Phantom

Uh - so where did the alternator go? Low on the drivers side?

Pretty much. I don't think you're going to get 255's under the rear of an S30 without either flares or coil-overs though. Oh yeah - check both sides of your car. The fender well clearances are probably different side to side. Something about the cars being 40 years old.

You could also recore a 280Z radiator from a 3 to a 4 row and it will do the job and obviously fit the car.

Don't have a vacuum battle with my LS1 - and don't need it. The dryer for Charcoal canister for my AC is mounted inside my passenger side front wheel well.

Wannab - You can easily run 17x7 wheels, maybe even 17x8 wheels with 0 to 5mm offset and 225/40-17 tires with a stock suspension. If your engine is developing less than 450 ftlbs of torque you can run an R200 LSD with CV joints and 4-lug wheels. The Z bolt pattern is very common for a lot of tuner cars that have a huge aftermarket offering in wheels. The problem is they generally have about a 38mm offset so you'll need spacers to center the wheels properly in your wheel well. I'm currently running an R200 LSD with u-joint half shafts with my 320 RWHP/326 ftlbs torque LS1. And, yes, I broke one of the u-joints at the track but the one I broke had 200,000 miles on it. If you have the option for 5 lug at this point then I would go that route and ensure you won't have a problem in that area. If you're looking at an LSX that puts out more than 450 ftlbs of torque then you need to pony up some large and put in an R230 LSD with splined half shafts.

I put the MSA Areo fiberglass body it on my car back in 1997 in Arlington, TX and drove it nearly 100,000 miles that way until I left in 2006. Never once got stopped or had an issue at a safety inspection. I didn't even run a license plate on the front.

Sell the car - but I'm so glad he did.

BluDestiny - evidently we think a lot alike. I've been running 225/50-16 tires with 16x7" 0 offset wheels on my car since 1997. knowing what I know today I would have 17" wheels as there is much more tire availability in that size and they frequently are less expensive than a 16. I would also have a 5mm offset to center them in the wheel well a bit better with a stock suspension. With coil overs I'd look at a 10-15mm offset and probably be running 245/40-17 tires. I am currently running the Dunlop Direzzas and they are definitely the stickiest tire I've had on my car. I actually can hit it harder in 1st than I used to and have them hold.

Really? I have the GM sending unit in the stock location feeding info to the ECU and the Datsun sender at the oil filter area sending to my stock oil pressure gauge. Had to replace the sender last summer as it finally failed but it's been working there successfully for 10 years. B5BiTurbo - the stock T56 used with the LS1's is good fro about 450 ft-lbs of torque which is also pretty much the limit of a stock R200.. If you're developing more than that and running really sticky tires then you'll need to upgrade to the R230 and the T-56 Magnum. More HP & Torque = $$$

My AC compressor and alternator are mounted as shown in Alainburon's photo. Don't know if anything has changed since mine was done - it was the first - but the one I have is solid and trouble free.

I stand corrected. I bought the Techno Toy Tuning suspension kit that Theatriks talked about above. Other than the normal hassles of dealing with a 36 year old car it bolted right in. The "normal hassles" however, added about 2 weeks to the job due to getting incorrect wheel bearings and having to replace other parts that were damaged when the suspicion was disassembled. Visited the TTT website and started drooling over the LCA's and Tension Rods. I'm going to end up with about $4k in my suspension if I don't improve my impulse control.

Nigel - know what you mean about brake lines and allowing for suspension travel. When my rears were done a bracket was torched off that wasn't necessary but the line routed close enough to it that when the suspension was loaded the brake line abraded on the cut edge of the bracket. Easy fix but could have been a disaster if I hadn't caught it. Pete280Z - You ever going to get that car done? :-)If you get on it you might actually get it on the road before DarthZ gets his running again. His attention is on a new career and a '71 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup right now.

If replacing the bushings doesn't work you're close enough to New Orleans that there should be a good alignment shop that also has frame/unibody straightening equipment. They can identify your problem and fix it. That's what they do. Get an estimate up front. Just out of curiosity - do you have the stock suspension or have coil overs been installed?

