Michael

In both directions – whether from new members’ questions or veteran members’ responses – the key is basic civility. Even an ignorant question, if phrased politely and succinctly, deserves a considerate response. True, this is an “advanced†site, but it is not boot camp or a fraternity. We have no business hazing new pledges or attempting to mould the next generation of combat troops. And it is irrelevant if you have been using the internet since 1964 and your first project was a Model T – surliness is still sophomoric.

Whenever I see one of these, I'm invariably impressed with how much room there remains under the hood. You should have gone big-block! Congrats!

A few semi-random thoughts: - As others have said, a “world class†T5 is a great option for a manual transmission, but there is nothing degrading about going the 700R4 route. You will likely save around $1K in the bellhousing, flywheel, clutch kit and hydraulics. - Consider delaying your swap until you have driven the stocker for several months, and have performed rudimentary upgrades (suspension, for example) yourself. Why? Because even if you lack the time/tools/space/skills to do the swap yourself, any increase in experience as owner/mechanic will increase your savvy as an educated customer. And for a reputable shop, that is all to the better. - Crate engine vs. self-built engine vs. engine pulled from a donor car…. That is a huge debate and there is no one correct solution. A crate engine is a “black boxâ€, but sometimes is backed by a warranty. A donor-car or Craigslist finding could be a screaming deal, or a nightmare – buyer beware. Consider the GM Performance Parts crate engines – but something more aggressive than what you specified earlier, such as something with aluminum heads, reaching the <350 hp level. - It is wise to address issues of rust and overall bodywork, before doing the swap. - Your posted photographs are very large and result in slow download. It would be more convenient if you could please reduce their size (say by a factor of 10) in future posts.

This is a profound topic which merits detailed discussion. The great trouble in our automotive hobby (and really any hobby that requires skills, parts and talent) is the lack of steady, reliable interaction with fellow-hobbyists. In the small towns this is difficult because there isn’t a critical mass of enthusiasts, especially those who would tolerate our oddball cars. In the bigger cities the problem is the increasingly non-mechanical nature of most residence, and a pace of life that precludes the “traditional†pastimes such as backyard auto mechanics. It also seems that there’s an “age bucketâ€. There are many fellows on this site in their teens and early 20’s, and also many heading towards retirement. But what about in between? It seems that a guy would become interested in cars in his early teens, haggle with dad to get that first car, drive/enjoy it through high school and maybe pursue the hobby through college, despite dearth of funds and time. As college winds down, one gets to thinking that upon joining the “real worldâ€, with a real paycheck, there will a garage, good tools, and time in the evenings and weekends. Except instead “life happensâ€, and by 25 so may of us drop out from the car scene. Then guys reappear again in their 50’s. This seems to be true not only for cars, but for R/C model airplanes, competitive chess, you name it – any craft/hobby/sport that requires skills and commitment. Whether it is raising a family or further one’s career or some other avocation, it seem to me that in prior generations, there was more continuity from teen years to retirement years; there wasn’t such a bucket between 25 and 55. And it’s because of that bucket, I think, that we find ourselves isolated and frustrated by a lack of like-minded comrades. What definitely needs to happen is a finding of common ground among all vehicular hobbyists… whether you like Harley’s, Datsuns, boats, muscle cars, “riceâ€, mud trucks, Lotus 7’s – no matter, they all operate under basically identical mechanical principals, all are held together with bolts, and all require wrenches. It’s a shame that the car magazines and other automotive venues tend towards brand parochialism (evidently this increases advertising revenue?). As mechanical skill in the general populated deteriorates, our best strategy for maintaining the collective memory of how to turn wrenches is to broaden our interests.

And what happens if the rod big-end is not resized? I just had the crank reground (2nd time) and am on the 4th rebuild. The engine has run a total of 43 miles in 11 years of ownership. So far, with the various rebuilds, my "investment" in this engine is around $7K. I would rather have a spectacular explosion than a further lingering of the project.

