James Hamm

I'm still on the board but I'm deployed in Iraq again (5th tour). Its been a long time since I visited my old post. 1. The question about carbs: You are right about conversions and the carb motor. This was my first attempt at an engine conversion and because I'm an engine and transmission guy, I was terrified by the wiring involved. There is a guy in Texas who does LS1 conversions and has a great wiring harness ready to go. 2. The statement about the mufflers: The ones you have posted would have looked a lot better. The mufflers on the car were the first shot at getting the noise down. I was an inexperienced welder so what was on there was my own handywork on the machine. About two months after those photos were posted, the mufflers were realigned and tucked nicely where you could not see the cannisters anymore. 3. The electric water pump is the WP337 from Meziere. I could have used an external water pump but I would have had to buy it from Renegade Hybrids or Rod Simpson. I wanted to avoid any commitment to either of those two companies since the cost of fabrication to cost to consumer is retarted. The Meziere pump was excellent and I didn't have any overheating issues. 4. The radiator was a custom unit made by two very good friends of mine (Devon Zorman / George Huering) at C&R Racing for my project. They designed it with the electric pump, the hose diameter / lenght and line pressure in mind to make it work very well as a system. 5. I know the last post was Feb but I have been out of the loop for several months. I still appreciate the interest. I sold the car because of all of my deployments and I really did want a car with an LS1 that I could drive daily. I now have a 78 280 that I'm working on installing an LS1 with a T56. I have the car and the motor / trans but I have not started the build to do my deployment. I'll be back on the board hot and heavy in Augo of 08 when the troop surge is over. The plan is to get John Washington's / VR Engineering widebody flares and start all over again. Talk to all of you soon, James....

I'm looking for anyone with a Hybrid Z in Eastern NC or Southeaster Ga (Savannah area). Please let me know if you know someone in the area. James....

I know what you mean about the cost of the 911. That one fell out of the sky for $2000 or about the same as a Z in somewhat decent shape. That is the only reason I have it today. I had the entire JTR kit, T56 complete with clutch and engine built up for the 240 I had but I jumped at this opportunity. Honestly, I believe it is much easier to do the Z conversion well than the 911. There are some dificulties getting the guages to work and it is near impossible to get aftermarket guages for the 911 to fit the stock holes. On the Z you can use Autometer / Autoguage with no problem and the wiring is shorter and cleaner. It is much harder to get good A/C into the 911 as well. Everything has to be fabbed in order to work. There have been days when I wished I would have just stuck with the Z and on occasion I still have them. Anytime you say Porsche the cost triples and the transmission is the weakest part of the entire conversion and to make it right cost big big bucks. The gearing isn't really good with a stock transmission and it costs about $3000 to get it perfect. I can't launch hard lilke you can at a drag strip. I would twist the main shaft as I am operating at the limits of it's torque capacity so I have to modulate the go fast pedal and be careful when I'm having fun. Once at speed though, this car handles better than anything I have ever driven and the sound is just bad ***. This weekend I tuned my exhaust up and made it look a lot better than the photos. Lots of cutting and welding but it worked out great. Send me your email address and I'll shoot you a pic tomorrow.

Bart, That is his second attempt at a radiator system that goes into the wing. The first was the most hideous piece I have ever seen. The performance was great but it just was flat out ugly. This one is a lot more attractive but still not what I want on my car. His system does leave the car intact and no cutting or welding is requried which is a major plus. I did have to cut some of the sheetmetal in front but I also reenforced everything so it is stronger now than it was stock. I have a C&R setup that is to flat out kill for. That radiator system with the Meziere pump is bad ***. BTW, your swap is very clean. I want to get my engine bay looking about the same as yours. James....

Honestly, I prefer your car to your brothers. It is beautiful but I always loved the Z's with huge flares. I was very close to getting a set from John Washington at VR Eng. for my 72. I like the 993 look on his car but they are too refined for me. I love the brutishness of the early turbos like mine. Toyjet is the guy I was talking about. his kit is well put together but his price is high for retail. He will sell to me at cost. Dont' worry about hijacking the thread. I'm on a Z board posting pics of my 911. That's hijacking at its finest. James....

My fault guys. I had a friend send me that and I didn't pay attention to the date.

That paint color is awsome. Stone Grey / Gunmetal isn't very common and it really adds class to the lines of the car. Good job. James....

EL240Z: Is that a GTU-Z body kit on your Z. I really loved that kit back when AirzonaZ sold them. I didn't have the cash way back then. That was the car I always wanted to build. James....

EL240Z: The body kit on your brother's car looks like the one from Better Bodies Motorsports. Its a good kit and seems to be very well done. It is also possible to put an LS1 in the 911 so that is another option for you. If you want to go that route, I can hook you / your brother up with someone who just completed that project who can guide you with the wiring install. The rest is about the same as the 350 that is in there now. The only parts I used from Renegade are the remote fill unit and the T-stat housing. Everything else was fabricated with the exception of the bellhousing adapter which I bought from Kennedy. I saved about $4000 by doing it myself and not buying their kit. Olie, it is a Meziere big block electric pump. I am running a thermostat but I drilled two holes in the housing to relieve pressure and allow some flow even when the T-stat is closed. Works great. I have it on a timer so it stays on for 90 seconds after I shut off the car so I'll never cook the block. The radiator set up is the best part of the entire conversion. I'm starting the heat and A/C install this week. I picked up a Gen II Compac from Vintage Air so I will have good control of the interior temps and have defrost.

