Xnke

If it's not titled as a '69 or clearly a series I car, then it's just another engineless shell and it's worth what it's worth in your area. If it was in perfect condition, it *might* bring 8K as a running, driving, nicely painted car with a good interior. I paid 1000$ for a running, driving shell with rusted out floor pans, poor interior, and heavy body damage. (I didn't know about the body damage until the car arrived.)

Hoping to get a second fuel rail made up tomorrow evening, complete with regulator. I'm still waiting on some stainless steel line to remake the fuel feed and return lines; but we'll see when it gets here. Lots of work to do, and only a few weeks to do it in...the car should be ready to drive to Branson by the 25th of May!

MSA has them, as well as rarespares in Oz.

As if it's a difficult or expensive thing to get the proper safety gear for painting. The cartridges suitable for urethane are 7$, the plain activated carbon ones are 4$... Yes, just like any strong chemical, you need safety gear. The Low-VOC crap is just that...crap. If you need Low-VOC, shoot waterbase. It's a completely different type of paint in every way, including how it's layed down. I can't make it look right, but my buddy can't do urethane and get it right...but for him waterbase is easy. Wish I'd had HIM paint the car, instead of the people who did do it. I'll agree, reluctantly, that lacquer based paints can last. I've been very disappointed in them, but there are enough examples out there that I can't condemn them based on all the inferior qualities they possess. But still, when there are all the good quality single-stage urethanes out there today, why even bother with all the extra work of lacquer? (which, by the way, is JUST as toxic as the isocyanates in urethane, it's just not as quick to kill you. It prefers to maim first.)

It certainly is, Tony. it's only still red because it's actually on fire, and the bus is so damn cool it just continues to burn...forever. Seriously though, Lacquer based paints are the weakest, most poorly adhered paints you can use. The newer systems were developed for a reason. Spraying a proper urethane isn't any harder than doing a lacquer job, nor is it any more expensive. Urethane Steps: Prime, sand, block, prime, sand, color coat, color sand, clear. Buff. Lacquer steps: Prime, sand, block, prime, sand, color coat, color sand, color coat, color sand, color coat, color sand, color coat, color sand, buff. The only thing easier about lacquer is removing it.

I run cut springs on my car...it's not a big deal. Just be sure you understand fully what you are doing and how you are doing it. Take the spring off the car, measure the length, diameter, and number of coils, and calculate the current spring rate. Then figure how much you need to drop it, check to see that you have enough suspension travel before you cut them, and then figure your new spring rate and length. I am running 1982 Chevy Chevette Diesel front springs on all four corners, trimmed to provide the ride height that I desire. These are a much higher spring rate than stock and will provide a ride that borders on harsh when using the stock struts. What's wrong with the multitude of aftermarket springs out there? They're not expensive.

Start with the factory design, and see if that works for you. if it doesn't, insulate the factory design. If that doesn't help, add more shielding, or spot cooling.

I have about a quart of what we used to use on old data racks and equipment...that stuff is seriously tough.

I tried a few more o-rings, but wasn't able to find any that worked. The rail got broken beyond repair while I tried to sleeve the ports, I split it while pressing the sleeves in. Had one hole not drilled quite deep enough and right as the sleeve went flush the rail popped and had a split running the length of it. New rail stock is sitting next to me as I type this.

Be careful with aftermarket RB flywheels...there are some that actually register on the 36mm small pilot on the crank, like the KA flywheel does, and they are cut oversize to fit over the end of the crankshaft. I have one of these and needed to bush it down 0.75mm to get it to fit properly, but it balances out very nicely and accepts the 250mm clutch disk with no issues whatsoever.

The correct ID for the holes is 10.90mm. 10.75mm is *just* too small. New fuel rail stock showed up today, so I'll just make another rail.