On the nth rebuild of my big block Chevy (Mark IV, 454 + .030â€), I got distracted and torqued several rod bolts to 65 ft-lbs instead of the correct 50 ft-lbs. These are 3/8ths bolts, ARP PN 135-6002, on stock (resized) rods, originally from a 1978 Suburban. I noticed my mistake about 20 minutes later, backed off the nuts, and retorqued to 50 ft-lbs. My machinist is convinced that the bolts have been over-stretched and need to be replaced, but I’m reluctant to do that… not for the cost (new bolts are only $60), but for the labor of removing the rods/pistons and driving out the old bolts. How safe is it to reuse the current bolts? The application is naturally-aspirated with around 6000 rpm red line.

Wow, one of the immortal threads! To all of the engineering freshman of 2008: how do things feel now, two years into the process? Are you glad to have completed the preliminary/weed-out classes? Any preliminary thoughts about the specialized upper-level classes? Yes, engineering does seem to be seeing a resurgence, now that finance/business suffered such a setback with the financial crisis. But my impression is that we have too many engineers – NOT too few. There is not enough technical activity remaining to justify the employment of so many engineers. Then again, an engineering education is an excellent foundation for careers potentially unrelated to engineering. So get that BSME, even if your eventual job will be primarily Powerpoint! Now here’s this for a question: how many of you engineering undergrads are seriously considering… graduate school and eventually becoming professors yourselves? Now that’s a competitive field....

It’s always a mixed feeling to pull the machine back in the garage: disappointment that many years of work must be again followed by work, before driving can resume; but self-satisfaction that lingering ills can now be rectified. I have to wonder, though… frame repair, replacement of all bushings, engine rebuild. It’s already September, and you’re planning on finishing all of this before the end of the calendar year? Now that’s dedication!

The visa requirement situation ranges from quirky to outright ridiculous. U.S. – India always seem to be trying to work out a reciprocal visa waiver program, but that’s not reached fruition yet. In the mean time, India’s visa application is quite extensive, and intrusive. For many countries, the reason to require a visa is simple retaliation for the U.S. requiring a visa for their country’s nationals. Even the fee structure is a mirror image. An example is Russia. Others, such as Turkey, just treat visas as a sort of entry fee. The passport stamp-collection hunt is a great hobby. There’s a particular pride to be enjoyed, from seeing one’s passport completely filled with stamps, before it reaches its 10-year expiration date. Every trip to a European country used to generate an entry and exit stamp, but with the broadening of the EU, many places don’t even bother stamping passports on entry. That’s what has been happening to me lately in Frankfurt. Heathrow and DeGaulle still stamp pretty regularly, however.

The longer-term solution is a full-frame (FX format in Nikon-speak) digital SLR. In the DX-world (similar to the APS format), used Nikon D80's sell for around $500, while a D70/D70s can be found for $250. Get one of those, and get a 18-200 VR (the recently obsoleted model, which goes for around $550 used). Late 1990’s Nikon flashes can be found for $100. So that’s $900 for a complete setup. Then wait 3-4 years for FX-format cameras to come down in price, and sell your 18-200 for the same price as what you originally paid for it. “The†camera right now is the D700, but that’s $2300+. The D90 has many attractive features, but is it worth paying $1000 for a DX-format camera?

I’m one of those deadbeat owners who never mows the grass, hasn’t yet gotten around to repairing 2008 hurricane damage, and has all sorts of varieties of leafy plants climbing the exterior walls up to the roof. I have various vehicles in various stages of inoperability scattered about my driveway, and the driveway is splattered in puddles of various fluids. The asphalt is cracked and weeds are growing through the cracks. But most of this is invisible because the house is 300’ back from the road, and the grass is reaching 3’ high this time of year. These are the benefits of living in a rural area. We have no homeowner associations, no neighborhood watch, no irate notes placed in recalcitrant owners’ mailboxes. So why not maintain my house? Because I realized long ago that it won’t appreciate in value, and my time is better spent furthering my career than trimming the bushes. I intend to let it rot, and sell the property when I retire for the market price of unimproved land. For all of the many disadvantages of rural life – and indeed there are many! – one can take solace that in these environs private property is genuinely private property, undiluted by communal sensibilities of what’s considered to be appropriate homeowner behavior.

