grndfx

Mastersmechanic, I am impressed that you had the 'stones' to undertake this. I have been in the automotive restyling business for many years and have made all kind of molds - using fiberglass, epoxy and modern RTV silicons. To take on such an extensive project with little or no experience has to be commended - if your going to try something, then go big! I like that. There are all number of mold releases and waxes available to the tooling industry, but I think in your situation had you first applied a coating of PVA - polyvinyl alcohol(Partall Film #10) and then used a few coats of mold release, your mold would have come away clean. PVA is widely available and your fiberglass material supplier probably carries it as well. It came be sprayed on or even brushed on, and when dry creates a thin protective film over the surface you are trying to mold. It is not effected by polyester resin and when you demold, the film washes away with water. I know this is too late for you Mastersmechanic, but for anyone else thinking of doing a similar thing consider using PVA first, especially if its your first go. Steve.

Thanks for the response. I understand that as a long term member of the site you must see the same questions being asked over and over, but you help is appreciated and your input was useful. Although I had searched the topic before I posted the thread, I had not come across the relevant info I needed. Your reference to combustion chamber size gave me the direction to find what I needed. I now know that the N42 head uses the same valves as the P90 head but has a combustion chamber of 53.6cc compared to 44.6cc on the N42. I had previously thought that the lower compression in the turbo motor came from the dished pistons, but I now see why the P90 head would not be a suitable swap for the N42. This link was very helpful in acquiring the various specs for the L series engines ... Z Engine Specs Maybe this thread will be read in a future search by someone, and the answer will not need to be asked again.

Currently a friend is running a standard '79 280ZX EFI with automatic trans. He has recently acquired an old '76 280Z that someone had put a turbo motor in but without the turbo - F54 block and P90 head. The P90 head needs rebuilding, but is it worth using it on the 280ZX ? Has anyone just put the P90 on a L28 with EFI and was it worth it. With an auto trans would you see any real benefit. At this point in time they're not looking to a load of major engine building work with the 280ZX, and the 280Z needs a fair amount of general work before its ready to drive. So at this point in time is it worth swapping the P90 to the ZX while the Z is worked upon. I know there's lots of opinion on how best to use the P90 - turbo, triples, SU's, etc; but as a straight swap does it realize any drivable gain? And with the auto trans would it just be a waste of effort. Done some searching on the forum and read the various post about using the P90 head, which was very informative, but would like to hear from anyone that has actually done this and whether they saw any real difference. Thanks for your time, and I look forward to peoples input. Steve.

PM answered. Hood Vents are in stock and we will continue to offer them to HybridZ members for the special price of $100 for the remainder of the year.

Gr8White brings up several good points regarding the installation of our hood vents, but its not quite as dramatic as he may have said (but thanks for your input, Gr8White). When we designed our vents we used the factory hood openings as the basis for the overall shape and fitment. We wanted to create a replacement that would be as easy to install as taking the factory one out and putting our one in. But we have installed these vents on a regular Z hood with no openings, and I know of another member of the forum that has installed them on a fiberglass Z hood. His install was documented here ..... http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=121612 To get hold of a later 280Z hood would be one option. The stamped recess and mount holes would make it a snap to install our vents But if you feel confident about cutting sheet metal and are careful, you could put these in a regular hood. We initially put them in our 240Z and had to do exactly that. All that you really need to do is cut a hole that will allow the vents to sit down flush with the surface. Positioning that hole will need to be worked out (watch out for the underhood structure - you dont want to have to cut that) but its no too hard ... if your familiar with this kind of work! If your a total novice who hasn't done any bodywork, you may want to take it to your local body & paint shop for them to do. If it helps, here are the dimensional specs ... Thank you for asking this question, Pomorza. And to Gr8White for your help. Steve.

Thanks to everyone that ordered a set of vents and posted on the site about how happy they were with their purchase. Although we worked hard to get a high quality part produced , it is ultimately how they are received by the public that matters. And we are pleased to say that the response has been great. We've sold quite a few sets now to members of the forum, even some going overseas. We are currently arranging to have the hood vents available through Motorsport Auto again, but we will continue the special offer to HybridZ members for one more week. Any PM requests for vents received and responded to with a Paypal invoice by Midnight Sunday 20th September, will get the special discount rate of $100 plus shipping. After that, vents will still be available but at the regular price of $125. Thanks again Steve.

As misterZ explained. the grill material could easily be swapped out for something different. The vents are supplied with 1/16 (.063') aluminum perf (1/4" holes on 5/16 centers - giving 58% openness). We played with various mesh materials before settling on this on - its firm and rugged to withstand life on the cars exterior, wont rust, and allows for plenty of airflow. We liked the look of a thinner honeycomb mesh that could be manipulated into a more 3D shape, but felt it was much to soft to withstand the rigors of life on a car. The grill material supplied was chosen for its ability to withstand life out in all the elements, but the vents can accomdate any material up to 1/16 thinkness. And just to update everyone - we've already shipped out a half dozen hood vent sets, but we've still got more available so dont panic if you haven't ordered yet.

Good News !! We have finally got our production process sorted out and all the gremlins have been dealt with. Product is now on the shelf and orders are being taken. Yeah! Now if everybody can form an orderly line, and please ... no pushing or shoving. ........................................... As promised, HybridZ members are being offered the new Hood Vents first, and at a initial special discounted price. We plan to retail these vents at the same $125 price that the old ones sold for (costings work out about the same, even when produced in house). But as a way of thanking members for their patience, we will initially offer them to HybridZ members for the special introductory price of only $100 (plus shipping) We are going to try and make this a simple as possible. If you want to get a set, send me a PM with your shipping zip code (or country) and a suitable email address that I can send a Paypal invoice to. Please don't post in this thread saying you want a set, send me a PM. To obtain the special discounted price, requests for vents must come through HybridZ as a PM. We currently have several sets boxed and ready to ship, and are producing more on a daily basis. The vents come complete with grill material and hardware for installation. I'm sure there will be questions, and those will be addressed within the thread. This has been a long journey of discovery for us - new materials and production processes to learn, and their problems and issues to overcome - but its been worth it. We are happy with the results and feel we can once again offer the Z community a quality product at a reasonable price. I'd like to personally thank everyone for their support and continued interest throughout this endeavor. Steve.