74_5.0L_Z

Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An SFI scattershield just moved to the top of my priority list.

I used 2.5" x 0.085 wall square mild steel tubing for my subframe. The cage tubing interior to the car is 1.625 x 0.120 wall 4130 steel, the hoop at the firewall is 1.625 x 0.083 4130, and all of the tubing forward of that is 1.625 x 0.065 4130 steel.

If you are talking about symbol that looks like this: --)|-- (only with an arrow through it), then it is an adjustable capacitor. Without the arrow, it is just a capacitor. The one above it is a three position switch

Jolane is correct. You have one too many degrees of freedom in your set-up. What you can do is cut the stock tension compression rods down and keep just the ends that bolts to the control arms. Cut them so that you have about 6" of rod after the bend, and have the 5/8-18 threads turned on the rods. Then of course you will need two new (5/8-18 tube adapters). Bolt the ends in the stock location, and thread them into your tubes.

Thanks for the praises of my work. It means a bunch after all the time and money involved. I use the stock rack and pinion and stock front crossmember(with the LCA mod). The suspension mounting points are the same as stock except for the following: The top of the front strut towers have been moved aft by 3/4" to increase caster. The angle of the strut tower top has been increase from 13.75 degrees to 15 degrees. The T/C rod pivot at the body has been moved upwards 3/4" and out 1/4". The drawing of the main hoop is the exact drawing that mine was made from. It fits VERY, VERY tight. One thing that is not shown on the drawing is the angle cut on the bottom. My bar is installed leaning back 10 degrees, so the bottom of the main hoop has a 10 degree cut to match.

I have several pictures of the car in my member's gallery. http://album.hybridz.org/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=7833 and a couple in my garage http://forums.hybridz.org/vbgarage.php?do=view&id=7833

I am in the process of putting the Subtle Z fiberglass fenders and quarters on my car. After that is complete, I am planning to buy some wider wheels to try and take advantage of the extra space. Unfortunately, all the wheels these days seem to be 7" wide or 20" in diameter. My old wheels are 15 x 8 and 16 x8 and have 245/45/16 tires mounted on them. I would like to find some 15 or 16 inch wheels that are nine to ten inches wide and decently light so that I can use 275/45/16 tires. So far the only decent option that I have found are Real Racing wheels (wide 5 with an adapter). Any suggestions?

I can easily fit a strut bar because the distributor cap is behind the centerline of the strut towers. I can fit it either between the intake and distributor or between the distributor and water neck. When I still had the stock strut towers, I ran a strut tower brace between the intake and distributor. I don't use a strut tower brace now because I don't need it. The engine plate ties the two strut towers together.

Try this thread: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=75481&highlight=angle

If you would have searched this forum using "Best 5.0L" you would have come across the following thread that offers very well thought out and thorough answers: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=75349&highlight=5.0L It's amazing what you can find here using the search function. There are very thorough post regarding just about any topic that you can think up. So, if you have a question, please start by using the seach function. Also, I have seen the upper intake reversed(stock intake). I considered doing just that but decided against it. Dan McGrath

I too am interested in this subject. I currently have the RCI polyurethane cell (16 gallons), and unless I keep it nearly full, I have fuel starvation problems. Several ideas have occured to me: First, simply replace the "cheap" RCI cell with a good ATL of Fuel safe unit that was designed for road racing. ($500 - $1000) Second, modify my current cell to a accept ATLs "Black Box" sump and pump combination. (~400.00). Design and build my own tank (aluminum) that has walls similar to those that Terry described (~400.00 in materials and labor). Jolane had the following concern: "My concern though was refilling the walled area. If the car was to be in a turn for a decent amount of time, will the walled area become completely drained?" Most fuel injection systems use a pump that flows more fuel than the engine uses. The extra fuel is returned to the fuel tank. This fuel can be directed into the boxed area to help keep it replenished.

For rotational forces, it gets more difficult. Ideally, you would want to run a "Petty Bar" that runs diagonally across the passenger compartment (from the driver's side strut tower to the front of the passenger side rocker panel). Unfortunately, this isn't a good solution for a street or dual purpose car. My car is now primarily an autocross car, but I still like to drive it occasionally. The chassis in my car was completely rebuilt after I wrecked the front end so my solution is a little extreme. I built a tubular front end, installed a square tubing frame, and mounted the engine using plates that tie the strut towers together.

400 ft-lbs of torque does not sound like much as far as twisting force on a frame, but when it gets magnified by the transmission and differential gear ratios, the forces get big fast. For instance, my car has 330 ft-lbs of torque at the crankshaft, has a first gear ratio of 3.35:1, and a differential gear ratio of 3.545:1. In first gear (assuming that the tire don't spin), the frame has to react a longitudinal twisting torque of 330 x 3.35 = 1100 ft-lbs. The frame also has to react a twisting force of the differential around the axles of 330 x 3.35 x 3.545 = 3918 ft-lbs. This last number is the reason that Z's with big torque and big traction crack where the hatch and roof are joined. To me, the best stiffening for a drag car is a six or eight point roll bar that ties into(and triangulates) the rear strut towers, and ties into the front and rear of the rocker panels.

I encountered that same interference problem with my Centerline Billet Scorpion wheels after I installed the 25mm spacer. My 16" wheels clear fine. Both sets of wheels are 8' wide and have a 5" backspace. I think the clearance problem is caused by the combination of diameter and backspace. The manufacturer probably envisioned a 15" wheel with the stock 3 7/8" backspace when they established fitment.

I just ordered the last set of filled fiberglass headlight buckets from Dave at Arizona Zcar. I have decided to blend them in to the front fenders. I still have to decide what I want to do about headlights. I may relocate some small diameter headlights into the grill area, or cut some holes and do something akin to Terry Oxendale's first version of his "street" body. I'll be sure to update this thread after I get the headlight buckets installed.

Dan, I know that you have the SubtleZ front end on your car, and that the seam has been filled. Where did you get your extensions? I'm not sure that I want to fill the seam. I like the way that it looks, but I want to be able to replace the extension if (when) I screw up again. ArizonaZcar sells fiberglass extensions. Has anyone here used his fender entensions. How is the fit / quality? I am pondering using his filled extensions, but he states that he won't ship his fiberglass parts on the web site. Maybe he would for such small pieces. MSA sells fiberglass extensions, but they are listed for 162.00/ea. That seems to be a bit expensive unless the fit is perfect, and they laminated in gold. There are also the ones made by ShowCarBody Parts, but I have heard that all their stuff is crap. John Washington, I would buy fiberglass extensions from you if you made them (I'm sure that many others would as well).