So, bottom line: should I contact this seller and arrange for an appointment this weekend, or not? Personally I'm not in the market for another Z car, and am too obtuse to have proper respect for the vaunted value of a stock original, but I am curious, and would be happy to give a report of my finding.

As of this writing (5:46 pm EST), that car is up to $2225. I'm about 30 miles south-west of Springfield, and could take a look at it if necessary.

82-85 Celica is indeed a good option, if you're amenable to a 25+ year old car, and if you can find one without the "classic car" premium. I had one in the early 1990's - good mileage, good reliability, decent performance (especially the low-end torque). But like most cars of that vintage, Celicas are vulnerable to rust. It may be difficult to find one in decent condition, without the "classic car" premium. Recently I saw a beat-up example at a local used car dealership, for around $2K.

Very interesting project - and I wish this fellow the best of luck/skill in bringing it to favorable conclusion. Before the inevitable questions of "Oh my god, how will the extra weight be possibly accommodated", we should actually consider the two engines' respective weights. I would not be surprised if the difference is at around 100 lbs, or possibly even less. But I would like to see aluminum heads on that engine... big blocks deserve modern aluminum heads and mechanical roller camshafts!

Pete got to this thread very quickly! Yup, I bought a 1996 M3 coupe (the 2-door 4-seater with a trunk, not the 2-seater with a hatchback; I would have loved the latter, but the price premium is 2X!) over the weekend, in the Washington DC area (there is nothing worthwhile for sale in Dayton, Ohio!). It has 170K miles and a few blemishes, but also some interesting mods, and the price was right. If it's not considered uncouth to air these things in public, I'll post the price. Most M3's sell for FAR above blue-book, but this one was approximately in the KBB range. Others that I drove recently either were beaten to shreds (dangling molding pieces, body panels drilled for riceboy aerodynamic "enhancements", dashboard lit-up with shining idiot lights, milky chocolate residue under the oil filler cap), or overpriced ($8K for a 1995 with 140K miles, rattling exhaust and droopy headliner). Only trouble so far is with the differential. It's supposedly some pricey aftermarket piece, with a (maybe) 3.7 ratio. I heard that that was the stock ratio for some E30's, but I don't have the knowledge to distinguish the E30 and E36 cases by inspection. This one is supposed to have "70% lockup" and started whining towards the end of my 500-mile drive back home.

Ah, a philosophical discussion! I can’t resist… Setting aside for a moment ALL isssues of handling and man-machine interface, personally I am quite impressed by the acceleration of the modern 3.5L-3.7L V6 family sedan (Maxima, Accord, Camry, Malibu, Taurus). Figure around 250-280 hp and comparable torque, in a 3500-3700 lb car. That’s a power/weight ratio of around 1/14, which would be around 180 hp in a 240Z – which was quoted above as a typical figure for a stock 350 in good condition. And keep in mind that the V6 modern family sedan has great low-end torque and silky smoothness, so the comparison with a taxi-cab, mildly-cammed 350 is all the more appropriate. Like in most things, there is a “knee in the curve†of performance vs. money. Below the knee, a small increment of additional investment yields a large gain, while above the knee, adding more money just chases a smaller and smaller incremental improvement. For the V8 Z, there are probably two knees in the curve. The first is building a competent but stock-ish 350-based V8, with the driveline and various supporting systems. This is probably at the ~200 hp level. Experienced engine builders would laugh in unbridled derision at a 200 hp SBC, but my belief is that getting appreciably more power would require at least minimal component swaps such as camshaft/lifters/valvesprings. And while that sounds utterly trivial, wiping a flat-tappet cam on an otherwise fresh engine is a perfect way to wound your ego and to kill your enthusiasm, turning a simple project into an interminable nightmare. But assuming that this is isn’t a problem, and you’re not fazed by the typical magazine-type of 350/383/406 build, then the next knee in the curve of a V8 Z is probably around 350 hp. Beyond that you are looking at modern aluminum heads, roller camshafts, and maybe forged rods. The chassis would definitely need reinforcement, and a welding adventure includes ripping out carpet and stripping the rust-coating to access bare sheet metal… and that turns into an unavoidable rust-abatement exercise. Then there are issues of gearbox choices,, and what to do with the clutch. All of these things have been overcome by many people, but successful solutions at the >400hp level tend to be multi-year projects by folks who absorbed automotive mechanics in their teens or early 20’s, and who know their way around wrenches. “If I were doing it again†– is if such things are ever possible! – I would look for a LS-series donor, and would transplant as much as possible of the engine/transmission/electronics in stock form from the donor. The other big question is regarding the condition of your Z, in its present stock form. How much rust? In what condition is the suspension? What about minor things such as weatherstripping and interior paneling? Many swaps become restorations, because it’s easy to overlook minor defects in a stocker, but the owner of a swapped vehicle has higher standards for handling, braking and general “goodness†of the vehicle. So probably the first consideration before deciding on a reasonable future power level is to critically assess the present condition of one’s car. Many Z’s are perfectly serviceable for the occasional casual drive, but just aren’t good V8 swap candidates, at any power level.

