jbeech

Mark, no sweat pal, that's why I posted. How much is that Canton pan, what's the model number, and who handles them?

Grumpy, I was leaning toward's a set of aluminum Jeg 220 #51433 heads with 1.5 rockers set up for a mechanical roller cam but then I realized they're offered only with angle-plugs. Since my current setup is a straight plug camel hump iron heads with headers, I figure this poses a problem. Any thoughts on a good set of straight plug aluminum heads since the Jegs are out? I just sent off the jets from my Webers 48 IDAs to Inglese. For $65 they'll swap them out for the recommended starting point. Why would I do that? because Jim Inglese had the peculiar habit of grinding off the jet numbers on his systems and I henceforth, I would not have a reference point. Oh well, cheap enough I guess. FWIW, the Webers are equipped weith 37mm chokes which Inglese assures me are in the ball park for 350-383 cube SBC engines. Let me know what you think on the heads pal. I'm waiting on the redcommended cam sheet from my grinder to run past you before placing the order.

Grumpy, I've a 350 SBC in my Z-car based GTO, Any opinions on Moroso vs. Milodon for a road race-type oil pan? I'm leaning toward the Milodon #31505 pan in part because it's a 7 qt. system with cad irridated finish vs. Moroso's #21900 painted 6-qt pan. Milodo also recommends their; #18770 pump #18465 pick up #32100 windage tray #81150 stud kit Thoughts?

Mikelly, I'd love to get together some day. I noticed somebody else asking about NC Z-car enthusiasts the other day. You're not too far being up Virginia way, so maybe it'll happen :>)

I'm in Jacksonville - a couple of hours in the other direction. My Z is a GTO conversion with a SBC for power.

