Pop N Wood

540 lbs divided by 4 = 50 lbs????

Some good advice. I would plan on getting a gas set up right away. Buy it with the unit. Smoke from the flux core flat sucks. Like someone said, you need it if there is any type of breeze at all (even a shop fan). But once you factor in the extra cost of the wire, a gas set up is just as cheap. You will get cleaner welds with the gas and be able to weld stainless. Harbor Freight sells gas bottles really cheap. All you need then is a factory regulator and some tubing. BTW, not to dis Lincoln or Miller. Both great machines and I agree with everything said about buying quality. But I wonder what percentage of the Lincoln-Miller-Hobart machines are made with Chinese parts? Same with helmets too. An unfortunate fact of life these days. I can remember as a kid how everything had a "Made in Japan" label on the bottom. And I mean everything. Use to mean cheap junk. Now it is perceived as "quality"

Looks like you are getting a pretty good reality check in this post. You know the old saying. Speed costs. How fast can you afford to go? 500 HP in a small block is a premium V8 . Probably 90% of the guys with V8's don't have near that much (and that 90% number is generous). For a 350 it won't be overly streetable either You can buy in to a turbo L6 pretty cheap, but the words cheap and Rebello don't really go together. Good company, but not consistent with your goals. You need to go back and start reading old posts. V8 vs. turbo 6 have been discussed to death. From a cost, HP and street reliablity point of view a cheby V8 is hard to beat. You just need to set goals that are more consistent with your reach.

450-500 HP is on the high side for any "factory" type crate engine. You can surely get a "packaged" one from a private engine builder. But that is more of custom engine than a crate. Car Craft mag dynoed a factory LS1 engine. It pulled 402 HP right out of the box. A little expensive, but it is complete and will have excellent street manners. Probably better to build up your own 383 short block using all forged internals. Most of the GM blocks have PM rods and hypueritc pistons. You're getting into the HP range where you would want to go forged.

Not sure of the exact number, but it is several thousand at least. Defense contractors have done well the last 20 years. And still hiring like no tomorrow.

Have to agree with Mat. You will just be adding one more restriction to plumb headers through, not to mention more weight. But if you are really set on the idea, check out HybridZ user jerimo (I think I spelled it correctly) web site. He did something similar for his LS1 install. But the LS1 is a completely different animal that mount too far back to consider set back plates.

I probably should be more worried about it than I am. I am an engineer and work flex time so technically I can make up the time with longer hours. Our plant has something like 9000 employees and almost everyone has internet access. So as long as the HybridZ access time doesn't approach the levels of a fantasy football or ESPN site, then I probably won't show up on any big managers spread sheet.

Yeah boy!

Brazil is highly industrialized and a major player in the international arms market. They make a lot of first class weaponry. This coalition would be a super power on paper only. Those guys would never agree on anything. Shoot. When it comes to military action even the American people can't agree on much. The only reason our military works is because right or wrong there is one guy running the whole show. And with the exception of the Russians all of those countries armys lack international mobility. They would not be much of a threat outside their own borders.

LOL Where was the Christian God when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? wasn't it japan that bombed pearl harbour. My american history isn't the sharpest. You and John Belushi.

I think Pete Paraska talked about his quiet gear drive. He seemed to like it. Said at idle it kinda sounded like he had a blower. Check out his site or give him a PM.

Solid rear axle killed it for me. Interesting what he did with the rear bumper.

LOL Where was the Christian God when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

LOL. My mother in law used those blue ball things for years.

Most space saver spares won't fit once you put on oversized brakes anyway. I am 47 years old. Only once in my 30+ years of driving have I gotten stranded on the side of the road changing a tire, and that time was fully preventable. I knew the tire had a slow leak but was putting off getting it fixed. Actually I don't like driving without a spare. But my Z is a fair weather car anymore so the odds are in my favor.

Excellent bunch of pics. Be a little careful, though. Some of the ones made from a U shaped piece of flat bar I recognize as "before" pics. What isn't shown are the "after" pics where one hard launch shredded the thin metal right at the bends. I still think the one I like best is where the guy sawed a stock mount right thought the rubber part, then made a clamshell type arrangement so that half the isolator went above the crossmember and half went below. The two halves bolted together. I think these might be the pictures of it. IMO super simple and super clean.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like Pete's connectors extend both above and below the stopck floor pan. So to put in Pete's stuff does that mean you need to cut a strip of metal out of the floor pans to properly center the connectors top to bottom? Great idea if you are replacing the pans anyway. But if you have a car with solid floors, why not attach something to the underside of the car only? I think it was Denny411 posted some pics a long time ago where he basically supersized the stock connectors and made them run the full distance front to back. Use heavier gage steel than the stock units, but I still maintain 1/8 steel channel is adding non-productive weight. Of course adding a pickup truck like subframe makes for convenient jacking points. I also think the best way to do this requires welding. IMO attaching the connectors to the floors along their full length is the best way to distribute the load evenly under the whole car. Also on that convertible subframe kit, does anyone know where the rear cross pieces mount? Are they only needed if cutting the top? Doesn't seem necessary for a V8 only upgrade.

Rust is always more extensive than you think. If you need "frame rails" then you probably also need floor pans and battery box. Not saying don't fix it. Just be prepared for a little more work than you think.

