wheelman

That's my son saying "OK go.". Wheelman

Just don't point at the original link, I have limited monthly bandwidth and will eventually break the link in this thread to preserve it. Wheelman

Which browser are you using? I've downloaded it with both Explorer and Firefox. Do you have a media player app on your computer? Maybe the file associations are messed up. Try right clicking, save as, then tell it to save as a .wav file. Edit: I was also able to open it by just clicking on the link. My computer has QuickTime set up to play .WAV files but Windows Media player should work as well as WinAmp and many others. Wheelman

Here is a short sound clip of the Z starting and idling. Sound Clip Right click, then save as Enjoy!!! Wheelman

Bart, I have a hard time comparing the LT4 cam to the stock one, my engine came out of a Caprice. The stock cam for it was set up to provide gobs of low end torque and ran out of steam fairly early in the RPM range, around 4800 RPM I believe. I was able to drive the Caprice a little before pulling the engine and was very impressed with how nimble it felt and the response from the engine was very good. I decided to swap the cam to move the torque up in the RPM range and get a little better higher RPM output. I haven't driven the Z very much so I can't say alot about how it compares, really no comparison though. Like I said earlier the thing is simply RAW and the power is instant. Once I get the body parts back on and insurance I'll take it out for a shake down cruise and let you know what I think. The idle is lumpy but not to a point where it's annoying so I really like it and think the cam swap is worth it just for that. It's not a very agressive cam so the drivability should remain very good. I also swapped out the stock valve springs when I did the cam which from what I hear is really a mandatory upgrade for these engines. I have the iron heads so it was a bit more expensive for me to do the springs than it will be for you. It's possible to swap the cam and springs without pulling the heads but it's still a bit of a pain as you have the pull the water pump, opti-spark, timing cover and oil pan. I did it before installing the motor so access was easy and if I were to do it again I'd pull the engine. My son wants to make a digital recording of it before I have the exhaust built. If we can get a decent recording I'll post it so you can hear the idle. Wheelman

Pop, If mine had shoulder belts they had been removed by a PO. The lap belts were in it but there were no shoulder belts and the buckles don't have a slot to connect them. Wheelman

My Z is relatively mild in comparison with most of the others on this board, or at least thats my impression. I think mine is producing somewhere around 300 HP at the crank so RWHP is probably around 255 assuming 15% loss to the drivetrain. Not really a freak but definitely fun. I still haven't decide whether I want to install a bar. I'm leaning that way but haven't decided yet. Part of my hesitation is that the area I live in is relatively small population wise so my access to a shop that can build a good one is limited and I'm not sure I want to attempt it myself. Wheelman

I'm sure WA has a provision in the seat belt law that accounts for cars that never had a shoulder belt, that's not what will cause me problems. Right now WA has a ClickIt-or-Ticket campaign going on and they are extra vigilant about seat belts. The law has also been changed so that I can be pulled over for no other reason than not wearing a seat belt. So I anticipate being pulled over because the officer won't see a shoulder belt, even though I'll be wearing a lap belt, which will then prompt an insurance check, they are very anal about the insurance laws as well. The insurance check is what will get me into hot water because I currently don't have any for the Z. Very good point about the moldy, dry rotted belts that might come out of a JY car. In fact the original belts that were in my Z when I bought it were in pretty rough shape. I guess if I wasn't so cheap I'd just say F-it, get a good 6 point rollbar and good set of harnesses and be done with it. I don't know if I'd call my Z a freak but others probably will. High performance LT1 with a 5-speed and a rearend that can handle the power lowered about 1 inch and running open exhaust at the current moment. Wheelman

Naplesz, He's not sure exactly which job he'll be doing yet, he finds out at basic, but it's limited to 20 jobs in the electronics catagory. He's real interested in a Network admin job and a job doing maintenance on medical equipment. I think he'd be better off with the medical equipment job, netowrk admins are a dime a dozen these days and really don't get paid all that well but we'll see what happens. I think both of those jobs and most of the others on his list are going to have fairly long tech schools. We didn't want to drop him from insurance yet because he might have trouble getting new coverage if there's a gap in his coverage. I'm not sure this is such a big deal but the wife is convinced it is, I'm going to talk to his recruiter about the USAA and see if we can get him on it now. I didn't know that about the seat belts. A local JY that I've dealt with quite a bit has a late 260 that I've bought parts off of, I wonder if the belts from it would work. Wheelman

