Ledphoot

Rick, I'm sorry to hear our Government has learned so little. I thank you and your son for their sacrifice and pray for his endurance to overcome.

For many years doing customizing I would trace a photo of whatever I was building, blow it up on a copier and make a bunch of prints. Then I would sit down and use colored pencils and stuff to work out paint schemes and body mods. Damn shame I threw them out when i was done.. I even use to photo engines standing in front of the bay and cut one motor out and lay it on the other photo. Since your usually right at the bumper, you can use the scale of the pic to test engine fit. I used to have a 500 caddy in a Pinto wagon when everyone said it couldnt be done in a stock bay. I did it. Moved center firewall back 9" but I did it !

I'll be happy to help you make some room in the shop. Just send me a decent set of 15' wheels. I like the gold mesh or anything shiny.. maybe a front spoiler, ok if its got a little rash or cracked.. If theres any stray chevy stuff you stumbled up on throw it ina box and send it my way. I'm HAPPY to help!!

Ebay! Hypereutectic is a good material at a resonable price. Forged is toughest but can be pricey. I'll look around and see what i can find for you..

if budget allows OD is nice. But it is hard to beat a good old th350-400 Good trannies and easy to get rebuilt. Definately sounds like a front pump. Might as well yank it and get it rebuilt for a few hundred bucks. If you dont know someone who can do it cheap, just walk up to the Chevy dealer shop bays at lunch time with a quality kit, the tranny and $100 bill and a pint of Crown, most guys around here will jump on it and have it back the next day.

Before you spend anything that isn't absolutely necessary hear the motor run! Never start burning cash on parts for an unheard project. Need to crank it and hook up an oil pressure gauge. Make sure it has coolant and thermostat is out so it can circulate quickly and not likely to stick. You need to warm it up a few minutes and make sure it holds oil pressure. If it doesnt, start from scratch and rebuild it! Then you can start buying parts. Same for the tranny, Get the driveshaft done, cause you need it in place, at any good shop. I use one that does brake and driveline work on heavy trucks and equipment. If tranny doesnt pull when hot, then theres another thing that needs to be done first before buying goodies. Motor and tranny first, then brakes wiring and fuel system. Then its time for body, and interior or upgrades to driveline. But see what you have first before you start spending.

anyone seen the late model caddy "hemi" swapped into a Z yet? I saw a nice one in a T-Bucket and it got me thinking....

I used to own a bodyshop. Which was on the same property as my house so I call it working from home. I learned real fast that if you operate on a small scale ( I had 2 employees and did all the frame work and spraying myself) you will work many more hours for nothing more than operating capital most of the time. I had no time for racing and fishing, and if I did it was bad news because I had no $$ coming in. I'd love to work from home again at "something", but be careful what you decide to do.

Isn't the cosmetic/color difference in carbon fiber part of the style? Paint the car any color you want. And my advice is to paint another hood when you do so if you decide to sell the car you have a matching hood and can keep the carbon piece!

I had a similar problem in an old shop I rented for awhile. I had problems keeping an accurate setting on my MIG. I thought it was my unit until a buddy was digging around behind some parts and noticed smoke in little puffs coming from my breaker box. Turned out some of the lugs on the main service cable were loose. I tightened those with a big allen wrench and never had another problem..

Oldest, You responded to your call to duty, followed your orders and did what was asked of you in a time of war. You are as much an American hero as any soldier of that era. And they were all Heroes! Consider your service a priviledge that left you alive to help others understand the sadness of war... I graduated High School in 84 with a 6 month delayed entry to the Air Force. I wanted to party one more summer and make sure I did my boot in San Antonio TX in the winter because of the heat. On July 25th I pulled a 36 hour drunk with a bunch of buddies and crashed into a tree at 80+ driving home at 5am. I crushed my right leg and spent 2 yrs in surgeries and rehab and 1 yr learning to use it again. I got a medical dischrge without one day of service because of my injuries. 2 of my best friends went in the Army that March 1985... They ended up in Desert Storm. James crashed in a Cobra chopper and died. Randy was hit by friendly fire and now speaks with a slurr and drags his left foot. I know how it feels to think your not worthy but I came to the reality I was left here to look after those left behind. I decorated James's grave last week. I see his folks everytime I'm in his town at least twice a year and call often to see how they are as theyre getting older. Randy has no family so I'm his family and he is always around to help me out and never more than a phone call away. We all have a place in this world, and a destiny... I salute all Vets combat or not....peace or war.

