Tim240z

I have been looking into what else could be used for the rear end that will hold up well with the SBC conversion. I can't help but think that the bigger series BMW units would work well. The ratios are good (from 3.2 +- to 3.9 +-) and many have 25% LSDs. I spoke to a technician at Korman Auto Works, who is an authorized BMW, Bosch retailer in the MidWest. They offer many performance upgrades, including a change to 75% lockup LSD and an all gear biasing LSD. Anyway, this guy does recommend the BMW units, saying they will not hold up to the HP of a SBC. I can't help believing that the BMW stuff is plenty strong, they come out of heavy cars, producing pretty good torque.....what do guys think?? Something out of a 5, 6 or 7 series BMW should be mint. Tim

Mike, Thanks for the info and link....From a subjective standpoint, what does the one piece unit look like. In your opinion, is it a nice piece, or does it look 'out of sorts'. I REALLY want to put fiberglass pieces on the front of my 73, for weight reasons with the sbc conversion, and this looks like a good option?! Thanks, Tim

As an addendum to the last post... Have any of you guys had any experience with Smoothline products. They seem to have a good line of basic 'stock' pieces and I have e-mailed them for a price list. Also, does anyone know the owners?, maybe a good candidate for the AZ Z molds? Tim

It seems I really hit a nerve starting this post . It seems no matter what, it is going to be some time before any of the AZ Z parts are available again . The Only thing that I am really disappointed about is the 'Pantera' rear deck . On a side note: Has anyone seen the quality of the one piece fiberglass front end from JC Whitney (manufactured by M A S racing products)? The JC website posts a picture of the Mustang (60s) unit. I called and requested they fax me a picture of the Z unit, but have not gotten a response For $600, it seems fairly reasonable, but I have not heard or seen any comments on this. Anyone out there have any comments Tim

Larry, I received my manual 2 weeks ago. Seventh Edition...Third Printing...Printed Feb, 2001. The manual doesn't really cover the LS1/LT1, but does have an extensive section on the T56 and also 'assumes' the use of a 700R4 (4L60) if doing the auto thing. (No mention of the 4L80s). It does have a section on suspension, mainly the modification to mounting position of the front lower control arms. Since I have not seen the earlier editions, I have no point of reference as to changes, but would be happy to answer specifics. Maybe JTR will give you a discount on the newer edition since you already have an earlier one?? Tim

John, The JTR conversion manual has the hook up diagram, but I don't have it in front of me and I didn't read it because I won't be using stock gauges, but I do remember that the 240 tach will NOT work and that the 260/280 unit must be used, however since the later tachs are mounted differently to the 240, you will need to put the guts from a later tach into the housing of the 240 unit. Tim [ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: Tim240Z ]

If the throttle response from light foot cruising to WOT is instant, I think it will work very well...the economy of a 6 when cruising or sitting in traffic (for us SoCal folks), and tire lighting horsepower when you stand on it....best of both worlds...this coming from a staunch carby guys...no computers for me thanks, not in a car anyway Tim

Just received this e-mail from Dave at AZ Z.: "To my valued z car customers: Due to a substantial increase in the number of mechanical parts we are manufacturing (and shipping) I have decided to discontinue the production of fiberglass parts at this time. with the amount of time it was taking to pack and ship the 'glass it has become no longer feasable for us to do it. all of the molds (hundreds?) are for sale. I will keep your e-mail on file so I can forward it to anyone who should buy the molds. thanks for your interest in our parts. Sincerely, Dave" I am going to ask around at some of the 'glass' shops here in LA, CA to see if they want to take over Anyone got any ideas? Tim [ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: Tim240Z ]

Les, The combustion chambers on the 350 - 400 sbc are larger than the 305. The 350 heads will not work, but I think if you get 305 heads the inlet will work. Tim

Scottie, I've heard that a good trick to loosen rust in a gas tank is to put a length of chain in there and shake it around. If you are worried about sparks and the fumes in the tank, start the car and run the exhaust gasses throught the tank for a while, that will do the trick. When my tank was leaking and I had to weld on it, I used this method, and I am still alive Tim

I haven't heard of this source for parts. Please let me know what business this is and what they offer....it sounds like, apart from recent developments, that this bloke is a reputable source. Thanks, Tim

I am running the Vortec heads with an Edelbrock performer RPM intake manifold with a 750 mechanical secondaries double pumper on my 71 Chevy truck. The heads do require a special bolt pattern manifold (inlet) because the bolt anges are different and it has two bolts at each corner (none in the center between cylinders 3&5 and 4&6). I am very PLEASED with the performance of these heads which I bought new from Scoggin Dickey and they have the upgraded valve springs, but otherwise bone stock. I'm running the L82 corvette cam grind with some basic PAW headers. The heads cost me about $700 with shipping and are by far the 'best bang for the buck' on the market today. They outflow just about any head, except the very high end ones (more flow than the ZZ4 or LT1. I have the comparison flow numbers if anyone is interested. Obviously the valve covers are different because of the center bolt setup, but I got a pair of almost new stamped steel ones from my machine shop for nothing! The only reason I will not be using them on my V8 Z buildup is because I want Aluminum heads for the weight savings. Tim

