Z-TARD

Probably a bad idea for me to move this engine out of my friends garage and into mine, I'm starting to hear the voices again......"If you build it, it will haul......" I think I might have to find another 240 now I rolled it out next to the car and lined up the shifters to eyeball it, I think it would fit. I'd have to move the radiator support bracket forward a few inches for clearance, as it looks as though it would only have about 1" or so from dampener to rad now. Most of the weight would still be behind the front crossmember as well, so handling might not be to adversely affected. Engine mounts almost line up, might have to make set-forward plates to relocate them about 2" forward. Firewall clearance is slightly closer than the Chevy motor, about 1/2 inch. The hood might have to be modified for clearance in the front, since the motor is pretty tall with heads and cam blocks/covers attached. [/img]http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=1072http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=1071

Ok, lets try that again.....

Just picked up a T45 transmission from the junkyard today, had some spare time and decided to "C" clamp it to the back of my Jag V12 that I had originally intended to use in my Z before switching over to Chevy. This has to be the coolest looking engine ever. Seriously thinking of making another Z with this engine...... Either that or designing and building an entirely home built car around it Mike

If we're not supposed to eat them, why are they made of meat? My personal favorite is Kangaroo, kinda like beef, but without a trace of fat or gristle. Had some stuff on a stick in Korea once, not sure what it was but it tasted like chicken. Meeeeeeoooooooooow.......

I dug around on their site too, eventually I found seats made by 3A, but it said they were $329 ea. Looked like the same seat too. I double checked at Pep Boys when I saw the price, and its not a typo.......shrug. I plan on buying a set anyway, before they realize how much they are undercharging for these things

Checked prices on racing seats at Pep Boys today. The seats are made by 3A racing and appear to be pretty well made. Kinda on the firm side though. Cloth version was $179, Perforated vinyl was $169, and simulated leather (I guess its vinyl, but it feels like leather to me) were $229. Price includes universal sliders as well. I just got seats out of a 2000 camaro for my car, but I think I'm probably gonna yank them out to install a set of these. If I dont, I'm sure I'll kick myself in the ass for it later. Just thought I'd let you guys in on this, since I havent seen seats this cheap anywhere, ever. Mike

This may sound weird, but I got a brochure for the new 350Z a few months ago, and the paper that its printed on smells exactly like my 240Z. Probably a plot by Nissan to get old Z owners to go out and splurge on the new 350Z. Have they no shame? Mike

Looked at the T45 closer today. The bellhousing IS removable, but it makes up the front half of the transmission case, so in a sense it is integral. dammit.

Yup, definetly an R-200. An easy way to tell is the shape when veiwed from the rear. An R-200 will have a kind of Stop Sign shaped rear cover. The R-180's is more of a rectangle. Additionally, your lower back will make louder groaning and poppong noises when lifting the 200 vice the 180 Mike

Good rule of thumb is to apply X2 to every aspect of the conversion. Estimate how much you will spend. X2. Time you anticipate on working on the car........X2, or maybe even X3. Also allow for the "While I'm at it syndrome", you may not know what this is now, but you will..... Try to set goals for your conversion, and not just finishing it either. Baby steps, baby steps. Think of it as a 12 step program towards self improvement, only with an extra 482 steps involved. Dont get discouraged, each portion completed gives a huge feeling of accomlishment, and an excuse to drink more beer Mike

I seem to remember reading in one of David Vizzards books that GM rates the 2 bolt blocks for up to 500 HP on the bottom end. Not sure if the rods or crank are up to the task, might have to get aftermarket forged stuff. If yours is a four bolt, it should be good for a little more, although their not much stronger than a 2 bolt, because the extra bolts are drilled into the webbing outside of the mains which is a signifigant load bearing area of the block under heavy loads. Best be would be a 2 bolt block drilled for Mildon splayed 4 bolt main caps, which drill the extra holes angled out into the block to avoid weakening it. Hope this helps. Mike

Found a T-45 out of a 97 mustang 4.6 at the junkyard, is there any one that makes an adapter for these to work on a Small Block Chevy? (I've searched on the web, but havent been able to find anything yet.) Mike

It seems that the T5 from the newer F body cars IS the same unit used in the fords. Bolt pattern appears to be the same on both. I dont know if the ford version uses a hydraulic throwout bearing though. I checked the Tranny under a 91 V6 camaro, and it has the same bolt pattern to attach to the bellhousing as the 91 V8 model. I didnt pull it to check if it was a WC or not, as there was an ant hill right under the car. They looked plenty pissed off as well, and I figured I shouldnt push my luck. Might bring some RAID to the junkyard this weekend and get me another tranny.

