Sven

That looks awesome! I got a good deal on the same wheels a few months ago, but 10.5" rears with 315/35's. My car is in my mom's barn 10 hours away, and I've been dying to see how they look on a Z. How wide are your flares? It looks even better than I thought it would. Thanks for posting the pics!

141 mph and change. This was 10 years ago in my '74 260Z with a 2.6l, early "smogless" carbs, Supertrapp (yuck), and an MSD coil. -Pretty much still a stock Z. The secret weapon was a Nismo close ratio 5 speed from a FairladyZ, with a .8 5th gear. Speed was calculated from RPM/tires/diff/trans ratio. The formula was tested several ways and accurate, to include the police's own radar trailer/signs. At any speed greater than 90mph the speedo bounced way too much, courtesy of a really chewed up speedo gear. The only aero trick on the car was headlight covers. The car was surprisingly stable at that speed. I never expected to get it that fast. I anticipated the dreaded rear end lift, which I never noticed. Was this stupid, with a 21 year old car and no suspension mods other than urethane bushings? Yes, but I became obsessed with seeing just how fast it could go. Having unpopulated roads nearby with several mile straights helps too... -How did I live to be 30?

You have obviously never driven a Z in snow. Its frightening and unpredictable. While I'm sure its been done, its just not safe. I have a 5.0 Mustang, and its much less scary in snow than my stock 260Z was. Again, as others have mentioned, your Z will be essentially gone by spring. I only drove mine because I had no choice for a few days. I definitely would think again before doing anything to accelerate the rust I'm sure your Z already has (not a slam- they all rust). You're going to need all the structural integrity you can get if you plan on putting a high torque 455 into it. A POS beater car is much cheaper than the pain you'll go through.

Do you have a link to any sound files? I found none on their homepage. It wouldnt be too hard to weld something similar up from header collectors and tubing. It's definitely an interesting muffling method.

Check out his other auctions! This guy is a source of oddball JDM stuff.

Do you mean like this? (bottom of page) http://www.arizonazcar.com/manifold.html I've seen a few homemade ones on Ebay recently. They're out there

Thanks, that's really impressive. freckles, even...

Those HVAC vents scream out for gauges!

You know, Bill, I was thinking the same thing! On the way home today I saw a new Land Rover, and the round headlights in a rectangular surround seemed oddly similar. The headlight could be mounted on the outer side of the bucket, and stagger the fog/driving light and marker light farther forward on the inside. I'm going to shop around for some lights to mock up this layout. The next issue is clear light covers. They were never produced for this kit, as far as I know. I'd have a hard enough time finding the fiberglass version. Maybe I could heat and bend lexan correctly to follow the compound curve, but it would take several tries, which could get expensive. Blueovalz's sanded foam method might work to make a rough mold. This could work...Hmmm.

Quarter Panel: -Disco Stew thinks Datsuns are groovy. Damn square lights. Must find solution! Ah, the transplant patient...garaged since '84. Poor thing. http://hybridz.org/nuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=lastup&cat=0&pos=8

-Do I win the most annoying topic for today contest? So guys, today I bought a California Z kit. I happened upon the ad on another car site, and was taking the ferry over to Long Island for a pig roast this weekend anyway. Things worked out really well. The party was a great time, and on my way back to the ferry this afternoon, I stopped by the guy's shop to eye the goods. I looked at the kit, and I'm still amazed at the condition. It looks much better than the pics show. All 5 parts (fenders, quarters, and wing) were basically new. There are small scratches, but this kit has changed hands at least twice, and has never been installed. There is one small 2 inch long crack from the lip of one fender, that will be a minor fix. I expected much worse, like broken edges and corners, flexed/cracking gelcoat, etc. A light sanding is all the prep I'll need. Now for the best part! I asked what he wanted for the kit, and he spit out the $ figure I planned on using as my ridiculously lowball offer. I didn't even bother dickering. I didn't need to. As I loaded the parts, the whale tail spoke to me. I realized that I wouldn't need to spend any more money on diesel speed parts. I give you Black Smoke Rice-Dog Racing's first vehicle. Afterwards, my truck was at least 5 sec faster 0-60. The added downforce kept the back end from getting squirrely over 150, and should help with stick off the corners on the AutoX course too. The hatch button hole will be perfect for my neon CB antenna! Does anyone know the Japanese characters for "Diesel"? I need a big sticker to help with my quarter mile times. -Here's my race truck here is a fender:

Check the latest issue of MaximumPC. The Dream Machine '04 has a cool little color LCD with a touchscreen. The article claims it was very easy to configure. Also, there are vendors that sell pc's set up for in-car use. I saw a well done one by a vendor on Ebay ($$$, though). It really isn't that hard. The main issue is a 12V power supply (hmmm, 12V...car...), also using a laptop HD that can handle abuse helps. I've been checking this out myself. There are a few companies selling programs meant specifically for this. Microsoft even has: http://www.microsoft.com/automotive/ I just bought a new computer, and haven't transferred all my IE favorites yet, or I'd give you more links. Look around more, they're out there...

Personally, I think the AM V8 is the perfect Z. They got the lines right for the "new" Z. The designer must have jumped ship right before the 350Z was finalized. -Now, about the "affordable sports car" part...As soon as someone buys this spare kidney, I'm set!

Man, I'm really diggin' your sketches! Keep it up. That S30 rearend is very close to my plans for the '77...

An easy way would be to use the lens housing gasket as a template. Order one or pull yours (they're cheap). It's the same opening.

Silicone Boy, Check out http://www.dpcars.net/ . The silver one. It's amazing. Just one guy. edit: added an "e"- boobs, not 'puters.

Tim, I see that the engine "hump" of the Testarossa has affected both of us... Eric, I've always felt the same way about the hatch. It would mesh better, with more of a "U" shape vice the square corners. A slightly laid back window might work with that. The Dino brings even more compicated curves to mind (Didn't the MR2 have a curved backglass?). Man, I need to get Photoshop... *On a total side note, as a regular visitor to your site, I appreciate what you've done. It's sort of a compendium of the oddball Z stuff that can't be found elsewhere. The taillight page has been a great help in visualizing what I'd like to do. While researching all things Z, have you found much information about the Primadonna kits? I can't find more than a few pictures, and like the front end (not the Red Baron wing).

For those East Coast guys thinking about this... http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=477282&highlight=svo It's a great deal, and you should be able to get the harness and EEC. I already have to much money sunk into SBF stuff to buy this. Now somebody needs to do it!

FS?71-something- I had one in my 260 that I yanked from a FairladyZ (junkyard would not sell me the car). My research I did then convinced me it was the same as the Nismo/Datsun Comp close ratio 5 speed. What are these worth? I can probably track my car down and buy it back for minimal $. It needs synchros, but I loved the .8 5th gear and gear spacing. Are trans shops able to get parts for these? It would be a shame for it to end up in another junkyard. Call me a Zeemanitarian, but I'd rather not see it go to waste.