Gollum

well, i consider myself a ture audiophile, wich is why i've given up having a nice system in a car. Simply put, i'm spoiled. I'm used to my home theater, my ribbon speakers in my sound room, with huge carver amps. So, i tend to just do what i think will be "low as i'll go" when it comes to car audio. Many heads now put out a 200 peak wattage. But they still have a low RMS. So, i recomend a budget amp by a well know company. As faar as speakers go. I always recomend infinty kappa Series. They're AWSOME. They're better than many 1grand and up systems i've heard. And they start at around one hundered for a pair. I still don't understand how they got the price so cheep, but anything infinity is good stuff, i guarentee. If you can find them in the right sizes, i really recomend kappa series by infinity. http://www.audio-n-more.com/infinity/infinity_kappa.shtml You'll see the kappa series section as you scroll down. This is just some random site i found in 10 seconds. I don't know how much prices will differ from where you'll find them. PS. I still never recomend subs in cars. They're pointless. You can get plenty of bass out of a decent set of 4 inch speakers with a good amp. I've heard 6inch speakers put out more bass than my home audio sub. I've heard 4inchers put out more bass than any cheep 12inch i've heard. A well build speaker with a nice chunka magnet and a solid coil design will have bass resonce. Give it the power it craves and the bass will be fine. Subs really aren't nessesary by any means.

hmm, i never thought about that. I guess if you're looing for it to be "all that it can be" you would want to use as much as the 350 chassis that you could. Although... i think the real problem occurs when dealing with the fact the the 350 is OBD2. Wich sucks to deal with, but oh well. If you wanted to leave the ZX chassis intact then i think the suspention wouldn't really fit. I think i've already discarded this idea. I'll post onther idea soon. And it will also be california smog leagal.

I'd buy it in a heart beat. It's true that cop cars are well taken care of. I'd change the tranny in a heary beat. I'd go buy a 6 speed tremec with all the money i saved. I'd say that motor has to be worth at least a solid grand with ease, even if it's over 80k miles. And 351W are one of the most supported motors buy for racing. You can find almost anything for those motors. And it should be plenty of HP too.

2k doesn't seem out there at all. IMO. I paid 2.2k for my uber clean 280ZX that now looks like a crushed walnut. I mean, any new paint, runs well Z goes for at LEAST 2k on autotrader. You shouldn't have a problem selling them. Now, that Jag with the 350 in it... will it miss the motor?

Ok, i just got started with my own Z project (a tree hit me, remember?) and i've been thinking about possible future engine swaps. I'm thinking about 6 years down the road, when i'm out of college and have a career and a house with a garage, the 350Z should be a pretty cheep car used. Right around 10-15 i'd imagine for one of the first years. Maybe even less for one with some fender benders. Ok, so do you think i could swap over almos everything? Obviouslly somethings wouldn't fit. But would the rear differencial fit? And do you think the rotors and brakes would transfer? There are some very likable aspects of this swap 1) smogable, i've checked it with a california state ref, he says you can do it leagally 2) variable valve timing, and other great features 3) and engine capable of a solid reliable 250 RWHP that could last well over 150k 4) new brakes and all the tech that comes with it 5)limited slip differencia. would come in handy at the circut 6) transfer the killer stereo while you're at it 7) 6 speed manual :drool: 8 ) Tons of other killer features that the 350 has Anyways, voice your opinion. How much do you think would transfer and do you think it's a good idea?

my thoughts exactlly. I was like, oh wow, nice gt5... then i was like, hey, a Z with kool side pipes. oh yea, that's a 67 gt5... they seem to be getting a bit more rare than the 68. And those are the only 2 years i'd ever want to own.

dude, that's like... putting a gokart engine in a R1 bike... But hey, doesn't bother me a bit. The testa rossa i believe is the ferrari in feris beuler's day off (great movie). Only the one in the movie was a 2 seater, so different model. Shelby probly wouldn't be mad, by 59 i think he'd aleady been toying with the daytona coupe idea. And soon to come he had his 289 A/C, so could he really complain? If there is anyone who do a little less complaining it would be shelby. But yea, that would be the funniest thing "hey, what kind of motor do ya got in that thing? V12? V10? Something else?" "Nope, i got a chevy small block..."

