danj

I have a few questions for you. What are you looking at for a completion date? Where are you located? What tranny are you running? How streetable will the car be? Pump gas? How come you don't go with more cubes like a 383 or 406 or something? What do you think is the reason that your shop doesn't get more attention from the Z cars? OK, I guess I had more than just a few questions, but I'm probably covering some questions that others would like to ask too. Lay it on me with the info please:D Dan H

Ditto to Dave's suggestion. JTR says to use Chevy part #3990332 motor mount, and only genuine Chevy tranny mounts to avoid excess noise and vibration. Dan H.

I agree. Some of these posts are just too distracting. I think the 58 Vette has always been my favorite. I believe that's the first year they went to the 4 headlight design. Such a simple sporting look. That's my idea of the pure American sports car. Imagine if someone dropped in a hot 383 like the one featured in the latest Car Craft mag . Of course we would then need a roll bar, which would break up the original smooth lines. Hard to stay on track with my ZX conversion . Dan H

I checked out the site as you suggested and found it to be very informative with useful links to lots of relevant technical information. Can't imagine why there wouldn't be more traffic unless the site is not easy to locate through general search criteria. Thanks for the additional resource. Dan H

JTR Manual says 1.25 inch thick spacer on the Passenger side and 2.25 inch spacer on the Driver side. This is for the motor mount set-back plate. Taken from pages 2-2 and 2-3 of the Seventh Edition. Dan H

In Oklahoma they actually discontinued safety and emissions inspections last year. I'm having my 83ZX converted in Phoenix at this time but it will be tagged in Oklahoma where it won't be subject to inspections. Oklahoma has some strange ways but this one really favors the HybridZ guys . Dan H

I have been a HybridZ member for a couple of months and think that I learned more about my ZX in that time than I did since I purchased it in 1983 . Using all the topics that have been covered in this forum I do searches that combine Q&A by key words and find a wealth of knowledge being exchanged. If someone wanted to take the time to do an outline by various topics and combine all the questions and answers related to that topic, then do some polishing and editing I think we would have a manual. We could publish a draft and have members respond to each topic to make sure every subject is thoroughly researched and all relevant knowledge and experiences considered. With 2,000+ members there can't be too many problems that havn't been solved by somebody. Keeps us from having to reinvent the wheel all the time, and cuts down on expensive trial & error. BTW I thought the link Henry posted was well organized . I'll bet one of the moderators or administrators of this site could organize this effort. Just my thoughts. Dan H

How Do You Rewire an 83ZXT After V-8 Conversion? Ross, Dave, Anyone- Please Help!!! What do you do with the existing computer controlled system and fuse box ? Are there wiring kits specifically for this year and model ? Do you basically start from scratch with a total rewire , or can you use some or all of what you have ? Need help from someone with experience/expertise with the 83ZX or similar application. I'm sure the wiring on the 79-83 is different from earlier model years.

The additive that Ron is referring to is called "Water Wetter" by Redline. I have used this product and it did lower my operating temp by about 5-10 deg. It's cheap and available at many auto parts stores, I got mine at Pep Boys, so it's worth a try. Dan H.

I have the metal ones that came from the factory on my 83ZX. I don't think they're aerodynamic, they just provide shade like window blinds in your house. I like the appearance of them but they rattle, which is annoying . Dan H

Are there any chevy air-conditioning units that match up to the 350 sbc and can be fabricated into the ZX? I know this has to be an issue with a lot of Z summer cruisers, especially you guys that have the chick-magnet Z's. I don't think chicks like cars that are 120 deg inside. It makes their hair fall. More input? Dan H

I notice a lot of you HybridZ guys live in the southwest and other hot climate areas. Does anyone have air-conditioning for summer cruising? If so what kind of unit did you use. Do you have a bypass belt for racing? I live in Tulsa where we have about 2-3 months of high 90's and 100+ degree days, so if I want to enjoy cruising I would think that air conditioning would be desirable. Any help on this would be appreciated. Dan H

I am also considering the Holley Commander 950 due to hood clearance problems we have run into with the 383 stroker and Air gap intake in my 83 ZXT. I don't know if it would increase Torgue/HP but the low profile and tunability of the Holley TPI is what caught my interest. I think the cost of that system is about $2,150 or so. What are the advantages and cost of the MPFI systems? Dan H

Dave & Ross I appreciate your posts . This gives us a combination of fabrication and/or upgrade possibilities to consider that won't require cutting the hood. Frankly, I like the shape of the stock ZX hood so I am hoping I can keep it that way, at least for now. As you say Ross every 1/8" adds up to a successful fit. The TPIS Mini-Ram looks inviting. I wonder how much additional torque/HP that might add? Any other input on this subject would be appreciated. I know there will be the right combination. This site is a wealth of information based on experience and lots of trial and error. Just trying to minimize the errors based on the vast experience of the HybridZ guys. Dan H

