Boy from Oz

Can anyone tell me where the actual rubber mount comes from that is used on the JCI LHD passenger mount? Thanks

I assume you mean the driver's side of a LHD vehicle. That may require a second crossmember just for that side. That creates sump clearance issues and also inhibits exhaust space.

Bear with me on this. I know the JCI mounts take all the hassle out of an LSX install, that's why I purchased the kit. However an Aussie GTO/RHD setup has unique problems, primarily with the exhaust design by having the steering shaft and starter motor on the same side. I dropped the shell over the engine/transmission today to see how difficult the situation is. One option I have is to relocate the starter motor to the other side, see part number AP130B http://www.rodshop.com.au/catalogues/AdaptorPlates.pdf but the configuration of the JCI/Camaro mount combined with the relocated starter motor then creates exhaust route problems on that side. It looks quite feasible to construct on the LHD driver's side a new engine mount similar to the LHD passenger side mount by utilising the forward two mounting holes on the crankcase and the three alternator mounting holes. There is enough material on the alternator mount itself to flycut off the thickness of a mounting plate and still mount the alternator (though that's another GTO problem that may require a complete relocation). If you are still with me I would appreciate some comments.

Try this place http://www.usedferraris.net/ Type '250' into the search box. It mistakenly labels the clear lens lights as rear indicators. They also have the GTO door handles. When using this site you sometimes need to click on the 'new' and 'used' text above the displayed items to see more items. I got mine, and a few other items from small volume sellers on the Italian ebay, http://www.ebay.it/ Italy often has very cheap overseas postage compared to the rest of Europe. Every item purchased has arrived in Oz, the same goes for items from France (Veglia gauges) and Belgium (Ferrari horn button). If you are also looking for side indicators they were used on a Lancia Fulvia of the period so try searching there. Here is one Lancia stockist http://www.omicron.uk.com/omi-fulv.html

Do these help?

Mike, you wouldn't have the part number of the shifter would you?

I purchased the oil pan items listed in post #15 on the thread below, unfortunately I'm still a few weeks away from fitting them so I can't endorse them as yet. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=118395 I've noted on my Aussie LS1 that the dipstick enters via the oil pan so I will have to drill the crankcase to fit the corvette dipstick. It may not be clear on the photo of the original pan fitted to the engine, but the dipstick enters on the side of the pan near the front - If you have this pan you soon see what I mean. My LS1/t56 is from a Ute so the GTO may be different. Also, the Aussie fitted t56 transmission has the shifter setback an additional 50-75mm or so. I recently purchased a Firebird short-shifter to replace the original but the alignment is all wrong and the lever is tilted forward when in neutral - haven't solved that one yet.

For me, this has been a very fortuitous post. I was just about to attack my old transmission mounts tomorrow. I was planning on removing all of the mount and the extra surrounding sheet metal. I think your approach of just removing the protruding material is a better way to go. I’m sure it keeps some extra strength in that area. I’m always searching for a photo of the reshaping required of the transmission tunnel to clear the reverse lockout. From your photos it looks as though you didn’t need to do that, although I noticed you seem to have given a few hits lower on the tunnel closer to the floor. So is that reshaping only require to install the t56 rather than to have it operate effectively? Can you provide a few more details on that point of the swap. By the way, congratulation.

There was the usual bit of trial and error but in the finish I got there. This setup allow removal of the sump (oil pan) whilst on the stand - I have a Corvette one to fit. A trolley jack can slip underneath to lift the engine/gearbox plus trolley or with a block of wood under the sump just the engine can be raised. I haven't parted the items as yet but I don't see any reason why the gearbox cannot be removed and the trolley support just the engine. Just as a matter of interest, I estimate that the centre of mass is around the flywheel area as the the whole assembly requires the gearbox support.

I have not been able to quite figure out how that works. I imported a wheelchair for my daughter, through a shipping agent, and got hit with the tax ($400) but I also imported over $2000 worth of brakes for my S30 (USPS) and paid no tax. With the dollar exchange so good I think many of we antipodeans are currently looking closely at US imports. It might be worth noting that cars over thirty years old are classified as 'vintage' and parts for them are tax exempt. Ask the seller to write "Vintage Car Parts" on the contents description as it's a statement of fact. I'm just about to lash out $3500 for some wheels and that includes $400 postage (USPS). I think if you get a postage quote from USPS that ends up being all you pay, irrespective of the value of the items - but don't quote me!

Hate to say it but that's about the going rate. Last year my race brakes from Arizona Z cost me $375 for freight and a short-shifter I recently got for $20 off eBay cost $30 freight. From my experience USPS has stopped providing a shipping service and everything is airfreight. The price of aviation fuel is probably the main argument for the rates.

