Paz8

About 3/4 of an inch is about right, the rear center section is also off set that much.

If the TV cable is not connected at the engine end but pulled out "has tension on the cable" this would increase all the fluid pressures in the trans and may be the problem, disconnect the tv cable at the trans if it's connected. As mentioned you will kill that trans without a properly adj. TV cable when running on the street.

The T-5's used in the later model Mustangs and Camaros are NOT the same as that 280ZX trans, The later T-5's are known as World Class T-5's and are slighty stronger. As mentioned, they are not hard to find.

From the casting numbers it is a 1969, 350 c.i. block. You need to find out why someone trashed it, pull the oil pan and look at the crank/rods for broken parts. Spray everything down with WD 40 and let it set for a day, spray the tops of the pistons also. The pistons are probably "frozen" in the cylinders, the steel rings rust into the bores. keep soaking the tops of the pistons with WD to loosen the rust. Once apart you can see is it is usable or not, good luck, remember "no one ever said it was easy"

I wouldn't run that engine anymore, all that metal is now in the filter or at the bottom of the oil pan, take the oil pan plug out and look at the inside end for metal shavings or dust. If your intended use for the car is for street driving install a PVC valve or you will be fixing oil leaks for ever. Check the push rod on that bad lifter to make shure it's not bent. Your right about the bad luck, that sucks.

If you think that it is the drive shaft balance look for a local place that performs TRUCK drive line repairs, they can build drive shafts and balance them.

The only way to know for sure is to pull the trans pan off and look at the wiring. Or apply 12 volts with a fuse (10 amps is plenty) to the terminals one at a time and drive the car to see if the clutch locks up in overdrive.

I'm about 3 hours east, too far away to go junk yard hunting.

Yah your right, Charlie Osborne is the owner, right?

A place called Jed Findings has replacement floor boards and floor supports, used them in my 83 ZX, not cheap but worth every cent. Where in Pa do ya live, I know of a few ZX's in junk yards around here.

I installed the lower chin pan under the rad to the front X member, run an upper fan shroud only and chevy declutching blade on the water pump, junk yard $20 camaro rad. and the Zx overflow tank. With a 160 deg thermostat the temp gauge stays at about 170 deg, been street driving the car for about 8 months now with no problems. I know some people have opinions on engine driven fans stealing HP but here is the way I look at it. If the fan blade uses 5 horsepower and the electric cooling fans use 30 amps from the battery your charging system needs to put back 30 amps in the battery, this means more drag on the engine from the alternator, see, no free HP with electric fans. I like electric fans for the way they cool down the engine when the car in shut off and sitting. Don't forget coolant mixture should be 40/60 anti freeze/ water, no more than 50/50 mix.

If that # is stamped on the block in front of the right cylinder head it is NOT a casting Number it's an ID serial number. I couldn't find a VH # but all other V # are 350 truck engines from the late 60's earily 70's. I could be wrong, not 100% sure.

Read my post, post #7, I described the Camaro rad that you need and how to mount it, V8 with STANDARD COOLING, 25 inches across.

The Camaro rad. from 1984 to 86, with standard cooling, the heavy duty rad is too wide to fit. The one you want is about 25 inches wide, aluminum with plastic side tanks. Get the upper fan shroud and rubber mounts (4, 2 upper 2 lower). The fan shroud holds the upper rubber mounts and the top of the rad in the car, if you have time it can be adapted to work in the Z car and you can figure out lower rad mounts mounted on the frame rails, you need to mount the rad with the 4 rubber mounts or it will shake apart if mounted solid in the car. With the engine in the set back position I run a stock camaro engine driven declutching fan blade and have no cooling problems at all, this is a street car, I'd go with the elect. fan for a drag car. Hope this helps.

This topic has been gone over again and again, read Mike's post carefully, it is the way it is, there are NO magic solutions, If you mix and match parts for the swap you'll end up spending more in the long run on parts that won't fit, alot of wasted time also.