Phantom

I checked the ZCOT website but they only had one car you might be interested in. I'll be over a Jerry's Saturday morning and survey his yard. I'm surprised he said he only had one. He generally has 4-5 around of varying conditions. I'll let you know if I see anything that could be promising. In the meantime you might also try http://www.autotrader.com. It's amazing what you can find on there sometimes.

I already have traction issues in my 2,900 lb car and I'm no where near 450 rwhp.

Interesting thread. Perspective is always based on intended use, pocket book, driving skills, etc. When it comes to running one on the track it's like there can never be enough power because there is always the other guy with just a little bit more. For a show car - it probably doesn't matter - as long as it really looks pretty. For a daily driver it gets pretty dicy. My target has always been a reliable daily driver that can perform respectably on a track and show well - jack of all trades, master of none. I think I'm close with the drivetrain, suspension, interior work and exterior work I've done. The hardest part is the daily driving that slowly wears everything out and requires it to be done again. My car is about to get its third interior and in another year will require another paint job. Hopefully the drivetrain will be good for another 80,000 before it needs a major refreshing. The best thing is that I get to drive a car that looks fast, and is fast, every day. It averages around 20mpg and, because I have a good driving record, I pay less than $450/year for full coverage.

Go to http://www.zcluboftexas.org. They have a classifieds section plus links to other clubs in the area. Also contact Jerry at All Z Car Specialist in Fort Worth - (817) 483-0383 and see what he has for sale. There are many Z's for sale in the DFW area. What model are you specifically looking for?

I think I may be close to the record. Original cost of car, suspension upgrade, brake upgrade, LS1/T56 conversion ($14K), ground effects and custom paint, new 16" wheels and tires, custom sound system and full leather interior puts my 13 year running investment at about $35k, not including repairs and maintenance. The upside is that I'm able to drive it every day and have over 15,000 miles on the V8 conversion with only a couple minor problems that were fixed in minutes.

I'll jump in with an update. I've finally gotten my windshield to where it doesn't leak so the car goes in the shop for the interior/sound system upgrade next week. This is going to be a huge redo. I'm taking the interior of the car from brown to black and red - and if it's not a hard plastic part it will be leather. That includes the sunvisors, headliner, seats, console armrest, door panels, strut tower covers, hatch panel, etc. The carpet is a high end charcoal color with red flecks called "Chivas Regal". The stereo will basically be all Alpine. Head unit, CD changer, power amplifier, component speakers up front (mid range on bottom front corner of doors with cross-over to tweeters on the A pillars) and a custom installed sub in the back on the side opposite the expansion tank designed to reflect off the hatch. So much for the conservative approach. I've fallen into a group of talented folks in these areas so I'm able to stay outside the boundaries of the corporate mark-ups and keep this just below a kings ransom. I expect it to be done by the end of March. I'll post some pics.

Obviously gas weighs more in Califormnia than it does in Washington - That must be why it costs more!!

Couple things. Finding an 01 or 02 F body LS1 would be great - especially if it were in a wreck that came with the T56, wiring harness, radiator fans, ECM, etc. The F body T56 has different gearing than the GTO - specifically 1st is 2.62:1 , 5th is .74:1 and 6th is .50:1. All better numbers for the lighter Z car. Mine had 3,500 miles on it when I got it in 2002. It now has nearly 19,000 miles on it. Gotta love the LS1.

Mike, Did you mention all the problems you're having with your turbo and that you're thinking about an LS1?

You beat me to it! My totally stock '98 LS1 dyno'd at 311 RWHP and 326 ft-lb torque with the single 2 1/2" exhaust. With the new dual 2 1/2" exhaust and a small amount of work it will easily bump up to over 350. You gotta love the torque curve too. It's over 300 ft-lbs for nearly all the normal operating range of the engine. I rolled along side a Z28 this past Monday. He wanted to play a little but changed his mind after: I pulled up next to him at 60mph in 4th, downshifted to 3rd and lit the tires up beside his window. Wound it out to 6K and spun the tires again on the 3-4 shift. He didn't come back.

Contact Jags That Run in California and Johns Cars, http://www.brokenkitty.com in Dallas. They both sell components and may have at least a partial manual that will help.

For starters I'd look for any cracks or other damage around the bell housing area and at the tailshaft of the transmission. If you see anything - pass.