Whoa folks, of course I'm guilty of guiding the purchase - naturally. You see, when I mentioned wanting a new intake for my GTO . . . . . . because I was wanting to spice up the performance and the engine compartment . . . . . . Lynn asked what I had in mind. So I mentioned lusting after the look of Speed Racer's engine compartment (by the by, he helped guide me to one of the last sets of those valve covers and if you are interested, it turns out the guy has one more set - $400). Anyway, last weekend I set off for Charlotte's Lowes Motor Speeday (for the Spring swap meet and car show). To say it was an awe inspiring event would be an understatement - so would calling it a zoo! For example, in the GM pavilion I saw the original two-tone Manta Ray and a gull-wing door mid-engine Corvette concept car. I looked at loads of variations on the theme of Cobras - including the very tasty Daytona. There also were so many neat street rods as to promote a numbness of the mind and sensory overload. Everywhere you looked there was something to draw the eye, i.e. an all alluminum, quad-cam twin-turbo work of art in a late Mustang . . . but I digress. I went to Charlotte thinking to find a modestly priced twin 4-barrel manifold, but hoped to maybe find a carb set up alá Speed Racer's 3-carb set up. I found a 6-pack, but it was for Chrysler. I even came across a Hilborn-style mechanical fuel injector setup, but for a Ford. Yet seceretly, in my heart of hearts, I was hoping to find a set of Webers. I knew the market price for Webers because I had perused the Inglese and TWM Induction web sites, and despite what you may think, the quoted prices of these systems often lack accessories and accoutrements. I.e. the final price tag soars above what you think upon first looking. I speak of linkages (choices and price points include ball bearning, or not), air and fuel filters (and of course the assemblies to hold same), a PCV setup, power brake vacuum source (hidden is more of course), chrome, paint, etc. Trust me, there are expenses well beyond what those that appear at first blush. Anyway, I desired the upright carb look of the original Ferrari engine compartment so sidedraft Webers weren't a first choice (had I been gifted with a surplus of choices, but I wasn't really). That said, the truth is the inordinate expense for a Weber setup meant I was perfectly willing to settle for a dual 4-barrel setup. I soon (within 30 miuntes of arrival) came across a low-rise dual carb manifold with a pair of Edelbrock 390 cfm 4-barrels (but no linkages) for $350 bucks. The price was right, but hey, we'd just gotten there. What's more, they were dirty and ratty looking. I made a note of where the guy was and we kept looking. 6-hours later, somewhat wet and tired (it was raining when Keith and I first showed up) I was realizing the magnitude of the task. We'd been there half a day, our feet hurt, and we hadn't seen 10% of what there was to see. Also, because of the rain, many folks had the goodies under plastic and hence I might be walking right past the deal of the century. Plus there were those who had packed up and left - the show opened Thursday and when we showed up Saturday morning it looked like it could rain for 40 days and nights! Anyway, by now it was Saturday mid-afternoon and time was short. We POR (press on regardless) but meanwhile, my feet were killing me (I'm a somewhat portly fellow - some would unkindly say a fat porker though I'm on a diet - lost 30 pounds so far, but I digress). I was thinking to perhaps see if the twin Edelbrocks were still around (and what they could really be had for). I was thinking they might be ratty as hell, but would likely clean up nicely, and would pep things up while spicing up the engine compartment when Keith nudged me and whispered, "John, 11 o'clock, behind the skinny dude with the cowboy hat and shit kickers!" I peered around and my heart went thump 'cuz there they were. The owner was negotiating for them with a guy from Texas (as it turned out). Anyway, I surreptitiously eavesdropped. The haggling was intense and they were 200 bucks apart when, finally, cowboy-hat had enough. He made a comment about checking back at the end of the day to see if the owner had changed his mind, and left. We wandered past them (about 75 feet down down the isle) and turned around to come back to them. That let a sufficient amount of time pass as I not only didn't want the owner to suspect I had a woodie for them, but I didn't want cowboy-hat to look back and see me already panting for them. Nothing like fear of loss to close a 200 buck gap, eh? So I siddled up for a gander despite an astronomical price capable of causing nosebleed, i.e. they were a bit more money than I wanted to contemplate. Weber 48 IDA (the high performance variation) carbs are a show stopper and I wanted a chance to fondle them. They had all the goodies too, I thought to myself, chrome manifold ($1000 extra at Inglese), billet aluminum fuel blocks, Earl's lines and fittings, hidden PCV, chrome linkages, custom billet aluminum polished air filter assembly with ball end detail work, K&N air filters, black powder coat bodies (I live near the coast so corrosion is a constant problem), chrome fuel pressure regulator, guage, etc. Sadly, after noting where we were, we kept going as they were waaaay out of my price league (Inglese wants close to $7500 bucks for this same setup). We soon came across another set of Webers, but these were 42 DCOE sidedrafts mounted on top of a supercharger, and the whole look was not only reaching for the sky, but bulky. I briefly considered them, but the tunnel ram look was too much for me. Later still we came across another set of downdraft Webers, but no linkages, velocity stacks, air cleaner, or PCV - and they were the lower-end 44 IDF carbs. While sporting a lower profile than IDA carbs, IDFs are somewhat more prone to trouble because of diaphragms and such. Also I didn't really want to step up to the plate for them as not only was he really proud of them, but the difference in price wasn't that far from the first set up I saw (in relative terms). Meanwhile Lynn calls to ask how things were going. I tell what I've seen, and mention thinking of checking on the dual Edelbrock setup when she casually says, "Remember the set of Webers we got you as your wedding present? It's been a good 25 years (our anniversary was two weeks ago), go see if they've sold the ones you really want." That's all it took and I was off like a flash. Next thing you know, we're haggling for the carbs and we're 200 bucks apart (I was gonna buy them regardless, but pride made me try for the deal cowboy-hat tried to get) when Keith again nudges me and nods to cowboy-hat purposely making his way down the isle (my pal Keith has spent time in Afghanistan and keeps his head on a swivel) . Anyway, I spy cowboy-hat yacking on his cell phone and striding our way and quickly decide enough is enough and up my offer 100 bucks while simultaneously thinking I should have just agreed to the 200 bucks. Before I can get the words out of my mouth and make the deal, cowboy-hat strides up ending his phone conversation and flipping closed his cell phone. Without so much as a by your leave, he interupts and says, "Thought it over yet, I'm getting ready to leave for Midland." I feel my stomach sink as I think, "Damn, I don't want to get into a bidding war!" . . . but smiling broadly, the owner says (with obvious relish and a sly wink at me), "Yup, I thought it over but this fellow just bought them so you're too late!" and holds his hand out to shake on the deal. Mama raised no fools, and while my brain may occasionally be slow, there's nothing wrong with my hand so I fervently grasped his and proceed to pump it up and down for all it was worth all the while wearing a big shit eating grin :>) Anyway, later, the guy confided (or so he thought) how negociations had gone with cowboy-hat and how he figured it was worth a hundred bucks to blow cowboy-hat off (for my part, I figured discretion dictated I better keep to myself the fact I'd listened in on his earlier negotiations with cowboy-hat). So I ended up getting them for 100 bucks less than he wanted and 100 bucks more than cowboy-hat had offered - though of course I would have paid the guy's price if I could have gotten the words out of my mouth before cowboy-hat strode up) Anyway, that's the story . . . which does nothing to resolve how I'm gonna handle them sticking through the hood. I just hoped to maybe get some ideas from you guys. Right now, the plexiglass is winning - especially since my pal TrickZ (who flew wingman with me on our foray to California to buy the GTO in the first place and then helped me drive it cross country to the east coast) says he can draw it for me if I carve the mold - he's one of America's premier prosthologists, i.e. he makes ultra high tech carbon fiber and titanium arms and legs for amputees, so it'll be a doodle for him. So I'm with all of you in thinking they're gonna get installed and they're too pretty to cover up!

