BLKMGK

He's full of crap. Ford DID put different heads and pistons on that 5.0 motor. They might have had valve reliefs but they were in a different position than the motors before and after. Call up a cam hotline and talk to them - you'll find that if you tell them you've got an '86 that they will warn you about lift numbers on the cam if you've swapped heads. In fact, look at the SVO motorsport catalog's cams. I think you'll find warnings there too! That motor was a one year trial for Ford. Higher swirl in the chamber is what they were after I believe. This knocked HP down but brought torque up. This has been documented in lot's of magazines and books - that guy has his head in the sand if he's never heard about it. Oh, let him know that the SVOs were 2.3liter 4cylinders and didn't come with V8s. Ask him what changed from 86 to 87 that brought HP up 25ponies if it was the "exact same motor".... If I can find some reference URLs I'll post them but I won't have time to hunt tonight.

Well, Mustang brackets ought to fit on th eZ I'd think - maybe close anyway. I can take some measurements and some pics if anyone is interested. I do seem to recall that they stick out ot the side a bit further than my P1200 does - mostly becasue of the blower housing. And what makes you think that $2600 was sans intercooler? That's part of the ATI kit and I believe comes with that setup. It may already be sold though, I've not been over to the shop in a week or so (shrug). Blowers come up for sale fairly regularly these days. As for needing an intercooler - heck yes! Turbos need them, why wouldn't a supercharger?! The housing isn't imparting THAT much heat - it's the compression of the air that heats things up! For that matter I think turbos are MORE effecient than belt driven impellers and probably need the cooling even more as a result. Ever see air temp readings from some of the blower tests? I've seen temps over 200 in some of them - ouch. The water intercoolers actually sound good for drag racing IMO as water will pull more heat away than air. But on the street the water eventually hits a point where it won't get cooler and can only pull but so much heat from the air. A freon setup doesn't sound bad though Me, I'll probably try to find a used head unit, some SBC brackets, something like an NPR intercooler, and piece it together for this weirdo application. I wonder what Darius used on his car...

I'm with Pete - somewhat. Putting it on the hot side seems weird to me. If it gets punched in it will certainly short on something and if it wasn't a bad accident before the hot wire grounding will make it serious! However, if it's in the back and gets punched while it's on the ground wire it'll still be bad - it'll short to ground and the switch will be ineffective. If it has to be used it won't work. My thought had been to mount it ON the battery box and run a rod out the back for a push OFF type lever. However the rules quoted seem to say that rods aren't allowed! IMO the shorter th ewire run before the switch the better and if the switch can be placed in the driver's reach then it should be! My sealed box is mounted just in back of the tool boxes in the center of the car over the rear axle. I did this for handling mostly as putting it in the rear corner seemed wrong. I also couldn't fit my box securely there with my fuel cell where it's at. I've been looking very hard at the various switches, most especially the Flaming River one, but now that you mention it I seem to recall that MAD had some good ideas too. I'll have to hunt their site up and see what looks good. Oh - I too considered sinking a box into the tool well. RX7 folks do this often with teeny tiny batteries (can provide URLs). However cranking power might not be what we'd want on a cold evening or heatsoaked motor I've not yet bought a battery, a switch, or wired my box up. Suggestions needed here too...

My T56 shifter comes out damned close too. Close enough that I'll put hose on the edge to protect the boot on the shifter mechanism! I'm not going to trim it but I was tempted...

Hrm, do you still have your clutch pedal? Clutch master? Should be as easy as: Unbolt TH350 and pull remove flexplate install "correct" flywheel - probably the Centerforce install clutch lightly clearance tunnel, install trans measure and have a new driveshaft built install clutch masterslave Do you have the JTR book? Most of this is in there but not specific to the T56. I think you might be happier with a T56 than an add-on overdrive. The overdrive sticks still further out the back of the trans and the existing driveshaft is already pretty short I'll bet. heh, short enough that I wonder if a carbon fiber driveshaft wouldn't be too bad to have built - it's pretty short

I hear ya' Kevein - try this... I ordered mine and right afterwards recieved a phone call that my mother had died. The day the JTR package arrived I was in a car driving out of town and got to read it in the car. (forget planes on short notice - they rape you!) Just one problem - they sent me the Volvo manual accidently! so, I learned all about Volvos (or was it Jags? Mercedes?) and got to read the TPITBI book too. We finally got it straight after I sent the silly book back that THEY had screwed up and sent me - they wouldn't just send me the right book even though it clearly said Datsun in their logs! Since then I've read the book about 20 times and it's getting pretty dogeared. I've considered a second book just to have a clean copy and if they have another revision I'll certainly buy it

Hrm, how much do these ECUs run? I've seen aftermarket harnesses in the several hundred dollar range. Add on an aftermarket MAF for about $250. Water temp, intake temp, TP sensor, O2s. What else? I'm really wondering how well this would work in place of some of th ereally expensive aftermarket jobs. Need to hunt down a forum where this software is being talked about. I seem to recall a forum dedicated to it out there somewhere...

