BLKMGK

Hrm... Definatly do th erear seal and check it for wear back there too. There are "repair" sleeves that can be used of the surface is worn. My friend's shop has had to use these a few times (lol). Clutch - how much power will you be pushing? I had a brand new SVO clutch that died pretty fast with gobs of torque and about 450HP in a fat Mustang (2 turbos- #10lbs boost). This is your convertible driver right? If so the stock Ford might be fine for you. Left leg will feel it though. I MIGHT have a CF pressure plate in the garage though - interested? I'll poke around and see. If not I might be able to find one at my friend's shop from someone swapping up. If you find other parts you need let me know - he's got parts stacked to the ceiling over there (literally) and is a good guy who's got direct connections everywhere for parts. Headers - try the stock ones or cheap aftermarket ones. I've seen them used. I'll TRY to get pics of the 302Z I keep talking about but the guy is hard as hell to nail down! P.s. Sounds like a good deal on the motor!

I've seen a SBF mounted in a Z with stock shorty headers. Obviously the motor mounts make a big difference and the motor seemed to sit a little high but it fit with a double hump pan and under a stock hood. That's with a stock EFI setup too. Shifter for th eT5 came up right where it's supposed to The GT40Ps are cheap, came on Explorers, but I'd worry a little about the headers. They'd cost a little more maybe and I'm told that spark plug clearance is tight. Still, it flows VERY well and is cheap... As for 351W heads - forget it. The older heads were the ones that might have been different and they did NOT flow as well as the later Ford 302 heads IMO. Head over to some of the Ford Mustang BBs. I have no doubt heads are being sold left and right out there. Darts, TFS, AFR, you name it! A set of used iron Darts would work well. If you can give me a budget I can try to find you some here from my friend's Mustang shop that would be known good. For that matter, I might be able to snag a set of stock ones from a later 302 dirt cheap plus shipping. Shipping won't be cheap though. Heh, I've even got some really grungy ones from my 88 here I'd let go if you really want them. they will HAVE to be hot tanked though - one has been setting on my bench a couple of years and I've been using a metal buffer close by so it's covered in grunge They ran okay but springs and valves while it's out wouldn't be a bad idea. They were maybe used 2 years (shrug).

Rick, the strut bar on my car was a straight piece with th eL6. Instead of curving it upwards they simply raised the mounting points a bit with a welded bracket. I believe this bar will fit fine with a SBC swap and maybe even with a ram air setup. I can take pics and make some measurements if ti would help but I don't know where this bar was sourced from unfortunatly. It's got some damned nice welds though!

Oh duh, yes those are for big blocks - I'm stupid! The Reward headers look VERY nice, a touch pricey but they've got all the right sizes including a 1.75 primary to a 2.5 collector I think that 1.75 migh tbe a otuch too big and I do wonder about steering shaft clearance. Guess I;ll have to wander out to the garage and do a little measuring. I've not checked their site too much for dimensions but will in a bit. Turns out I'd already bookmarked their site previously but have been browsing Jegs mostly the last few days. http://www.rewarderheaders.com/search_result.asp?CATEGORY=Block+Huggers&MANUFACTURER=ALL&DESCRIPTION=&PRODUCT_ID= Mike, shoot me a price on those headers, I'll consider them. Have you test fitted them? Are you going bigger then? Those of you with Desktop Dyno - how much difference does moving the primary tube size make with a 2.5inch collector? Does it simply move the peaks aorund or would a 450hp motor be choking with say 1 5/8ths primary? I'm sticking to shorties though no matter what...

Yeah yeah - okay. Some of the truck headers are swept back but the collector isn't as far back as that picture - however no place I look have I found good pics and the few pics I've seen in Jeg's don't identify which header they're showing and I've got NO idea what the OTHER side looks like. So... How about these? http://www.flowtech.com/hugger.html I'm looking at the 31030 and maybe their TOOBES too. Naturally it's not listed in Jeg's but I can always call and beg. Too big? I've have to run a reducer on the collector to get it to 2.5inches. There's a Hooker header that runs a bigger primary that also looks good, I'm trying to stay away from 1.5inch primaries. It's at -> http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=25632&prmenbr=76&path=76%202305%202311%202557 and is a 1 5/8ths primary. Good enough? Dynomax has some nice ones too but Jegs doesn't list their sizing, looked on the Dynomax site, not much there on measurements ->http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=4701&prmenbr=76&path=76%202305%202311%202557

I'll be interested to know how the rear filler comes out. I've got a 45degree fitting for mine but the chassis guys said the angle was too shallow. I might try this later but for now I'll fill through the hatch (shrug) If anyone decides to do this check out the license plate holder for the Impalla SS - flips down nicely

Hrm, I'm sticking to braided all the way up front on mine - no aluminum to worry about. Did this on the Mustang too but went too big on the line -10 (doh!). I'm not using a return on this car but if I've got problems I'll be doing it - ick.

Rick, lowering the car can change driveline angles. Mustang guys have found out about the the hard way when they get crazy like that. Adjustable upper arms work for them - we've not got it quite so easy with the Z though. We've got to cut bushings and tinker more. Check your driveline angles - that may be your issue and others like Pete have got some good advice about it. Me, I'm hoping I don't have any problems to solve - fingers crossed. Hrm, pondering thismore... We've not got a live axle like the Mustangs. Lowering it shouldn't change the angles should it? Chris, was this a driveshaft U-joint or one of the joints going to the halfshafts? The latter I could understand changing with the lowering... [This message has been edited by BLKMGK (edited March 30, 2001).]

