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Thanks a lot. I'll run down and pick up some 3/8" fine thread, if they're wrong i'll return em and get some 5/16"... PS.. here's a picture of my setup. I'm so glad I ditched the short water pump.

I'm curious what size bolts to get to secure my crank pulley to the harmonic damper. I tried regular 3/8" header bolts just to check the thread and it didn't seem right. The thread isn't anything I have any spares for. Could it be 3/8" fine thread? Thanks.

I can't help but wonder what these are for?

I'm thinking of welding up my 3:90 gears and using them for the strip and occasional terrorization of the streets (instant drifts through any corner, any speed) and pick up an extra diff with 3:54s for the long haul. I think my 5speed will be less useful than I'd like with the 3:90s. If you do weld it up, let us know what it's like!!

Mickey mouse. I'd pony up the cash for a brand new urethane air dam (if I hadn't won one last year in the MSA nats raffle) because I think they're worth it.

Hey! Nothing wrong with orange, that's my car's color That sounds like a fair way to go about things to me. DOn't be surprised if this takes longer than you think! I've owned my car for a year and a half and have had it on the road during that time for less than 3000 miles, between rebuilding the engine and my still-incomplete motor swap. beware the 'while i'm at it' syndrome, you'll set yourself back by months but you will end up with a nicer car. what i would do is weld in a good cage and look into some subframe connectors before anything. THis way, you'll have the interior totally stripped and you'll be able to get a good look behind all the panels and make sure everything's a-ok. i think you'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to body flex.

I am using the same Griffin 24x19 radiator. I haven't fired up the car yet so I can't tell you how it will cool but I think it should do nicely. I have a 1spd fan out of a Taurus. The radiator is pretty thick. On the bottom, I shaved down some Chevy mounts and squeezed them in. The radiator almost fits solidly into the JTR mount but I wanted some rubber around it. On top it is supported by the center section from a Camaro V6 fan shroud (I trimmed a few inches off each side of it) and there is a little insulation between the side tanks and the radiator firewall to keep it from rubbing. One thing I suggest is being sure that the sides of the big hole in the radiator firewall are blocked so air is forced through the radiator instead of taking the path of least resistance. This is something I still have to do. it was brought up by a pretty knowledgeable gearhead neighbor. This radiator's not as wide as the JTR spec camaro one, but it is of good quality. I like the Griffin radiator because of its OEM appearance but many like the Howe radiator of the same dimensions because of the squared-off aftermarket side tanks. It costs the same or maybe a bit more - most places sell the Howe radiator for like $205. Check out my homepage for pics of my install (click on the homepage logo above).

There is no pre-made kit for the LS1 engine. Its motor mounting is different from the classic Chevy smallblock. There are a couple of pioneers at the moment that are working on this swap: I personally like the way that Jeromio is going about it. He appears to be a good fabricator (better than I could be!) and his swap seems to be going nicely. Look at his website at 240z.jeromio.com If you are going to get a 99 LS1, I'd get the T56... The stickshift purist in me lusts after that transmission.

The complete JTR conversion kit is only $325 or so, and most people don't even need all of it. I'm not using the hood latch kit or the crossmember spacers at all. Don't underestimate yourself - I never really considered the significance of what I was doing until I had already jumped in. This V8 240Z is my first project car and everything is going smoothly. I'm enjoying myself immensely. Do you have a basic understanding of cars? This is all you really need - as far as work, you can learn as you go (hopefully not by your mistakes!) I, personally, would be afraid of having a shop do a conversion like this - I pretty much don't trust it unless I've done it myself.

Wick Humble, in "How To Restore Your Datsun Z-Car", says: "If the plating isn't pitting or flaking, they may be worth your effort. If, on the other hand, you see specks of lating coming off or little eruptions of the base metal on any parts, discard them and get replacements." of course, this guy is doing basically the most thorough restoration imaginable. His procedure for refabbing "ok" emblems is basically: 1) scrub with a stiff brush and a non-abrasive cleaner 2) coat with a good paint stripper 3) Let it sit then clean with a toothbrush or brass-bristle brush to remove old wax and paint 4) rinse, and scrub with cleaner again 5) wipe and dry with compressed air 6) polish the plating with fine steel wool and use a toothpick to get into the crevices 7) either mask and spray or hand brush the paint back on - black, then white. 8) let dry overnight and use some wax for protection. This is the basics.. if you need more info I can transcribe it further.

Dude, for two grand that sounds like a deal to me.. i almost spent that much on my Z before the conversion.. just check to be sure the frame is straight and mostly rust free.. the rest you can fix later!