That looks like one of those wings put on Semi Trucks to divert air over the top of the trailer. Looks like a good job for a sawz-all to me. Wheelman

I went through basic at Lackland in July and August myself back 1985. Yes ut is very hot and humid. I've been telling him to try to get stationed overseas, we'll see what happens. This is the second time someone has mentined a special car insurance for servicemen, can yo ugive me more details on it? There was nothing like that available when I was in, sure wish there had been. I was stationed in Sacramento CA at McClellan AFB and insurance there was outrageous. Aux, How and where do the shoulder belts mount? My Z is a 73 240, which model did the belts come from? What condition are they in? I would like to have normal seat belts if possible, I don't plan on doing much more than a few AutoX sessions so racing harnesses are a bit much. I want something a little less restrictive. I've seen "racing" harnesses on ebay that bolt to the floor and don't require a rollbar. I would need to use something like these, which I really don't trust, unless I went with a bar. I've thought about it but haven't decided yet. How much do you want for them shipped to my house (zip 99337). PM me with the details. I still have the original belts so if the shoulder belts will work with them I may not need the entire setup. Wheelman

The information we get from the insurance companies say that we can't do this. I'm going to do some more checking but there might be a law in WA state that precludes me from doing this, if not then I'll get the Z covered under a different company so I can drive it. Wheelman

I live in Kennewick. What part of Yakima do you live in? I have a sister that lives in Selah. Is your car road worthy? If so you should try to bring it down for Cool Desert Nights at the end of this month in Richland. Here is a link to the website for it: Cool Desert Nights If you can make it down be sure to let me know and we can hook up somewhere. My car won't make it this year but definitely next. Wheelman

I guess maybe I better bone up on the local laws, I live in WA. Wheelman

You'd also need to improve the valve train. At those RPM levels you are definitely going to get valve float so you would want to go with either a solid roller or solid tappet cam setup. The flat tappets would give you more RPM due to less weight but they do introduce a higher level of friction. You would also probably need to upgrade to a full race block as well. The Ford Windsor blocks are not the strongest. Bottom line is it's going to mean a lot of $$$$ to get to that level. BTW: I don't think anyone makes a destroked crank for the 302. I may be wrong but I believe the 289 has smaller bore but the same stroke. Correct me if I'm wrong. Wheelman

Found out about some frustrating news for me last night. My son Derek got his second speeding ticket on Memorial Day weekend. Doing 73 in a 55 zone. Why is this frustrating? Here’s the story. Last Oct he received a ticket for going 60 in a 40 zone. In WA state we have a deferral system where if you plead guilt and pay the whole fine the ticket will be placed on pending status and dropped completely from your record if you can keep your nose clean for the next 12 months. Derek chose this route and paid the fine, about $250.00. He leaves for Airforce basic training on July 17th and I’ve been working real hard to get the Z road worthy in time to take him for a ride in it before he leaves. My wife called the insurance company today and was told that as long as we don’t make a change to our insurance (add/subtract a car or driver) Derek’s tickets will not show up and his rates will remain unchanged (about 550 every 6 months) otherwise he will be labeled a high risk driver and his rates will rise to 1300 or more every 6 months. So now I can’t place the Z on our insurance policy without causing his rates to almost double, which he cannot pay for right now. I could say F-it and just take him out in the Z anyway but the cops around here are very anal about seat belt laws and my Z doesn’t have a shoulder belt, so I’m almost guaranteed to get pulled over which means an automatic insurance check which is a $150.00 (I believe, maybe more) ticket. After talking to the wife and Derek we decided we won’t make any changes until he is at least in tech school, which will be Sept, so in the mean time the Z is grounded and he will probably have to wait until next spring for a ride. When we finally take him off our insurance he is guaranteed to be considered high risk, which will cost him big. Really sucks for him as he’s not a bad driver and is generally a very good kid, just a little bit of a lead footed aggressive driver, just the type the cops around here target for harassment. You guys are probably thinking “What are you talking about, you took it for a spin through the neighborhood last weekend?â€. Yes I did, but it was just up and down the block, no other traffic and rather secluded, so not a big risk. I did take Derek with me for one trip up and back so he did get to ride in it. Anyway I guess I just needed to vent and I consider you guys to be my big extended family so thanks for listening. Wheelman