Drooling over the prospect of getting a look at those diff pics. Th eR230s are supposed to be much easier to get, posi, and actually cheaper than the hard to find R200 LSD. The trick has been figuring out an economical way to get them mounted! Pics of your install would surely help. Any details that you can provide about the halfshafts and effort put into installing it would be great. I'm also interested in the clutch setup and radiator. Have you driven the beast on the road much yet? Understand about the weather - yucky here righ tnow that's for sure!

Umm, Ron - that's known as "bid sniping". why do you do that yourself? They make software that will do that for you and allow you to sleep at night The software I use is called Cricket Jr. and works just fine. Let me know if you'd like to know more about it....

Ummm actually no There's a FREE software package on their site for reading the ADL stream, looking for error codes, and i think also dumping the ECM. The PAY version of that software allows datalogging. This is separate from the LT1 Edit software although it probably datalogs too. As for their changing ECMs often, true to a point. The LT1 Edit software ONLY works on a limited range of computers. That's okay though as it seems to me that computer could certainly be used in many apps. How much do those puppies run used? Anyone here using the LT1 Edit software yet? I'm VERY tempted to get it for our Impalla SS but I'd not want to change anything (except one annoying shift issue that Impallas have!). However if I was going to try and use this for my 383 then it would make sense. Just need to figure out what an ECM, wiring harness, and sensors will cost vs an off the shelf programmable EFI setup. The fact that this one is MAF is a plus in my book. TECs can be MAF though too I believe. No wideband O2 on the LT1 but I think it's full sequential.... Guess I'll have to do some research on this.

I've not mounted up the slave yet but I've got a pretty good idea as to how it'll look. I guess having seen the FOX Mustang headers in a Z it just seemed like the swept back SBC ones ought to work too. Headers is one of the areas I keep going back and forth on - is driving me crazy. Okay, and everyone else too something like these -> http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=5028&prmenbr=76&path=76%202305%202311%202557

hehe - morejunk4me@hotmail.com - note the number This is for the 4 lug rotors, calipers, hubs right?

Revac - one problem with that. We're talking hot gasses here. When they hit that nice big chamber of a muffler it expands. But wait it must now compress down to go through the pipe again... I think there's a problem there - better to do this where the gas is cooler I think. RX7 folks have talked about this because when you delete the main cat it gets real loud. The solution has been a baffled midpipe but supposedly while quieter it costs HP. Dunno' if it's very much of a loss on a V8...

Okay - some comments 1) Hate the hood scoop but that's a personal thing. 2) Need you to please crawl under there and take MANY pics of the rearend setup and get LOT'S of details on how it was done. Pretty please! 3) You'll want to consider an overdrive tranny unless you don't hit the highway much. there are probably osme that would be VERY interested in knowing more about the clutch slave. 4) Motor is not in the JTR setback position. Weight distrobution will be a little "off" especially with iron heads. How does it drive? If the steering is really heavy this might be why. If it drives fine then it ain't broke I guess. 5) Would like to know what you've got for front brakes on that puppy. You may find you need more, drive it and see. 6) What radiator is that? How well does it cool? Overall it looks damned nice! Knowing the previous owner is a big plus. That rear swap is one that I and others would be very interested in knowing more about too. More pics man, more pics. I'll host some of them if you need the space. Welcome aboard! Oh, and I also like the red Base RX7. I've got a Base that was red and is now Ferrari Yellow Bunch of mods to it too. Nice to have yet another RX7 person on the board. We've briefly tossed around the idea of a 3rotor Z too! that would be an interesting ride to say the least.

Radius = fillet I believe

Yeah, okay I'm close to ordering. However looking at some of the truck headers for late model GMCs and at the S10 swap headwers I still can't help but think that a swept back design would fit and be better flowing with an exit back near th efirewall instead of requiring a hard turn just under the collector - ala streetrod. Has anyone ever gotten a peak at the S10 swap or late model SBC truck headers? I can get them fairly cheap in Jeg's but I'm not sure I want to spend $100+ unless there's a very good chance it'll fit. I'm think 1 5/8ths primaries if I have to buy street rod headers....

Tim, have you go tpics of your intercooler setup? I'm not running a Turbo but down the road may entertain an ATI blower - sicko' that I am. I'm interested in intercooler options as a result. The NPR (?) intercooler is the one I've been looking at hardest (think Isuzu trucks)...