Folks, I have a slight problem (admittedly it's one everybody should have). For my 25th wedding anniversary, my wife (for the second time) has gifted me with a set of Weber carbs and an intake. The first time it was a pair of DCOE 40 carbs and an intake for my 124 Spider. It was just before we married and basically was her wedding gift to me. This time around it's a set of 48 IDA carbs and associated accoutrements for my SBC-powered GTO. What's the problem? Well, it appears they're gonna stick above the hoodline. A recent post about a fellow's car over on e-Bay (which is equipped with a pro-stock tunnel ram and a 750 double pumper) exposed many of my own feelings about the tunnel-ram style hood-scoops, i.e. I typically don't care for them . . . especially on Z-cars - and much less my beloved GTO conversion, but what should I do instead? These are the Webers in question mounted on an Inglese chrome intake. The K&N filters are mounted on custom CNC-machined billet-aluminum air cleaner assemblies - and as you can see are fairly tall . . . Here's a shot of them without the filters, i.e. with just the velocity stacks installed - of course running without air filters is detrimental to both engine life and assorted small animal life, i.e. low flying birds . . . When Enzo (and his crew) faced a similar problem, this is what they resorted to doing . . . But, I don't want a forward facnig scoop if I can help it (note the curved shield in front of the forwardmost velocity stack which diverts air up and over to reduce turbulence). So everyone, I'm wide open to ideas.

No offense Mudge, but I'm wary of "of course" statements. Does anybody have hard numbers? Cranks, rods, pistons, headers, etc. are considerably cheaper - with loads more variety (for the conventional SBC) so all things being equal in the power/convenience department, weight becomes the remaining issue as with its more forward mounts, swapping one in isn't as easy.

I presume the LS6 is the Corvette while the LS1 goes into the Camaro and maybe the lower-end Corvette package too. So, does an LS1 weigh more, or less, than an equivalent SBC? My math says adding 1200 bucks for good heads, plus 600 for roller cam/lifters and rockers, plus another $2200 or so for a MPI FI set up and we're back to even right, i.e.about $4k to convert an old-style SBC? They're still both OHV engines, so we're back to the weight question for that AL block plus the attendant difficulties of retrofitting the LS1 engine into a conventional SBC engine-mount engine-bay.

Not to be flip, but what advantages are there to an LS1 over an old-style SBC?