I'm working towards the same concept. My approach is to utilise as much as I can from the LS1 donor car. To that end I have kept all the fuel tank items in the hope I can marry them to an aluminium tank I am constructing. One item is the one-way valve seen in the photo. You may want to consider picking up something like this new or from a wrecker.

Sorry, I realise now those episodes aren't specific to your request. Unfortunately there were some earlier ones exactly on your topic. There is a little in the 23rd March show which may assist.

Download (it's fast) and watch the last third of these shows, you might pick up something. Just click and hold the cursor on the time line and drag it to around two-thirds the duration of the show. http://www.channel31.org.au/shows/show.php?showid=272&t=video

"...I've been told my car started life as an Alpha One. Can you, or anyone, confirm or deny this ??..." From merely observing photos the rear looks to me like an original Eagle/Alpha, but there are plenty of experts (Speedracer, etc) who would know far more than me. http://www.eaglegt.com/pic.php?picid=eaglegto/AutoLogic_Kit_Car_Guide_83_.gif "Beautiful country you have" - Thanks, but I can't take all the credit! If ever any of you folks are in Sydney I would be offended if you didn't contact me.

An LS1 into a 240Z can be approved under DOTAR's rules. I've done it! I have undertaken a lot of research on this before commencing my LS1 installation, to the degree that I have RTA approval to go ahead. "zed240au" has been a trailblazer in this and I have been more than happy to learn from his mistakes (very few) and to copy many of his innovative solutions to a RHD installation. Top bloke.

I would agree with that in the case of flat panels and vertical lights. Mine however, has some fairly involved shaping, none of which is to my personal liking and will be modified to a more 250 GTO style. I'm guessing that the larger lights may have had something to do with vehicle regulations rather than merely design preference. I'm just interested to know where mine may have originated. I think a member here, 'Y-Not', has or had a yellow replica with this rear section, and it may be from Thunder Ranch.

This is reportedly a McBurnie rear. While the number plate area is similar, the rest the Kamm depression and the spoiler are different. The lights seem a little further spaced as well. Also your kit does not have the faux vents in the panel next to the door windows like a McBurnie. Looks like it's getting narrowed down to a Stable Autowork (Isabella). Anyone got a rear shot of one? My own kit has Eagle/Alpha front but has the large (100mm/4") horizontal twin rear lights. Does anyone know where that configuration originated? I plan on modifying it to the smaller vertical setup.

I can only suggest it's neither an Eagle nor an Alpha for a couple of reasons. Firstly the leading edge of the bonnet (hood) starts too far back from the triple vents, and secondly the door handle area is not recessed for a Datsun door handle - unless you or a previous owner have modified them. Likewise I don't think it's a Rhino as they appear to also have the longer bonnet. A better photo of the nose might help narrow down the possible make. Also the tail-light configuration might help. My guess is it's a McBurnie (see new link) I might add that I'm more than a little displeased with you, Duke. You know how badly I suffer from procrastination, yet just as I'm about to buy a set of 6" front and 7" rear Daytons you show us a photo of that awesome wheel setup. Thanks ... now I'm again undecided and back on medication! http://www.zparts.com/history/articles/kit_history/articles/3calGTOs2.html