Greimann Thanks for the reply. I have already invested about $268 for the Edelbrock/Vortec, which came with the engine combination, so I guess I'm kind of stuck with it. If I cut the hole in the hood what kind of modification or scoop do you think would look best and be most functional, or do you think I would be better off just eating the cost of the existing manifold and going with the Performer manifold or going with an EFI setup as you suggested? Dan H

We have a 383 sbc mounted in an 83 ZXT 2+2 using the MSA mounts. The engine is fitted with Vortec heads and an Edelbrock/Vortec Air Gap style intake. Fabricator says that it won't clear the hood even with a drop base air cleaner. We are considering changing to an older style Torker II intake, or sticking with the Vortec Air Gap style but cutting a hole in the hood for clearance. Hopefully someone has had some similar experience and has solved this problem. If not, what would be the pro's and con's of going with either of the two alternatives we are considering if there is no other height clearance solution? I'm not crazy about giving up the Air Gap and I'm not excited about having a hole in the hood right now. Any help would be appreciated. Dan H

I have an 83ZXT 2+2 that is getting a 383 sbc using the MSA mounts. The person doing the fabrication work said he didn't think the JTR would work well. There are still some issues even with using the MSA. We're having to make some compromises on distributor type, intake manifold height and of course header fabrication on the driver side . These are issues caused by clearance limitations. They're not all resolved yet so I can't advise you specifically how we resolved these problems yet . Apparently the 83 280ZXT offers a few more challenges than the earlier Z's, making the swap to the 350 sbc a little more challenging. There have been several others who post to this site that have converted the 83 280ZXT, so perhaps they will lend some insight . Dan H

My dream Z would be to get mine back from the fabricator so I can put the pedal to the metal. I dropped the car off in Phoenix last July and the project is taking much longer than I had hoped. Once I get it back I may add to my dream.

I have the issue. Car Craft does get into more nitty gritty than a lot of the other car mags. Couldn't find where they commented on the F & F movie. What page was that on? Would like to show it to a ricer friend.

Same here. The links didn't connect. Check out the prices of those books at Amazon/Borders. I checked there and at the local Borders and the books were about 20-25% cheaper on-line and Amazon delivered them in 3-4 days. Good reading.

Amusing reading all the comments to this post. I do believe the F&F movie got to a lot of them. Most of the young ricers I know have never even worked on an engine. They rely solely on bolt-ons and bottles, and have no idea what combo's work together well and what combo's fry their pistons. I hate to say it but I think my own kid has bought into Ricermania. Needless to say his days are numbered in this household. ZV-8 and over-hyped rice caddies don't mix. Well it will do him good to get out on his own anyway. His crowd talks 10's and 11's like they're common as shoe sizes. They think the American V-8 went out with Rock&Roll. Toast em every chance you get. DanH

I am having a 383 installed in my 83ZX 2+2 and 700R4 tranny at this time. I agree with the advice that it is probably best to locate a converted Z with most of what you want and upgrade from there. The numbers you are quoting are expensive but realistic if you start from scratch. The reason I am doing the same thing is that I had already owned the ZX, which I purchased new in 83 so it had some family heirloom value. I am in the same boat as you without the tools, space, time, or know-how and could not find anyone in my town that knew anything so I drove the car to Phoenix to a Z-car specialist to have the work done. The fabrication work is labor intensive and expensive. I had an engine builder in Phoenix build basically the same 383/450 HP engine as the Engine Factory for $4,500. Estimated cost of fabrication labor will be over $3,000, cost of all other parts including ignition, carb, cooling, wiring, guages, tranny, driveline, LSD rear, exhaust system, suspension, brakes, etc, etc, will be at least $7,500. All new stuff but very expensive. When I get the car back I'll be into body, paint and stereo stuff, more $$$$$$$. So, my cost will be at the numbers you are looking at. My only justification is that instead of giving away my money to the stock market I thought I'd rather have something to show for it that I could have some fun with. I think if you could find a converted Z you will probably save $10,000 and months of fabrication time. The Z guys that post to this site know what they are talking about and are very helpful. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Good luck on your choice. DanH

Ron How about posting a pic when you get it together. DanH

This is an interesting discussion. Would be good to put everyone on the same playing field for HP claims. I'm having a 383 sbc installed in my 83ZXT 2+2. Builder claims 430-440 HP. Will be anxious to run the numbers for the reality check. Would also like to extend that to performance estimates on the 1/4 mile track but I am not sure what my vehicle weight would be. Any ideas on what an 83ZXT 2+2 with 383 sbc (iron vortec heads), 700R4 would weigh in at? DanH

Grumpy I ordered 4 of the 5 books you recommended through Amazon/Borders. One of them wasn't in stock. They were about 25% cheaper on-line than in the local Border's store. On one of your links I noticed 2 more books by David Vizard called How To Build Horsepower Vol's 1 & 2. Are you familiar enough with these to recommend them or not? I have a long way to go to get up the learning curve so I'm interested in getting all the useful information I can while waiting patiently (anxiously) to get my 383 ZX converted. DanH