Have you considered a KA24DE? I know these are being thrown away in favor of the SR20DET by 240SX guys so you could probably get one very cheap. Not sure of the performance potential but it is a big 4 cylinder so it should have pretty good torque. It also has the aspect that it's the same displacement as the stock L6 that's in it now. Just a thought. Wheelman

Bart, Take this for what it's worth as it's just my opinion but I would go for the extra ground clearance. If your car is to be mostly a street car then you'll undoubtedly drag those headers at some point which could cause all kinds of problems. I also don't think you'll miss the few HP that will disappear by going to the block huggers and 2 1/2 inch setup. Remember this is just my opinion and your mileage may vary. One question though, how far did you set your engine back when you installed it? The reason I'm asking is you might have steering shaft clearance issues depending on where the engine is. I also found that I had to bolt the engine set back plates to the block instead of the spacers to clear my block huggers. I'm guessing you already have things setup this way to clear Tim's headers but it's something to check just in case. Not that it would preclude you from changing to block huggers it just might mean more work if the motor mounts have to be reconfigured to clear. I went with the Headman Tighttube block huggers. I like them but don't have any real history with them yet so I can't comment on whether they have leak problems. The tubes are a bit thinner than I expected but I got the ceramic coated ones for $100.00 off eBay so I'm not complaining. They hug very tighly to the block but also clear the knock sensors. I guess the only real complaint I have so far about them is they don't leave much room for the spark plug wires. If I remember correctly Tim routed them over the top so you shouldn't have any problems with them on your engine. Hope this helps a little. Wheelman

Tim, Don't be to quick to claim my JSR number, as soon as the short trips up the block were done it went right back on the stands. I'm prepping it now to put in the frame rail extenders. I really wish I had a better way to raise it up to do the welding, it's going to be a hassle. Once thats done I'm going to FatMat the entire interior and then start on the body work so I can officially put it on the road. Thanks guys, I'm glad I could be a motivating factor for some of you. These types of updates serve to motivate me as well. Wheelman

Yes I know and I'll really miss them . HAH!!! I would like to retain my number for when I rejoin the team due to more modifications though. I still have a lot to do so it'll be a while before I officially leave the team. Wheelman

I just finished this process on mine and getting the drums off WILL BE the hardest part. They're aluminum and chemically weld themsleves to the hub over time. Actually it's not chemically but it's because of the dissimilar metals generating a small electric current that transfers molecules between them. Once the drums are off the system is pretty much like every other drum system. A pair of pliers is about all you'll need but be sure to check the brake cylinders. Mine were totally corroded and wouldn't budge so I had to pull them off and rebuild them. If you have to do that get the stainless braided flex lines to replace the rubber ones. They're a little spendy but worth every penny. Be sure to hone out the brake cylinders also, 35 years of water in the brake fluid has undoubtedly pitted the cylinder walls. Good luck and welcome to the board. Wheelman

EZ-E, Here are a couple pictures that show basically where I'm at in the project. Interior is still mostly sittiing on the garage floor. Yes, I drove it with no hood or front fenders.

Well I finally got to drive the Z today. :D:D Really doing the happy dance, now I'm going to go get some beer and celebrate. Man what a ride. I was only able to drive it up and down my block but it sure was fun and the open headers added to the thrill. Several of the neighbors even came out to see what was going on. I wasn't sure what to expect as this is the first real high powered Z I've ever driven. All I can say is right now it's very raw. A small movement of the throttle and the thing just explodes in sound and fury and leaps down the road. I can't wait to get the exhaust system built so I can drive it on the streets and finish programming the computer to get the most performance I can out of it. There were times when I wondered if this day would ever come but all the work and busted knuckles are worth it. I still have a lot of work to do but it's a living entity now so motivating myself to work on it should be easier. Wheelman

Ditto to what Nismo280zEd said, the engine/tranny move around on the mounts and will destroy that hardline if there is no rubber section that allows flexing. Do you live in an area with any farming going on? If so find a tractor repair shop that builds hydraulic lines, they'll be able to make a combination hard/rubber line for you that can take the pressures. This is what I did, cost me about 20 bucks, much cheaper than steelbraided but doesn't look as nice. Wheelman