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I bought the Square wave TIG 175 by Lincoln. I find it welds anything quite well. It was pricey at almost two grand and runs on 240 volt. It takes a lot of power to weld aluminium as the parts soak up plenty of heat. So don’t skimp on the machine. It has paid for itself over time and was very instrumental in building my car but I now have a minor sideline of welding my kids friends seadoo parts back together. It would be the last tool I’ll part with. Happiness for me is a full argon bottle. Cheers…:::Glenn

hey I'm 5' 8" and need blocks on the pedals!

Nice work on the car and video…I like the natural barrier at the end of the track…nice country

It cost me $150 CDN or about $110 USD. All he had to do was cut it in the lathe and TIG weld then end back on. However he is the best we have around here. I had to buy the shaft as well. It cost me a six pack to have it checked. In comparison the steel half shafts ran me $50 for the pair, cut and balanced at the other shop. Hope this helps.

I am using a shortened Aerostar aluminum shaft with Chevy joints. The joints just matched out that way. I had it cut by a competent race shop for a large price. I then had the balance checked by another shop as it had no weights on it. Perfect. I worry because this shaft is driven by a double overdrive to a 411 rear. Spins very fast. I have had no complaints in 4 seasons of abuse. Cheers…:::Glenn

Hi Chelle: I know what you mean about the parts guys…it’s the same at Jag. Mahogany counter with a brass doorbell. I get more info in the side door talking to the mechanics before some guy dressed in tweed asks me if he can help me…out. Thanks for the education on BMW. I know they make fine engines and you won’t be disappointed once it’s up and running. Keep us posted. I think Gordon Murray would have specified a dry sump for the F1 to obtain a lower CG. Cheers…:::Glenn

Just a thought Chelle: I assumed you asked the BMW parts desk if there is a rear sump pan available for a different model. Which BMW did you get the V12 from? …:::Glenn

I switched to Perelli's as well...problem solved Cheers...:::Glenn

Dale's V12/GTO Hi Dale: I didn’t have to cut the fire wall but I did have to whack it pretty hard just below the heater core to fit in my home made bell housing. If you are using something stock you should be OK. What transmission are you using? The rotors and callipers were from a 92 Camaro with home built calliper holders. Too heavy! Try the 1990 Toyota 4 runner calliper with an 84 300zx rotor. It looks like your exhaust manifold(s) might interfere with the steering column. The body looks great. The carbs look simply incredible! Get the car as high as you can for that trial fit. That engine/transmission combination is a long one. I even thought about dropping the car over the engine at one point. But it does fit eventually. Good luck. Cheers…:::Glenn

Get well soon Mike. We all get cuts from our progets, but when you get layed up that is serious. Hope to see you back at work on the car soon. Cheers...:::Glenn

Thanks John: I think I will hang on to the car for a bit…at least until it’s finished. Are they ever finished? I have a couple of Isky cams to put in and it needs paint bad. This will be the last car I will build. I’m going to hang on to the woman I have now as she is very special to me. I really wouldn’t know how much to ask for this car. When it had an eight in it I figured the asking price would be less than a 944 or 928S. But now the Zs are getting rare and the prices are going up. If we all got together like a small version of OPEC we could drive the prices up. It would be a good topic to post. I have your number you can pull it off the post and if things change your number one. Cheers…:::Glenn

I wouldn't mind seeing them too! Cheers...:::Glenn

Hi Scott: I was using the Edelbrock vara-injection on a big block with too much compression. It was nothing more than an electronic controller, windshield washer bottle and a washer pump and a brass nozzle. The hole in the nozzle was much smaller than a wiper unit. It doesn’t take much water to cool the fuel charge. I had to clean it with a needle from time to time. I used a gallon of washer fluid every time I fueled the car. I also carried spare fluid as you can sure tell when you have run out. The car is gone but I still have the manual if you're interested. The diagrams are only of down draft carbs. Cheers…:::Glenn

