qwik240z

Phantom, John say that he modified the set for your car. Do you know wht he had to do??

My F body manifolds are 2002 from a Camaro. The JCI motor mounts make things alot tighter on bothe sides. On the drivers side the square bar that goes back to the T/C mount takes up alot of room. On the passenger side the mount doesn't really get in the way but the way the mounts center the motor, the motor is more to the passenger side making it tight. Maybe I was just getting frustrated. After grinding and cutting for 2 hours and test fitting and re test fitting over and over I kind of got tired of it. I will try the Fbody manifolds again.

Since I can't seem to make the exhaust manifolds fit I guess I need to buy some headers. John at JCI is going to have some but the guy who makes them is out for 2 months for back surgery. So that leaves custom headers or the Sandersons. For those of you with the Sanderson headers, I know you had some fitment problems and they had to make adjustments. Since I am on the other side of the country, I want to make sure that if I buy a set of $800 headers they are going to fit and I am not going to be shipping them back and forth across the country to get it right. What kind of fitment problems did you all have and what did you have to do to fix it? Does anyone know if Sanderson has corrected the problem and if they are now a bolt on fit??

I worked on the exhaust manifolds today. Sad to say the Hummer H2 manifolds will not work. I hacked them up too. I completely removed the flanges and they still don't fit. They bulge out and hit the steering rod on the drivers side and the dump angle is really off on the passenger side. I also tried the stock Camaro manifolds and they won't work either. I guess I will be going with headers too! Oh Well, it was worth a try.

I worked on the exhaust manifolds today. Sad to say the Hummer H2 manifolds will not work. I hacked them up too. I completely removed the flanges and they still don't fit. They bulge out and hit the steering rod on the drivers side and the dump angle is really off on the passenger side. I also tried the stock Camaro manifolds and they won't work either. I guess I will be going with headers too! Oh Well, it was worth a try.

That car is a real find. The 73 is the last 240Z. The LS1 will be great in it. Go for it!

Ok. Not much has happened since the last update again. It seems that there is always something or someone you have to wait on. John at JCI has not yet been successful in completing a trans.crossmember for the 240Z. I have decided not to wait any longer for him to complete it. I spoke to John and he is very apologetic about the delays. He is a good man and is doing his best to get things together for everyone. He like the rest of us is at the mercy of his vendors. I have decided to go with a JTR trans crossmember. I know that it will work as there are many of them out there in 240Z's now and they have been time tested. I ordered it from JTR and it will be here next week! I also ordered the air intake parts from them like Joey used. This will save me lots of searching for stuff to use and clear one more line off the "To Do List". (Thanks Joey) I spoke to Mike Knell too. He is a good guy and very knowledgeable. Thanks Mike for all the support and for making the parts available to us. So, what's left to do? I want to make sure that everything bolts in properly before I take it all apart.Once I get the trans crossmember bolted in I can then pull the motor again and clean up and paint the engine compartment. Pull motor and trans. Clean up & paint engine compartment Run new brake line for front passenger side Install new steering rack bushings Install new ball joints and tie rod ends Purchase and install fuel system including new fuel and return lines, pressure regulator, and pump. Get exhaust manifolds modified and welded Get computer and wiring harness back from Speartech Install motor and trans. Etc., etc., etc. BIG "TO DO LIST"

Anyone know a phone number so I can contact Mike Knell at JTR? Thanks!

Joey, Awesome looking install. The exhaust looks sweet. I can't wait til you get it on the road. I wish I had someone like Mas280 around here to help me. Do you think the air intake you used could be routed to the passenger side? I would rather give up the vent for outside air on the passenger side and keep the driver (me ) cooler.

Joey, Yes. I have thought about the JTR crossmember and know that it will work with my car. But I really like the design of the JCI crossmember. I particularly like the way it mounts to the frame rails. By mounting it this way, it ties the frame rails together side to side and should add to the structural rigidity of the unibody. I know that John is working on the 240Z crossmember and hopefully it will be ready soon. If not, I will probably use the JTR unit. I still have 3 more weeks before my computer and wiring harness are ready so I do have time but I really don't want to pull the motor back out until I know how everything bolts up. The plan is to pull the motor back out and paint engine compartment, run the fuel lines, and then reinstall the motor. So I am waiting. But I am getting the rest of the stuff together. Like the exhaust manifolds and the trans cooler, air intake, etc. I really don't like this being on hold for so long. I found out that the one John sent wasn't right on June 7th so almost 2 months is a long time.

The drivers side won't fit with the JCI mounts. The passenger side may fit but I doubt it. I will try both the Camaro and the H2 manifolds this weekend and see which will fit better and have a better dump angle.

