Phantom

Not really, about the same as the L28, comparably set up. And then it would be lower, further back and a lot lighter.

I'm certain this has been posted before but an outfit in the Seattle, WA is building V-4 and V-12 versions of the LS1. V-12 is 8.8" longer than the V-8 and displaces 8.9 liters. Either engine could be a lot of fun in the Z. The V-4 would set really far back and low. Displacement would be slightly larger than the L28 but would have all the advantages of the new engine management plus be all aluminum and so much lighter. http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/05/mad-genius-creates-ls-based-v12-engine/

Really looking good David. The guys at the Branson Zfest are going to get a real treat here in the near future. You going to drive it or trailer it? That route through the mountains sure was fun when we did it years ago.

Almost there! Have you had to do anything to the hood to clear the Magnacharger? I missed earlier - did you build your own mounts or use some already available? Also, what diameter is your exhaust - 4"?

David - tried to PM you but it wouldn't go through. Can't find your build thread. Help and old man out.

Lot's of little things that worry me a bit. First and foremost is the missing radiator support. That's a structural item. The front strut tower braces hooked to the firewall but not each other - significantly reduces their ability to do their job properly. Radio - looks almost original - in a car with "significant expense"? I'm not paying big bucks for a 30 year old AM/FM. Interior - basically a refurbished stock interior. No real money here. Single exhaust out the back. If the exhaust is Y'd together and then run on as a single to out the rear then some HP is being left on the table. All-in-all it looks like someone took a generally nice Z, put a fancied up LS1 in it, and painted it. If they got bids up to $26,600 that way then one that lists all the sweet stuff should do even better. I don't think they listed more because there really wasn't any more to list other than the LS, some ZG flares so it can run wider wheels/tires, and the Autometer gauges.

1971 Chevy Cheyenne 20. 4-WD rig with long bed and nearly every option offered that year - including A/C, tilt column, running lights on the top of the cab, slider back window, bed light, etc. Almost no rust. He's had the 350 rebuilt and added some bling to it so it's pretty under the hood. Still a long way to go on it but it seems to be pretty reliable right now.

Bump - come on guys. Are y'all embarrassed because PLATA and I have had so little trouble with our cars?

Yeah - my quandary right now is 17 vs 18. I'm also wondering if I need to make the leap to 5-lug to make it easier to find a set of wheels. That would be an expensive move, though, so may just stick with 17's and the 4x4.5" pattern. Since the biggest tire I can probably runs a 245 cross-section with coil-overs and stock fenders that again may point me toward 17's. I just don't want to go to 17's and then have them go south like the 16's have and have 18's be the thing. Also not too excited about having a 30 series sidewall. Just not enough sidewall for curbs, RR tracks, etc.

Which is better is a good question - unfortunately since no one has cars with both it ends up being kind of subjective. AZC stuff works well, is made of lightweight aluminum and looks sexy. That being said there is some question about the design and it is pricey. TTT is all steel thus heavier but quite possibly a bit stronger. I think it also is a bit less expensive. In my mind one of the big advantages TTT has right now is that their rear brakes have an integrated parking brake which AZC does not. Another thing about TTT is, if You're ordering a complete suspension/brake system from them talk with them and get them to powder coat it the color you want. This stuff is made to order so there should be little to no cost difference. Those AZC aluminum parts sure are pretty though.

jpndave - any decision yet?

A 225/50 series tire should fit ok - especially since you have Eibach springs which are smaller in diameter that the stock springs. The key is the wheel you mount them on. Stay with a 7-8" width and an offset that will keep the tire centered between your suspension and the inside of the fender. I've been running 225/50-16 tires (same width but larger in diameter) for 11 years now and all I had to do is trim the inner edge of the fender lip a bit. Rolling it would accomplish the same. In my case, however, I had stock springs so had less room that you have. Again, it's the wheel that will make the difference. Get it centered in the opening and you'll be fine. That being said my car runs at stock ride height. If you're 1-1.5" lower it will be close. The advantage you have is the smaller OD Eibach springs that allows you to move the tire in just a bit to clear the fenders. Measure, measure, measure.

Well - The Audi A8L is off the maintenance list for awhile. Got 95K miles out of 55K plugs. Oops. The 300ZX is getting the new shocks and 4-wheel alignment this week. Ordered new front seat bottoms and a new passenger door window/lock panel for the Suburban last week and then noticed it's due for an oil change. I'll have it done by the end of the month. Put the "list" together for the 280Z28 and it has ten items on it. If I get them all done I'll be VERY happy. That will also set me up for some future upgrades too. It'll probably be late March before I'll be able to talk progress on it though.

