docjim

After trying different gauges, etc. I bought a speedhut gps speedometer for the same reason. My speedometer read 60 with the autometer gauge while the TomTom gps said I was going 45.

The "t5 guy" otherwise known as Richard Lopez in Phoenix sells a shifter for the camaro t5 that eliminates the offset. Just search the Phoenix az craigslist. He advertises there.

Zinpieces, what brand of system is shown. I really like the fittings and braided hoses. Jim

The car: Where I measured (not a very good picture) Jim

Wow! Your questions have shown me how naive I am about suspensions. However I will try to answer them. Ride height: I didn't know where to measure since there is an aero fiberglass piece as a side molding and the frame has added metal on the bottom, so I measured using the only original sheet metal I could find--The piece of sheet metal that contains the jacking points for the trunk jack. It measures 6" at the front and 6 1/2" at the back from the ground to the bottom of that piece. The engine in a 1975 code block with steel Edelbrock heads and intake manifold. It's pretty heavy. The tires are Yokahams that Discount tire said has decent traction and good ride. I had the alignment done at a Nissan dealer (which may or may not have been the best choice) and they said the caster out of spec bu more than 1 degree. I'll try to add pictures in a separate post. From what I'm gathering, the best quick fix is to leave the springs as is and get better shocks? Jim

Note: Richard Lopez, "the t5 guy" in Phoenix sells a shifter for camaro t5's that allows the transmission to be mounted at the camaro angle. It works fine and only costs about $60. Search the phoenix craig's list auto parts ads and you'll find him.

My 1975 vintage 350 ended up with an 1985 corvette clutch and 1985 camaro t5 transmission. Good luck.

What I've learned: * Buy the engine/transmission as a unit--that will solve a lot of what goes with what problems. * do the frame reinforcement before you do anything else. don't scrimp on this part. * I ripped out the entire wiring system (it had too many hacks that were iffy) and replaced it with an aftermarket set. * DEFINITELY drive/repair the brakes, fuel system, suspension, etc. before the transplant. * READ THE BOOKS AND FORUMS! Before you rip up anything. I hate the "Oh, that's what I should have done" moments. * And, remember, "Projects take twice as long and cost 3 times as much as you estimate." Quote from a car mag. Jim

Doesn't anyone use a remote filter? Jim

Thanks for the input. This is just a cruiser--I can't afford to race it (plus at my age, my reactions are way too slow). If I can help it I would prefer to just change to brand new springs. I've replaced the springs with used ones (260Z) twice and both sets sag. I know coil overs are probably the best solution, but that's a lot of work that I'm not sure I can do (I don't weld). The problem is I would like to put on springs that will give a decent ride without bouncing on every road imperfection. Plus, with the heavier v8 up front, I don't know what spring/coilover will give me what I want. PS I'm happy with the stock ride height. Jim

I've got a GM 350 in my late 74 260z. the oil filter sits right on top of the frame rail and a real chore to change. what do you suggest for a remote filter assembly and where to put it? Thanks, Jim

My(late 74) 260z has had the top chopped off to make it into a convertible (still haven't figured out how i'm going to do the roof) and now has a GM 350 and a Camero T5 installed. it's a beast to drive. anyway, here's my problem. I decided to go with the original suspension, so I go new KYB strut inserts and found used springs. the alignment shop says the springs are sagging so much they can't adjust the camber. plus, the ride is really jarring going over the slightest bumps. I've seen springs advertised on EBay that are supposed to be replacement springs for a 260Z, but with the changes I've made to the car, I don't know if they would be any better. I'm trying not to go the coil over route to keep the cost down, but just want something that's a little less jarring to ride. Suggestions? Thanks Jim

Success!!!! Well, at least mostly. The hood looks much better than it did before--still not concours perfect, but acceptable. here's what I did: 1. Removed the latch mechanism and installed hood pins where the hood bumpers on the firewall were. 2. closed the hood and loosened all the hinge bolts. pushed down as hard as I could while tightening the bolts. This is definitely a 2 person job, but I had to do it by myself. that was a struggle. 3. loosened the bolts holding the hood to the hinge. pushed down and back as hard as I could while tightening those bolts. now all I have to do is fine tune the hinge pins to get the rear of the hood perfectly even with the fenders. Thanks for all the helpful advice. Jim

I had this same problem and finally just mounted it on the transmission tunnel just under the dash. That way it was centered and easy to get to. However I sold the original dash and made my own custom dash which made it a lot easier to route wires and figure out what wire goes where. trying to figure out someone else's wiring (like the original Datsun wiring diagram) and adapt it is much harder than starting from scratch and doing your own basic system.

Right now, I'm seriously considering hood pins.