RebekahsZ

Framing has started on a 30x30 shop for my Z and other future projects. The ceiling is 13' high and I am planning to have a 4-post lift on one side and a 2-post lift on the other. I plan to have the walls plumbed for compressed air, a huge air compressor, work benches and shelving on all available walls with peg board for tools. Retractable air line and extension cords from the ceiling. Two 8x10 from doors on the street side and one 8x10 door on the back for light and ventilation. A ceiling mounted house fan to vent hot summer air into the attic and away. Gas heat. Lots of electrical plugs and several 220 plugs. What am I forgetting to finish up the perfect little shop for hobby level car work?

And rsicard, it's OK, I just don't think you understood what I was after, I should have been more clear.

Turbo Meistersinger, I looked at your gallery and found the photo-that's the ticket! If you wind up with the car up high enough this winter to take a bunch of additional pictures, I would sure appreciate it of you could send them to me via PM. Don't know if I could do that mod with the engine still in the car or not. But that's what Im after. Thanks!

Im excited too! So, they only come in taupe?

Now we are talking. z240, you seem to understand what I'm after. Something that doesn't require bleeding brakes and an alignment. You know, something that makes life easier.

PM me please if you have one that fails to pass your QC as you improve production. I think your first one looks great, and I would sure buy it. I'm running no console right now because I push my fat butt out the door and over the door bar supporting myself on the door bar (left hand) and trans tunnel (right hand). I need a console strong to push against or I will break it.

4-bolts. And the LCA mounting bolts, and the engine mounts. I was kinda thinking about making one where just the center section was removable. So that those other items can remain installed. A "convertable" or "quick-release" crossmember. Or maybe just a crossmber that has more engine clearance. Sounds like my project to work out. Seems the first step would be to get the engine weight off of it. I'm happy to quit the discussion if it is folly. When I drop the pan this winter, I can report back on how motivated I really am about this.

I dunno. I'm just planning my next Z car in my head and it will be a big horsepower V8 car either boosted or NO2, and I'm imagining the possibility of having to do track-side bottom end repairs. I would like to do a Drag Week and a Bonneville Speed Week, and Im just thinking about improving serviceability in the pits for repairing or inspecting things that go boom. So far, I have never had a significant powertrain failure cause I'm very much a novice, and have kept power levels low. But the engine in my truck will have come out of the chassis twice for main bearings before achieving a period of reliability (we will see). Plus, Im having a garage but for a lift, so I'm imaging being able to do more repairs from under the car. Like the oil pan baffle I will be doing this winter. Just idle brain storming and imagining putting some holes in pistons. I guess no one has done it, or sees a need. That's cool. I'm kinda thinking I will use the Hawks 3rd Gen mounts next time, so that will make the frame rail plan a reality. Maybe I will replace the center section of the cross member with a removeable tubing section of some kind. I know the steering rack is also under the pan, but only just a little. Will retain stock style front suspension. We'll see. Thanks for the reality check.

Not a project for this year. I've just seen some aftermarket K-members in Mustangs that allow you to drop the pan and pull rods and pistons while the engine is still in the car. Might require relocating engine mounts to frame rails. So your point is a good one.

Start racing it. You will get un-bored real quick.

Day 3. The girl leading class audibly laughed at my sit-up technique, which requires aggressive arm assist. I drive my wife's minivan which doesn't have a clutch or door bars to climb over. I feel like ice been in a rollover accident.

After day 2, steering is getting heavy, clutch hasn't improved. Just got back from picking up steroid pack. Having trouble working-can't get out of a chair or work a ball point pen. Surely the third day is the charm. Heading for bed in a few minutes (8pm).

I don't understand your question, maybe due to language barrier. Which tierod end came off the car (show picture of only one tierod end)?

Did first Cross Fit session this morning. Now I can't depress my clutch pedal. Damn squats!

Floor of new 30X30 garage got poured on Thursday. Spent the weekend texting back and forth with builder on how to frame the garage out, hoping to start on that tomorrow. We had a face-to-face today and got several issues worked out. But, we are having trouble figuring out if we can have 10' walls (which will allow use of 2X4 studs) allowing roof pitch to get us the 12 feet we need for maintenance lift clearance, or if we need to start with 12' walls (which will require 2X6 studs). Even though it will cost more, I'm hopeful that we will achieve consensus on 12' walls with a less aggressive pitch on the roof. He's conscious of cost, but I want my dream shop to be realized without regrets or excessive compromises. Builder and I agreed to postpone framing until we understand things a little better. He will meet with truss company rep tomorrow to better understand his options with the roof and how it will tie in to the walls. Starting to wish I had hired an architect. Meanwhile, I'm still dailying the Z waiting for my truck to get finished. Argh!

Did your girlfriend REALLY slam her car into yours? Thanks a freaky chick!

My next Z will be white, top and bottom, inside and out. Then I will wrap it in blue vinyl. I just hope I get to start and finish it before I'm too old and tired to enjoy it.

So are Datsun guys....

Great (on the cutting), and I'm so glad you are making this so simple (I tend to over-complicate EVERYTHING). Maybe in the future I can make a set of axles such that I don't have to swap one when I do camber changes. With what tool did you cut the c-clip retention groove? If I could build up a stack of ready-to-go axles and design and build an axle retention system to keep broken axles from destroying the contents of my inner fenders, I would think about some NO2 (I'm currently at the limit of my car's durability/reliability). I'm really peeved because I sent a stack of long-side axle shafts to the salvage yard about 6 months ago! Do as I say (not as I do): don't throw anything away!

Looks great! The last thing to do to verify your axle length, is to drop your spring seats on the threaded collars and jack your suspension up, using a jack under the spindle, to the lowest level you could imagine your car squatting to under hard acceleration. (Remember, the axle needs to be as short as possible in order to install it when the suspension is in full droop/hanging from the top hats). The axle needs to be as LONG as possible in order to not pull out of the outer CV (or out of the diff,depending on which c-clip is strongest) when the suspension is in full compression. Back to where I started: so once you have your suspension compressed, pull back the larger diameter side of the outer CV boot and inspect to be sure the balls are riding in a position well inside the CV "cup". If not, the axle will pull out of the CV some random time when you launch hard. When the cage jumps out of the cup, it jams the inner CV into the diff. I only know this by experience from having both axles that were too long and too short. The outer CV cup is so short that there is actually a very narrow window between too long and too short. That window is so narrow that I have to change one of my axles when I change my camber significantly when changing from drag set up to autocross/roadrace setup. Instead of fancy CV band clamps, I use large screw-type hose clamps from the hardware store on my CV axles to make this sort of inspection easier. So far they have never slipped-even when a CV came apart. I'm gonna try your technique, but I gotta get some more axles to play with.

The caliper that they show has been around for a while. But that kit is gonna need a fairly large wheel diameter for the parking brake mechanism to clear. Looking forward to reviews by the first to use it.

What do you mean by (4500) after the 3800? (I don't know anything about auto trans but I hope to learn). What tire pressure you using most often?

Anybody built or seen an S30 front crossmember that can be easily removed to allow quick removal of the oil pan for inspection/servicing of the bottom end?

All engines have blow-by (its not specifically an LS issue). I just gotta figure out why we gotta suck it out with vacuum rather than just letting it vent. Is it to try to reduce the resistance of the windage cloud? Do we really NEED to do that? If heavy85 vented rather than sucking, would he quit getting so much oil loss into his catch cans? Feel like trying that? This discussion really still is about oiling.

What tool did you use to cut the axle down? I have a portaband, angle grinder, and a miter saw with a fiber blade.