?

If your engine already produces this level of performance, then perhaps a rebuild is not justified? You will be spending lots of money and time to achieve another 100 hp. While that may sound tantalizing, the investment to achieve this increment of performance will be far higher than your initial investment in doing the original swap and engine hop-up. In other words, it's the law of diminishing returns. If you yearn to achieve an altogether higher level of performance, would it not be worth considering an entirely new engine, either with many more cubic inches or from a different generation of engines, while leaving your current engine in operable condition?

Spending 12 years building your "dream car", only to realize that it's not the car that you actually wanted.

All good points, but it should be kept in mind that not all people are natural businessmen with untapped talent just waiting to be unleashed. We can't all be a nation of shopkeepers or free-lance contractors. We can't all follow Horatio Alger rags-to-riches stories of the plucky fellow who turned lemons into lemonade, or whatever, becoming a titan of industry after getting turned out by a myopic boss eager to cut costs. But neither can we depend on the good graces of a wise small-business owner as employer. For some people, a corporate job isn't merely a paycheck; it's a community. If ejected from the community (laid off), the most natural impulse becomes finding a new community. So here's an alternative suggestion: look for a job in the public sector. The happiest welders/machinists that I have known, worked in university machine shops, building lab equipment for engineering departmental researchers.

So now the tables are turned, so to speak.... You bought a white NA Miata, and later I bought a white NA Miata. But last year I bought a silver E36 M3 coupe, and now you bought a silver E36 M3 coupe! The "Shark" software is not highly regarded. Stock M3 exhaust is reputed to be quite efficient, but heavy (especially the rear muffler assembly). It gets replaced for "throaty noise" or weight-loss reasons. The main known restriction is in the intake manifold runners. Mine had a 3.7 LSD differential (vs. the stock 3.15?), a "coilover" kit from one of the German suppliers, and various other bits. Coilovers on a M3 are a debatable upgrade. Typical E36 M3 issues, besides the cooling system, are suspension bushings and the VANOS seal failure. These are good cars and an excellent value... but don't expect anywhere near the performance of your Porsche. With the usual array of bolt-on mods, expect a quarter-mile time of around 14.0. Will you be doing the LS2 swap???

The universal engine-swap rule of thumb applies: if you know your way around the candidate engine, then probably the swap is tractable and worthwhile. And it sounds like you're an old hand at this sort of thing. Personally I just would not obtain much satisfaction from a Z31 chassis, even if lovingly modded/restored. This is no slight against that model series! Rather, the car falls into an "age bucket": old enough to be troublesome and temperamental as a daily-driver, but modern enough to be complicated and not yet a classic. By this thinking, it would make more sense to stick with an S30, or go with something much more modern (a 370Z, or a Porsche). But again, if you're tooled-up for doing this sort of swap, and are familiar with the engine, and are getting what sounds like an excellent deal, then the reasons for not doing the swap melt away.

After many years of flailing around with a V8 Z build, I can attest that the "purpose" is less to produce a wondrous vehicle, than to garner experience of "building it yourself". Few other vehicles are as amenable to such an extensive a modification... and yet, few other vehicles so desperately need such a modification. I can't speak about spec Miatas, but Miatas as fun daily-drivers are difficult to beat. Though woefully underpowered, they exude a special charm that larger cars simply don't have, and yet they don't suffer from elfin kit-car roughness or fragility. If I ever got the urge to race something competitively, it would likely be in a Miata... maybe stock, maybe with a simple bolt-on Roots blower (Jackson Racing). Mike - though it won't directly replace the Porsche, what about a Caterham or an Ariel Atom?

The trouble with living in a place where you can "sling arms and return fire with anything I can pick up on my own, without restriction", is that other guys will do precisely the same thing. And no matter how skilled or motivated you are, there will ALWAYS be some one who's faster on the draw, who has better aim, and more ammo.

Check the arithmetic. To calculate installed-height, take half of the crankshaft's stroke, add the connecting rod length, and distance between the centerline of the piston's wrist pin and the piston's crown. Your approach might work, depending on the piston geometry.

Good luck, of course - and here's hoping that all works out in your favor. But... why? If the Porsche attends to your needs as a commuter-car and as a pleasure/stress-relief vehicle, why spoil a good thing?

Cheap parts of the world (and the country) are cheap for a reason. But I can relate to the NE cost of living.... just drove from Ohio to NJ and up the various "highways" into Rhode Island. $12 to cross the GW bridge into Manhattan; I mean, 12 bucks for a BRIDGE TOLL??? For that kind of money, they should have ripped off one of girders and offered it to me as a souvenir.

Frankly I am astonished that some one would recommend the Dayton (Ohio) area as a worthwhile consideration. Having lived there for the better part of 2 decades, I have ZERO positive to say about the area... so I'll desist from saying anything. Being a professional, almost-married to a professional, you may wish to consider a nation-wide job search first, and then relocate to where the two of you can find most commodious employment. Let the job search drive the location, and not vice versa. The more formal education you have, the more difficult it would be in this economy to find employment matching your qualifications. As for specific recommendations... Northern Virginia has reasonable taxes and a superb school system. The downside is horrendous traffic and relatively high real estate prices. But the thing with expensive real estate markets is that they tend to hold their value, whereas the more "affordable" places are more affordable for a reason: houses don't really appreciate even during booms, but they severely fall during busts.