There are a couple of shops that do T5 work that can swap gears around. Pick up a copy of Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords. there are several shops that can customize the trans for you and upgrade it to later specs. Watch the budget though - you might turn out to be ahead going with a T56! Hanlon is th eguy on the East Coast who did my Tremec - he's damned good and very impressive to watch. He stripped that puppy FAST and foound a bunch of problems quickly...

Waaah! All the wheels I liked were $400+ each!

I'm not sure of the requirements but I seem to recall that it should be placed just FORWARD of the midpoint on the driveshaft. This way if the front breaks you won't "polevault" and if the back breaks you can keep it off the road. As short as the Hybrid Z's driveshafts are it shouldn't be too bad to do. Scottie - how well does that fit in the Z tunnel? I had a heck of a time with the Mustang getting a loop in! Scottie - have you put loops on the rear axles? I was sent some decent pics by a member here and it looked like a good idea. Bolt them to the control arms and they will move with the suspension... Can host if he doesn't mind and if there's interest.

Thanks Pete - now I'll just wait to hear how his fit FWIW - a friend has FIKSE wheels on his car - WOW what nice wheels. I'm going to check those out before I completely settle but the TSWs are very high on my list. Holy smokes FIKSE wheels are bucks! I knew my friend spent several grand on his wheels but I didn't realize they ALL cost that much over there. Whew, too rich for my Z! [This message has been edited by BLKMGK (edited March 31, 2001).]

Try it out man, it worked for me. If you mask the repairs will be straight and not look like some kid with a crayon did them. I'll have to look at mine, I don't even know where the wires up front are for it - that switch was being used for the fan

Datalogging my Mustang with turbos... at a light the intake would heat the air a good bit. Blipping the throttle moved it down some but not much. Leaving the light the temps would drop some but matting the throttle and seeing full boost would bring me to within a few degrees of ambient I'm not sure what staging temps would look like to be honest but I'll bet it drops as he goes down the road. BTW Scottie - I had a gauge built for me by a comapny that might interest you. It uses sensors before and after the intercooler and will display the DELTA temp. In other words, intercooler efficiency! The gave me this gauge in return for feedback about the unit. However it's bigger than I can find a place to fit it in my RX7! Would you be interested in testing it out on the GNZ? I'd want it back but it might give you some good information. You could check the ambient against the temps after the intercooler and the air both before and after the intercooler just by moving or switching one sensor. Unfortunatly it's NOT a digital gauge. There's ONE company out there making one like that but they won't sell it direct and those who do sell it want a mint (grr). A friend says he can build a digital gauge but life hasn't allowed it. Would this interest anyone else?

$15K huh. Hrm, I'll bet that when I'm all said and done I'll be coming uncomfortably close to that number with the V8 (sigh).

Heh, just replied elswhere.. The block is just as good, the rods too I'll bet. Check the bore - does it need to be bored out? If not find out what a set of stock later model pistons would cost then hunt aorund for the later model heads or the Explorer GT-40P heads. These are iron, flow like mad, but might be difficult to get headers for. They shouldn't be expensive at all. Overall there's nothing wrong with that motor that heads and pistons won't fix. Cams are no biggie (shrug). It's not a complete piece of junk, it did make 200HP ya' know. It's just not as easy to build power with it due to some funky parts.

Spoke to my mechanic friend about an hour ago and asked him about the 86s and valve reliefs. He claims little to no valve relief and "crappy heads". If he's showing you a motor with valve reliefs and claiming it's an 86 then by all means let him think that but try to get th elater model heads.

Thanks Ron, I wondered about the car not shutting off. The MAD folks sell a relay setup for just that purpose. IMO it's a pretty good idea for th etrack to test it the way they did - very smart and better than sticking you with the "rules" that might not be best. I've not yet got an alternator and am waffling on that too. One wire just sounds so easy! It's not like I'll have an idiot light anywhere much as I migh tlike one.

go with what Mike did!I went with one of the Triangle aluminum cells and it's only 12gallons. I'd much prefer what Mike has and may switch later on down the road. The fact that it's got a steel safe is a BIG plus in an accident. You'll have to cut out the spare tire well to have it mounted though...

Front of the R200 needs to be a ZX flange I believe - not the 300ZX so if this is an LSD from a 300Z it'll have to be changed. The piece that bolts to that flange is a Neapco adapter, not got th enumber handy but it's been posted here before. Driveshaft will have to be custom made. Yoke coming out of the T56 is the same as a TH400 I'm told - I've not got one yet.

Heh, there's a reason why I put backspacing on th eFAQ as a question I'd love to see an answer for. I hope to learn from your experience!

Will try to ship Satuday. Have got 4 wheelstires to ship while I'm at it. Now THOSE are a PITA!

Done it on other cars - not Zs. Someone had trimmed the tint and cut MANY of the defrog lines... Permatex sells a TINY jar of tanbrown "paint" that can be used to restore the connections. To do it right you'll want to mask the lines and paint between them. However - I'd suggest that you use an Ohmeter to test the existing lines as there's probably more breaks than you realize. Mine are pretty thrashed on my car and I doubt I'll be getting it working anytime soon (sigh). That's like last on my list right now

Heh, when I told a friend at work I was dropping a SBC into a Z his first words were - "why not do that with a more modern car, like a 240SX?" hrm, have yo uconsidered that? No matter what you do - what are the emissions laws in your area? I see VA in your info and in my area that means visual and road dyno for anything as new as your car. 25years or older is exempt from inspection...

3.27 or 3.55? The guys around here all switch to 4series gears The mechanic I know had something steeper than a 4.30 and may have just dropped back to a 4.30. Heh, he's running a T56 too. The IRS cars are really easy to swap to T56 - the driveshaft doesn't even have to be cut. Lot's of local guys are moving up to the T56. It's not cheap since it must be bought new but the T45s blow up WAAAY too often.