jt1

I agree, the headers and exhaust are the biggest problem with a V8 Z car. There's just not a good solution other than full custom headers. However, the hooker block huggers aren't that bad. Mark used them on his yellow car, and we know how it ran. One time we were both at VIR, my white car was making an honest 420-425 at the wheels, and he could pull me pretty good on the straights. That proved to me that they might not be ideal, but they can work. jt

Mike, I'm pretty sure the hookers are designed for the scarab engine position. Check the fit on the drivers side before you put a bunch of work into the pass side. jt

Fantastic Job!!!!! That's some amazing workmanship. I know many, many hours are represented there. My '73 is 904, it's one of my favorite colors. What's the plan for the drivetrain & suspension? John

I don't see a problem with spacing the mustache bar down to correct the angles. The bar takes a lot of load, so it and the mounts have to be strong. Be sure you've got a full nut with the spacers in place. jt

Ron, sorry about that. Brain fade I guess. It's too old for me to edit, if you want to whack it I'll post up a smaller version. John

Luigi, those are a set of customs built by a guy here in NC. He is a spectacular welder and fabricator, but I think he has moved on to greener pastures. Mike, he did a lot of research to pick the primary lengths. It's the first set of tri-Y's I've seen on a Z. It hasn't been to the dyno since they were built. I expect it to pick up a good bit since the original patriot block huggers appeared to be pretty restrictive. In my opinion, the exhaust was the only weak part of that car, the rest of it is a real nice combo. He's planning to get it on track this fall. jt

Dunno about headers, but I saw a work of art a while back......

Nice lap, and the car sounds great! I love it! After watching John's nice lap, here's a laugh: jt

I guess if I was working on it, I would pull both halfshafts and the diff flanges, then run the car on the stands and see if the vibration was still present. If so, I would look at the driveshaft ujoint angles. If not, I'd go to the diff flanges. Since you've tried different halfshafts, that would seem to be eliminated. Have you checked the companion flanges to be sure they are tight and true? jt

Well....maybe. I guess you changed mustache bars, and all the mounts were moved around some, and the different front mounts. It's really just a process of elimination. I've spent a bunch of time chasing vibrations, and it can be quite frustrating. Sometimes you have two vibrations going on, and they hit a harmonic at some point. Are the pinion bearings tight, and the rear bolts on the diff tight? Mark had one of the rear bolts work loose, and it was making a real fuss. We thought the diff was going out. jt

OK, I was thinking in neutral on the jackstands. My bet is on the driveshaft angles. Try the laser pointer thing, it works real well in my experience. This sounds crazy, but I've pulled a plug wire off and run a car on stands to try and tell if the vibration was engine/driveshaft frequency or wheel frequency. Works best in whatever gear is direct. jt

That's a lot. Double check the gauge with a known good one first. Is it getting oil to the rockers? What kind of oil filter setup? jt

duragg, back in your first post you said it does it in neutral? Without the driveline engaged? jt

You can have a good bit of toe change in the rear in transition if you using rubber bushings, esp if they're the 40 yr old stock ones. That's why you see most of the track guys using aftermarket lca's with heim joints and no rubber. Downside is they're noisy and a bit harsh on the street. To get a "long" gas pedal, you have to work with the linkage. Depending on your setup, you can shorten or lengthen various arms, pivots, whatever, to get more pedal movement for the idle to full throttle event. I've spent a good bit of time getting the pedal fairly slow, and getting the pedal heights right for a good heel-toe downshift. When you're doing this, pay close attention to make sure it always returns to idle smoothly, and that you're getting full throttle. A stuck throttle can ruin your day. There's no point in going to race rubber until you get the chassis and driver as good as you can on street tires. Race rubber will make you faster and a lot poorer, but it won't make you or the chassis better. jt

If the inside tire is spinning, you don't get any lateral grip from that tire, so the outside tire is the only one working. Get a lsd. Try a smaller rear bar, or maybe no rear bar. You may have to adjust spring rates. Like said above, alignment with 2.5 - 3 deg neg camber, toe in on rear, and get the corner weights evened up, with the bars loose and you in the seat. Throttle modulation is important, a quick gas pedal makes the car hard to drive. Work on the linkage to get it as slow and linear as possible. Seat time, seat time, seat time. The connection between the steering wheel and throttle is important. jt

Matt, that's a good one !!!!! I know of two guys who built a pretty nice circle track car, a complete build from a new tube chassis. They had a spiffy switch panel mounted with all the switches nicely labeled, cool looking setup, all the wiring neatly routed, tied, soldered connections, etc. etc ...... Only when they got to the track for shakedown did they learn that when you were tightly belted in, you couldn't reach the !@#$$%% thing to even crank the car. It wound up being jerked out at the track and zip tied to a roll bar, with some of the wiring crudely extended and duct taped. There is no reason to discuss who that was. jt

Looks like the block will be OK with a line hone and good cleaning. It's hard to say about the crank without seeing it, but odds are it will cost more to repair than finding another crank. Everything needs a good cleaning, a lot of debris went thru the motor. Tip: Lay a straightedge across the back of the block, and measure forward to the crank flange. Seat the convertor, then lay the straightedge across the mounting surface on the convertor and measure to the top of the bellhousing. You should be able to tell the convertor is fully seated, or not. Drop the trans pan and check for debris, hate to say it but you may have damage in the trans. Good Luck! jt

Ahh... I understand. That explains all that wheel he's having to get into it, and the quick transitions. he's doing a good job no doubt. Is this a vintage event he's running at? Any pics or links? jt

Wow. That is an ill handling beast for sure. I can't decide if that guy is real good or real dumb. jt

This is getting scary. jt

Litman, that's some beautiful work. Great job ! jt

The JTR adapter is a slick job, it works like a charm. Makes a nice clean installation. jt

That sounds good. I'd participate, and imagine some others around here would too. jt

That's a nice looking rear spoiler. I wish we'd had one for the wind tunnel! jt

Yes. The engine is offset to the pass side. jt