jhm

Thx for sharing, traininvain -- they look great!

If I read your comments correctly, you want to maintain stock ride height and you want a comfortable ride (i.e. nothing too stiff or harsh) and you don't want to switch to coilovers. And the springs you've tried to date sag too much for you....do they sag in the front, the back, or both? It sounds like the only real solution is to find springs in stock length and rate, correct? Unfortunately, most of the aftermarket springs available will lower the car and have a slightly stiffer spring rate. Coilovers will allow you to choose any ride height and spring rate you want. Or you can keep trying to find OEM springs that aren't sagging. Probably not the answer you were looking for. The KYBs may be part of your problem in ride quality....good shocks will go a long way towards giving you a smooth and controlled ride. Stagg and Tokico (HPs or Illuminas) are just a couple examples of what's available. KYBs are an inexpensive replacement for OEM that many people find lacking. Finally, I don't understand the statement "the alignment shop says the springs are sagging so much they can't adjust the camber". ??? Unless you're running camber plates, adjustable camber control arm bushings, or some other specialized equipment, you're not going to be able to "adjust the camber" at all. The stock suspension mounting hardware does not allow for camber adjustment. You may want to find a different shop to take your car to....just a thought.

Good thing you've got access to machining and welding equipment....you're gonna' need it! Wheel choice: as Miles said, there's a bunch of discussion already available on this topic, but you might want to start by looking at 15" or 16" diameter wheels. Plenty of good selections on these sizes in 8" or 9" width. 16" will give better contact patch and bigger choice of rubber; 15" will be slightly cheaper. You haven't mentioned your intended usage for the vehicle, so that's probably something you need to decide before you embark on major expenditures and vehicle modifications. Too many people waste a bunch of money on the wrong stuff before REALLY thinking about how they want to use the car when it's finished. Good luck with it and be sure to post your results as your work progresses.

One note on fuel system....not sure what year motor you're considering, but the stock Chevy mechanical fuel pump can suffice on its own for normal street use. Anything beyond that will require an additional electric pump, as Miles indicated, nominally mounted back near the gas tank. This is a good link I often use for Chevy V8 questions; has a lot of good SBC reference data: http://nastyz28.com/

Ahh...got it. The only thing I would check for is to make sure there are no clearance issues between your downpipe and the firewall IF you have the JTR-style engine mounting. While it's lower in the frame, it's also quite a bit further back closer to the firewall. Just need to make sure you have no awkward angles fabbing the downtube for the manifold.

You should have no problem....there's typically plenty of clearance on the passenger side. It varies a little with different engine mounting configurations, but I had cast iron ramhorns on my SBC (mounted in the Scarab position) before switching to block huggers, and I had PLENTY of room on both sides of the engine. Any particular reason you prefer the "swept back" collector, vs straight down? Just curious...

Difference between R160 and R180 are fairly significant....160 is noticeably smaller. See attached for comparison. BTW, many people have used the R160 with good success, even with decent power output. It's a very popular diff in the 510 community....very light and versatile.

Ditto what Savage said. Not sure if you have the attached as a reference, but this is what I use for IG switch wiring schematic. And no need to spend $200 on this....you can wire your own with el cheapo parts from Pep Boys.

As Kevin.pk indicated, there's no easy swap of OEM parts that will lower the front end like you can on the rear. Cheapest solution for you would be camber plates, even if you run them in the 'zero' position. These are the cheapest I've found, but there are lots of really good kits out there: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MK1-PillowBall-Bearing-Strut-Upper-Mount-For-Coilover-Kit-Mounts-Plates-240Z-/161203739866?fits=Model%3A280Z&hash=item25887ddcda&vxp=mtr Silly question: do you not want to lower the front end via the coilovers, for some reason? If the strut tubes are not sectioned, you may have to go this route if you want to retain suspension travel while lowering the car. Sorry if this is not the answer you were hoping for.

Hey GTO, not sure if your question was fully understood/answered....as it may have been interpreted multiple ways by HBZ members. Are you saying that only 1/8 of the gland nut thread is engaged when the nut is fully tightened, or are you saying that there's 1/8" of threads exposed when the nut is fully tightened? If it's the former, something's wrong. If it's the latter, you're good to go, as NewZed indicated.