My best bud just got home from Iraq in May. Got hit in a Bradley with an IDE... lost one ear and his hearing in that side, blast busted 3 vertebrae in his back and shattered a knee. He still doesn't sleep more than 2 hrs at a time. We need to do what we went for and get the hell out.... I thank all of the brave men and women who spend each and every night and day protecting our freedoms. I'm not crazy about my government but I love my country!!

Don't feel bad. I drive an old Explorer so I can squeeze my cash for the "Money pit" Z

Ya know, some Community Colleges have good little welding programs and may either do it as a class project or you can take the course and do it yourself..

MAN that meatbag Hybrid77z is a real waste of oxygen. This is the only forum I was aware of and may be the only one I use if thats all they have to offer... Mike, you can count on a few duckies from me. I always score cash for Z-mas from the in-laws. BTW I'm in NC and if I can be of any help let me know...

As a body man of old I will tell you your best bet is to stip out the interior yourself. Clear away as much tar and padding as possible just as JNJ said. The real trick is to look around at your local track or ask around at cruises and local shows/swap meets.. you'll find someone who will do a good job for less if you supply the pans and such upfront so they invest no cash of their own. I do a side job here and there myself eben though I'm out of the business. You might find a racer or retired bodyman to do it as well... maybe even someone that will let you help them do it or put you to work doing something else in trade.. all shops need a good Gopher or clean up guy!

With that mid range cam, I'd stick with the inexpensive Tork Master 2000 by B&m should stall around 2200-2400 with a full size truck and your cam. Gives you a good launch in the torque range of your combo. Also the TCI Saturday night special works the same. I go to a local Transmission supply and they sell a generic converter made by Dacco that has about a 2000 stall cheap. Don't buy a used stall unless you know they person your getting it from... alot of guys trash a tranny, try to wash out the converter with gas and chunk it on Ebay. Damn shame to lose a good tranny over $50. and alot of work to change. Anything over 2500 will cause alot of heat crusing and that kills trannies FAST! and always use a seperate trans cooler with a stall converter. Hope this helps!

I've had 400 blocks sleeved to save them because they are getting harder and more expensive to find. I'm sure you know temp is a big factor with the "siamese" cylinders but I havent seen a noticable difference in mine with 3 sleeves and a .30 bore. Make sure you use a very reputable machine shop that KNOWS what they are doing, shope that do alot of industrial and agricultural motors sleeve on a regular basis, and have your block checked for warpage and magnafluxed AFTER the sleeves are installed. I use a mid 90's 4.3 litre w/ac and towing radiator with as much electric fan as I could fit , a 160 degree thermostat, edlebrock aluminum water pump and "wetter watter" additive with 50/50 coolant mix. I have an TH-350 trans or sometimes a 2spd powerglide ( I switch to 2spd for drag sometimes) with a seperate cooler. My motor is 10.5-1 iron head and I keep 160-185 temps with an occasional 200 in heavy traffic and 95+ degree days.

here's mine!

Just Jim, I love that shirt so much I'm afraid I may have to steal the logo for the East coast!!

The big key on chassis and overall strength and rigidity depends on what you really "need". A nice mild street SBC or some of the nice tourqey straight 6's and 4's people are building/swapping, 300-400 horse only needs basic chassis work in order to keep the car rigind enough for the torque applied. Of course when you start building high torque high horsepower then you need to consider a full tube chassis or cage and frame connectors that run the full length of the car. As usual it is a matter of economics in most cases. Also consider whether this will be a weekend road course car, drag/streetracer or just a showboat. Different needs for different breeds. Pick the body you like best, maximize the potential you can afford, dont always expect to be the fasted one in the pack and have fun... I'm a 260z buff myself, but people cringe when they hear I cut up a somewhat rarer model. They can get over it.

wooo hooo you need E bay!

I wanna work on your car..... $900!!!!!! geesh! Better find another mechanic!

Hey man, I'm all for workin' within da budget!! *:willy_nilnote signature below*

Gang just remember one thing. You are using an oil based enamel, so if you EVER want to do a "real" paintjob you will have to strip the entire car to bare metal. No automotive paint will stick to anything oil based, and no sealer will compensate. Just FYI!