AydinZ71

I second this. The doors add some rigidity Between the hinge and latch when closed, but nowhere near enough to cause the surrounding metal to yield or experience plastic deformation if the door is removed.

Hi all! I thought some of you might like to see the the reinforcement I’m working on to rebuild my rusted out rocker. I have the “slip on” rocker cover for asthetics, but the inside will be home made. I have prepared a vertical rib (14 gauge) which will go down the centerline of the rocker and serve as the surface for jacking the car, and where both the floor pan and slip-on rocker will weld to. Between the inner axial rib and inner rocker, I have welded in additional ribbing to resist shear (20 gauge). I will add additional 20 gauge ribbing between the axial rib and the outer rocker. Just an engineer geeking out. I’m sure there is a lighter, more efficient design but I’m having fun. IMG_5198.MOV

Lots of junk out there. They made a whole store called “harbor freight” that’s full of it. They do serve a place in the market though. Maybe not for you or I, but someone is happy. If the products (fill-in the blank) produces turn out to be junk, junk may just be “good enough” or they will eventually lose enough customers to go out of business. I suppose what I’m saying is, I don’t blame the business. That’s how free enterprise works. Quality has a way of proving itself in the markets regardless of whatever claims the seller may make. This is of course only my opinion so no offense intended to anyone.

I don’t disagree, results matter. FEA is just a tool, and helps reduce the need for destructive testing since you can identify strain points. I used to use it when I did component design, but we still did performance tests. It just saved us money by reducing wasted materials/labor. As you mentioned, they would earn more of my attention if they demonstrated some of the engineering/testing behind the product, but as a business I support them. No value judgement on them. its my opinion that its the consumers job to research/validate the product. in relative terms, the products are inexpensive for such a small volume. I know first hand how hard it can be to make everyone happy as a small business. My long term goal is to build an AL tube frame with an S30 skin using my “lightweight structures” coursework and text book. Just a hobby and learning exercise. I don’t think it will be allowed on a track as I believe steel is required for racing. I used to perform solidworks modeling at work, but that was 10 years ago. I still need a day job and I don’t see myself wanting/needing to be a professional in that regard. It’s still fascinating though, and I really appreciate the breath of knowledge on this forum.

thanks! Going to order the Staniforth and smith books. Having trouble finding the Milliken book for a reasonable price, but il keep looking!

Hi all! I found an OEM S15 Spec-R and accompanying companion flanges for a reasonable price. looking over the forums, it should bolt in (possible requiring 10-12mm bushings) to my existing ring gear. I'm still running the 280z halfshafts. Ideally I would go full CV, but the cost of fresh custom length axles and hub/adapter looks quite expensive. Is anyone aware of a 6-bolt axle flange to 280z half-shaft adapter? The 6-bolt arrangement is like the below picture. This is for an L24. With the head modifications underway, I don't expect to see more than 155-165 ft-lbs of torque so that wont be a factor. This is for the SCCA group EP race car.

Just some thoughts... I would only be interested in purchasing after I did my own research on race car chassis, suspension, and axle design. Anyone have any suggestions for books? I'm not sure if T3 or Apex has performed finite element analysis on their designs. I would want to be sure their solution would outperform anything else a custom shop experienced in racecar chassis etc. would do for the same price. By no means am I putting down their product.

thanks again for the suggestion. These do look to keep the spring and shock concentric. I’m happy with the build quality. They asked me for very detailed dimensions on the shock To verify figment. just got some more undercoating work to do in the wheel wells and they will be going in.

Courtesy @VQ_S30 on IG. Please follow/like his content if this was helpful for you. It’s a heavy sucker, but the weight is well positioned relative to both axles. this assumes Derek’s bell housing is roughly the same weight as the stock one. Not an unreasonable assumption.

I retract my statement. There is no best. Apologies.

