Trevor

Got a WC T-5 real cheap the other day. I wanted to pull the top cover off and look for bent shifter forks, chunked gears, etc. But how? (I need to buy a manual, it's not covered in Haynes' 82-92 Camaro book) The shifter rail needs to come with the top cover, but it's also captured by the tailshaft housing. The rail connects to the the bottom of the shifter with a roll pin, which I can't pull out....can it be driven in/through?

And if he had a bumper on the car, he'd be out $12,279.00. The bumper's ability to absorb or deflect body and frame damage was probably exceded by the speed of that crash. Which makes me think of another funny thing..... I was watching a Steven Segal movie the other day. In a high speed chase he was driving a pickup truck and is forced into the scoop of a parked bulldozer. He is saved by the air bag in the steering wheel, although there is little damage to the front end of the truck. I got to wondering how much deceleration it takes to blow an air bag? At work there is a whole line of Volvos parked by people without lives who work long hours and I was thinking if I gave them a little nudge with the bumper of my C-15 beater.. ... what would they think coming out to find their air bag popped open....yet no visible mark left on the big ugly bumber?

It's called a turnbuckle.

Z Car Kit Cars I think John Washington sold the biz and moved on, but he developed the Velo Rossa and others. And had the "Origin" convertible biz for a while whe Origin Designs closed. On another topic: I have an older "Origin Designs" catalog that shows complete fiberglass doors that bolt on and swing like stock steel doors, but drop a hundred pounds. The latest info from Velo Rossa / Reaction Research didn't mention the doors...... Anybody know who makes them now?

I got the catalog and install manual from Hollywood Motorsports a few years ago. Its a gorgeous design. Only concern I had was there is no decklid opening. I have to ask how do you change a tail light bulb? Or get the spare tire out? Same as a '65 Corvette I guess, through the cockpit......

Jim wrote: "Want more details. Who is going to order the kit then post detailed measurements and installation instructions?" Measurements: 38-24-36

Here's a stretch. The "engine Stalling when brakes are applied" can mean there is a hole in the brake booster diaphragm, or a bad check valve. It is leaning out the engine's intake charge. Try plugging up the brake booster hose, close to the manifold, to test.

Keep posting Lone! I was one of 40,000 "paying attendees" at ASU for 7 years and know (knew) the Apache / McClintock / Mill corridor pretty well. Brings back fond memories - back then I drove my '66 Mustang 289, 4 spd, 3.55:1.... 0 to 30 in 4 stoplights.

That sounds cool! You could also put the PRNDO21 indicator along the other leg of the "H"... backlight it so it only shows up when the switch is on..... Lokar makes some cable and / or rod shifters for automatix that look like sticks. Its a simple lever with one axis pivot - would be simple to fabricate from a few old 4 spd shiter parts.

That's the way the parking brake works on the Lincoln Versailles (Ford 9") rear axle. (Holy Grail among 1963 1/2 Galaxie Racers) Same inside-the-hat parking brake setup is also used on ealy 80's Toyota Supra and Cressida (aka Lexus) rear disk brakes.... got real interested when I saw they have 4 x 4.5" wheel lug cicle and vented rotors. Would be nice if they were adaptable to a Z.

"Also look at machining the '85-'89 Maxima front rotor to fit the Z/ZX front hub. " What kind of machining is required on the Maxima rotor? (Thats a FWD car right?) ... and is the rotor larger than the stock 240Z?

Does the 351C have a small-block bellhousing? Maybe the 351M/400M is the big "block"

do a web Search on the GT-40 replicas. There are several manufacturers in Europe (Tornado) and the US (ERA) which I think they use Audi or Renault transaxles. (originally FWD), They are able to deliver the power of a mid-mounted 351. They are compact, and probably cheaper than a Porsche or Hewland. There are other Porsche transaxles besides the 911/930, the 914 and 924/928/944 would not have to be flipped upside down. Every month in Hemmings Motor news there is an ad for Hewland transaxles at $3,000.

Air-in-the-system problem reminds me of my boss's Pantera (Ford 351C engine in the back, radiator, with the filler neck, in the front). He had cooling problems in Scottsdale, Arizona - (go figure) They had to raise the front end up on ramps, put a sheet of cardboard over the radiator and a brick on the gas pedal and let it run up to operating temperature. It hopefully quickly circulates the air out to the filler neck. Getting the air out cured its problems. For my Z project, my radiator doesn't have a filler cap. I bought a filler neck/thermostat housing similar to Dedenbear, from Summit. I think it was $29.

Note the red convertible at the Australian show with ELTORO license plates is a 2+2. That one is the 1st convertible I'vd seen made from a 4-seater. I picked up a nice, straight, rust-free MGB ragtop frame at the JY for $80. It measures wide enough, but too short front-back. Need to watch the Z Therapy video again.

An adaptor for aftermarket (Grant brand name) steering wheels is available. It's about $14.00 at Pep Boys. It fits the Datsun splined shaft.... held down by the big nut, and then uses three 1/4" bolts to hold the steering wheel. Maybe the Porsche wheel hub could be modified (drill 3 holes?) to fit this adaptor.

Try a GM column. one with Tilt / telescope / cruise control would be nice.

Or how about "wildwood" hey, We had PC-clones and pirated software, now brake caliper clones.....

Terry, MAKE a nanifold? Do you have a foundry in your garage? Oh yes, I see it, beside the Van de Graaf generator Or will it be a plumbed tubing and sheet metal affair? 8 pieces of thinwall 1.5" steel tube and a pair of plates to match the head..... A plasma cutter would be nice for cutting those port plates.

Measuring the gaps from a broomstick to the fender lip might not be the most accurate way to judge suspension alignment. I would consider the external sheet metal of a 30 year old car the least symmentrical components side-to-side. This is Not to be critical of the condition of your car, it may "look" smooth and perfect. But professional restorers notice and remark that even Cobras and Ferraris are not symmetrical. Use a plumb bob and a string. Last I head the Earth's gravity was pretty close from one point along side of a car to the other 50" away. Measure from the string to the wheel lip top and bottom. to determine that the camber is the same side-to-side.

Here we go: http://www.mittlerbros.com/products/hydraulictubingbender.htm This is the manual benchtop type bender used in the article. Unfortunately, It costs 10 times the one from Harbor Freight, with shoes for one size of pipe. Additional shoes are $225-$450. Hard to justify unless you are a full-time fabricator. It does seem to be the right tool for 90-deg bends.

Just got the new Popular Hot Rodding magazine and it has an article on making roll cages from scratch! (for a Camaro) They show the right tool for bending. It is a benchtop-scale manual hydraulic bender. I'll post the brand name when I remember.

Yep Terry that's what I remember 15 years ago new systems were close to $2,000 and my daily driver '66 Mustang was $400. Now there's an idea.....find the manifold and run 4 (or is is 8) Volkswagen carburetors. Are Webers hard to tune? I've never owner a VW, or an Aston Martin.

This is purely recall from my old Mustang days...but I remember the company's name....Inglese induction systems. They make the manifolds and create system packages with weber carbs. I got their catalog by mail once. Manifold and carbs in '79 cost more than the total of my car.

Early Ford Econoline vans ('69-7?) with the short nose have a rear sump oil pan. Looks like a Chevy pan.