Phantom

Sounds like the same thought process that I fussed over for five years before making the decision to go the LS1 route. A little information: 1) The LS1/T56 combination added 0, as in none, weight to the front of the car and 30 lbs to the rear which gave me a 49.5% front / 50.5% rear distribution. I even left the battery in it's stock location. Also the LS1 sits lower than any I-6, is lighter than the L28, and 85% of the engine is behind the front axle. All of which tends to improve handling. The weight gain comes from the T56. 2) I wanted HP AND daily driver reliability and I didn't feel I could get that with a heavily modified six cylinder. The LS1 in totally stock form puts down 311 to the rear wheels which maths out to about 390 at the flywheel. I've ended up with a very reliable daily driver with a brick solid drivetrain. I've driven it about 23,000 miles so far and I've had two cooling fan relay failures - infant mortality - and, just this week, the starter began acting up which may turn out to just be a fusible link problem. That's it.

I have met several guys who have gotten themselves "sponsored" by companies like Discount Tire, Toyo Tires, Blaupunkt, Joe Shmo's Paint Shop, etc. The companies either give their product free or at a severely discounted price if the owner of the car advertises for them at car shows, track meets, etc. Sometimes this is with a "Sponsor Board" beside the car - soemtimes it's with graphics on the car - depends on the level of sponsorship. Evidently no one on this board is doing it?

Amen on the 8 year old paint job. Mine turned 8 last month and is really starting to show it's age. Paint has held up very well but the rock chips, door dings, highway cones - and my wifes Suburban leaping out behind me one morning backing out of the garage:redface: - have all taken their toll. Your '78 "beater" is a beautiful car. I know you must get the regular "thumbs up" from other dirvers a lot. I see you went the three-piece rear spoiler route. I went with the one-piece to avoid some of the mounting hassle. My MSA kit is basically just riveted & screwed on. When I get the new paint job I'm going to have it fully integrated into the body and also armor it in those spots behind the tires to reduce the paint chips some. I may also go with that clear polymer sheathing on a few pots on the front too.

Yeah - I imagine your shoulder is still sore from the pounding it took!

I have recently been appoached about sponsors for my car and am wondering if anyone on this site has investigated that option or actually been doing it? I have mixed emotions as it would tend to push my car more toward the "show car" which I intend to seriously resist but it is very attractive to get either cash, free parts, or significant discounts on parts for doing some advertising for the sponsors at events. Feedback?

Jim - Sorry mate - looks like I kind of highjacked your thread. I know the Zclub.net guys - two of them posting already on this thread - can really help you out. If you haven't been on the site by now you will be greatly impressed by what they are doing. Steve - last I was at Johns (about 2 months ago - he had a set of headers in stock looking for a home. Not sure about the air duct, though.

Rick, I can really feel for you. You can imagine the relief I felt when I looked at the back of my car, where I have the fiberglass rear valance from the Aero 2 kit, and saw no damage at all. I just knew that cone had gotten it too. Yesterday I hit a tire sidewall ring on the road and, fortunately, just rolled over it with no disruption. BTW - whose fender flares are you using? Was there any problem integrating them into the Aero 2 components?

Rob / Steve, AHA! You guys do lurk around this site! Looking for some more posts on your projects. You guys aren't letting work or other projects get in the way of completing the Z's, are you?

Actually I did a little touch-up paint work and polished out the rash on the paint and went to the show. Car took first place in "ultra-modified" in the S30 class as well as my wife's 300ZX convertible winning it's class. Came home with two big trophies. Anybody want a trophy?

The location of the Speedometer and TAchometer are obvious. My discussion concerned the three spots on the dash where you currently have five devices: Clock fuel level voltmeter Water temp Oil pressure From what you said you plan to eliminate the clock and voltmeter? Since you haven't said anything about it I also assume you intend to do without turn signal indicators and the brake warning light? Does the LT1 have an OBDI warning light? If so - do you intend to try to have that function or leave it off also??

The S30 uses dual gauges so it has four gages in two holes. Even if you get rid of the clock which usually doesn't work anyway you still have four guages (fuel, water temp, oil press & voltmeter) for 3 holes. Which do you eliminate or mount remotely - and then - where? What do you do about your turn signal indicatiors and brake warning light? Come up with another place to put them or eliminate them? This adds a lot more complexity to the conversion - or you decide to do without those items.

Evidently I-20 in Arlington does not like my car. It has gone after me twice now. The first time was many years ago when the 280Z was completely stock. Changed lanes to pass a car only to plow stright through a 4'x4' wooden pallet. Sent wood everywhere but somehow the Zed survived essentially unscathed. Big sigh of relief. Years later now and a few bucks into the car including the MSA Aero II body kit only to find myself facing down one of those 30" tall plastic construction cones in the center of my lane. 2 seconds to react and traffic on both sides of me - just enough time to get a solid grip on the wheel and pray. Plowed it square on and a quick glance in the rear view mirror revealed multiple pieces of something fly out the back. CRAP! Got home and a quick inspection showed a 5" crack in the lower part of the air dam, several small pieces missing along the lower edge and a significant amount of scruff. I'm not sure how, but the fiberglass rear valance survived unscathed and the underside of the car looks fine. A bit of touch-up paint and some polish on the scruff marks and the damage looks a lot less severe but now I've either got some significant repair work or a replacement air dam in the future. Oh yeah - this happened the night before I was entering the car in a local car show.