Megasquirt also makes a great fuel injection system that is fully programable that you could adapt for your configuration. http://www.megasquirt.info/ James....

Sport Z magazine did an article of a Z32 owner who converted to a LS1 / T56. If your interested, I can hook you up with my dad (Bob Bell / owner of Sport Z to get a copy of the back issue and get you in contact with the owner of the car if your really interested. James....

It is like a freak show on wheels. First it seems that the 911 / 930 body just does something for a lot of folks. The gurgle of the motor (400hp) confuses the hell out of them. Once I pop the hood/trunk it just goes on and on from there. It is really a beast and the best part is that with the motor over the back wheels, steering is just as light as a stock 911/930. I had to add the radiator system up front but I also had to reduce the capacity of the fuel tank to 17 gal so the weight is just about the same. James...

I'm at work now but I'll get this done when I get home tonight. I'll load up several for you to check out. James....

Guys, The 911 motors are highly over-rated. I own both a 944 and a 911. I put a 400hp in the back of my 911 after doing a 930 turbo widebody conversion. (4 bolt main, camel hump heads, Edelbrock performer, MSD, roller rockers and a lot more. It is so much better than it ever was with the 180hp 911SC 3.0 motor. I wanted to upload some pics but can't remember how to do it. I have a ton to show if anyone is interested.

I won a very good condition hood in L.A. but now the guys says he cannot ship it. Is there anyone who can help me. I would pay everything up front and a litte extra for your time. Please let me know. James Hamm

I have the 944 sport seats in my car (and I have a 951 as well). The seats are really comfortable and the high bolsters are great. If you have access to a good pair for not a lot of cash then go for it. There are better seats out there for the money (especially the new Toyota Celica sport seats). The decision all rests on the cash involved. You can get a set of Celica seats for $350 in leather and you won't be able to get a set of 951/911 sport seats in good condition for anywhere near that. Hope this helps. James....

Nice choice for a non Z. I own an 87 951 (944 Turbo) and it's my daily driver. If you ever want to put an LT1 in it, check out RenegadeHybrids.com They have a package that will bump up the HP from 155 to 300 and it's very clean. Make sure you keep your timing and balance shaft belts up to tension and check your water pump. When they go bad, things get very very expensive. If you need any help with anythin, PM me and I'll help you out as much as I can. I have 10 years experience with the 944 series. Take care and enjoy. James Hamm

I back up the Brown Bread. I have a Porsche 944 and a 951. The reduction was extreme in the early 944 and for less than half the cost of Dynamat. I bought it off Ebay for a great price. I've used a couple types of asphalt sheets but they didn't seem to be as effective unless a spray deadener was used in conjunction with it. James...

You need to open up a Paypal account. What is the sellers user id and his email address. I have contact numbers at Ebay and I could help you resolve this quickly and with minimal pain. Paypal is the best way to do business on Ebay as it affords you one more layer of consumer protection.

I agree as long it does not drag on forever and it doesn't become a flame war. We are a resource about conversions and it's expected/assumed that that we know about other conversions. In addition to my Z, I have a converted my Porsche 911 and 944. Whenever I open the hood of any of the three, people always want to what other cars can be done. I'm sure this has happened to all of us. I doubt we would be real car guys if we didn't take a few minutes to pass on some info we have in our misdirected brains.

I second the Vortec heads. It's probably the best head Chevy produced that is affordable to all of us. If you can score a set of early 186 or 041 heads (same casting just slightly thicker spring platforms on the 041 head) they can achieve great results. I have 041 heads that I ported and polished myself and I'm just a hair above 375hp very reliable and very smooth. The Vortecs are about that good right off the bat and don't benifit as much from the port and polish (not as much as my set did). Between Ebay and swap meets, you can score big time. James...

Here is a link from Pelican Parts on how to polish aluminium wheels http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/concours_corner/concours_corner-4.htm and if you want someone to do it for you, try these guys, they are very good. http://www.wheelenhancement.com Hope this helps. James....

I second the David Vizard book. I used his Small Blocks on a Budget and the engine rebuild book. This was my first SBC as I have been into Porsches for the last 10 years. It was a piece of cake with the book as the guide. Using all stock chevy parts except the intake mainfold and I'm pushing 375hp with great reliability and no issues (so far). He has a way of explaining things that make very good sense. The books have a very good section on component inspection. James...

Guys, I would like to know if this is a good unit to use. I can buy one that has only the Diff and the two connecting flanges. What else is needed and is this a good choice over a R200. I'm only pusing 375HP so I don't know if it's even worth it. Please advise James

Pete, Do you have any idea how much Mcleod is asking for that setup? I'm unable to call (I'm deployed in Iraq) but it "might" be a more cost effective solution. I have the factory hydraulics with the tranny. I believe that I could use them in conjunction with a centerforce dual friction clutch, right? Please advise. James..