love-my-V8-280Z

I'll be installing my LT1 into my 78 next week or so. I modified the A/C to fit and had to reroute the pulleys, this took some time but Im their! So I have bought a used cowl induction hood and need to get it to work correctly before I install the motor. I hate to get the motor in and wish I still could get to the hood latch later.. So I exspect to get a lot done this weekend if my wife don't eat up all my time.

Reguarding the search question Tim, I learn a butt ton just reading. I like to just go back and read the old posts. Well I can't. I can sit here and go back to page 20. thats a lot of reading. If I want to come back tomorrow and start back at page 20 it takes 40 mins to get there.

I would like to ask if something can be changed. When I want to preview old posting by just picking the last page and the next and next etc, well at some point I get to say page 22... If I stop and come back the next day I can not get back to page 22 unless I start back at page 3... Am I making any sence? Go to any form and at the bottom it looks like this. 1,2,3,.....68,69,70 I can't view anything between 3 and 68 with out viewing them all. Is there anyway it can show say 10 pages at a time? Like this 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,.....68,69,70. Than I could pick 9, than 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 would show and I could pick 19. I could view 100 pages real fast. Anyway thanks for lissening, I sure am glad this site is here. Every question I ever asked has been answered... Terry

I bought a rear hatch with glass and to have it trucked across the nation it was only $125.00

I called a couple years ago, If I remember right the web site looked just the same, he was not making fiberglass parts and did not remove it from the web site. He still has not post priceing so unless you call and bother him you don't know if he has good prices or not.

Jon, been real fun but we have to agree to disagree, I have not changed my point of view and neither have you.....A very smart man once told me, if a man changes his option fast, he will change it back again fast also. A man that is slow to change his option is slow to change it back... Terry

**Edit** then of coarse I remember some time some idiot mechanic spent three hours trying to figure out why the alignment wouldn't work out on my girlfriends car when the suspension had to be under load to check it out properly. I went bananas when they tried to charge her for the time, so I am not sure what point I am trying to make ... you win I want to add one more thing, reguarding what was printed above. you have a right to be angry when someone is telling you they can fix your problem and than expect you to pay for the service and they clearly were not able to preform as they lead you to believe. By all rights you should have payed the 3 hours. But you have a right to complain and a good service department will review the siutation and maybe eat some of the cost if they want your service to return.... And you will return if you feel they are good at what they do and honest!!! If they suck you dont come back and they go under, happens all the time. The good get rich and grow the bad shrink and dissapear!!

I do want to say I’m surprised anyone disagrees with me. I don't expect to change anyone option, but I do want to add this..... Everyone gets paid by the hour! Everyone is expected to get better at his or her job! You get good, I pay you more! You fix the tuff stuff look good shine I pay you more! I do it cheaper "backyard mechanic" I get the business.... It’s the rules of a democracy. I work for the local city, guess what, I get a raise don’t matter if I try hard or get better. They can’t fire me if I just get by.... When someone’s tries hard and does well. no reward! no extra income! It just wares him down and he becomes just another average laborer... People who make commissions, are being rewarded for making a sale.. This in the merchandise fields not service fields.. I already said, what’s the dif between a plumber, electrician or a builder... they cant charge you for 5 hours of work when it only took 2, no one would hire them for long....

Jon, I don't understand how you can support being charged more labor than it took to do the job. If I hired a man to fix my dishwasher and he spent 4 hours on it and charged me 6 or 8 I would take him to small claimes court. I do understand travel time. But I deliver my car, he drives it in, I pay for that time, he works on it and returns it to the parking lot.... If that total event takes 2 hours I expect to pay 2 hours. $70x2=$140.00 I look for a good mechanic, someone that fixes it right the first time and does it quickly to keep the cost down. Not someone that does it quickly and charges me as much as he can. I have a good backyard mecanic. He charges me $50 a hour, I except that. He don't make $50 a hour, he has a garage to pay for, heat, tools, insurance.... He once spent 6 hours to figure out I needed a new crank shaft sensor.. I had no problem paying him... I needed a new front oil seal, he told me the book says 12 hours, lift motor etc, he was able to wiggle his hands in there and get it done. he charged me $50!!! At that point I was his customer forever! he could have charged me 12X70. I enjoy debating, and hope you take the time to express your option.. Terry

Marcus, I have chatted with a guy who has hands down the nicest engine bay of anyone. Anyway I thought I would share with you his design for the throttle cable. Its great! http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=LOK%2DTC%2D1000HT36

Thanks! I was just wondering how I was going to get one with out buying the intire rear tail light assembly! I'm in a no go mode over here, I have a LT1 ready to go in except I need to install 3 pulleys to reroute the belt to run the A/C. I have a e-mail buddy who is working on making some pulleys, I sure hope they are cheap for how long I have been waiting.... when do you think the hood will ship? Terry

I looked into upgrading my LT1 and just could not spend the money on a cam for the HP return. I would spend the money on the LT4 upgrade. If I remeber it was $1800 for 150 HP. It seemed if I was not happy with the stock 270HP this would be the best HP per dollar upgrade. correct me if you disagree, most of you have a lot more knlodge than me. So I would save the $500.

