dsommer

This is from the Factory Five (Cobra) website. FFR is in Mass. If Stewart is delivering a car out CA way well you get the idea, give em a call. Stewart Transport A lot of customers arrange their own shipping through a company called Stewart Transport (888-737-4852). The guy that runs the place is named Collin Stewart and he has done a great job over the years. Stewart Transport picks up kits from our dock and delivers them to your driveway. You pay them and the only thing they do for us is take care of you. Stewart has dedicated trucks with electric cranes so you don’t have to order a $350 crate from us. We don’t get any money from them for anything.

Ordered some tires from Tire Rack (on line) Thrusday, delivered to my front door on Friday. After placing the order on line they even called me to verify the size (225/45/17) so be sure to put down a good contact number!!! David

No problem at all. I'm running Accel shortie spark plugs, angle plug heads (Trick Flow) and Hooker block hugger headers. David

ARRRRRRRRGHHHHHH I feel your pain bro!!! Just like this !#@$#@$#@&^^& oil leak I've been chasining even had to pull the drivers side head still leaking!!! Found it though... ARRRRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!! Ooooooooooo fffffffuuuuuuuuuu Hey you drink Capt' too...COOL I'll drink one up for ya tonight. Sorry about the car... Heck I was rolling mine out of the garage the other day and ran over my toes while I was wearing running shoes OUCH!!!!

Wrench Head Bone Breakers MC ALL RIGHT!!!! Musta known what I'm doin' tonight...wrenchin' on the Z!!!

72Zcar Oh, Oh, Oh I already fixed that one, my buddy told me about it yup, it was leaking. The reason I "think" it's internal pressure is because it's seeping oil past the FRONT galley plug, just a little bit, a very little bit but it's there. David

Well, Good advice from you guys As far as gaskets: Both valve covers have cork gaskets, they are the Trick Flow valve covers which have a nice thick flange so they arent leaking. Distributor has new gasket. Oil pressure sending unit is screwing in good and has some sealant on it also. I didn't reuse any gaskets all are brand new. I'm going to drill the VC tonight and probably pull the Oil P sending unit and see what happens next It's just disheartening when you put so much work into something and you think you have the problem fixed then you find out it's still broke ds

I'm not trying to dismiss you but gaskets (ahem) at this point, screw em. (I'm using a thich ass bead of silicone ultra gray on the front end and back end of the intake, AND I let them cure for 48 HRS!!!) It's the ENDS of the intake (F/R), initially that are leaking/seeping) I followed David Vizard book "How to rebuild your small block chevy" and put some sealant on the rubber gaskets... then the other day Grumpyvette posts this: http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=32460 I'm like HELL YEAH thats the problem...NOPE (after reinstalling the intake manifold) I pull the head, the plug on the drivers side behind the cylinder head, WTF is it there for any way??? After a romping joy ride, OIL, frigging OIL everywhere. I'm about to get 5 gal of gas and set this MF on fire, I'm at the end of my rope, so much work, trying to get it ready for the Branson show/cruise and I'm back at the starting line. HELP!!!!!!!! d

Damn this is going to be long.... So I've got an oil leak on the back side of my engine, it's not coming out of the main seal, futher investigation show it's out of the rear of the intake manifold, (Edelbrock performer RPM). Tear it down put it back together...Fire it, still an oil leak. Buddy comes over... it could be the plug (drivers side UNDER the cylinder head) we pull it down, yank the plug and it's got a galled (sp) thread (the head is off at this point) get new plug, seal it, put 1/2 enging back together over the course of a week. Fired it today and let it idle for 15+ min. NO leak GREAT!!! Take it for a spin, get back to the house and the engine is PISSING oil all over the rear of the block again arrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh son of a bitchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. So enlighten me. Oh come on, if you know PLEASE ANSWER WHY IT'S DOING THIS TO ME!!! Here is my thought too much pressure in the crankcase, I've got a PCV in the passenger side valve cover but it's not enough to pull the pressure out to keep the oil from getting past the seal (it's blowing by the front too!!!) So I've got a set of Moroso breathers I'm about to go and drill the VC to accept right now, so any other thoughts???? David (I'm pissed but sill amused) BTW I drove a 350Z on Saturday (yawn!!!) sure it handles GREAT but . damn it anin't got nowhere near enough power. I'll keep my 240 until I build my FFR Spyder. d

Flush it with some Simple green or whatever and warm water THEN pressure test it. I think a pressure testing kit can be rented from Auto Zones loan a tool program. By all means test it BEFORE you install in. I took my heater core down to the rad shop the guy tested it and found no leaks, didn't charge me a dime. I threw him a fiver for his time anyway. As far a the oil in it well maybe he was running it as a HUGE oil cooler ds