I have put the following together from a bit of research on the web. The text is mostly as stated on the web sites referenced and I cannot vouch for its accuracy. If people would like to add or correct any of the contents please feel free to do so: In 1978, Eagle Manufacturing Corp was established by Barry Goldstein (nee Merlin Coffano) to produce prototypes cars inspired by designs like the Ferrari Dino 246 GTS and later the Ferrari 250 GTO, Porsche Speedster, Cobra. Eagle’s first prototype (named Eagle GT1 then GT2) on a VW chassis was based on the Dino design and first sold to friends and associates and in 1980 Barry went public with the Eagle GT1. Over a 3+ year span, Barry created as many as 6 sets of moulds with different variations for the Eagle GT1, GT2, and GT. Some of the variations included modified bumpers from a ’67 Corvette Coupe, windshield swap from a TR7, a convertible top from the TR7, and numerous nose and rear end changes. During this time, Eagle Company employed 3-7 employees, depending on winter or summer months and, according to Barry, Eagle Manufacturing produced between 35-40 cars a year. Eagle Manufacturing also created a prototype car inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO on a Datsun 240/260 Z. As many as 7 cars were sold as Eagle GTOs from late 1982 to early 1983. Sometime in late 1983, Eagle dealer Joe Alphabet purchased from Eagle Manufacturing the moulds and marketing of the Eagle GTO. Alphabet was well known in Southern California as a dealer of used, exotic Italian machinery. Apparently due to pressure from Ferrari, he decided to sell his replica car business to stay in their good graces and maintain a good working relationship. Alpha Design & Engineering closed the doors on manufacturing the Alpha 1 in 1989. Alphabet sold his business to Tom McBurnie. McBurnie Coachcraft produced a Corvette-based Daytona Spyder replica and the McBurnie ‘California 250 GTO’ became a complimentary product. However, again legal troubles with Ferrari and other problems would eventually drive McBurnie out of business for a period of time. He now operates as Thunder Ranch. Jim Simpson, formerly of Blue Ray GT Engineering was the next builder of GTO replicas. In addition to his extensive experience with restoration of esoteric (I think the writer meant 'exotic') sports cars, Jim brought a keen eye for detail to the production of his Rhino GTs. However, his desire to do more original design work led him to sell his tooling to Bill Cummings at Stable Autoworks in Dallas, Texas. Bill called his version the F-250. He built several cars before suffering an untimely death in November 1999 at the age of 42. Jeff Krekeler purchased the assets of Stable and operated it out of Missouri. About the same time as Jim Simpson was beginning his stint with the Rhino, John Washington of VR Engineering (a division of John's company Reaction Research) in Phoenix, Arizona began producing the Velo Rossa Spyder. While none of the Z-based cars could be considered true replicas of the GTO, because of dimensional differences, the Velo Rossa was a radical departure and virtually an original design. It was a roadster, with a trunk and a one-piece tilt-up front end (bonnet). The removal of the roof eliminated one of the strong design clues that gave away the fact that the underlying chassis was that of a Z car. If Ferrari had followed the path of rival Jaguar and produced a roadster or convertible version of the GTO, this is what it might have looked like. Possibly the best kit was developed by Tom Edwards of Scorpion Z cars. In January 2003 the following was posted on the HybridZ website; “my name is tom today i was told that my SCORPION GTZ was a topic of some discussion among some of you gto enthusiast,i own the silver and red horn striped car that has been in a few articles on the web ,this car is not a Puckertt at all ,i custom built a one off car using the front nose of a RHINO GT and my own hand built backend ,a simpson design dash,the most accurate dash i will say ,and then when the car was finished i built molds so i can start my own company selling the bodies and all the accessories to build a awesome car . i 'am not trying to advertise my company i just want everyone to know the proper information about my car. it is a "SCORPIONZCARS GTZ" that i built on a 1974 260z,425 hp chevy motor,t-5 trany,almost everything in it has been cusomizedâ€. Production of Scorpion GTZ kits was taken over by Oliver Meulbrouck at OM Sportscars Ltd in England in 2006. There have been a number of "one-off" GTO replicas produced, mostly on Datsun Z platforms. There have also been a number of replicas built on tube frames (Marauder), one on a 944 Porsche, and a cottage industry existed for a time producing GTO replicas made from modified 250 GTs, i.e. real Ferrari's re-bodied as GTOs! There has even been one such re-bodied Ferrari built as a convertible. Regarding Puckett - “Charlie Puckett was at one time employed by Tom McBurnie.He ran a few ads and came to only one show (of which I am aware) with several unfinished cars. His kits required a frame stretch and were longer between the firewall and the front wheels to make up the difference in wheelbase between the Z and the original GTO. I think he has been out of business for many years. In fact, I think I saw recently on another Hybrid forum an phone number from a classified ad some member posted for tooling for sale that sounded suspiciously like the Puckett stuffâ€. (John Washington, HybridZ Jan 03 - Puckett GTO) The only USA kits I can find advertised these days are the Spyder from VR Engineering, with a suggestion that the coupe is also available, and the Thunder Ranch coupe. However I suspect that it's a bit like OZ, with quite a few pirated moulds lying around the place. Bibliography http://www.reactionresearch.com/gtorr/index.html http://www.eaglegt.com/index.php?section=eaglegto http://www.zparts.com/history/articles/kit_history/articles/ If anyone has any other links to information could you post them.

You would never get it rego'd - nor, it the name of safety, should you be allowed to! Look up the design rules; there can be no welded brake components. See Section 5.2, Modification of Components. Second dot point. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/bulletin/pdf/NCOP5_Section_LG_Brakes_3Feb2006.pdf Remember Mark Webber in qualifying for the AGP - not a weld failure, but brake failure is serious stuff.

There is an interesting automotive TV show, Gasolene, here in Oz. It covers several aspects of performance and modifications. I thought some people might be interested in viewing certain episodes from the net. Once it is downloaded you can drag the indicator on the bottom of the screen to fast forward through the show to the next segment. Like so many of these shows it started out with very informative segments (1500 WHP from LSXs and a very interesting one on engine balancing, plus some detailed demonstrations of metal forming.) but it is falling into the trap of trying to make personalities of the people involved, but you can skip through those. Anyway it’s worth a look, particularly the presenter who always shows a couple of pointers to the upcoming segment! http://www.c31.org.au/shows/show.php?showid=272&t=video