What year Z you are driving will make a big difference in how many structural problems you could see. The earlier years flex more than the later ones. Pete's subframe connectors are a bit more elaborate then most guys may want because he was completely replacing the floor boards anyway. IMO if you will add a lot of rigidity of you just remove and/or replace the existing subframe connectors with heavier steel, and running them completely from the front to the back. Still requires welding (which requires a good bit of undercoating work), but not the the level Pete did it. I have also seen a post where a guy sold this flat U channel that could be run along the floor boards on the inside of the car. there was some question how much rigidity that would add, but seemed easy enough to do. I was in a drywall shop earlier this year and they sold formed metal structural bracing for different purposes. They sold a T shaped piece that looked like it could be used in various capacities to stiffen a Z. Most people gravitate toward 1/8 inch steel channel. While easy to work with and undoubtably strong, you can get more rigidity with less weight by using formed sheet metal. Some time back there was a guy in LA offering a convertible kit. The kit had bolt in subframe connectors that included cross braces in the back. Do a search and see if you can find the specifics of that kit. Of course front and rear strut tower braces are a must. Running diagonal braces from the front towers to the firewall seems like a good idea to me.

Man, you couldn't be more wrong about engineering jobs in the DC area. If you can't find work as an aerospace engineer in the DC area you need to find another line of work. This place is a gold mine. Research, production, flight test, sensors, weapons, intelligence. This place has it all. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find an area with a more diversified and extensive employment potential. There is probably as much fundemental research being performed in the Arlington-Crystal City area than any other single place in the world. I have been to Dayton. A lot of field offices, but I don't know of any large scale production facitilities in that area. And believe me escalating housing prices suck. Having the price of your house double or even triple is of no use if you can't afford to sell it and buy something else. I lived in LA long enough to see both sides of a housing boom and bust. I had friends who by sheer luck had everything work out just right, cashed out and bought horse farms in central California with their equity. But for the most part I knew a bunch of people who invested years paying too much for housing, moving from one over priced dung hole to another and putting up with horrendous commutes. After many years of this some of them finally built up enough equity that they could afford to buy a place in an area where they wouldn't be afraid to send their kids to the local schools. I also have known people who had to walk away from houses with mortgages that were so upside down it just didn't make any sense to keep paying them. I don't mind a risky investment now and then, but my one rule is you don't gamble with where you live. Give me an area with a 5% appreciation a year in housing prices any day.

Some of these posts don't make a lot of sense. "Buy the better quality" I think that is the question. What is the better quality? Brand name? Price? Or buy what someone else has tried and liked? From looking at how they are made I don't see the Delta or Jet drill presses being as good as the Harbor Freight unit I have in my shop. Believe me I have looked. My only real complaint is I would like a larger and more centrally located off switch that is easier to hit in an a hurry. Other than that it is solid unit. The machining is all square and all the adjustments hold tight. It has done everything I have asked of it. Don't know how I would measure run out, but I have had no problem putting the holes where I want them. Guess I should have paid more for a name brand with less swing.

I have the harbor freight 16" or 17" floor unit. It is a hell of a drill press. Haven't had a lick of trouble in the 3+ years I have owned it. It was so much cheaper than comparable craftsman and Delta presses at Lowes that it took me a long time to build up the courage to order one. I like it better than the Delta units I have seen. Really heavy and all the adjustments have stayed tight. Plus I think they still have a so many day money back guarantee if you really don't like it. They just opened a Harbor Freight outlet near Baltimore. Notice they have changed the style of drill presses since I bought mine. In the store they had a normaly $289 unit on sale for I think $179. That one looked even nicer than the one I have. If you can get it at the sale price you can't go wrong. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=43389 Next up is a sand blaster and maybe blasting cabinet.

I don't think they make it hard. I know when I buy things like starters and brake pads I alway put the receipts someplace "safe". But after even 5 or 6 years who can find the darn things? Easier to just drop $20 on new pads. But most warranties are for the part only. A lifetime warranty on brake pads or muffler from Midas is pure gold to them. You come in to get the $16 muffler replaced, and end up paying $600 to replace the rest of the exhaust system and the labor to put it in. And if your car is on it's second set of brake pads, then you almost certainly will need some other front end parts or suspension/driveline work. Pure gold. Sort of like giving someone a $20 gift certificate toward the purchase of a new Cadillac. Also see if the warranties are pro rated. Tire warranties are virtually worthless. I tried to use them when the tread separated on my Firestore tires and they wanted to give me a whole $20 credit toward the purchase of my next set of tires. Bought Michellins instead.

Hey. I live mid way between DC and Baltimore. 3-4 bedroom cookie cutter homes start in the $400K range in my area. If you can find one. They sell in day right now. In Virginia anywhere near DC that same money will get you a townhome. I use to live in LA. Moved here 10 years ago to get more affordable housing, better schools and less traffic. The schools and traffic are still better than LA, but the price of housing has more than doubled in the last 3 years. Guess even with that it is less than LA, but not exactly affordable at even $50K a year income. Pisses me off to no end. I can believe the day laborer salaries. Everybody is using home equity loans to add sunrooms and decks. It is almost impossible to hire a building contractor they are so busy. Of course there are places in inner city Baltimore that can be had for $150k. Body armor is extra.