Wherever you live, there the drivers are the worst. Except when traveling - there the the drivers are even worse than that!

So after 3 years, this thread is resurrected.... What amazes me is how many unconventional jobs are among those reported. Some folks have highly specialized careers, others not. But very few are traditional cubicle dwellers, or retail clerks, or hold the various typical assignments. Many are self-employed or consultants, and even the institutional employees often have exotic field jobs. I don't REALLY spend all day eating bonbons and playing tetris, but even so, I seem to be in the minority that favors a defined-benefit pension over an international life of mystery.... Now let me ask a related question: how many people relocated far from where they grew up, specifically to take the job which they now occupy? And how many made particular effort to find local employment?

I'm with Kiwi303 - the new version takes considerably longer to load. I am using Internet Explorer 6.0, and access the internet via a Verizon Wireless USB modem. Also, several of my recent attempts to post have resulted in nought; my message simply disappeared into the ether.

I don't have much that's favorable to say about the badges and honeycomb, but the overall front-end treatment is almost EXACTLY the right approach for reducing drag and front-end lift (even better woudl be to close off the headlight sugar scoops). From the viewpoint of aerodynamics, this is far superior to the G-nose.

The correct abbreviation is “adâ€, not “addâ€; the action is to place an advertisement, not to combine two numbers.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." Yes, that's often true, but consider some exceptions: - is it better to have broken off a relationship in the girlfriend stage, that would have resulted in decades of suffering and a messy divorce... or to have gone ahead with the marriage? - is it better to have stashed your money in your mattress and watched your life savings be eroded by inflation, than to have invested in the stock market and suffered a cumulative 20% loss over 10 years? - is it better to have satisfied your cravings for a crotch-rocket, gotten into a horrible accident and ended up as a quadriplegic... or to still be lusting after motorcycles without ever having bought one? Sometimes not making a decision is better than making a bad decision. Sometimes the opportunity that you forego is the opportunity to fail or to get hurt. Life is as much about collision-avoidance as it is about racking up "experiences". "Seize the day" is a fallacy of Western culture's unjustified self-confidence.

About buying stock in oil-industry companies to hedge against the rise in oil prices.... 1. I bought lots of stock in Conoco-Phillips about 2 years ago, at around $64/share. That was before the great spike in oil prices. Later that year, Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) bought a bunch of Conoco-Phillips stock at around $80-$90 per share. Now COP is trading at around $50/share. Some hedge.... 2. Oil prices are presently half of their all-time high; they've fallen so far, that the scramble for shale-oil and new exploration has all but entirely petered out. But propane is trading at near its all-time high. Because I really only use two rooms of my house, my short-term solution is to use an electric space heater in the whichever room I happen to be occupying, while turning the main thermostat down to 49 degrees (its lowest point).

Alright, so the accumulated advice is to: - chop lots of wood - dress like a Franciscan monk - collect the dung of farm animals I'll get right on it!