I think the ZXT vents owuld look pretty cool. somewhere out there is a company that sells drop in replacement vents for the later ZX vents that are NACA type like the turbo vent you're thinking of. This might be a cheaper easier way to go. If I could've found someone who had used them and could tell me about the quality I'd have gone for them but... I've got regular ZX vents myself in a fiberglass cowl hood from the SubtleZ kit.

Heh, an echo First, get the JTR book - that's step #1! As for bodyflex, so long as you're not crazy with th ecar it ought to survive fine for awhile. I would put some sort of subframe in there eventually as it will slowly weaken and become worse, especially if there's rust, but for a little while it should be okay. I had a V8 Vega with a 4.56 rear in it and NO subframe connectors. It's floorpan was much like the Z's. Putting in just connectors was supposed to be a royal PITA - I was young too. I discovered something VERY interesting one day when a friend drove it and I sat in the passenger side. With the wondow rolled down and my hand hanging on I could actually feel the body twist the wondow frame away from the body of the car! If I wasn't careful it would actually pinch my hand. I'd expect the Z to be much the same if you really hammer on it. It might not start out as much but over time it will get worse as things loosen up. At some point you will have to do something about this problem one way or another. Cage and fuel cell for my car cost less than a grand and could save my life in an accident. Look at the door beams sometime - not much there! budget this but it might not have to be the first thing you do - or it could be the first thing you do while you drive it and save up for a drivetrain.... That might actually be the best way to go as even if you don't wind up doing the swap the stiffer frame will help you out in the long run.

Never got it, check your mail. No biggie - I trip over the rotors in the garage occasionally but otherwise no sweat

Kripes, there must be an echo in here or I'm a day behind

Heh, I even drilled mine for 5lug with the stubs still in! I've decide to leave them alone for now even though one of the dust shield on the stub is rubbing some - I figure it'll clearance itself My fingers are crossed that Mike's new rear bracket to mount Outlaws and Willwood spots doesn't require stub removal - we'll see. It might be unavoidable....

Hrm, my experience with ArizonaZ's fiberglass stuff is documented here already - it was NOT good. Their price on the brakes is pretty shocking too IMO. If that sort of setup, which I too assumed you already had, is what you want you've got options. For instance - Mike's front kit is somehting like $900 for the way I'm going and honestly it's overkill but VERY nice. Then you'll want the rear too - he's still setting this up for me but when done it'll have an E-brake too, solid rotor however (that can be changed). Not sure what it will cost yet but I guaruntee it won't $4K Now then, those suspension arms... Another member here is making those too for the front, MikeKelly, and is working on getting the rears up to speed too. I don;t recall costs but I'm sure it won't be as bad as the Arizona stuff adds up to and on the street you may not even "need" it. I'm going with stock stuff myself but to each his own. Lastly, the coilovers. Those run about $400 total for all four corners. You'll have to do some labor and have some welding done but it's doable - I'm doing this too. Bet that all ads up to significantly less than $5K but certainly NOT cheap. You'll need wheels and tires too don't forget.... So, you didn't realize when you linked that stuff before that it was that expensive? Those are full on race parts and will improve the car a good bit I'm sure. However, what's your intended use for the car? Daily driver? If so consider that the racing billet type of brake calipers seldom have dust seals and are higher maintenance as a result. Also consider that Heim joints are a wear item and have to be replaced occasionally. There's no give in them either - solid as a rock with all the vibration and noise that entails. Tell us your intended use, your budget (realisticly), and what else you wish to do withto the car. It's quite possible you're overbuilding the suspension and blowing money you could be using elsewhere. (shrug) Hope that helps some!

Figure it's as wide or slightly wider than a big block Ford 460. If you're REALLY curious about this let me know and I'll hit my friend's new motor with a measuring tape for you and take some pics. These are NOT cheap motors but very smooth and have a giant powerband to them.

My friend who's a mechanic refuses to read the Corral and he nearly ran screaming from his shop when a customer told him he'd bought a Vortech becasue "if I have problems with it they can help me on the Internet". He turns wrenches for a living and goes by his experience which to date has been better with ATI. That's not to say a Vortech won't run but that he's had better experience with ATI. The intercooler on an ATI setup makes a big difference although some of the setups I've seen for the Camaros look pretty Micky Mouse to say the least. Darius for one ofund out that ATI backs up their product even if he did get pretty frustrated with it. Oh, and cogs are VERY bad for blowers - especially on the street. Don't run them long as the lash and lack of slip jerks the impeller all over the place. My ATI needed new bearings when I got it after it had been run in a race car with cogs for a season or so (shrug). Heh, I know someone selling a P1SC from ATI for the Mustang for $2600 used. Apparently he wants a bigger blower So far he's gotten nothing but jerked around online by all sorts of people telling him they want it but have no money and could he please hold it for them I'm half tempted to go for it myself but the hassle of converting it from Ford to SBC and the cost (even if it's a good deal) puts it out of the realm for me...