desert dog

Check that... DUH... I mean 1 5/8" primaries... I have a set of tri-y headers on the 440 magnum in my Power Wagon and they add SIGNIFICANTLY to the mid-range, without taking away from the top end. Mike

No, don't bastardize a real Z32TT. They are rare enough as it is...

Well it is all coming out. I am gutting the engine bay, and most of this stuff looks like it is still good. The engine smoked like a train when the car was parked in a garage about 15 years ago, and has never been started since. Oh yeah, the wood steering wheel goes as well and it is a PRETTY one. I HAVE to have a leather wheel. I will be visiting Momo's website. The original owner was going to install the 2.4 out of the parts car that was supposed good at some point, but it has no air cleaners installed when I looked at it. The OEM air cleaner assembly is in the back of the car. I know there are purists cringing because of what I am going to do to such a pristine car. If it was a '70, I would do the restore, but a '73? Why are these cars worth so little for what they are? When I am done, I will have a supercar. Anyway, I will throw up some more pics tomorrow after I bring it home. I have to get a passenger window working so I can seal it up in case it rains or snows within the next month or two. Who's car is this? It has given me so much inspiration it hurts. I won't be using the L88 hood though Cheers fellas, this is going to be a good weekend...

I know of one shop down in Roswell that does custom plumbing, but do any of you know any quality header fabricators? I am looking for a tri-y setup with 1.5" primaries into long 2.5" collectors. The guys in southern NM are pricey but the quality is amazing. I need to find their business card again.

Anyone need any parts for a resto? I know somebody has to want the carbs... Let me know. I have this car and a rusty parts car that came with it for free:

It also makes it easier to weld in subframe connectors and remove all of the grime from the bottom of the car... No, I am taking my time and make it all new. I figure I can build a car for less than $20K, that will smoke a lot of cars costing 5 times a much, and still get good fuel mileage...

Current plan is complete customized restoration. I found plans for a body rotisserie on-line I can build for a fraction of the cost of buying one already made. This is going to be my daily driver, and it will have cruise control, and A/C. All drivetrain parts will be new. The body has absolutely zero rust. I cannot believe it. I will take some pics of the traditionally problem areas and show how little rust this NM car has... This is the build sheet (at the moment): LS2 with ETC GM steering column Howell custom wiring harness 4L60E built by Hector Vintage Air evaporator R230 LSD out of a Z32TT or possibly a built R200 from a Z32NA 2.5" coilovers on all 4 corners (200lb front, 225lb rear) Custom wheel flares on back. (will try to stuff 275/45/17's under there) Budnik wheels (Flare) 17X8.5's and 17X9.5's MSA 5 lug conversion w/cobra PBR's and discs on the front and 240SX discs on the back Autometer Carbon fiber gauges Custom auto shifter with line-loc I am building my own alarm system as well. I want the rest of the body to look stock on the outside, but I will be shaving the hatch lock, antenna, thinning out the sidemarkers, and will try my hand at installing new flush mounted door handles with GM locks. All of the chrome will be dechromed and powder coated, including all the strips around the windows. Like I said, I am building this to drive every day, and also to humble some of the stuffed shirts up here at work with their Carreras, Corvettes, and such. There is one particularly loud individual with a supercharged 350Z that will be my first kill after breaking the car in... I am rambling so I will shut up now...

I am ready to get started... I pick up the car dolly from u-haul at noon tomorrow. I have to start looking around for my LS motor. I have decided to either go LS1 or LS2 crate motor. The LR4 thing was just going to be too much of a hassle... Hello Scroggins-Dickey... This is going to be a VERY good weekend...

Correctly sized twin turbos on a V-type motor, will spool faster then one correctly sized single turbo.

No replacement for displacement.

In 1972 there were no SBC's in Pontiacs.... The other way to quickly tell if it is a Poncho V-8 is the width of the engine, and if it is stock the color of the paint on the motor. Pontiacs are silvery blue in color. I believe that in '72 Chevy's were still orange... The distributor also turns the opposite direction....

Snag a pair of the aluminum Edlebrock RPM heads for Pontiacs. They flow better than the 455 SD heads (best of the Poncho offerings IMO) and they are a fraction of the price. The Pontiac 350 is nothing like the Chevy 350.

Shock tower bars front and back Reinforcement of the floor in the passenger compartment Subframe connectors If you need more: Transverse roll cage bar under the dash 6-point or more roll cage

http://www.edelbrock.com Go download the manual for it. They are free on the Edelbrock website.

No oil will protect the engine if you fail to change it regularly...