I used one original shaped hose from the bottom of the core to the fire wall then a generic hose from the top of the core to the fire wall, added connectors and ran one hose with a 90* bend into the intake straight hose to the water pump. Be sure to use grommets in the firewall!!! Little trick to installing the grommets and running the hose through them is to use a little bit of dish washing soap for lubricant. ds

It doesn't look like they'll fit because the turn before the collector doesn't look like it "hugs" the block close enough. If you "dare" order a set of his black ones (if he sells those) ala cheapo headers and bring them over and we'll test fit them on my car, if you want. It wouldn't take much. I'm running the Hooker Ceramic block huggers and am extremely happy with them. Cost a bit more but I did the Sandersons at first and they were a NO GO on the fitment for what they sold me. Wish I would have just ordered the Hookers from the word go, because they fit. ds

Well I'm in the research phase of it now and finding that all that glitters is not gold. Factory Five has back order issues. So far they have delivered 30 of the Spyders and I’ve been in touch with 2 owners on the FFR board that say the tech support and b/o parts are becoming a problem along with a manual with “gaping holes†in it. I’ll get my Spyder build manual and make that decision for myself, I mean come on what do I have to compare it to besides the almighty JTR conversion manual, which some don’t think is worth a hoot, but I’ve used the heck out of mine. Perhaps the FFR board folks were expecting instructions like a plastic model car, Revell, Monogram etc, I don’t know…. As far as the FFR Mulsanne (the yellow car on their site) they are just shipping the first kit to a builder for completion, IMHO they should finish all the production issues with the Spyder and Type 65 coupe before embarking on selling another car, BTW yes it is a sweet car, figure $50K by the time you build it.

Well I’m not quite done with the Z yet (is anybody ever?) and I’m starting to explore the next build. I’ve tossed and turned thinking first gen Camaro (RS/SS Z/28 I wish, big block, convertible) too many choices, purists, clones, investment grade etc. Then I lowered my sights, second generation Trans Am, Bandit (Y-82), Anniversary cars (50th/1976), 10th 1979, 4 speed, 455 or 400, could I live with a 403 olds??? Covette? Wife says NO WAY ex used to have those, cars/material possessions meant more to him than she did…so I can’t really blame her. Last Saturday as I played with my nieces and watched my “new†Factory Five Racing DVD. My wife walks by and goes hey that looks neat, Me: what the car? Yeah and what there DOING with the car, Hot laps at Bondurant!!! BECAUSE A CHICK CLIMBED OUT OF THE COBRA WITH BOB AFTER COMPLETING THE LAPS!!! Quickly I fumbled the remote, back, back, back…Honey remember when I showed you this car? Spyder convertible…she said yeah, I could go for that!!!! ME: Go for WHAT??? She: I know some friends in Phoenix that have a guest house we could stay in, I think you should go do that, hot laps. Me: What about the CAR? She: Yeah I could go for that too. SPYDER YEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!! http://www.factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/spyder/spyder.html http://www.factoryfive.com/index.html That evening she comes out to the garage, “I’m bored.†Well grab a wrench and pull those spark plugs out on that side (angle plug heads with straight plug headers haha) She got them all out with out destroying her manicure and then left mumbling something about me giving her the “hard†side. What a trooper, I love this woman; she actually helps me work on the car now and then. I sat her down last night and told her I wanted to have a talk, I told her my plan on acquiring the Spyder, (first of all it’s $2500 OFF!!!). Finish up the Z, straighten up the garage, install entertainment peripherals, TV, stereo, DVD, (read David’s car guy entertainment area haha) and have the kit here by the latter part of the year. I further made my case by telling her that I was tired of working on a 30 year old cars and she said “yeah I understand, it gets frustrating sometimes doesn’t it†She said OK and then asked where I was going to keep the Z while I build the Spyder. So I told her somebody’s garage, or storage I’ll find a place, BUT I get to keep the Z. That’s right I don’t have to sell one to finance the other, but I am selling the boat. I ordered the build manual today and as soon as I get it read it cover to cover TWICE ala JTR manual, and then put down my deposit with in the next few weeks to secure the discount. I am so pumped about this!!! David

Nice but for the price I prefer this... http://www.factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/GTM/GTMkit.html Granted it's not as complete but would come in several G's under the can-am car. BUT in all fairness the wife said she would consider letting me build this http://www.factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/spyder/spyder.html I'm ordering the build manual on it later this week and IF I have the Z totally done by fall, and the frapin' stock market quits jumping around I'll embark on the project ie parts gathering and engine building. I'm so pumped about this, I absolutly LOVE this car!!! ds