Stony - a good interference fit is .001" for each inch of diameter. you would have to freeze the strut and then heat the aluminum collar to ridiculous temperatures to get the .085" size difference you need to get it to fit. If that were even possible (look up the coefficient of thermal expansion for aluminum)then the thread size on the collar wouldn't fit the nut because it was larger than originally designed. You would then have to machine the nut larger. Don't go there. Find one that is designed to first your strut.

Welding only required if you also install adjustable top mounts if you want camber adjustment. Coilovers by themselves are bolt in.

How far are you really wanting to go with your suspension mods? Check out Techno toy Tuning and also go to the Arizona Z Car website to find things to drool over. Then make the tough decision.

My concern over mileage is when someone with a comparably equipped car is doing 25% better. I'd have the same question if it was 12 & 15 MPG. If the mileage is that much better then somehow the combustion is more efficient which, in my tiny little mind, says that there is more power available in that engine over mine or the body has a much lower Cd which could equate to better ET's. Just searching to see what I may have overlooked. Edward - O apologize for hijacking your thread -shame on me. FWIW - I agree with everyone else that total miles on the car is not nearly as important as a high integrity body. I was fortunate to get one that was almost completely rust free. It now has 238,000 miles on it and is going strong - the body that is - the rest of the car has all been replaced.

Not to rub it in BUT - I'm off on a road trip this next Saturday to do a little autocross work and then the first Sunday in May the West side Z clubs have the Maryhill Loop again and it will be hill climb time. So glad I got the new suspension in the car.

I've been running an LS1/T56 combo in my 280Z for over 10 years now. It has a 3.70:1 R200 LSD. I'm also running sticky Dunlop Direzza 225/50-16 tires. The car has not been raced a lot but I routinely get on it in my daily driving. I detonated an original 200,000 mile u-joint on one of my half-shafts about 5 years ago. The bad news was that it took out my e-brake cable and my brake caliper on that side when it went. E-brake cables are expensive to replace if you can't find a used one. That said, I think you are on the right track. Put the car together as you are planning and drive it. If you "feel the need for speed" then consider an LSD R200 with CV's or an R230 for the back. Either will do the job.

I really feel for you NE guys. The winters there really suck. We get a ton of snow here in WA but it's mostly at the higher elevations in the cascades. I had a total of about 12" here at the house this winter and then weather has turned very nice with a few good rains the past couple weeks so the "ice melt" is off the roads and they are warm enough for my summer performance tires to work.

All - I just don't get it. My LS1 has 38,000 miles on it. Running through a T56 and a 3.70:1 R200 LSD and 225/50-16 tires. Car gets about 16-17 around town and best it's done on the highway at 70 is 24 MPG. That's running in 6th at 1,750 RPM across Texas. Did have the AC on so that may account for the extra 4 MPG? Then again - maybe I should start running 87 octane instead of 92 and see if the fuel economy goes up? Maybe I should have it dyne tuned and see if I'm running a bit richer than it needs to be. The exhaust doesn't look particularly black (more gray)so it can't be too rich. RebekahsZ - I know what you mean about gas mileage, though. I actually tracked mine when I was racing at Texas Motor Speedway and the car averaged 10 MPG. Considering that was rocking back and forth from maximum braking to WOT for two hours and speeds up to 130 MPH I thought that was pretty good.

Z Specialties in Snohomish, WA has vacuum actuated heater control valves for the 75-78Z for $99.95.

Jon/JohnC - I've been thinking about adding a splitter to the bottom of my MSA type 1 air dam. Not thinking of it so much for competition but to reinforce the air dam and passible improve fuel economy and cooling. Is it a waste of time for that? Secondary reason would be for greater stability at speed. Just replaced the stock springs and struts with stiffer coil overs and adjustable Koni's.

Do you still have the paint code sticker under the hood of the car? If so, just take that paint code to any automotive paint store and they should be able to take care of you.

FWIW - been running the JCI mounts for 10 years and 35,000 miles including some hard track time and no issues. Not sure what the pricing difference between them and others but I do know they work well and have a nice clearance hole on the drivers side to allow work on the steering shaft.