That sounds like a pretty fair price for carbon fiber, but for that money, I wouldn't want a stock looking hood, maybe something a little different---ram scoop or somthing , then I would definitely be interested. Tim

I received their (Nordskog) catalogue and price list. REALLY nice stuff, but about 50% more expensive than the Autometer Lite gauges, although like BLKMGK says, they do have the microprocessor control for high / low readings and hookup for warning lights set at whatever point you want. They seem to be very high quality and look great They have a gauge for just about anything the engine does, although the catalogue and price list did not list any speedo or tachs appropriate for the larger holes in the dash I emailed a request for a catalogue and forgot about it until 3 days later when it was sitting in my mail box, so the service seems very speedy (no pun) Tim [ August 19, 2001: Message edited by: Tim240Z ]

Nick, I have a 350 and 400 laying in the garage. If your's is completely toast, let me know. Both of mine are in good condition. Since you are 'abusing' the tranny with racing, you may want to consider something stronger than the 350, a 400 or 700R4. Tim

James, If I were in your position, I would call one of the cam manufacturers and get the recommendations directly from them. They will know what works best and how much cam the valve train will handle without upgrading springs, valves and lifter etc. Get the figures from them and then choose the closest one offered by JEGS, unless someone has experience here with this exact setup...... Tim

From the conversations I've had with the tranny guys, the 200 and 700 OD units are VERY sensitive to TV cable adjustment. If not set perfectly, with the correct amount of travel (ie correct arc at the carb linkage), they will never shift correctly....just what I've been told by the 'experts'. Tim

BLKMGK, I've heard that the new silicon based cover gaskets with the anticrush steel inserts in the bolt holes work very well...much more expensive than the paper or cork gaskets, but in the endevour to make sbc motors oil tight, it's probably well worth it. Tim

Mike, I've heard of people doing it both ways...some have smeared a thin layer of engine oil on the walls of the bores, but the rings will 'seat' quicker if installed dry. My Father, who races Trans Am type formula cars overseas and has been building V8 for decades, installs them dry and he also says that if the ring gaps and bearing tolerances are CORRECT at time of installation, no 'break in' time is necessary. He has often built an engine the night before a race and laid into it to 7000RPM, without any problems. Obviously if the cam is new then you want to keep the revs up around 2000 RPM for 'break in'. Tim

All the tranny guys I've spoken to say that the 2004R will likely never be as strong as the 700. The way I think of it is that it is like comparing the TH350 to the TH400. I also have a 2004R laying in my garage, but I am not going to be 'penny wise and pound foolish' by installing it. The last thing I want to do is have to always worry about my tranny every time I lay into the 'loud peddal' Tim

Places like Jet Performance sell add on computer modules for the 4L80Es, and I believe also for the 4L60E. I know that, for the 4L80E anyway, the add on module is about $1500.00, so it makes this tranny very expensive!! Tim

Yeah, the mounting point is the same as the TH400, about 6inches back from the TH350. I swapped my 350 out for the 200 R4 in my truck and it works well. There is a simple wiring solution to lockup the converter in OD, so don't waste your money on the little wiring module which is available from TCI or B&M. I bought one (about $60) before I found out about the trick and subsequently returned it. Tim

Today I spoke to a guy from BowtieOverdrives here in California. His prices are significantly better than The Transmission Center in LA, and they specialize in conversions. The guy I spoke to was obviously very knowledgable about non-standard setups and will even supply an empty 'dummy' casing for setup purposes($3). They only deal with 200 4R and 700R4 trannys. I will be visiting their shop next week for a tour which he offered me. I hung up the phone feeling very satisfied with their service and expertise, which seems rare for an industry which has a reputation which rivals the 'used car' game. If anyone wants any details of my visit, let me know and I will enter a post, otherwise I won't bother taking up space here. Here are a couple of links to their products and services: BowtieOverdrive special TV cable setup Tim ps....I got the JTR manual recently and I highly recommend to anyone....I was planning to fabricate all my own brackets etc(I've done several conversions in the past including the L28 in a Series 2A LandRover), but the system they use and the tips they provide will save so much F'ing around, it's not even funny [ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: Tim240Z ]

I am probably going to get a bunch of stuff, probably over a grand, so if you want to tack on to the order....feel free. I won't be ready until later this year (not long since it's almost over already)....unless you are going to be ready by that time Mike? Tim

Mike, Did you have a nice big cooler connected to that tranny? With that stall on the converter, it would have generated a whole lot of heat....if you didn't have a decent size external trans cooler, the heat could have killed the unit Remember, trans fluid has to do a lot of things, including cool the tranny. When the fluid gets too hot, it begins to 'foam', which makes the oil pressure in the trans drop, which makes the clutches slip, which produces more heat.....setting up a positive feedback loop. (if I'm telling you something that you already know...sorry) Tim