Unfortunately, the T5 sold in the 280ZX turbo is not what is considered a "world class" T5 (technical term). What this means is that it is not the same as the universal T5's sold later in many Fords. I am certainly not an expert, but I suggest searching a bit on this gearbox. It seems some like it, but many are not big fans. It looks to me as well that the CD00A/0 is the best/only option at this time if you are looking for a tranny that still has manufacturer support. I am also looking into buying just the bell housing, and building the cross-member myself. Derek (the gentleman who designed the GodZilla bellhousing) is working on a BRZ transmission bellhousing too. That might be a good option for you once finished. the CD00A/9 is more of a must for us running high torque.

Agreed. If i was starting from scratch, I would go with the VQ37 or VR swap. The LS is too much displacement for me (just personal preference). Given what I am starting with, my plan is to wear-out the L28et setup, then consider selling the bones. I came to this conclusion when considering the costs, but with the modern turbo im getting close to the cost of a VQ swap. Still, its not entirely a cost consideration since I can accomplish everything I described above without pulling my block which will save me quite a bit of time and effort. Thinking this over, i might just keep my stock cam and keep her closer to the 350hp mark. The current clutch will hold the torque, so it might just give me more time on the ZX trans. I need a new turbo anyway, and I was pleased with the Protunerz price on the complete manifold setup.

thanks again for your help Derek! If I hear you correctly, you will not be taking ordered for the bellhousing outside your distributor at the moment. Il place an order with Godzilla. Hope I can snag one of the new ten being cast. Thanks again!!!

yeah it’s a shame I was looking at the S130 T5’s but from what I read they are not ideal either. They are rare now and at least $800 a pop. I’d still need a custom driveshaft, and they would not handle the torque of the CD009. Looks like il be putting in an order for that bellhousing. On the other hand, I could pull a CD009 from a junkyard myself. And have quite a bit.

ahhh very cool! Well I feel like my options are pretty limited on gearboxes. For a car with this much torque, I also dont feel I “need” a 6-speed, but I don’t know of any other options at the moment besides the new bellhousing Derek is casting for the 350z trans. Any other ideas come to mind?

thank you! I will search his name

No advice intended. People have and do cheat here. I’m not advocating it. It’s very common in the car modification circles. It’s not a risk I have ever needed to take. Don’t break the law Just permanently move out of state

thanks for the Info. I’m just ignorant of the marketplace. When I had the stock T3 rebuilt into the T3/T4, there weren’t any ultra cheap knockoffs around. It’s helpful to know the $500 range are Chinese knockoffs and not necessarily reputable. There are just many more options on the market today than I was accustomed to in the early 2000’s. I definitely hear you on the gear ratios. If the 3.31 drags out too long between shifts, I could always buy another super 8.8 in a higher ratio. I intentionally wanted to try a lower geared rear end this time around, as my 3.7 had me shifting quite a bit more than I liked.

sorry man. I don’t have any advice for you on that. I have never gamed the CA law personally.

I’m confused. Are you referring to me? To be clear, I don’t know anyway around the law. I don’t “know a guy”. I have a pre-73 car intentionally so It is exempt from smog. Am I misunderstanding?

In California, you either need to know of an inspector personally who will make sure your car passes, or buy a pre-73 car. Many of us 240z Owners deliberately had this in mind. We don’t need to smog check. Option a) will not work for you. 78’ did not come with carbs. Must be OEM or CARB approved alternate. see al those tricked out modded cars at car shows? They are either paying off their inspector to force a pass, Out of state registration, or registered for off-road only

you can read through this: http://zcsd.org/tech-articles/power-quest2.php

this might work during the first inspection, but it’s going to be a pain to swap back during your next inspection. I don’t know how detailed they look, but the aftermarket EFI will probably cause you to fail. According to the state of California, any non-CARB approved modification of the engine that can effect emissions is an automatic fail, regardless of the emissions recorded during the test.

I will definitely contact Steve bonk, thanks! Il look into that specific turbo and check the map. I agree my trans is the weak link. Any recommended swaps? i have looked at complete engine Swaps too, but since I can do everything I’m describing without pulling my existing block it’s pretty tempting to just keep going. My thought is once the block blows or wears out, il look into a VQ37 or even VR swap. all additions to the existing engine are pretty affordable, except the turbo replacement itself.