"One thing that is commonly overlooked by most racers is the matter of heat retention in the exhaust pipes. We have to remember that as soon as the combusted gasses leave the chamber, they start to cool down. As they cool, they lose velocity, and the scavenging effect is reduced. If the velocity of the gasses inside the pipes is kept as high as possible, the net effect will be a greater velocity, greater pressure drop in the system and higher efficiency. For the past several years we have been experimenting with many types of devices that can be used to insulate the exhaust pipes and hold as much heat in the escaping gasses as possible. We have been through all kinds of paints, brush-on coatings and laminated materials, and it took a lot of work before we finally found an effective heat shield that would be durable and trap enough heat in the exhaust to make a significant difference. The best heat-retention materials we have tested to date are produced by the Fiberfax division of Carborun- dum Company. This is a flexible woven material-like cloth and it is available in either tubes or in rolls of flat stock. You can either slip the tubes over the primary pipes-before the flange is welded on-or you can wrap the flat stock around the pipes, much like wrapping a bandage around the pipes. We use this heat shield on our small-displacement research engines where it has proven very effective and it allows the engines to be more effectively scavenged by the exhaust. This permits a less aggressive exhaust profile on the cam without a I loss of power and since this can usually be translated into reduced overlap and less draw through, the rate of fuel consumption is often reduced. As far as I know most racing organizations haven't yet decided to ban exhaust heat shields though they could change their minds at any moment and I think this stuff deserves serious consideration. It will, unfortunately, take some extra development work to get the entire dynamic flow system, induction, cam and exhaust-coordinated to the increased exhaust efficiency, but when the system is rebalanced, our tests show that the engine will produce more power from less fuel. About 10 years ago we were doing the same thing, but in a different way. Some people eventually noticed that we had drilled some 3/16-inch holes in the primary pipes, a short distance out from the header flange. The tech inspectors were crawling all over us. They had a helluva time trying to decide if, or why, it was illegal to drill holes in the headers, but this was simply another way to increase velocity in the header pipes. Once again, this was based on the fact that, in simple terms, heat is velocity, and maintaining heat in the header pipes will keep the flow velocity up, lower the pressure and increase the so-called scavenging effect. We had been experimenting with venturis in the exhaust in an effort to drop the pressure and increase the velocity of the escaping gasses. But this would not work unless we could also keep the gasses from cooling. However, we noted that the left over gasses leaving a high-speed engine still contain some combustible carbon, and we felt that if we could induce additional oxygen bearing air into the system, the gasses would continue to react in the exhaust pipe and maintain a higher heat level. The holes in the primaries were simply ports for inducting air into the pipes, and if the relationship between the air ports and the venturi was just right, the overall exhaust velocity in the pipe would be greater. Any knowledgeable thermodynamicist will tell you that this cannot possibly work, and I agree that it sounds a bit unlikely, but I also know that it works. When the system was tuned just right, there were obvious signs that the exhaust temperature and the scavenging effect was much higher with venturis than without them. We eventually stopped playing with this because there wasn't enough time available during those days to develop it properly. I mention it now simply to point up the fact that anything you can do in a racing engine to maintain the high temperature level inside the exhaust system will increase exhaust efficiency." :taken from Smokey Yunick's "Power Secrets" I am curious. How does the heat from the exhaust travel back from the header to the head with sufficient energy to warp a head? The heat from the flange to the head would be insignificant if the engine builder used the thick asbestos gaskets supplied by the header manufacture. The other source for heat transfer would be the studs. More than likely they would melt long before the heat required to warp a head could be transferred through them. They do torch them at junk yards and still manage to send out guaranteed motors. It is not uncommon to melt spark plug tips at WOT when an engine becomes fuel starved. Engines have also been known to drop an exhaust valve seat in every day driving if the timing is too retarded. More than likely the increase in volumetric efficiency with out the appropriate fuel and timing changes caused the engines to run in a lean condition over heating the combustion chamber and forcing the heads in question to warp. I’m sorry my rap stays on. I doubt you will talk Ferrari, Lamborghini and other manufactures to take their insulation off ether. Cheers…:::Glenn