What HP are u guys running, Im installing a 270HP LT1 and would like to have a idea what my quarter mile would be?

That does surprise me, I would think they would take the work even if they don’t have the best tools. The few times, and I mean few as possible times I have gone to a dealer they tried to milk me out of as much work as possible. I will say it has always been a newer car tho... I feel they are good for warranty repairs and nothing else. I have always found a back yard mechanic for tons less per hour and even tho they don’t have the best tools they have no more or no less messed up on trouble shooting and repairs. The last time I went to a dealer someone dragged a air hose across my hood all day and the dealer told be it was a old scratch! to top it off, I paid him $2800 for a transmission. I called ford and they said sorry no recalls, send letter if u like. I did,,, got back a rude to bad letter.. I sell the car, toss out the transmission receipt, 3 months afterwards I get a ford letter, we will pay for your transmission bla bla bla.. I find the receipt in the trash- no lie!- I take it back to the dealer and you know what he says... Did you just get this? we had a rash of these letters last October.. Guess what month my car was in his service bay getting a transmission?? ha ha ha.... God don't get me started on dealer again... $70 a hour I want top of the line work.... Oh I can’t stand it... My buddy works at a dealer he says know what, they love me down there I produce 12 hours of work a day. I said what do u mean? Well the book says it takes 2 hours, I do it in 1, get it? Hell yes, you work on my car for one hour and charge me two! he says you don’t understand, if a mechanic sucks and spends 3 hours you still only get charged 2, I tell him, sure I would rather pay the 3 hours and if he happens a lot I find a different mechanic... And well I don’t believe for a sec I would only get charged 2... Here I go again.......... Make my day, shoot a dealer mechanic..

Tim, Thanks what I was doing wrong was I would view the pic and copy the address. Its quite abit different than the properties.... Thanks again, Terry

Thanks Guys, That Ebay pic was perfect, I don't think that center piece was ever on my car. I could not figure out why I could not see other peoples car color from around there plate.

Tim, what was I doing wrong? Thanks! I spent a lot of time trying to figure it out, I have done it before with no problems... Terry

30 mins now, can't remove pics or edit them in the photo gallery, when I insert a link to them in my post they don't come up....... Tim, helped me out, I was viewing the pic and copying the address, you have to right click the pic and copy the properities!!

I have looked and looked at many photos, I can't tell. Was there more parts that should have been part of the rear tail light assmebly that I have misplaced? It seems there should have been a black plate that goes behind the Lincense plate. Thanks in advance for any help! Terry

Sorry I cant help, but I sure love that hood! 8)

I have a 280Z I have been working on, I bought a 95 Z28 out the junk yard for $3000, I have the motor and 6 speed almost ready to go in. I have received a lot of help here and Im willing to help you if you like. Send me you email address and I can send you some pics. Anyway the 95 is the best year because you can reprogram your computer yourself. As for the swap, buy JTR motor mount brackets, u can get the mounts for $15 any parts store. You need to work up your clutch, radiator,drive shaft, exhaust, gauges.... Use the 280Z the rear end can handle 450lbs or better of torque. the 240 can't. Also the stock u-joint are flat down the u-joints, dont buy the spencers or other ujoints, they all have the grease fitting that generates a weak point. There are a lot of things u need to know. Cost, well you will spend $1,000 or more to get it in the car. and if you are like me several thousand on fancying up the Z car. Any way I have read, you will be able to spin the tires doing 90 MPH. No questions I think its going to be scary fast!!!!!!!!!!

I looked some more, I have never seen the rear pig and mustache bar that rusted, ever!!!

I blew the pics up, I would bet you a dinner that car is in real bad shape. Blow up the pic of the underside and notice there is green paint everywhere. It also looks like a heavy undercoating. Considering it has been repainted and has pretty good rust showing I bet its bad news. If you could see it with little effort I would check it out, I would not travel 5 hrs to see it. you can find a clean car for under $2000. If you buy a rusty one for $500 you are going to spend 200 hours fixing it and they are never desireable if you try to resell it. Trust me I had a Z given to me, did not look bad at all. I found it had already been patched and a butt ton of run was found behind the tail lights and behind the fenders...

Do you understand whats all involved? You should have bought one with a V8 in it, if thats what you wanted, You can call some shops around town, someone will do it for you, anyone with brains will only agree to a by the hour payment. I know some have put a price on it only to have greatly under estimated the hours necessary. Most do this upgrade themslelf because its what they like to do. I could do it, but that would take away the time I need for my Z car. I already dont spend enuff time with the family.

Mike, WOW! I just took the time to read all the stuff you have for your Z. It looks like you are going %100 top of the line. I can't image how much time and money you have invested. do you have any photos to share? Are you really trying to sell it? Let me know. Terry