WOW! Really pretty....lovely work. Ditto what Keith said -- love the radiator compartment.

ritrebor, I think you might need more power....that setup looks kind of weak. NOT! Super clean and outrageous-looking. Thx for sharing.

Ditto what KTM said. +1 for Deka -- been using the same one for the last three years.

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/117631-new-s30-shock-and-spring-option/?hl=stagg

Sounds like you've made a good choice of components for a daily driver. If you don't already have the Factory Service Manual (FSM), download it from xenonS30....it will be a great reference for you during disassembly and reassembly. Taking pictures like TBL suggested is also a great idea, particularly if this is your first time. Use empty cans to hold parts, and they can be labeled to indicate which component they came from.

http://stores.ebay.com/Race-Tires-USDRRT?_trksid=p4340.l2563

Big difference in size and shape between R180 and R200.....read all the threads pinned in the Drivetrain FAQs, starting with this one: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/49194-differential-cv-lsd-hp-torque-r160-r180-r200-r230-diff-mount/.

Looks to be the same. I had that style half-shaft on the first R180 that came on my late '74 260Z, but I have no idea if it was the original R180 that came with the car from the factory. I switched half-shafts to the other style only because they're easier for me to remove during maintenance on the rear end...purely personal preference. Maybe it was only the turbo ZXs that came with CV axles and R200?

They're both for an S30....just different styles. The top half-shaft bolts to the differential stub axle with 4 bolts (similar to how it bolts to the hub flange at the outer); and the bottom unit uses a single "button-style" bolt to bolt onto the differential. They both should extend and compress to the same lengths as each other. I don't remember if they were year-specific, but they can be interchangeable if necessary. Datsun switched to CV axles in the rear end during production of the S130. Hope this helps -- I'm sure others will chime in with additional info regarding year-specific details. Did they both come from the same car? If so, a PO must have swapped one out for a different style at some point.

You're certainly on the right forum for V8 Z cars, but you probably need to make sure you're not biting off more than you can chew....especially if you don't have any experience working on cars. Search out local car clubs in your area; they're always a good source of expertise and members willing to lend a hand. Download the Factory Service Manual (FSM) for your car at "xenonS30" and read it end to end (you may have to check a few times; I think the website is undergoing maintenance). Good luck with it. P.S. That "hose attached to the radiator cap" is an overflow line....designed to route coolant out of the engine compartment in the event that the coolant boils over. Ideally, it is routed to an "Overflow Reservoir", but they are often just routed to dump the overflow on the ground. If yours is like this, you can fix it easily by purchasing an overflow tank from your local auto parts store.

Search on John Coffey's advice regarding sway bars and suspension stiffness. Your post didn't mention what kind of power and torque you're putting down; but generally, you'll want to move roll resistance rearward for lower power applications and move it forward for higher power applications. (Are you currently running an LS1, as indicated in your build summary?) A 1 and 1/8 bar is pretty big, particularly if you have nothing in the rear. Consider adding some kind of rear sway bar before installing a huge bar up front. You've already got good springing and damping, so don't go crazy with the sway bars until you're sure you need that much roll resistance. Lowering the car's CG also reduces roll tendency. Hope this helps.

Love the torque of the V8, and still able to get decent highway mileage. Hate the heavy manual steering at low speeds (especially with sticky track tires), but small price to pay for all the other good stuff with a V8 swap.

Those would appear to be 12" in length (1200), 2.50" inner diameter (250), and spring rates of 150 lb/in and 125 lb/in. You can double-check me on GC's website, but that should be right. Hope this helps.

Nice looking. For anyone that's interested, cheap alternatives for CAI systems can be found at Lowes, Home Depot and a variety of other hardware stores. PVC piping can be had in a variety of sizes and shapes, and they also carry a wide selection of rubber clamps and connectors. (The PVC can be painted whatever color you want if you don't like the "toilet plumbing" look.)

Mike, you have the patience of Job. Hope she goes back together smoothly and you get her running soon. Looking forward to seeing this beast in action (again)!