Hey Bill, How much are you looking to spend? If you shop E-bay for internals source a block, crank and heads, land a few "deals" we could put it together ourselves, I'd be willing to give you a hand we could knock it out in a reasonable time frame. It's just having all the parts avalible at once. I've got an engine stand and all the tools to do it. Let me know. OR go offer that guy $400 for what he's got but don't pay over $500, we can tear it down and see what internals she's got and go from there. Slap a new set of piston and rings, fresh bearings, mild cam in there and go. jbeech, Chillllllll...... ds

The guy at Livermore performance told me that “thin†piece of metal is for a helmet restraint. I don’t think I would wrap two 3†harness belts around that because it’s too thin for support. Is your bar mounted in your car already? Bluex, Thanks for the info, is that diagam in the SCCA rule book or??? ds

I was searching through older posts and ran across a serious “issue†I have with my new AutoPower rollbar. I had them add the shoulder harness mount tube to the bar it runs horizontal between the front “feet†of the bar about 3" above the "feet" however an older post cites that the mounting position of the shoulder belts (5pt harness) cannot go down but must be horizontal to the drivers shoulders (dashes and slashes are the shoulder belt O=roll bar) Yes seat-----------Obelt to roll bar NO Seat* * * *O Harness mount tube on rollbar is down here. Well shoot my diagram won't post right Has anybody had an issue like this with AutoPower roll bars? Also if you have an AP roll bar installed in your Z could you e-mail me a pic or post one here? Thanks, David

2002 Dodge Ram 1500 4" Rancho lift with XR9000 shocks + in cab air adjust system. Killer sound system, Rockford Fosgate, Polk, Sony, Kenwood. 2003 Honda Pilot LOADED DVD Leather. 1996 24' Celebrity boat with a BIG BLOCK and thru hull exhaust (for sale) ds

Well it doesn't sound like I'm too far behind you except a little bit smaller cam, 350 4 bolt 30 over all casting flash removed inside and out (that's what the book said to do, I took it to the machine shop and the guy is like DAM dude you got serious with this thing, I polished the lifter valley with a die grinder haha ) Eagle SIR rods Speed pro Teflon coated hyper pistons Performer RPM gasket matched to heads Edelbrock 750 Trick Flow heads with the larger springs (room to grow ) Scorpion billet rockers 1.5 Summit blueprinted HEI Hooker block huggers w/2 1/2" into 3" pipe out the back. Gotta get it to the dyno soon and see what kinda numbers she'll put down, I'm hoping for 330 or better at the wheels. Computer dyno showd 404 HP @crank with the parts I assembled. At least I havent blown it up yet, built it myself. First whole engine by myself ever... chest sticking out here David

YES!!!! HAHA That makes me feel GREAT!!! I was wondering because when I was seaching for a solid roller myself, I had contacted CompCams concerning the bronze gear and they told me no need for it. Now JT1 I'd like to pose a question to you... I'm running an XR268 mechanical roller, 350 (.030 over) blah blah blah... with a T-5 and a 3.90 rearend (R-200) I feel my car is fast, quick, and has LOTS of power, scares the $hit out of me anyway. You're going to be running or are already running that 280 cam. What is your HP goal? What heads are you running? What intake are you running? I sit here and think, Man I could go a little bit bigger on my cam, run a different intake (Victor Jr) and make about 50 more HP OR add a 100 shot of NOS then I go drive the car and think to myself screw that idea, this things too fast as it is!!! You go Boy!!!! ds

I'll contact you off line. ds

Bill, The "deal" is the perception of the buyer... I paid $35 for a NIB camaro radiator + shipping, don't recall the shipping but wasn't $35. Cleaner er' up use it, we all pay too much for a part here and there. Just get the car on the road!!! Damn the cost!!!! ds

I ordered an Auto Power Roll bar back in January and it finally showed up today but it didn't have the harness X bar wich I ordered. Livermore performance said Autopower would make me up another one ASAP and should ship out by Friday. Oh well what can ya do? Anyone interested in my return it's here. http://livermoreperformance.com/AutoPower%20Roll%20Bars.html It's the race roll bar, with no options. Looks like $299 is their price plus shipping. ds

JT1, Confirm part number on cam and make double sure it's a billet cam. I'm running a comp roller but it's not billet ALSO I heard that comp was putting on an iron gear for the dizzy to make it a better match ie no bronze gear needed. I'll probably be pulling the dizzy tomorrow night, that oil leak, although small is REALLY pi$$ing me OFF. grrrrrrrrrrr. My shiny engine is coated with a light film of oil, well I guess it wont rust. ds