Stuffing a SBC (for Small Block Chevy) into a Z-car - up to ca. 1978, is pretty easy. While I've never done a later model Z, i.e a ZX, a friend has and these tips will nonetheless work . . . for that matter, they'll serve for most any car! Also, FWIW, I've done a Mazda Wankel onto a Porsche transaxle, a Ford Cleveland V-8 onto a ZF transaxle, a 2-liter Toyota into my Lotus Elan S3, and of course a SBC into my first Z-car. In addition, I've helped another friend do their SBC into a ZX but he knows far more than me . . . so while I have a little bit of experience, trust me, none of this is beyond you - especially if you are motivated. Frankly, it's both easy and fun to boot! If your Z-car runs decent with the original 6-cylinder and you're satisfied with how it handles, i.e. the brakes are good, there are no strange noises, the shocks don't leak, etc. then you only need to decide exactly what kind of conversion you want to do. This typically is determined by how much money you have. Regardless, the job first needs to be broken down into components, and started only when all components are ready to be executed - like any plan. Although other engines can be swapped into a Z-car, I recommend a Chevy V-8, what's called a SBC because it's likely the easiest swap to perform. The engine parts for hot rodding are the least expensive and are plentiful, i.e. those with the greatest variety of manufacturers. Frankly, in my not so humble opinion, the SBC is the greatest engine ever put on the planet. SBC engines vary in displacement from 265 cubic inches to 400 cubic engines (and larger, once hot rodders get into the act). For example, the very common variant, the 350 cubic inch engine (or 5.7 liter for those enamoured of the metric system) is equipped with a 5.7 inch long rods but 6 inch rods are routinely installed (in the search for the optimum ratio), but in any case, from the exterior, there is little to differentiate one from the other. Also, unless you are an experienced driver, I recommend you install a somewhat stock 350 cubic inch SBC and live with it a year before thinking of more than horsepower. I also would upgrade my braking system before installing more power. Other than the engine itself, you need a transmission, a driveshaft, exhaust, cooling, fuel and electrical hookups. If you need help, any decent mechanic will consider the job duck soup, i.e. easy . . . in fact, you can do it yourself with hand tools and two weekends. You might need somebody to weld up the engine mounts (if you can't), but even this part of the job isn't too hard. You also will need to get a drive shaft made up, and you'll need to get the car to the muffler shop - it 'can' be driven on open headers without harm (especially if you're friendly with the local gendarmes), but wear ear muffs or plugs and get a friend to follow you there for a ride home. Finally, before getting started, you need to order a set of headers for the engine. Hooker makes a set especially for swapping a SBC into a Z-car. They work beautifully, especially on the left side where they're made in two pieces to clear the steering shaft. While you're at it, see if they now offer it in a coated version. If not, once you receive them, immediately send them out to be coated (aluminized); they'll last much longer. Now let's get started. Stage I - Disassembly 1. Start by taking the hood off the car. Before loosening the four bolts, lightly scribe a line around the perimeter of the mounts so you can put it exactly back where it was. Often there's enough dirt there to do the job. In my experience, while some will opine it can be done alone, I think it's a two-man job to remove the hood (without scratching the car). 2. From the exposed engine compartment, disconnect the fuel and the return-to-tank line, along with the vapor canister (if the car is so equipped). Next, remove the two bolts holding the clutch slave cylinder (manual tranny), but don't break the seal, just let it hang on a hook made with a piece of wire from a coat hanger. Next take loose the throttle and choke linkages, both water hoses and the heater hoses, and while you are at it, remove the radiator (and the transmission cooler lines if the Z is equipped with an automatic tranny). Next, disconnect the tachometer, starter wiring, and alternator wires - label them. 3. From underneath the car, take loose the exhaust at the manifold/pipe joint and remove in it's entirety. Then, make a chalk mark on the driveshaft anywhere from an inch or two from the U-joint (at the differential) to about half-way down its length, and transfer this mark to the transmission tunnel (do a good job so you can later accurately transfer this mark back to the Chevy driveshaft). Now undo and drop the driveshaft by taking loose the U-joint. While you're under the car, get the transmission mount bolt loose and loosen the speedometer cable - don't leave it dragging on the floor, support it with a hook made of coat hanger wire. 4. From inside the car, remove the the center consol, the shifter lever, and the rubber boot (from around the shift lever) which seals the lever to the transmission tunnel. 