Z-8

Well, welcome to the site. I also am a new member, and it's a great feeling to be here.

Are you talking about getting a R200 from the junkyard for $75, or is this from somewhere else??

Right, I have a 1979 280zx and I'm planning to put an LT1 into it also. I'll be looking at your website for help frequently. I also e-mailed you before, my name is Willard. So the LT1 doesn't get set back any? The thickness of the plate steel I got is 3/8" and 1/2", and they are frickin heavy! I think a slightly thinner metal is going to be alright. But I did get some square tubing, 1 1/2' and 2", and useing those as spacers seems like a good idea. Thanks for the help.

What is the thicknesses of the metal you used for your engine mounts? I went off what the JTR manuel says, and they're heavy as hell! I used steel because I only have a mig welder, and can't weld on aluminum.

Just wanted to say that I got myself a 1995 caprice cop car, as the donor for my '79 280zx. I can't wait to start tearing them apart. Although I do have to admit, the caprice is a good ride, with that LT1 and all. It even has the barrier in between the seats. Plus when cleaning it out, I found 8 12gauge rounds(not shells) and 2 hollow point rounds(look like 9mm, but aren't). It's got the cheapy macco paint job. But it's black. And a cali car. Yep, i've got to deal with cali emmisions. But that just makes it more of a challenge. I've got to take care of the body first, just priming. Plus I'm taking out the ugly marker lights. Hopefully I'll have pictures to post soon.

Well, I fixed the problem. As it turned out, the main wire coming off the +side of the battery needed to be replaced. My roommate and I figured this one out by unhooking the +side wire from the starter, and leaving the orginal battery to power the car like normal. But the battery was a little low on juice, so we hooked up a battery charger/jumper to it. Then we hooked another battery just to the positive side of the starter and grounded on the car. And while we were doing this, my roommates daughter wanted to hit the second battery with an open-end wrench. To many things to keep my mind on. It's some crazy a$$ engineering, but it worked. Hope this was entertaining for some of you guys. Well thats all for now.

I've taken the batteries, and alt. down to kragen and they're all good. The fuses are fine, and the relays. So right now, I'm pretty much out of ideas. Any help would be great.

Cool, thanks. I switched batteries and it ran!! Started up like normal. And in my jubilation, remembered that I had disconnected the alt. And in my jubilation, forgot why. I reconnected that and the same symptoms reappeared, so I'm pretty sure it's my alt. 2 gauge wire is still thicker then the + side wire going to the starter, or the stock ground wire. I'll make sure that the new connections are really good.

Alright, this is my first post. I have a 1979 280ZX that I'm planning on dropping a LT-1/T-56 into. But right now I've got some problems with the original engine. It's been pretty much babied, and I take real good care of it(i'm the 4th owner). I was tring to move the battery to the back, and somehow created a major electrical problem. I used a 2 gauge wire, not sure if that was smart, to connect the battery to the original + side. And ran the ground to the body(not the chassis, and not to the original - side). I try to start the car, and it kills the car. I've checked the ignition relay, and it's good. I've replaced the starter(the solinoid was bad), but that didn't fix it. I hear the injectors going(I think) and the relay might be causing the problem. The fusible links seem to be in good condition, checked them with a multi-meter(lets hear it for fluke's). Also all the fuses were checked to be good, but I replaced most of them anyway(some moron but all 20/25 amp fuses in). I'm going to check the battery at kragens later. Also it might be the EFI relays. Sorry this is so long, been working on it pretty hard the past couple of days. Also some tips on moving the battery would be great. Thank you for your time.