SpeedRacer

You could always get one of these http://www.reinaintlauto.com/65gto811.html Sorta like the ultimate kit car or have these guys fix you up http://www.finesportscar.com/InventoryFSC.html Would you like your McLaren M8F with an all aluminum 494 or 510 CID engine?

I expected to get better results from a search but there are a couple of pics. Of a Latham supercharger at the bottom of this page http://members.tripod.com/lyc_42/fordv8/yblock/yblock.htm One of them shows it disassembled and you can see the jet turbine like vanes. BTW, I think I was wrong about the four Carter YH carbs - looks like it probably was only two. Ahhhhhhhhhh another senior moment!

Wow - didn't know they still made those things! Back (a long, long time ago) when I was in high school a bud had a '57 Ford with a 312 in it and a Latham superchager on it and four sidedraft Carter YH type carbs. A pain to tune but it hauled ....

Our friend John Washington from VR Engineering http://www.reactionresearch.com/automotive.html created the GTO Replica Registry gtorr.com site. Around 1992-93 Terry Watson (out in CA.) started a "GTO Replica Register" in paper form that listed all the known GTO replicas, vehicle and owner info. He would periodically publish a newsletter and update the list as well. It was a great resource but Terry got too busy to keep up with it. So John Washington took it over and has, I believe, all the old newsletter copies and vehicle lists. Someday he would like to put all of that out on the gtorr.com site. It would be nice if somebody with a scanner to convert these and put them out on the site for everybody's reference.

Here's a really nice Ferrari site and in part of it they list all the GTO's by serial number, their history, who owns them now and where they are located. http://www.barchetta.cc/english/All.Ferraris/summary/SN.250.GTO.62.htm BTW, in the early 80's serial number 4293 was sold to a Japanese gentleman for $14.6 million - the most anybody has ever paid for an automobile !!!! Currently most GTO's go for $6-$8 million. Staledale - my GTO is a little different because it's an Alpha One model but I will help all I can. Just let me know what you need. Of course you can find pictures of mine right here under the "Featured Cars" section.

Cut this from Popular Mechanics and Car & Drivers web pages: "THROTTLE FREE GAS ENGINE" "As befits a flagship, BMW's still-to-be-introduced new 7 Series is a road- going "wundercar." One of its most stellar breakthroughs is the new V8 engine. Smaller, lighter and both 14 percent more powerful and 14 percent more fuel efficient than the previous car's engine, the V8 boasts BMW's Valvetronic system that does away with the conventional throttle valve. Instead of a butterfly valve in the engine's intake tract to control airflow, Valvetronic regulates intake air by adjusting valve lift. The more the intake valves open, the more air enters the engine, allowing more fuel for more power. BMW claims that by removing the obstruction of the throttle valve, there is at least a 10 percent fuel savings. A true drive-by-wire system, Valvetronic relies on electric motors—one at each cylinder bank—to drive an eccentric shaft that acts on intermediate camshaft followers. These followers take the form of levers between the intake cam and each cylinder's pair of intake valves. As the driver steps on the gas pedal, a computerized signal tells the electric motors how much to twist the eccentric shaft. This varies the amount the intake valves open. During normal operation, the size of the valve opening ranges from about 0.5mm to 2.0mm. Along with Valvetronic, the engine's intake is also tuned by a variable manifold that uses an electric motor to constantly change the length of each cylinder's intake runner according to load and other conditions. The engine also features BMW's existing bi-Vanos variable valve timing system, which changes the timing of both intake and exhaust valve openings and closings. The 4.4-liter V8 to be introduced in the new 745i is currently rated at 333 hp and 332 ft.-lb. of torque. And yes, BMW rounded off the displacement to 4.5—the car's name sounds better that way. VARIABLE-LENGTH INTAKE Intake manifolds within variable-length runners can broaden an engine's torque curve. Because the ideal intake-runner length varies with rpm, some engines alternate between two and three runner lengths. BMW takes this one step further by using intake runners whose lengths can vary infinitely between 9.1 (blue arrows) and 26.5 inches (red arrows) by rotating a sleeve inside the plenum through 110 degrees. The sleeves feeding the right and left cylinder banks rotate in opposite directions." Ya gotta see it because it's amazing. There is an article and pictures in the January 2002 issue of Road & Track. Those guys in Bavaria are thinking out of the box again.

Quite a few of us used the Painless http://www.painlesswiring.com/ kit. They have a few different kits depending on the number of circuits you need. Sounds like you might be able to use the 12 circuit kit but check it out. You can pick it up from Summit Racing http://www.summitracing.com/ at a discount. They also make a dash wiring kit that plugs into their car kit. I used both on my car and mounted the fuse block up over the dead pedal instead of in the center.

Staledale - There might be one other choice - a Ferrari 330 GTO. There were a couple of 4 litre GTO's made like serial number 4561 http://www.barchetta.cc/english/All.Ferraris/Detail/4561GT.250GTO.htm They had a larger bump in the hood because of the larger engine. The rest was basically the same as the 250 GTO so your car would be quite unique. Just a thought.

BTW Nullbound, Snaderson makes over 30 different headers (only a couple are cast) to fit a SBC http://www.sandersonheaders.com/enginetype/chvysb49eng.htm They will have a set that will work but the question is which ones?

I've got Trick Flow 23 degree heads on mine with Hooker block huggers and they just fit. I had to put a small dimple in the number three cylinder pipe so I could get the wrench on the plug. When I said they just fit, I meant it. I have to use three different length plug sockets and for two plugs I have to use an open end wrench on the end of the socket to turn it. So, I installed platium tipped plugs and hope I never have to change them.