Here's some shots of how I did the gauge cups for this conversion. After making those few tweaks to the speedo drive circuit, this was the next challenge. Getting started. Heat up some 4.5" PVC pipe and shove a quart paint can inside it. Dunk in water, and beat the paint can back out of it. Turn it down to fit in the bezel: Fits! I hole-sawed the back of the Maxima cluster out around the speedo and tach mounting points, leaving me with a circle-ish chunk with the mounting points intact. This leaves me with a nice backing plate to use. The backing plate was then mounted to the gauge, and the whole assembly fitted into the bezel. Then the backing plate was then taped up with aluminum foil tape, used for ductwork, because it's stiff enough to hold it in place during handling, like so: Now, the gauge is removed from the backing plate, and we have a nice little channel to fill full of JB weld to permanently secure the backing plate. Like this: After letting it harden up for a few hours, this is the result: The bezel fits perfectly over the gauge, but the bezel needs to be sanded and painted, since the little lip inside had to be filed out to allow the shine-through type backlit face to fit correctly...the original gauges are opaque and the light wraps around a gap around the edge of the face. Still working on getting the gauges lit correctly.

Well, according to Eaton the HP drive at 7000RPM should be about 36HP. I'm only 25, but have a lot of old tools laying around. I'm thinking I may drill and dowel the crank 180* from the woodruff key, so that in the future I can get the crank properly keywayed and the damper to match, when the crank comes out of the car. (I can key the damper here, and I can do the crank here, but I can't do the crank while it's still in the car.)

I can fit the 6-speed to the L block. It's not just a simple front case swap...I need the 6 speed transmission AND an L-series FS5W71B front case only, and the L-series front case won't be coming home. (at least the 6 speed front case, input shaft, and front bearing retainer. The rest of the transmission isn't required to get the front case fitting correctly, but those three parts are.) The 6-speed case is NOT a simple front case swap, and requires some pretty heavy fabrication work. The clutch is the same. No problem there. Clutch slave cylinder is the same, no problem there. Early S15 6-speeds can use the Z's sending unit, as long as you remove the speedometer drive gear and have it bored for the larger output shaft. The early boxes have a cover bolted over the speedo sending unit hole, and the output shaft is machined to accept the speedo drive gear, but no gear is installed. You will need the matching S15 driveshaft yoke, as the S15 6 speed output shaft is larger. 1 1/8" versus 1" The transmission ends up longer than the B box, but shorter than the C box, when installed behind the L28. The 6-speed transmission is not fantastically strong...many of the SR guys swap back to the FS5W71C due to power issues. There is a problem with the shift forks not staying put and a circlip or two that like to jump out and cause havoc. This stuff starts happening about 350HP, you can buy the Nismo 6 speed and it won't happen til about 450HP. I've seen the 5-gear box working behind SR's and KA's up to 400HP if you're gentle with the clutch, and up to 350HP if you're a total jerk to the gearbox. The 6-gear box isn't any weaker, but it's fantastically expensive to rebuild when it explodes at the same power level the 5-gear box does. If you're not planning on more than 300HP, then the 6-gear box can be a fun option. I know when I find a good deal on the box, I'll make another bellhousing and get it installed into my own Z!

There are several threads on hybridZ involving those parts. I actually found that info here, as posted by NZeder, I think. He was trying to find a way to make the Nismo 30 Spline LSD work. You can always just order that axle from the parts store too. That still doesn't solve the stub axle problem, but I think there is another easy solution for that too...not sure yet. As for it being a real option, I've been driving on that solution for a year now. I'd hope it was real!

If you use mild steel (filing cabinet metal) then you will need to paint it or have it plated...it will not polish to the same level as stainless nor will it remain bright.

Snailed, You mean drilling from the front of the crank, back alongside the crankshaft, and driving a roll pin into place? Now I understand. That can be done!

Wow. At first, I didn't think 700$ was out of line...But I do now. That's two flat plates of 11ga steel, looks about...cut out with a plasma cutter (took all of three minutes to draw them on and cut them out), edges cleaned up, holes drilled and powdered black. For 700$. The interior doesn't even look to have been disturbed at all! Surely for 700$ we're missing something. Even at 100$ an hour I'm seeing a 330-350$ job. EDIT: I don't mean to sound cheap...but really, if that's all there is to a professional shop mounting those seats into the car, I can't help but wonder how much of that is "restomod" tax...And Yes, Drax, I *HAVE* mounted seats into a Z, and gotten them positioned where they needed to be, and got the doors to close correctly without hitting them, or bumping the driver's head. I'm actually about to do it again, and I am quite familiar with how much time it *can* take to get them right! I just don't see a 700$ job there.