At the risk of getting stubborn angry replies from him, I just sent a few pics showing the required set back plates, and how they look installed on the car. They will only work with the motor mounts specified in the JTR manual, which are the mounts used in 50's through 70's chevy pickups. I got mine at Pep Boys for $9.00 each. Hope this helps you win the argument. Mike

Although..... Mid 80's Toyota Supra 7MGE and 7MGTE look pretty close to the L24/L28 engines as well. They already have a kickass 5 speed attached as well. Turbo version would be pretty mean. Mike

I'd have to say that fabricating engine mounts has been the least stressful part of my conversion so far. Anyone with access to cutting and welding equipment can turn out a set of mounts in about 4 or 5 hours (mine use welded pipe spacers instead of the aluminum ones used by JTR). As far as other engines that might bolt right in..... The Jag V-12 mounts are REALLY close to the stock datsun mounting points, but this would put the engine pretty far forward, and it weighs considerably more than a small block chevy. It also will not ever be able to put out as much power as the chevy per doller invested. You'll probably need a custom hood to clear the cam covers as well, because the engine is taller than it is wide. Stick with the Chevy and you really cant go wrong. No other engine is available in so many displacements while still maintaining the same external dimensions. No other engine has the parts interchange ability of the chevy, and the only engine that comes close to having the aftermarket support is the small block ford. Unless you are hell bent on making an original and unique hybrid, the chevy is probably the best way to go. (Flame away, Ford and Mopar guys) Just my 2 cents worth. Mike

I just got a WC T5 from a 2000 Camaro with V6. I also have a WC T5 from a V8 powered 91 Camaro. I havent opened up the cases yet, but externally there are a few differnces. The mounting flange on the front of the gearbox where it attaches to the bellhousing is much narrower on the V6 tranny. The newer V6 transmission also has a hydraulic throwout bearing, rather than a typical slave cylinder/fork setup. The input and output shafts appear to be the same spline count on both models. Hopefully I can find an aftermarket V8 transmission case for my V6 tranny so I can use it behind my small block chevy. Does anyone know if somebody makes these? Mike

A buddy of mine has a 2000 Cobra, he says the rear IRS is identicle to the T-Bird setup. According to him, the only weak point on the whole setup is the axles. Another option would be the rear IRS from an 87 or later Toyota Supra. They look nearly identicle to the Ford setup, and are LSD. I've seen a lot of Supra guys run lots of horsepower through them. Just my .2 cents worth. Mike

OK, heres some pics of my 17x7 40mm offset wheels with 300ZX front hubs and 1.5" rear spacers on 280Z stubs.

I'm using 40 offset wheels all front and back on my 72 240Z. 300ZX 5 lug fronts, rears are 280 stubs drilled for 5 lugs using 1.5" spacers. My rear track width is about 1" wider than the front, but the tires still fit in the wheel well, no flares needed as far as I can tell. Tires are 225/45 17, using coilovers with 9" springs in the rear I still have loads of room for wider tires. I'm still working on brake issues, need to make brackets for mazda RX-7 4 piston calipers to fit on 12" toyota supra rotors front and rear. I'll try to post some pics later. Mike

Thanks for the reply. I dont plan on drag racing mine at all if I can help it. Maybe the occasional hard launch from stop lights in order to destroy Hondas, but thats about it. I found a place online that makes a straight cut gearset for the T5 that allows for up to 450 Lb/Ft, and clutchless shifting, but it seemed to be a racing only application. The straight cut gears would be pretty loud I'd imagine.

I just picked up a World Class T5 from the junkyard out of a 91 Camaro. Have any of the T5 guys on here detonated their trannies yet? What kind of HP were they running when they did? I'm just trying to get an idea of how much I'll have to detune my engine buildup to use this tranny. I figure its probably a good way for me to get used to driving the car with a V-8 in it before getting serious about horsepower. Does anyone know of upgrade kits for the T5 to enable it to handle more HP/Tourque? Any help would be appreciated. Mike

I've seen sheets of Lexan at Home Depot on occasion. 1/8 thick lexan should be flexible enough to curve to the same contour as the stock windows. You'll need a skill saw or something similar to cut it to the desired shape. If you cant find it at Home Depot, You could look around in your area for companies that deal with industrial plastics and composites. Hope this helps. Mike

Get rid of your fuel tank and replace it with a plastic or aluminum fuel cell. Get a fiberglass hood, or entire front end. Swap to coilover suspension (a little weight loss, but everything counts). Peel up your carpet, theres about 10 pounds of undercoating that can be chipped and peeled off under there. Replace your full size spare tire with a mini spare. Dust covers behind front disc brakes can be removed. Rear quarter windows and rear glass can be replaced with Lexan. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff I'm forgeting too. Oh yeah, Move to Yuma, wear heavy winter clothing, and eat nothing but rice cakes and water for an entire year..... Mike

I need to re-torque my carrier caps on my R-200. Its an open diff unit from a 76 280Z. Does anyone know the torque requirements for these of the top of their heads? (Or out a service manual preferably...) Thanks in advance for the help. Mike