5. Finally, get a cherry picker from the local tool rent place (get a tilt bar while you are at it because with it's screw mechanism it's far easier to slip the engine out). Attach it to the lift hooks of the 6-cylinder engine, take up most of the slack, and now remove the engine mount bolts and then the tranny mount bolts and ease the engine/tranny combo out. While you can remove the engine/tranny combination by yourself, it's easier with another person to help guide it out (to keep from nicking the paint in the engine compartment). Finally, wheel the 6-cylinder engine/tranny to a convenient place, lower it onto some wooden blocks (three 4x4 pieces each about 2 foot long are easy to come by and work well). Cover the engine with a plastic tarp and phone in a 'for sale' advert to your local newspaper. Start at $1500 and take whatever you feel is fair. I took $800 for mine and was happy. This takes up all of Saturday and completes Stage I - Disassembly. Stage II - Installation 1. Commence with a SBC and tranmission combination similar to what came out. The easiest swap into a Z-car originally equipped with a manual transmission is a 350 SBC with a Borg-Warner T-5 5-speed (overdrive) manual transmission. This combo works well and is fairly easy to find. If you are set on an automatic transmission, a 700R4 is my first choice. When I first made my conversion, I used a TH350 (automatic) and left the clutch pedal and everything in place - I later swapped in a manual transmission. I used a transmission mount from a '75 Chevrolet El Camino and used it to locate the fore/aft placement of the engine (by re-using the original Z-car tranny mount). With a T-5 install, ideally, the transmission lever is perfectly located in the transmission tunnel hole as per the original - this will be most comfortable for driving. The only kit in existence when I did my swap was from Scarab (in CA and now defunct) with which my current Z-car based GTO is equipped. I understand a better install these days is to use the mount kit from JTR which locates the engine closer to the firewall and lower into the chassis (good things). 2. I used engine mounts from a 1972 C-10 pickup. My pal with a ZX/SBC used motor mounts out of some Chrysler. The easiest way is to just take the original Z-car mounts with you to a good parts house, tell him what motor you are swapping in, and let the guy behind the counter help you find something that will work. Interestingly enough, my pal Lloyd (who used Chrysler mounts for his ZX install) has a twin-turbo SBC in his car - it's quite radical. Maybe I'll post pictures if there is interest, but I digress. Anyway, I made up my spacers for the engine mounts out of 2 pieces of 2" x 4" x 3/16" wall by 3" long pieces of scrap steel along with some misc. pieces of 1/16", 1/8", and 16 gage for shims. 3. With the engine tranny in place, fit the driveshaft from whatever donor you bought the engine/tranny combo from in the first place and push it all the way into the transmission. Now back it out 1/2 inch. Be careful not to let it slide in or out and transfer the chalk mark onto this driveshaft from the mark inside of the transmission tunnel (you did make the chalk mark I told you about earlier, right?). This might seem like a three handed job, so a pal can help. At this stage, the engine/transmission is aligned and installed. Reinstall the hood. This takes up all of Sunday, plus assorted beers, friends, Bandaids . . . and maybe a few swear words, etc. 3a. On Monday take your Z-car's radiator to a radiator shop and ask him for something to fit in its place. Tell him you're installing a SBC and that you want a 4-pass radiator. Griffin makes a very tasty aluminum unit which works nice. If you end up cheaping out by using a brass unit, then he'll help you get something with side tanks that will fit and will remove the stock mounting tabs from your old radiator and solder them to the new one. 3b. While you are at it, get a two-speed dual-fan shroud/fan combo out of a late model Ford Taurus (perhaps 75-100 bucks, depends on your scrounging skills) so he can solder on some mounting tabs for it as well. 3c. As best I recall, a radiator from a '75 or so Camaro fits nicely - but follow the radiator shop's advice. Also, radiator hoses for that vintage Camaro will likely work and while I don't remember the part numbers, it's easy even if you have to first buy universal flex hoses and drive over to the parts house to find two that fit better. 4. Also on Monday, take both driveshafts to a machine shop. Explain what you're doing, point out the respective chalk marks so they can cut and weld the two driveshafts together on a lathe. This cost about 50 bucks last time I did one, I doubt it's much more now. 5. Install the Hooker headers. You can use a pair of Cherry Bomb mufflers on 1 foot stubs to the collector (along with some wire to Mickey Mouse some hangers at the other ends) to get you to the muffler shop - or drive it on open headers to the muffler shop - your choice. 6. Install the alternator and wire same. Wire the starter solenoid into the original wires. I used aftermarket gages, so for the tachometer install you're on your own. Install a relay and leave plenty of wires for the cooling fans. Wire in the reverse/backup lights. I also installed an interlock switch on my clutch pedal which requires the clutch to be depressed before allowing the car to start - this is optional. 7. Use a 3/4 inch Tilton or some such master cyclinder for the clutch and a stock T-5 slave. I had a speed shop make me a new braided line while I was at it. With an automatic, you'll have to figure out how to install a cooler for the transmission fluid. 8. Once the radiator and driveshaft are installed, you're almost done. I used an electric fuel pump so all you need is a tubing bender to bring the fuel line up near the firewall and then used a braided hose to connect it to the carb inlet line. 9. For the throttle linkage, I scrounged another linkage and bracket off another Z-car and made up a linkage to the carb. I first used a Holly 600 cfm vacuum secondary unit, but my current SBC has a Quadrajet on it. 10. The air cleaner is next. I used a Moroso open element air cleaner. The major issue is clearance. I rolled up some balls of clay, put them in various locations on top of my carburetor, and eased the hood down in order to establish clearance. My current SBC install wasn't performed by me, so I don't know where it's intake system was scrounged from but you can take a peek at it by surfing to http://www.modelsport.com/gto where you can also see Speed Racer's trick looking engine compartment. 11. The Chevy dealer has various gears for the tranny to allow getting the speedometer to work - I don't remember which I used, it was trial and error . . . but not too much trouble. That's it. Have fun.