Here is mine. Still looks just like this as I haven't started pulling it apart yet: And here is my inspiration: Yeah, I am getting excited about strting this project. This will be the first car in 20 years I am building entirely for myself, and I am not building for somebody.... I AM stoked... Mike

I use Valvoline in all my vehicles. The turbo car gets 10W-30 synthetic, the air cooled motorcycle get 20W-50 Racing, the old truck gets 10W-40 All-Climate, and the Malibu gets 10W-30 All-Climate. The Gen III motor I put in my 240Z will get broken in with 10W-30 All-climate, and thereafter it will be 10W-30 synthetic. In 27 years I have never had an oil related breakdown, and have only had to tear down one engine using Valvoline. I was very impressed that it had in excess of 100,000 miles and it had very little carbon buildup. Mike

Thanks Mike. You have to understand the reason I am asking this question is that I live at high altitude (5300') and the best fuel you can get is 90 octane. There are parts of NM where 88 is the highest. The point of the engine swap is MPG AND HP. This car will be my daily driver. I am thinking that the light loading of 2700 lbs. of the 240Z and the automatic trans that I can run regular for my commute (never go faster than 45 MPH) during the week, and only use premium when I want to go fast. I just don't want low RPM ping in traffic. Off-the-wall question relating to the subject: What is the compressed thickness of the OEM LS1 head gasket?

I have been kicking the idea around of the LS1 instead of my planned LR4 in the 240Z, and I was wondering if the LS1 pushing this light car around could sip lower octane fuel than premium without detonating?

Wheel bearing???

For a compact and light powerplant with a lot of HP per $, you cannot beat a GEN III or IV GM OHV V-8... Don't forget the 8.1 liter motors...

Have you tried www.300zxclub.com for your Z32 problems? I am a mod over there and there are some sharp guys there that know a lot, and spend a lot of money on their cars... Just a thought...

I need to get this totalled Grand Am out of my garage first... As soon as the Z ('73 240Z) is safely nestled in my garage, I will feel tons better. Yes, it will be expensive. My target is to build a '05 350Z EATER that runs on regular gas, gets 26+ MPG on the highway, all for about $20K. I am not into the electronic gadgetry on new cars. I want an elemental sports car with roll down windows, and I also need to build something the wife will be able to drive if need be, which means A/C will be required. It will be a long build as I am going to take the body down to bare metal (mostly) and remove all the old undercoating. I am also going to change color (currently orange) before I reassemble this big a$$ jigsaw puzzle... BTW, this is not my first car build...

I absolutely have my car planned out to the Nth degree. I am just getting impatient and want to get started. Motor: New LR4 4.8 liter long block '04 LS1 camshaft '98-'02 Camaro/Firebird injectors, oil pan, water pump, intake plenum, and front pulleys ETC from '02 Corvette '04 Grand Am cruise control '04 Grand Am A/C compressor, condenser. Vintage Air Evaporator/blower assembly '04 Grand Am 105 amp alternator Oversized K&N cone air filter Howell Engineering Modified ECM and engine harness LS1-EDIT Transmission: Built 4L60E Custom 4" aluminum driveshaft Rear Axle: '93 Infiniti R200 LSD w/custom CV halfshafts Custom diff mounts MSA 5 lug hubs MSA adjustable rear control arms '04 Grand Am 10" rear disc brakes w/custom bracketry Braided steel brake lines Stock height Bilstein cartidges and 225 lb. stock height springs Front axle: New rack and pinion assembly Modified front struts w/ 2.5" 200 lb. aftermarket springs '04 Grand Am master cylinder MSA Cobra 13" front brake kit w/5-lug hubs Custom adjustable lower control arms and tension rods Braided steel brake lines Stock height Bilstein cartidges Misc: New windshield and door windows New rear view side mirrors '04 Grand Am rear view mirror w/map lights All new wiring with relay control Recaro seats Custom brake and foot pedals Autometer gauges Momo steering wheel Laptop docking station 16 gallon fuel cell Walbro 255 Custom radiator 4500 CFM electric radiator fan assembly Custom strut tower bars and body stiffening pieces Grand Am seat belts with retractable shoulder harnesses New weatherstripping New interior Custom Oilite body mounts, frame bushings, and suspension and steering mounts 17X8 front wheels - offset - TBD w/235/45-17's 17X9 rear wheels - offset - TBD w/255/45-17's (I like the KMC Hot Wheels sixty-eights) And since this is going to be my daily driver, I am leaving the car at the stock ride height...

I have seen a couple of LS1 installs in Z32's. It fits very well. the stock VG30DE motors are tall with the 4 cams, so there is actually some knuckle room between the engine and the body of the car. Putting a Chevy motor in it should be cake with the removable crossmember of the Z32. Just fab up from the OEM piece.