BLKMGK

Actually I AM using LEDs for turn signal indicators inside the car - looks just fine. I'll probably be looking into blue LEDs to light some of my Autometer gauges too as painting the stock clear bulbs doesn't give an even effect and leaves slight streaks. Nothing wrong with the neon cable or EL sheeting of used tastfully. I think EL gauges would be VERY nice and certainly different. If someone wants to try and convert the stock gauges then by all means I support that and hope they report back with good pics and a detailed write up. If Autometer hadn't backed out of doing them I'd be running a set on my car right now (shrug).

You might get by with a T5, I wouldn't do a trans that didn't have an overdrive. However when you start figuring up what it costs to fix a broken T5 a couple of times the more bulletproof T56 starts to look awful nice....

Well, if the gap is too big it was that way out of the box (grumble). I've not got a set of feeler gauges but perhaps I'll try sliding it a hair closer. This is really aggravating Does the coil know to fire by virtue of it getting grounded? If so I couldline up the distributer to a spark plug lead and manually ground the coil to see if it will fire. I think I'll double check a wire or two first but honestly I think they're all attached correctly. Really frustrating! I've got a second coil but it takes a different ignition plug on the lead. Resistance across the coil measured properly but I'll double check to be sure. If it was dead it would read as an open and not under an Ohm.... Grr!

Decided I'd give my car a quick fire up to see if it was even in shape enough to start. Cranked fine, good oil pressure, fuel pump ran (I cvleared lines first and primed carb) but no fire! Pulled a plug wire, cranked her over, no spark. I checked the coil, it's getting 12 volts form the driver's side wire. The coil ground is hooked to the Accell distributor and I think that may be where the problem is. Looked over the distributor and saw nothing obviously wrong. Sensor's distance from the manget look okay and the circuit board under the cap was warm so it's getting juice with the key on at least... I've tried cranking it with the key and with a jumper on the solenoid - no spark. What should I be checking next? Can I check for voltage at the could while the car is cranking? Distributor is brand new and so is the coil. Resistance across the coil measures .7Ohm so it shouldn't be the problem - that's within what the Accell book said I should have. I'm using a Blaster 3 coil. Heeellllppp!!!

Dude, you're right down th estreet from me Beware Peter the Pirate. What would you say about a performance shop that refuses to take credit cards? I'd heard stories about Peter but chose to ignore them and get some work done. Techs were VERY friendly and seemed knowledgable - but no credit cards? Something smells of fish... The other shop, Rotary Performance, I've not dealt with but I hear GOOD things baout them! There's also a VERY reputable shop up in PA only a few hours away - KD Rotary that you should consider. Having said that... why are you not looking at V8s? Just curious, it's not a hard swap, is well documented, and you'd have local support I honestly don't know much about the Skyline motor - how available are parts? Rotaries tend to be more fragile IMO and I'm honestly worried I'll break mine one day. If you want to build a turbo Skyline motor I'd say that would kick serious butt! The roataries are pretty neat too but they make less low end torque and are more fragile so take that into consideration. Getting service on a rotary can be expensive as you're limited to a few skilled folks - the Mazda dealeras are renown for NOT knowing how to service the FD3s like mine... Where are you located? My 240Z is about to hit the road in the next few weeks and I can certainly show it off to you if you'd like. I think you'd find this motor as easy to swap in as any other and it should be a real monster. For that matter - have you considered the Turbo L6? I may know a source for parts and I've got two NA 2.8's sitting in the garage as I type this...

Heh, DO IT! Scottie needs some more competition in the race for the 10's Scottie's car is running about an 11.1 at some ungodly MPH shifting into OD way before the traps. His problem seems to be gearing that's too steep - can you imagine a problem like that? Keep the auto, add a trans brake, and have a blast. Scottie's car is just plain sick on the street, he has to detune it to get it to stay on the road!

Lone - RX7 is an independant rear but it does indeed have a torque arm. Really surprised me!

Higher boost in gears you sit in longer is normal. Usually on the top end it will start to get lower though from what I've seen. In lower gears you just don't seem to be in them long enough for boost to build

More pics please, something closer up and from the side would be MUCH appreciated! I like those mirrors and always wondered how they would look on the Z. A friend had them on his Chevelle and they looked great. Details on how you mounted them would also be VERY much appreciated. I need to do this but am very apprehensive never having monkeyed with mirrors before - corner mount mystifies me for some reason. How it work?

Guys, rear rotors in a 5lug config are like $90 apiece. The calipers from Mike are about $125 each (guesstimate), and I'm not sure about the mounts but honestly except for the initial labor there's not much to them - he did a good job! For the rear Mike has some good options IMO - I went with solid 11inch rotors and I think they will work VERY well. Fronts were more trouble. I did indeed go with 300ZX hubs, not sure if they're T or not. They bolted right on after I drilled out the holes for new studs. I'm not sure where he's sourcinf the rotors but they're off the shelf and he sells nice Brembo units for a reasonable price. Calipers are more expensive than the rear and the mounts were a little more work if memory serves. The hardware is all excellent too. If the fronts are too expensive look into some sort of 5lug Toy upgrade. I think Mike has mounts for that - check with him. The 12inch rotors up front are probably overkill but I like it 5lug opens up many doors so if you're considering brakes and wheels I think it's worth your while to look at this option. Some of th eparts like the hubs can be gotten from a boneyard or as in my case Mike had some around and they were pretty cheap. (shrug) New seals, new bearings, whee! Oh yeah, rear brakes took less than an hoour to bolt on - literally! That's with the holes drilled and old drum stuff off but for me it was cake. I'll snap some shots as soon as I can, need to get a stud to seat on the rear first as I managwed to damage one..