Whew Grumpy, that was one exhaustive answer - thanks! I'm currently on vacation, but stuck in a hotel room in Atlanta. Why? Pretty simple really. They overbooked the flight from Atalanta to Panama and were offering $600 vouchers plus hotel and food. Lynn and I figured, "what the heck" and stepped up. Not often we can make 1200 bucks for a day of non-work! In return, we spent the night at the Ramada near the airport, and gained a day alone (i.e. sans daughter) which is nearly as good. Why the discourse? 'Cuz I'm not really in a position to study all of what you said until I return home a week from Sunday, but thanks to one and all who took time to respond.

After first building a 2180cc V-dub motor for it, I then put an 215 into my Kelmark GT kit car (ca. 1977). It was nice, but not that powerful. I soon thereafter swapped it out in favor of a Mazda rotary (whew, that was a rocket). A year later the car caught fire (took about 2 minutes to be completely destroyed) and that was that (sob). The following week I lucked up on a 73 Z-car with only 35k miles and kept it until 1999. In my opinion, the 215 in the Z-car would be technically interesting, but much more expensive to create, quite a bit less powerfull, and frankly, IMHO, not as much fun as a SBC powered derivative. It's your car though, so do what floats your boat - life's too short.

My questions revolve more around the difference in runner volume. I see where "race" applications have increasingly larger volumes over "street" applications. Perhaps Grumpyvette can chime in on this. At what point do you reach diminishing returns for a street application? Is it at 195 cc, or 215 cc, or??? When, why, and how much do the heat risers matter? My current SBC incarnation has camel hump 461-casting heads along with a Quadrajet carb in dire need of a rebuild. For decreased weight and increased performance I'd like to swap the heads out for aluminum units and the AFR 195's head the list. I'm also thinking of an FI setup to replace the carb (though that's by no means certain as I really like the look of a multi Weber setup). And yes, the TWM Induction FI-kit based on Webers is running through my mind - but first I gotta see what kind of year I'm going to have before approaching my wife . . . but I digress. Grumpy, if you're following this thread, what say you about port volume? Any thoughts on the TWM kits?