I have been working on an alternative to headers. I picked up a set of Hummer H2 Cast Iron Exhaust Manifolds and after an initial test fit, it seems that the drivers side will fit with JCI mounts if I trim the flange a little. There is one area where the flange is hitting the frame rail. I will trim it this weekend and let you all know. The passenger side is another story. The flange is way too big to fit. I am going to cut off the flange and have a local machine shop make a downpipe to be press fit into the manifold and then weld it in place. I have heard mixed stories about welding steel to cast iron but it can be done. The machine shop guy I spoke to has done many of these types of jobs and feels confident that he can do it so it will last and be leak free. If this works out we will have an alternative to headers that will reduce noise, heat and money. I paid $40 for the H2 manifolds delivered and was told about $100-$150 for the welding job. Less than $200 vs. $800 for the Sandersons.

I am trying to use Cast Iron exhaust manifolds on my LS1 240Z project. The stock Camaro manifolds won't fit but I picked up a set of Hummer H2 manifolds and with some modifications they seem like they can be made to fit. The drivers side flange might just need to be trimmed a bit where it is hitting the frame and the original flange should work. The passenger side is way too tight to fit. I need to cut off the flange and weld a piece of steel exhaust pipe to it. I was told to try to press fit a steel exhaust pipe into the cast manifold and then have it welded around the seam. I am getting mixed opinions on welding cast iron. Some say yes, some say it won't hold. Anyone have any experience in this? Also, anyone know about this stuff? http://www.muggyweld.com/castiron.html Thanks!

You guys really need to leave John alone so he can finish the current projects he is working on. Like my trans crossmember. My car is on jackstands just waiting now for a month. There is not much I can do until John gets me the crossmember. I am now way behind on this project and starting to get frustrated. John has way too much on his plate right now. 240Z trans.crossmembers for the LS1, Headers for the LS1, add to that the newest request for LS1 Power steering. Please let him finish this stuff first. Sorry to take it out on any of you but I was told that the parts were in stock and ready to go. After i decide to buy the stuff and send payment, I find out that the trans crossmember wasn't tested on a 240Z, that the headers are not available, A/C on backorder, etc.

I know what you mean. Thess projects alway take longer then you plan. Keep us updated.

I was on vacation last week so not too much progress was made on the car. I did order my wiring harness from Speartech and sent them my computer for programming. They said about 3-4 weeks until it will be ready. I also picked up a Trans cooler kit since my radiator was for a manual trans. As for exhaust, I found a set of Hummer H2 exhaust manifolds for only $40 delivered. They are from a 2003 and only have 3000 miles on them. From the pictures, they look like they will fit with minor mods (cut off flanges and weld on new smaller flanges). I should have them early next week. I will let you all know once I get them. I hope they will work as this will keep the noise down and save on the budget too. If they don't work $40 is not too much to loose. The guy I bought them from has several more sets of them as his shop installs superchargers on alot of H2's. He wants $25 per set plus shipping. Here is one of his eBay auctions if you want to see pics: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7911388787&category=33632&sspagename=WDVW That's all for now.

Would you guys with running cars leave John alone so he can finish the stuff for us guys with cars on Jackstands? I need my trans. mount. Just kidding!

I sent 2 emails to John at Spearthech and it's been a week and I still have not heard from him. I also sent an email to their main email address and no response from there either. Anyone have a phone number for them?? Thanks!

Where are you on the east coast? I am building an LS1 240Z. The 240Z is the lightest of the Z cars. I chose a 240Z because they are the 1st Z cars and I like the looks of the early Z's the best. Also they are the most collectible (my opinion) of all of the Z cars. I too am on the east coast and I spent almost a year to find a rust free Z for my project. I saw alot of cars that were promised to be rust free but on inspection they had the typical rust problems. As to how much to spend, that depends on your budget and what condition you want the car in when you purchase it. Do you care if you need to do bodywork and paint? Does it have the performance mods you want? A cheap Z in running condition can run $1000 to $3000 but I would bet it has rust if it is on the east coast. If you are willing to travel out west a decent rust free driver should run $3000 -$5000. Take your time and look for the car that will make you happy. Go to a Z club meeting and look at the different models and see what appeals to you. A 260Z-280Z and the 280ZX will probably cost less than a 240Z in most cases. Good Luck!

Well I thought I would shoot out and update but not too much to tell. John at JCI brought in a 240Zto his shop to design a new trans crossmember for the 240Z's but it seems that there are different types of stock trans mounts for the 240Z. He got one that was not the same as mine so he is now getting another one that is like mine. I hope it will be done in the next few weeks. I did get my tach back from him and he says the 240Z tach will work with the LS1 so that is good news. I sent an email to Speartech to order my wiring harness and get the computer reprogrammed. That's all for now!

Joey, It's been almost a month since your last update. Are you out there cruising yet?