Hi ‘Chelle: If the bottom of the block is flat, I would be temped to fabricate a new sandwich plate from 3/4†aluminium plate and build a new pan to fasten to it. I would modify the existing one or substitute something from an automatic transmission at the rear of the engine. The pickup for the oil could be routed from the back via a steel tube along the inside of the block below the windage tray. The Jag is similar in design but the sump is in the rear already. However I know I could change things around if I had to. It might be worth your while, if you have the engine, to buy a gasket and check out what’s in there. After all what is an oil pan but a vessel that holds oil, no moving parts and not a lot of need for close tolerances. It’s not all that complicated. I don’t have your engine measurements but the engine does not "appear" to be any taller than the Jag. The problem here was interference at the intakes. The BMW intakes appear to sit farther back eliminating any problem. But I’m just speculating. Bottom line is I believe this is still a viable swap with out the need for extensive front end modification. Cheers…:::Glenn

“I bought a BMW V-12 and 6 speed for one of out z based cars - the biggest issue we haven't totally decided how to overcome is the front oil sump on this engine- it interferes with (well is totally in the way of) the crossmember.†Hi 'Chelle: I am not at all familiar with the BMW V12, however there must be some way to swap the pan around. There should be a local race shop in your area that could do this for you. I think it would be a shame not to spend the time on it. It sounds like an exellent idea for the car you have. Cheers...:::Glenn

I have found the Zvesda K-36 to be a very functional unit. It can be found at some surplus shops, usually with out the optional flotation devise. It is seen here doing testing with my ex-wife’s lawyer strapped to the passenger seat. Launched that sucker half way across the lake. I had to order a new seat. I have found this to be the ultimate in exit tech for these hi risk machines….really. Cheers…:::Glenn

I like it! Push rod motor would give a nice low center of gravity. The pan is the same sandwich design as the Jag so it would fit between the hood and cross member with the horizontal intake. Bell housings are a dime a dozen. Chev parts so you could break it occasionally when you get over zealous at times. Great idea!...how much? It might just be cheaper than the V10 Viper.

that's him...his name is Scott....or you can try this thread... http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=58957&highlight=#58957

Thanks Pathogen... I couldn't see living near twisty moutain roads with out a Z...:::Glenn

Tim: I have found the thermo rap to be an asset to keeping the density of the exhaust gases high there by increasing the function of the header. I use stainless so rot is not a concern. If georgiaz were to use the ceramic coated Hooker headers with a rap do you think this would help reduce the corrosion problem but still provide horsepower gains and reduce under hood temperatures. There is a lot to be gained in this area. On the collector flanges I use hi heat silicone on very clean surfaces with out a gasket. I have not had a failure in many years. Cheers …:::Glenn PS Hybrid Zs in Finland…nice!

My math is pretty simple. The engine bay is two cylinders wide and six cylinders long. I “think†it would fit but the weight with the cooling and all would be prohibitive. The wow factor would be a 10+. Cheers …:::Glenn

Nice job. 2900 pound Z with a big block to boot. I tip my welding helmet to you! Don't they have a frame inspection out there? How did you get around it. I might move to the island in the future. It would be nice if I could bring my car. Cheers …:::Glenn

In my opinion the T56 has to be the finest transmission ever designed for a mass production vehicle. The shifts are effortless. I have had mine apart for a bell housing alignment and the insides are the finest of the machinists art. I have had a T5 apart out of necessity and there is no comparison. With a 411 gear I cruise the 4 lane at 2000. A 390 would probably been more sensible but wasn’t on sale at the time. Take the time to save the cash, you won’t regret it. I used the VDO speedo. It is easy to set up and looks close to the original. Cheers...:::Glenn

This pic goes back to spring of ’86. The rear end is very simple. A fibreglass panel covers the rear in place of the metal one. The home made lower valance is fresh out the mould here. The licence plate cover folds down to reveal the filler cap. Tail lights are seldom recognized as the truck trailer lights they are. They have since been replaced with LEDs. ...:::Glenn