That's not a water inlet gasket, for certain. Match it up against a spare distributor base or timing cover and I bet it fits.

As I was taught for all solid valvetrains... A tappy tappet is a happy tappet!

That's a distributor base gasket.

I have a spare crankshaft here that will be getting prepared for eventual insertion into the next engine, which will be specifically built for the supercharger application. The crank has been magnafluxed already, and has minor wear marks from the rear main seal. The front snout will be converted to a single key system before it goes in. I am looking into machining the rear of the crankshaft as well, to fit a 36mm snout on the back of the crank to more positively locate the flywheel...this is commonly done in japan by a few different methods, but I am not sure which method I will choose yet. Still not sure what you mean, Tony, I can't think of any way to "double key" the crank pulley without removing the crankshaft to machine it. I used to have a hand-operated keyway slotter, kind of like a drawknife but it was sized for SBC applications. it took A Long Time, but you could key the crank snout in the car with it.

I would RUN FAST from any shop that advocates any kind of lacquer paint for a car. It is absolutely the WEAKEST paint system you can put on a car. Don't be satisfied with anything less than a PROPER acrylic urethane, unless this is a paint it now and sell it later job. Then you might as well rattle-can it, it'll last just as long. Lacquer paint is common on "classic" cars because when you get a scratch, just shoot a little lacquer over it and rub it out. No more scratch. But spill brake fluid on it? Kiss your paint goodbye in minutes. At least the urethane gives you a couple hours before it gets eaten off. Gasoline? Ruins it VERY fast. Sunlight? fades it out in a few years...going to have to polish off the faded layer...Hope you put on a LOT of layers! If this is a car you are going to be DRIVING, then you will want a urethane paint SYSTEM. DO NOT allow the painter to use a lacquer based primer because it's cheap...it WILL NOT work. I had my car painted at a shop because I was fed up with doing the bodywork and just wanted to drive the car. I took them all the supplies, matched together by the local paint shop to be compatible together. They sprayed the car in my urethane buff primer, THEN INSTEAD OF CALLING ME to say they needed another color to block with, they shot the car in blue-grey lacquer primer and sanded the car out. Everywhere that was shot in the lacquer is now peeling off, two years later. Anywhere the car was NOT lacquered is still very firmly adhered and shows no problems at all. Unfortunately, even legal action didn't get my car painted properly, so when I can't handle it anymore I'll have to sand the whole car back down through the lacquer and seal, re-prime, and re-paint. Bottom of the story: lacquer paint products do not belong on a car you want to keep looking nice and still drive.

Awesome! I have a KA crank bolt on order, with a proper thick washer machined and hardened to RC38-40 from 1045 to match. I think the double-keyway would weaken the damper more than it would help, given that the damper doesn't have all that much wall thickness to begin with. As we've said in the past, any time you rely on the keyway to lock the damper in place, it's going to fail...proper clamping force should be what retains the damper. I'm thinking along the lines you are...Loctite 608 to fix the damper in place, increased thread engagement from the longer KA bolt, and higher clamping force from the thicker, stronger washer that doesn't flex combined with a nominal increase in tightening torque. Also, I've been reading about the oil slinger causing a loose damper condition, have you had that issue Tony? Supposedly the oil slinger frets on the pulley, disintegrating and suddenly causing a loose damper condition. I'm still running one, as I've not had any issues out of it yet. I'm thinking when the damper gets swapped out, I'll pluck it out of there if it is showing any kind of wear at all.

By end of april you can come up to BG and have a go in what should be about a 250-270HP Z, too. I'm in Nashville occasionally, but it's uncommon for me to drive the Z down there...usually I'm in NashVegas on a trip to the pull-a-part!