boatbum

Thanks for the starting points. I did some searching for Distributors and TPS and found a ton of stuff. I will play with it again next week and see what comes out. Thanks! Teo

TeeZee, Thanks! I ended up riveting them this morning. It looks pretty good. I also mounted the cheek panels/front fenders. The rear tub fits pretty well and I have set it temporarily with a few sheet metal screws. Looks like the new project is some glass work on the tub to fill the fuel door opening and to fill the door handle holes on the door skins. It is coming along. Thanks again! Teo

Tom, Actually the show was Vegas and the parking spot in his apartment in back of the Desert Inn was tiled but the rest of the apartment was carpeted (I just have about 10-12 years on you) I decided this weekend that the Z door handles are toast. I will probably do the tab style handles but might also do a solenoid shave kit. All I know is that those holes are getting filled and I will be doing my first fiberglass next week - this week I am heading to Florida for a little boating. Trying to spend 2 weeks on the car and 1 weekend sailing just to mix it up Any GTO builder in Lauderdale or Miami - I buy the drinks if I can see your car I do want to see those pics when you get those parts done. Thanks and have an awesome week! Teo

78 280z with stock engine. It had been sitting for a few years and I just got it running last week for my Velo Rossa project. The muffler is off but the "pre-muffler" is still on. Anyway - I fires right up and idles great and sounds fine but when you give it gas - it it goes as high as about 1800 - 2000 rpms and hesitates. I did the usual to get it running, drained oil and gas and put oil in spark plug holes before turning it by hand. Drained and purged old gas and ran new gas through lines before hooking the fuel line back to the fuel rail. I am not a mechanic and would like some insight as to where to start looking. BTW - compression is fine. Thanks for any input.

Morning, We got the reinforcement structure welded in yesterday for the Velo Rossa. Looks really good and stiffened the frame right up - I will post pics later on what we did. We actually used some seriously stout metal for the reinforcement (11 - 14 gauge) and welded plates on the sheet metal to distribute loads. He did a great job. One question though. What are the options on opening up the wheel wells? I have every cut and tabbed back and we ground it clean - but we could not get the welder low enough to weld the sheet metal to sheet metal without burning through. Is it ok to rivet it and then when foaming the rear tub hold it additionally? Comments and suggestions appreciated. My welder is awesome but we just could not get those tabs together. Thanks, Teo

Tim, Thanks for the heads up - so this is a universal type alignment tool? Our shops here in the Midwest have never even heard of a Z. I will back in So Cal at least once more before Xmas and will be stopping into MSA anyway. Any advice on where to pick up the clutch hose/tube? That is one piece I haven't found yet. Thanks again. You guys here are HybridZ are making it cake to put together my Velo Rossa and I am saving tons of cash while doing it! Teo

Thanks Tim, TeeZ and Mike, I will also be doing this - actually to ditch the Auto and put in a '78 5 speed and clutch in my '78. You guys all clarified this for me. I might actually be able to pull it off now instead of paying the mech $$$ to do it. Thanks for the input and I will probably be picking up the alignment tool from MSA. Teo

TeeZee, You are making my head hurt with your little nagging of TH LMAO. Seriously - I am glad to see a little humor on this board so I smile instead of thinking of all the work I have to do when I want to be working on the car. Let's hope we get a little global warming and John gets the VR back and we can throw some of this cold your way. It has been snowing in MN and while I need the snow (so that I am motivated to work) - I also need some clear weather so I can get the summer cars and my boats into storage. Then I can move the VR into the shop for some serious progress! Zvette - the pics I think we want are of the honda latches with the metal tabs connected so we can see how the horizontal movement becomes verticle to throw the push rod. I got a good idea from speedracer but I think TeeZee still has hood hinge alignment on his brain because someone should have gotten a VR front end instead of a MacBurnie - Just teasing - don't flame me too bad here

Thanks Speedracer! You just solved my headache! I just could not "see" how the parts in the diagram came together. Thanks! Teo

TeeZee - Heck - I don't know about TomoHawk but I am just about ready to fly to NC just to see those ^%$#@ door latches so I can sleep better ZVette - welcome to the GTO world and maybe you can post some pics of those hood hinges so TeeZee can start getting some work done instead of spending all his time aligning the hood!

Ok - so who has a pic of this MG latch? I saw the honda latches last week in SD on a VR and they looked good. The guy had disabled the locks from the inside so you had to use the key to lock it. I've been looking at the diagram and trying to figure out how it works and it gives me a major headache. Has anybody got those latches figured out yet Teo

I am out in San Diego this week and was checking out a few VRs that were built and in process since I have never actually seen a car. Anyway - I found a kit that was never built that the guy is thinking he won't have the time to build it. Since the current status of the VR is up for grabs, he may sell it. If you are interested - buzz me offline and I can put you in touch with him. Teo

TOMOHAWK, I am in San Diego right now - but I get back on Thurs - catch me off line and I might be able to hook you up with some stuff but I don't want to say anything on the board. Teo