1977 280Z Coupe 1) LS1 from 98 Z28 Camaro with 3,500 miles on it. No internal modifications - only LS1 edit, K&N & headers. 2) T56 3) Prototype for Johns cars kit: http://www.brokenkitty.com 4) Used converter to adapt T56 to stock speedo. All other gauges stock. Used original fuel tank and fuel lines, just new pump and regulator. Also used special Japanese air conditioning compressor to allow mount location-all from JCI. Project started in July of 2002 and essentially finished in June of 2003. The car has been driven 50,000 miles since then. 5) Techno Toy Tuning coilover upgrade with adjustable KYB struts, urethane bushings throughout, racetep strut tower braces front and rear, 4-pt. roll bar, Willwood brakes upgrade in front, 300ZX rotors & 240SX calipers in back, 3.70:1 300ZX R200 LSD, Spicer "Brute Force" universals on half shafts, 16x7 Centerline Trident II wheels, MSA Aero II body kit, custom paint, MSA window mount mirror kit, and a custom interior. All Katzskin leather soft surfaces, rebolstered stock seats, House carpet by Wavemaker called "Chivas Regal". 7 speaker 500 watt Alpine sound system. Hurst Shifter. HID headlight and LED running lights.

Hey guys. Thought I'd weigh in here. If you can search under "LS1 / T56" - that should bring up a lot of information unless it's been lost from the archives. Johns Cars in Dallas, http://www.brokenkitty.com, makes the LS1 conversion components that my car was the prototype for. I now have nearly 15,000 miles on the car since the conversion and it's running strong.

Totally stock LS1 except edited ECM, K&N intake & headers. T56 through 3.70:1 R200 LSD and Yokohama 225/50-16 street tires. 12.9@110 best run. Traction limited so only got 2.0 60' and exhaust limited on upper end because only a single 2.5" exhaust at the time. It has dual 2.5" now but no recent runs.

Lengeo - a new hybridz member I believe has one in his.

Good Decision. Maichor pretty well said it all.

DSommer - Know what you mean about the Dyson - Chris absolutely swears by hers - and we have had a Rainbow and a Kirby! Spotfitz - Buddy - you're in real trouble!! For all - Among several other things, my bride of 32 years got a white gold and diamond "right hand" ring - total about 3 carats. For her birthday she's getting white gold and diamond earrings plus a full custom leather & berber interior for her Z32 convertible. Yes - I spoil her!

I was on my way home from work yesterday and suddenly realized that I was behind a new silver BMW M5. Maybe it was the vanity tag that said My M5 that was the first hint - or maybe it was that he was haulin' a_ _ through rush-hour traffic. Anyway "Dangerzone" from 'Top Gun' started playing in my head and I went after him - fruitlessly. Traffic just didn't cooperate and I was never able to get alongside him. I would have loved to slide up along one of those 500HP beauties and find out really how good it was. Maybe next time

The GM 'F' bodies had the LS1 form '98-02. Only the C-5 Corvette had it in '97. I would recommend getting on http://www.ls1tech.com and getting recommendations on the LS1's - they are not all the same. The '01 & '02 come with the LS6 intake and some of them also come with the LS6 block. The '98 LS1 does not have as good a valve train as the later LS1's. Need to do some more research on the engine.

It depends on where the transmission is in relation to the existing tunnel hole. With the JCI kit my T56 was about 1/2" forward of the stock Nissan T-5 shifter location. What I had John do was use the original Datsun shifter lever - shorten it about 1 1/2" - and weld an offset tab on the front of it at the bottom that moved it about 1/2" back and set it at an angle that located it perfectly for my specific driving position. Everything else is stock GM.

You should be able to do a search with the local DMV using it's VIN and locate previous owner(s).

I don't resent a single penny I paid to get the LS1/T56 conversion on my car. I've already driven it 14,000 miles I wouldn't have been able to drive it otherwise if I had been doing it all myself. The best part was the 12 month/12,000 mile warrantee that came with it against which I only had a couple very minor things. That speaks hugely for the quality of the workmanship when a conversion has fewer "recall" items than a new car.

Do a search on the web under auto mufflers. There are several manufacturers that have relatively low restriction but legally quiet mufflers. http://www.magnaflow.com is one of them.

My 280Z28. Quarter mile in 12.9 and gets 19-20 mpg commuting to work. Good stereo and AC that works. Ran the car at Texas Motor Speedway and kept up with a Lotus Esprit. I am a bit biased though.