Bravo Michael, I agree with your sentiments, i.e. what's the sense in fretting over the three hundred bucks when it might mean the difference in happiness? John

Are there any skins I can use to replace the black with white default? I find this lool pretty, but extraordinarilly hard on my eyes.

Medina, Plans have changed a bit. Instead of going to Ft. Meyers area the seecond week of March, I'm going instead with the family to Panama - I'm gonna do a bit of diving, visiting friends, etc. I have to go to Seoul later in March, so I'm planning to go down to South Florida mid-June for a week or so (to scout out a place to move to, I like the thought of the Ft. Meyers area). Anyway, yes, I would like to hook up and hope to meet you and your pals! Where is the Towers Shop in Broward? What's the address? I look forward to seeing your cars. By the way, there's a big-time swap meet and car show at Lowes Motor Speedway outside of Charlotte, NC the first weekend of April . . . anybody going? Finally, I committed a big no-no (for a forum) in that I posed the same basic South Florida question in two places, here and in Body Kit/Kit Cars - sorry! I'm keeping up in both, but it can be confusing.

Plans have changed a bit. Going with the family to Panama the second week of March - gonna do a bit of diving, visiting friends, etc. Have to go to Seoul later in March, so I'm planning to go down to South Florida mid-June for a week or so to scout out a place to land. I would like to hook up! By the way, there's a big-time swap meet, car show at Lowes Motor Speedway the first weekend of April.

My pal TrickZ and I flew to Fresno to buy my GTO rebody. There are pictures at http://www.modelsport.com/gto to include a couple of pics of Speed Racer's car just to show a real nice job which I am striving to udate mine to (thanks to SR, I've located a set of those snazzy valve covers)! This past week I received the various doodads I ordered to increase the realism, i.e. paint code plate, various stickers, etc. from http://www.italiancarparts.com - but I do have a question, where are you guys getting those nift Scuderia Ferrari shields mounted on the front fenders? I've found some beautiful examples but they're only 4 inches high while those I have seen look to be about 7 or 8 inches high. Common guys, fess up!

Great news Steve, I'll check back when I move!

What model auto was the donor for the R230 dif? I understand Q45 had the R230, but my searches lead me to understand some had traction control, others not - what confuses me is are some listings of non-traction control R230 that say they "do" have posi trac . . . what's the difference? Also, if you don't mind, what did you have to pay for yours? Did this include the half-shafts?

I'm thinking of moving my business to south Florida. Lynn (my better half and pal for almost 25 years) and I are flying to Ft. Lauderdale the second week of March to do a little house hunting - not in Ft. Lauderdale per se, but west of it via Alligator Alley on the Gulf coast side in the Ft. Meyers/Cape Coral area. Are there any HybridZ members in that part of the country?

I'm thinking of moving my business to south Florida. Lynn (my better half and pal for almost 25 years) and I are flying to Ft. Lauderdale the second week of March to do a little house hunting - not in Ft. Lauderdale per se, but west of it via Alligator Alley on the Gulf coast side in the Ft. Meyers/Cape Coral area. Are there any HybridZ members in that part of the country?

Gastonia, eh? Also the western part of the state. By the way, I'm thinking of moving my business to south Florida. Lynn (my better half and pal for almost 25 years) and I are flying to Ft. Lauderdale the second week of March to do a little house hunting - not in Ft. Lauderdale per se, but west of it via Alligator Alley on the Gulf coast side in the Ft. Meyers/Cape Coral area. Are their any HybridZ members in that part of the country? I'm going to start a post with this question so as not to clutter up this one with more chit chat.

Pushing the car with broken half-shafts? Boy I bet that does get old! Mark, your car has the R230 installed and Modern Motor Sports has the adapter to fit the Q45 half-shafts to the Z-car, right? What are you doing at the axle end? Are you using a companion flange adapter as Tom does, or?? By the way, Mark, I notice you're in the Charlotte area, I'm currently in Jacksonville, NC and Tom is near Raleigh. What other NC guys do we have here on this board - do you know? Boy I'm excited at the possibilities for Z-car difs all you guys are showing me! I gather the CVs are holding up then, right? By the way, how well does the R200 hold up? This site is the greatest!