Impalla SS do NOt have an engine driven fan. JTR mentions one in their TPI swap book but I've lent that out and don't have it handy. I think that was a Caprice towing package option? IMO the LT1 ROX! It makes our Impalla SS flat out move and it must weigh something over 4Klbs! Sick I tell tyou, just plain sick

Scottie, you get my mail about Westech?

If a big block Chevy can be made to fit I think a 4.6 DOHC would fit. I also have not measured but I know the DOHC is about as wide as a big block Ford motor. I think that would be one AWESOME swap

RX7 have a torque arm much like th eF-bodies. It's used to control wrap up of the rear diff and plant the rear as the "arm" tries to lift the car somewhere in the middle. If you look in the Mustang world you'll find that torque arms are a popular bolt on to gain traction. If the SX has one great, if not no sweat. I was SHOCKED to find a torque arm under my RX7 Still lot's to learn about that car...

I've heard both good and bad about Electromotive. The guys over there are pretty nice though (mere blocks from my home BTW) but I'm told they build systems better than they can tune them (lol). I've waffled over buying one of their setups for years and have mostly turned away from them due to their high software charges. Now that the software is free and updated over the WEB I'm MUCH more interested in their setups and MAY put one on the Z this Winter. Losing portions of the map IS possible - with any system actually. If you've not grounded the chassis correctly and it gets zapped it could easily dump some portion of the EEPROM. Electromotive systems have apparently had problems with the bus bar system of attaching wires and some potting issues I've een told but are overall pretty decent systems. The software is VERY sophoisticated and I think their system is one of the few that can run MAF. The ability to program itself on the fly is also very nice for getting a base map, I wish others were accurate enough to do that! Would love ot hear from others using the systems as to the quirks in the software. Anyone know much about the TECIII? It sounds good on paper but... Anyon spoken to them about it? Once my car is on the road I may swing by there and speak to them about it

I "rotate" the position that my spolier is sitting in from time to time in order to maske sure it doesn't warp. Until it gets put on a car I want to keep it in as good a shape as possible. I found out real quick that leaving it standing on end was a bad idea...

I've got a glass spoiler on my car but it's actually turned out to be somewhat flexible the few times I've bumped it with a jack. Maybe it's urethane after all? Anyway, I've still got a Xeon urethane unit in my back room gathering dust. Brand new from MSA bought for a different car. Rear spoiler too which I'm pretty sure I won't be using. Just not sure what I want in the way of a rear spoiler for this car if anything....

Scottie - R&P setup shoudl be no more than $150 tops. That's what all of th eshops here charge all day long on th e8.8. As for gears - I can get you a set of 3.08 pretty easily I think and a 3.27 wouldn't be too bad either I'm thinking. 3.27 is just a little harder to find is all...

I got 245s in back on my car but 255s wouldn't fit I don't think. Pete did it but his setup is pretty special. Now, try finding 4 lug wheels in the offset you want... 5lug opens many doors!

Did Mike's rear bolt-on setup today. Once I had my ducks in a row and th ebrackets painted it took maybe a 1/2 hour per side with the old junk having already been cleared away. 4 bolts, talk about easy! Mike, ya' didn't tell me there was a vented 4 piston option available! I think the 11inch solid will be fine though, really... (lol) Time to drive this puppy!

Got my brackets and calipers from MikeSCCA bolted on today Easy as can be to bolt on and I just need a set of brake lines made up to be good to go brake wise. This is a good easy bolt on way to go folks and looks darned nice. 11inch solid rotors....

Heh, my underhood light is BRIGHT, I don't need it upgraded. The lights inside migh tneed work but I think I'll simply add a couple to the footwells and call it done. Did that in my Mustang (FWIW - convertible Mustangs had lights in footwells and the sockets are there on all of them) and it really helped alot!

I've gto an aftermarket crank in mine - it came with the 383 kit, Eagle Rods, etc. etc.. Had I been doing a 350 I probably wouldn't have worried much about the new crank. Doing a 383 though I preferred new over having one ground. (shrug)

I'd suggest looking at the Taurus and Mustang radiators. The Cobra fan I've got required some trimming to fit and some custom mounts but it ROX! I feel a breeze at the back of th ecar when it comes on and it will suck paper to the front of the radiator easily. Total cost was about $30 tops for this puppy

NOS didn't blow the floorboards. Those were those cutesy diamond plate show things that "blew". The little bolts worked loose and away it went. I've never seen anyone actually use one of those things for the real floorboard but... it wasn't a motor blowing. Heh, am in Vegas checking in for a moment Bust week, lot's to catch up with I see. Hacking conferences are fun (lol). Anyone else here at DEFCON?