I bought my polyurethane bushings and spindle pins for my '71 from MSA and I believe they are comparable to the Energy Suspension bushings except they are black. So, yes, I used urethane on the spindle pins as well. They are a bit different than stock because the bushings are two piece with a center steel sleeve that the spindle pin goes through. They've been on the car now for a couple of years with no problems.

I thought some of you might be interested in the following Speedvision article about ballast in a Formula 1 car and how crazy some of these people are. http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/011121b.html Here is just a small piece of the writeup "In recent years, lowering the car’s center of gravity has become a design priority. This is the main reason why the engine designers are so keen to increase the V-angle of their motors; to lower (in height from the ground) the mass of the cylinder heads. A couple of years ago the designers were working to reduce the diameter of the engine’s clutch, as this was the limiting factor in how low the engine could sit in the chassis. Now, however, the designers aren’t able to drop the line of the crankshaft any further; the latest generation of clutches are smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the crankshaft, and the site of the engine is now determined by its stroke." Wow, a clutch the size of a crankshaft for about 800 HP !!!! Enjoy and I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

There was a company that made a conversion to install an SBC in a 308. Kind of puts a crimp in the resale value but makes maintenance a bunch cheaper, ($3,500 for the 30,000 service hurts the old pocketbook). Sorry, I think you'll have to surf some more since I can't find the name in my notes.

Z-TARD - A guy by the name of Fred Wynkoop put a Jag V-12 with a T-5 trans. in his Ferrari 250 GTO kit car. He used to live in St. Petersbug, FL. You might be able to find him so he could give you some pointers.

I haven't seen a seen a 4 X 2 barrel Holley setup but Mickey over at Inglese has a 4 X 2 Weber setup for a SBC http://www.inglese.com/ I think they are Weber IDF carbs (just like Ferrari) and the four of them are lined up right down the middle of the manifold. This doesn't leave enough room for the distributor so you have to use an angle drive or front mounted one. BTW, etype - there is a guy in Flordia that has a Ferrari 250 GTO replicar with a Jag V12 in it. The is also a guy in CA that has a real Ferrari V12 in his 250 GTO kit car!

283z - I think that is the same flywheel (14.8-LB nodular iron) that I use on my car - Super light and almost blow-up proof. I have a 1965 327 which uses the two piece seal and bolted up to a T-5 through a Hayes Competition clutch. I don't think the flywheel is the issue unless the clutch bolt pattern is different with the T-56 type clutch.

MSD http://www.msdignition.com/ makes a very small billet electronic distributor Part Number 8570. It's a bit smaller in diameter than the stock Delco and about an 1" lower. I used it on my car because of the limited room with the Tri-Power installed. Downside is that it does not have a vacuum advance.

Idaho Z Car - Since you seem to be hung up on oil pan clearance I figured I'd go measure the darn thing. Mind you, although I use Eibach springs that lower the car about 1", however I have 15" rims and fairly tall tires: P205R70X15 front and P225R70X15 rear. So, sitting on my level garage floor the front crossmember is 5.875" above the ground. The 5 quart oilpan sits a scant .5" lower than that. Doesn't look like much to worry about to me. If you want additional oil capacity there is lots of room in the front part of the sump and even some room on either side for growth. Anybody else measure theirs? If you don't mind I would like to clear up another small item. Yes, you are correct that moving the engine back a couple of inches may only change the weight on the rear tires 55-60 lbs. IF it is between the axles. With the Scarab conversion quite a bit of that weight is in front of the front axle which causes a cantilever effect. Therefore the effective weight differential is quite a bit more than your estimated 55-60 lbs.

Well, that didn't work so try this URL http://www.ofoto.com/PhotoView.jsp?UV=936732686719_32559444203&US=0&collid=50754495103&photoid=30754495103

Always suprised me how much larger the 240Z-280Z is than the '90+ 300ZX TT. It may be a lot heavier but it sure won't push as much air.

Great engine that SBC 327. I've got one in my car that started out as a 365HP version out of a '65 Vette. .030" over w/ forged flat tops, solid lifter Comp cam (their version of the 365 HP Duntov) Trickflow 23 degree aluminum heads @ 10.5:1 compression, 1.52 roller rockers, 3 2bbl. Rochesters, MSD Ign., block hugger headers and bolted up to a T-5/3.70:1 R200 LSD driveline. Never had it on a dyno so I don't know the true horsepower but I would think it would have to be North of 350. I wanted solid lifters and a high revving engine because of my car (OK - I know it's still missing 4 cylinders)!!! Redline is at 7,000 and it easily pulls all the way up to it. Never had a problem shifting it with the T-5. BTW, Z cars are so light that the reduction in torque is only envident in the fact that the tires don't spin as long as you guys with your 383's, etc.

Sorry Idaho Z Car - my bad. That antifreeze would probably screw up the polar moment anyway! Have a good one!

Idaho Z Car - I hope Dr. Porsche isn't reading your comments "I built this Z car to allow me to play in and hopefully make a good showing with the car in as many different venus as possible. Many V8 converted cars enjoy better than super car acceleration performance at a fraction of the cost. At 3475 lbs. your TT would have to develop 700+ Hp to match the power to weight ratios many V8 conversions here have. I simply do not believe that even if you could develop that kind of HP that you could access it as quickly as a high compression normally aspirated V8 can. By the time you spooled up turbos big enough to develop 700 hp, the V8 would be in a different zip code." He might take exception to that statement. Careful if you go up against a 911 GT2 with it's tiny little turbocharged 3.6 litre flat six.

If you want a comfortable ride but a car that will corner like it's on rails you might want to try one of these http://nsx.vtec.net/pics/nsx_suspension.jpg

Yes, you do have a choice but it will cost you a little bit more. I went to my local Aeroquip racing shop and had them make up a braided stainless steel line with the proper sized fittings on each end. Works great and no tapping, etc.