I assume you've already hooked up with the www.zclub.net folks? They can provide some excellent insight into options for your Z32. I have to also ask - Why not go with the more conventional Z32TT route? You can just get a complete front clip and do the conversion. It would give you more initial HP and probably cost less - not to mention that parts would be more readily available.

Gauges are going to be a BIG decision area for you. Obviously there is no way that the TA gauges are going to fit in the S30 dash in any form that resembles OEM. You can pay about $50-$100 to have your tachometer converted to take the V-8 signal insted of the I-6 signal and give you a correct read-out. If you already have a fuel injected S30 you can use the stock tank, supply and return lines and be OK - you'll just ahve to upsize the fuel pump. THat will allow you to run the stock fuel tank sender. Separate locations can be identified on the LT1 to mount Nissan Oil pressure and engine temperature sensors for those gauges which now only leaves the speedometer. Does your T56 have a mechanical or electronic output? If mechanical, you can change the gears to have the right output for your mechanical drive speedo. If it is an electronic output you have three options. 1) Buy and aftermarket electronic speedometer - and then figure out what to do with your brake warning light and turn signal indicatiors, 2) have the T56 converted to the proper mechanical output for your car/speedometer (about $400), or 3) buy a CableX converter that converts the electronic signal from the T56 to an output signal to a small ecectric motor that drives a cable for your stock speedometer for about $250. I have option 3 but, if I could do it over, I'd go for option 2.

Well - it was a great show. Had about 40 cars entered plus a surprise visit from a couple super tricked out 240SX's and a pair of Skylines. Spotfitz walked away with the BIGGEST trophy while yours truly managed to get a pair of first in class. One for the 1977 280Z and the other for my wife's Z32 convertible. While I'm on that - anyone out there with a Z32 that would like a big trophy? Wife doesn't want to have to dust it.

In my LS1/T56 we used the following from the Z-28 Camaro: 1) Engine 2) Transmission, 3) Engine Wiring Harness 4) ECM 5) Radiator fans & shroud, 6) Driveshaft - use front end for fitting T56, modify back for differential. 7) AC components

You might check on www.twinturbo.net or www.300ZX.com. I was talking with a guy from the Dallas area with a 300ZXTT that, at that time, was planing on getting a special nitrous kit that is designed to spool the turbo up at launch. The primary application is for cars with automatic trannies as those with standards can generally find the sweep launch rpm where it all comes together.

This thread speaks to me in a totally different way. I lived less than two miles from where that shop is located for 20 years as I was growing up and going through school. In the last two days I've had an initial interview for a job that would take me back there, found "Firebird Raceway" and now a tuner / hotrod shop. I wonder is someone is trying to tell me something?

Yes. The brackets on my AC mount were a bit light to start with and ended up much heavier to hadle vibration and belt tension flex. Pictures are in my album on this site. I'm sure the Z31 originally came with AC - correct? If so, it should have all the necessary components under the dash and you'll just need hoses, compressor and dryer under the hood? Same with the power steering. You'll need the power steering pump and hoses and you should be in business. Not having seen the install, locating the compressor & dryer and the pump will most likely be the major challenge?

Two interesting, and slightly related incidents occurred yesterday. First - I read an article that said, with the current draught in England that Dallas is getting more rain than London - and we're not getting our normal rain amounts. Then, Second - a squall blows through the metroplex at about 40 mph drenching everything and totally bollixing the highways right at evening rush hour and, in the process, somehow soaking something under the hood of my car so it wouldn't start - just clickety-click. Got a guy to jump start me and got the same results. Finally figured out it wasn't the battery but a moisture issue - I know you guys never encounter that problem. Tried it one last time before pushing it back into a parking place for the night when it caught and started running. No problems since then. First time that's happened in the three years since the conversion and a plethura of heavy rain sorms. I guess the wind was coming from just the right direction to blow it through the hood vent on the passenger side -errr - drivers side over there.

All that work for a Neon? Points for concept and skills.

Rob, Overall the car is running fine. Lot's of things that will need attention. Adjustable proportioning valve, new struts, CV upgrade, new paint, etc. Spent two hours earlier this week just cleaning the center AC vents. Spent another hour replacing the clock only to find out the 'new' one I got off Ebay doesn't work either. It never ends. Bill

Rob! How's it going? Haven't heard for m you in a while. Steve still spending the equivalent of the British GNP on his project? He's going to have so many 'pounds' in that car the tires will be flattened! Kidding aside - he's got a great hybrid going. Bill

Couple observations. 1) I wonder what the chase car was. Red with dual white racing stripes. I do like that color combination! 2) They were driving on the right side of the road. That's the wrong side in England. I wonder where this was filmed?

120 vs 220. I wired up a custom adapter for my dryer. It had the correct male for the 220 outlet on the wall and then it split into two connectors. One has the dryer female plug on it and the other has a standard three prong extension cord female. That way I could plug in a heavy extension cord out thorugh the door to the garage any time I needed the 220.