All right, I am finally biting the bullet and trading my short water pump in on a long style one. I absolutely cannot find alternator brackets that will work for me and it is just too much of a pain in the ass. The only accessory I am running is my alternator. If I just go ahead and order a one-groove water pump pulley and one-groove crank pulley, I should be good if the alternator is mounted in the typical upper passenger side position, right? What diameter crank pulley should I get? Thanks guys.. I appreciate it. I'd like to get this stuff as soon as possible so quick responses are appreciated

The only problem I can think of for that situation is the fittings. You need room to get the fittings down out the bottom of the sump and to mold around the cell you'd need to remove the sump fittings. Matter of fact, anytime you did anything with the sump fittings they'd need to be removed. Try sticking your hand in the fuel filler door and you'll see what a ROYAL PITA this could be, especially if you have a foam filled cell like me. Besides - I wouldn't trust them not to leak unless they're still installed as they came from the factory.

I think it would be worth it.. I spent way too much and went through way too much hassle to get a T5 that is going to grenade anyway. I wish I had decided go with a T56 before I got my motor built. I was planning on a cheap motor/cheap tranny and wound up with a cheap tranny/nice motor. The one thing I don't like about my car the way it stands now is the tranny. Get the T56!

I'd recommend an SR20DET swap if I didn't know firsthand the kind of work (and, more importantly, $$$) that goes into it. The only real way to do it is to go to Mario Lozano. He's like the JTR of SR20 swaps. He has completed two that are running at the moment. I have three friends who are all building 510s. One will be done in a couple of months, another will be done later than that - it would have been done sooner if he hadn't decided to build up the motor with Crower titanium rods, JE pistons, etc etc. The third guy wants boost but may eventually ent up with an individual throttle body NA setup because his budget is less. The first two guys are big spenders. Both have huge turbos (one a T3/T4 hybrid, the other a T3/60-1), custom polished Greddy intake manifolds, all kinds of expensive stuff... you know, oil caps, $900 Mario-special exhaust manifolds, and so on.. Mario will be doing all their piping and exhaust and faibricating custom driveshafts and intercoolers.. he does the motor mounts and modifies the oil pan to clear the transmission, and fabricates the tranny mount, as well. His work is bar none - I hear gossip that he has been good friends with the owner of Greddy USA for something like 20 years and does custom work for them when they can't do it in house. He designed the turbo manifolds and piping for Mazda when they were testing a turbo MP3. and so on.. a really cool, funny guy. These pictures are 2 years old.. http://fiveoneoh.com/shasta_5/

I think you need something like this.. http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=4463&prmenbr=76

The R180 has a smaller and more square-ish/oval casing. The R200 has a larger, round casing. The difference between the two, when viewed side by side, is clear.

All right, I am GO for this swap, picking up a set of calipers tomorrow for $50!! Ross C., put me on the list and I'll find some way, somehow, to scrounge up the money for the brackets and some 5lug rotors!

I realize that this post might have two meanings - stock as in mechanical V8 fuel pump. In this case, it's no, as the JTR motor mounts are in the way, and from what I have read, so are the MSA ones. If you mean will the stock 78 electrical fuel pump feed a 350hp v8, JTR says no, and I still believe it

JTR manual says no, and I believe him.

Cool, I found a guy with a spare set of 240sx rear calipers who lives right here in San Diego. I wonder what those of you who have done this swap have paid for calipers and what a good offer would be. I also know another guy with a set for sale for $90 shipped. His email address is nismodreams@hotmail.com So, what do you think I should offer for the calipers?

I love the way modern Japanese import mufflers look hanging from the back of a Z... And I can't help but wonder what a couple of Blitz Nur spec mufflers would sound with an X pipe and a 350. Or a set of Apex'i N1s... or HKS Hipers (though not at the weird angle.. hehe) Anyone tried this? I've seen one Z that had a Y collecter and then one import muffler.

I don't really want to do anything to the firewall.. I don't have time to do any major mods. My crossmember motor mount posts are slotted as per JTR already.. do you guys think it'd be okay to slot the hole in the tranny x-member? It's not like it's a tight precision fit as it is..

Oh dear!! This I've gotta see! I think this is one step where you can definitely say that it's all the way or nothing at all. I don't think I'd have the cojones to cut off the front clip of my car even after extensive measurements and research... you did all that right??

I am contemplating sliding my motor forward 3/8 or 1/2 inch... It has been basically resting against the firewall since I installed it. I was happy with this location until I realized a couple of things: I can barely run wires behind the distributor, and I'm not sure how far I'm going to have to turn it to get my timing dialed in. I'd hate to have the dizzy rubbing the firewall. Now, there are a few things to worry about: the tranny mount will have to be slotted, either on the crossmember or on the bushing, so that I can shift the transmission forward without having to drill new crossmember holes (PITA). I may have to lengthen the braided fuel lines from my regulator to the carb. Damnit.. that means I'll have to buy about $10 more. Finally, what worries me the most: the driveshaft. I have just the right amount of spacing for the yoke. If I slide the motor forward 1/2 inch the driveshaft is suddenly going to be 1/2 inch too short. There is no way I'm going back to the driveshaft shop.. my bank account has $80 in it at the moment. What other considerations are there? What do you guys think?