And thanks to Speedracer - the diagram is on my site: http://www.boatblender.com/cars/images/Ferrari%20Door%20Handle%20Mechanism.jpg Whoever is the first to try - make sure you document it and take lots of pics - it looks a little tricky. Teo

I should clarify that I am talking about the kinda kidney shaped can in the back connected to the fuel filler and gas tank. Not the carbon Canistor in the engine bay - just in case it wasn't clear. Thanks, Teo

Ok - so probably doesn't belong here but you all have been great help. Can I remove that fuel vapor canistor? Is there a smaller one available from another car? The current canistor takes alot of space in the trunk area now that the top is cut off. Just trying to clean up the car and need all the space in that trunk for my golf clubs and my cordless drills Also - if this should be posted somewhere else let me know. Thanks, Teo

Thanks Speedracer! John Washington has all the original GTORR and has promised me a set when he digs it out. He has just sold his shop so stuff is a little hard to find. When you get the data scanned in - I am happy to host if you need a spot. Thanks, Teo

Welcome Chelle - And once my car is ready to roll - hopefully in the spring I am all over some type of get together. John Washington has revised his site http://www.reactionresearch.com/automotive.html Let's hope he gets his molds back and restarts the VR!! I also have begun documenting my project at http://www.boatblender.com/cars/vr_project/vr_project.htm If anybody has sites they want linked, I am happy to add it and will bribe John to add it as well.

Thanks for the encouragement I do have a few questions if you don't mind. 1. There are 2 styles of reinforcement on the VR - the older style runs 1x4 along the frame rail horizontally with a diagonal tied to that and the rear strut tower. The newer style ties a diagonal to the rear strut tower down to a small plate welded to the frame rail without the horizontals. - any experiences either way? 2. Anybody got strut isolaters from a 240 for the rear struts. Using the short isolator will be easier then sectioning the rears and I am striking out finding them cheap - Don't want to pay MSA prices . 3. If you have a page of VR projects - let me know and I will get John post it on his http://www.reactionresearch.com/automotive.html Thanks for all the help and I am still trying to get ahold of the old GTORR newsletters with the instructions for a honda door tab pull. If I can't figure it out - I might just use the same VW trunk latch non functional with a shave kit.

Had a great weekend - in addition to pulling out the boats here in MN and getting them winterized along with many other chores from the wife - we got the top cut off the VR project, and got the motor running. Thanks to Tom, another HybridZer from Minnesota, we figured out the fuel line problem and now the motor sounds good. We weren't even sure if it would start but it came right alive - Changed the oil, coolant, etc and then poured in Marvel Mystery Oil in the plugs and let it soak in for a few days. Turned it by hand with plugs out and then fired her up! Next step is a compression check and off to the welders for the frame supports. A few pics on the project are here: http://www.boatblender.com/cars/vr_project/vr_project.htm

Damn - I have to find the picture of my next door neighbors daughter putting his convertible into the lake earlier this year. Not as cold but definitely as STUPID. She rolled right down the driveway into the lake and didn't think to put her foot on the brake They came over for help towing it out and I made them wait while I took pics of the turtle coming out of the water and up the bumper!

Ask around for your parents friends who have a small business. They might have chores to do and if they are like me they may have a hard time finding kids who want to work. I always have grunt work for kids to do - fill boxes, sort files, etc. definitely boring but it does look good on the app when they want a "real job" My current worker is 14 and works a day or two a week for me but now has the whole neighborhood hiring him to help with the garage cleanup, cutting lawns, raking leaves, etc. He put right at $5K in the bank for his car this summer. His dad and I were talking about how my last worker moved and I couldn't find another school kid. If you work hard - people will find work for you. Just my $.02

T-Z, Great idea for the template! Are the lights the kind of trailer lights that have the black plastic trim rings on them? Post a pic if you get a chance. I have been thinking about going with the bullet style lights but $12 is better than $140. Teo

The adult in me is coming out and I have add my $.02 here. I invented and sell a portable blender which could be interpreted to promoted drinking and driving. But I gotta tell you that I am absolutely against D and D. While in my very reckless 20's a group of us were out partying in San Diego and my best friend decided that she should drive because she had only had 2 glasses of wine that whole night. She got busted driving the rest of us home - blew the limit exactly - lost her license for 6 months - spent a year of weekends cleaning up trash and park bathrooms and lost her sales job. Not to mention that insurance killed her for 5 more years. I should also mention that I got hit by a drunk driver who then fled the scene and only broke 27 of my bones - I hear he is due out of prison soon. Bottom line - I have a strict 2 drink minimum (I'm 6'5" and 250) if I have a remote chance of driving. A cab is way cheaper than the cost of hurting someone. Keep it safe.

Thanks TZ - I was hoping that would be right. What is your experience with bonding the door skins and the rear tub? The guy who did a bunch of work on the '64 speedster for us was very against using the foam and epoxy. He was pretty adamant about using glass to tie it all together. Just cannot afford his shop rates to have it do it. Anyway - I have seen quite a bit of differing opinions on the way to do it (on this site) but John Washinton seems to think that everglass for bonding does a great job.