Dave - didn't realize you had sold the Scarab. I guess you wanted a car you could play with rather than just preserve? Where are you with your 240 now?

So you have a split MC, correct? If so, confirm that the front reservoir is connected to the back brakes and the back reservoir to the front brakes. Front brakes get the larger reservoir. Also confirm that the MC is for a 280Z and not a 280ZX. The 280ZX MC is designed for disc brakes in the rear and will cause you issues if you have drums.

rooger82 - I'm not as worried about the wheels as I am the tires. I can get wheels in literally any size I want but the tires are a different story. That is what initiated this discussion. I'm running a 1977 280Z with TTT coilovers and no flares so I'm pretty much limited to a 245 max width on tires.

Sooo - originally there was a core support to hood seal. Wouldn't it be easier to replace that?

I'd be concerned about the long-term reliability of the catch plate mechanism too since they removed the support gusset under it to make room for the distributor. Is it possible your hood is coming down on top of the air cleaner and causing it to rise in the front?

Looking really nice! I'm impressed with the dyno pull. That's almost 80% more HP than the stock L28. Hopefully you have your gearing right to keep it in that power band. I was looking at that valve cover a bit askance when I saw you're comment about replacing it. A good polish on it would have it looking pretty nice.

My driveway is tree lined and we continually have branches breaking and falling. In some cases, as shown in the photos below, they don't make it all the way to the ground and need a little help. This one was about 5-6" in diameter and 25' long. I just wish I'd video'd how it came down because, at one point, right after it speared into the ground it looked like it was going to fall back across the neighbors vinyl fence. That would not have been good for the fence or for me. fortunately my son gunned the truck right then and the limb let out across the road.

I actually did an experimental study on this when I was a senior mechanical engineering student. I was trying to determine the benefit of "ram" induction. Here's what I found out. "Ram" induction basically doesn't exist at normal legal speeds. Once I exceeded 80 MPH the inlet pressure started to rise pretty rapidly which indicated a reasonable ability to achieve increased air density. The side effect of my study, however, had to do with air temperature. I found, like you, that the under hood vs. above hood temperatures differed by about 100 degrees, while the car was moving. This was on about a 75 degree day in northern Idaho. That is actually worth about 5%, not 10%, worth of HP increase. Remember when you're looking at air density vs temperature that you have to start form absolute 0. 200 is not twice 100 as it's actually 660 vs. 560. The big three in those days were claiming about a 15 HP increase on their vehicles equipped with shaker hood intakes. I wasn't able to do a dyne testing in those days so I wasn't able to confirm my numbers. Here are the best options I can suggest to you: 1) Cut a 4" diameter hole in your radiator support and reinforce it with a 4"O.D. section of thin wall tubing so you can basically have 4" all the way through, or 2) Taper down to 2.5" through the radiator support but be sure to be at 4" on either side of it. The very short period os 2.5" diameter will cause a slight pressure loss but will be minimal compared to the advantage of 4" on either side. Then be sure that you're pulling the colder air from in front of the radiator. FWIW - it doesn't matter whether a car is boosted or NA, colder air is better. Even on an intercooled engine the starting temperature has a direct effect on the exit temperature out of the intercooler. Cooling capability is based on the differential temperatures and the total exposure time of the two fluids to each other. Those specific values, however, are a very complex relationship and can't be covered in a short reply.

I got an HID kit through Motorsport Auto a couple years ago. Not sure if they still sell them but the company is still in business. I'm just getting ready to install them. I'll post how they work once I get it done. Also going to ZLEDlights who has LED conversions for all the rest of the exterior lights on my 280Z. Looking forward to having 21st century lighting on the car.

First - I assume you are wanting a 5-spd for an L series motor? It will be easier if you have a 280Z but not too bad for the 240Z & 260Z. There are at least 3 available that are pretty much straight swaps. The 5-spd used on the Z's from 77Z-80ZX. The one used on the 81ZX, and the ones used on the 82 & 83 ZX. They have different gear ratios designed to go with different differentials. The Z32 transmission is not nearly as straight forward a swap. There are others out there but why make things harder than they need to be?

Naw - it's the welded diff. Fix that and then revisit.

It would - just not for very long.