Personally... I think you get what you pat for with a 5.0 motor. It's easy to find a "decent" donor car to scrap a motor from. But it's also very easy to get a lemon of an engine. So if you look at crate prices then the 5.0 isn't totally cost effective. I've always thought of them as a mid-priced engine. Nothing really cheep about it. I've seen some really cheep crate 5.0 motors but you gotta question the quality. A good 340 Fly wheel HP 5.0 will cost about 3500. Then you need a tranny. So that right ther is a pretty penny. The REAL beuty of the 5.0 motors is that there is no lack of parts and aftermarket support is plentful. I've seen people get 800+HP on the stock short block. And with a good build you can hit any HP amount you want.... But same could be said about a SBC. Personally i didn't know that the SBF was lighter than the SBC. Always something new to learn I think i'm going to go with a SBF hybrid because of the SOUND. I hate the sound of LS1 motors. Sorry chevy people. That's just my opinion. Some of them can be made to be bearible (to me) but the sound of a carbed ford is like nothing else to my ears. Well, that's my 02 cents. Oh yea, the 5.0 motors DOES rev like a monster, expecially once force induction is installed. A stock 5.0 motor revs faster than any low HP V8 I can think of. Hope i didn't make anyone hate me....

If anyone is intested in parts from my old 80zx with the tree issue let me know. I'll probly be switching the t-tops over, as the black 81zx has some small rust. If you want them, make an offer. I NEED a 81zx center console. Apparentlly they're a tad different than the 80zx, due to some AC/Heating control changes. So if ANYONE wants to trade for some stuff, let me know. Here is a list of things i'm keeping from my old 80ZX, all else is up for grabs. Air Cleaner box, Driver side window, Driver side door latch, Hood hinges, Rims, Radiator Overflow tank, Left headlight assembly, Left side blinker, Front bumber, and maybe some mics. engine parts. If anyone wants the engine don't expect it to work. I'm pulling hoses off and some other stuff that's brand new. But the short block + head runs great with 191k miles. I still drive it now, i'll be doing all the swap work in 3 weeks when i get back from vacation. I would do the work now, but i just had 8 teeth pulled... 4 wisdom teeth and 4 others for braces. I'll just shut up now.... here are the pics.... Modems beware... i think it's like 600k total. PS, I'm posting the pics to the "tree issue" 80zx first. Then the "janky needs resto" 81zx second. Thie first pic of the 81zx will be a frontal in the driveway... http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid120/p55c2dfe59124d7de79e71aa162e0ebda/f869ae25.jpg' alt='f869ae25.jpg'> i wish it still looked like that ;( (ttop rust) And here is that center console pic... I'll be doing the work on the left fender this summer hopefully. That rust where the spare goes will be a fun little project. I was planning on just cutting out the rust, sealing the edges, then bolting in an aluminium panel. We'll see though. Right now i don't even want to think about it... i don't have any time.... I'm in the San Fran bay, so if any norcal people want the entire thing or just wanna come by to look & scrap parts let me know. and yes.. i still have the real louvers... i had taken them off before the tree too a liking to my car. So they're in perfect shape...

I passed... but it needed a cat... strange... oh well. At least my new Z will have a brand new cat... I'll be postung pics soon...

This car reminds me of the focus that ford built with the cammer v8 motor... You can indeed make a rocket out of anything. All i ask is to keep it away from the street man. That's nuts.

My hat is off for the rest of my life man... totally righteous.

Wow... ya... That's onw bad A%^ car... Me like. Twin turbo jap V8. That's really awsome. I wonder what the new toyota supra V8 size specs are going to be...

Like i said... i have yet to do a Z swap... Dang... those L28et motors are boats.... Has anyone sucessfully smogged a V8 in california?

Hmm, to me it depends on application. Mind you i have yet to do any engine swap in a Z... So my opinion isn't very valid. But a V-8 won't handle as well in the car... The inline 6 is much lighter and will alow you to corner much better, but it does cost more if you're looking for HIGH HP (anything above 300 i'd assume is high for that motor, but i could be wrong) Oh yea, if the car needs to be smogged.... Good luck with a V8... Judt my .02

Better off with a cobra.... I wouldn't ever buy that car. It's way too euro wanna be for me.

Well, some of you may know my story... My car apparentlly likes trees. So a buy a new Z under the knowlege that it needed a fuel regulator and a fuel pump. Well, i got the new fuel pump & regulator.... Ouch... costlly... Well, i go to work on the car and discover some terrifying information... It's alternator isn't bolted on... it was lying in the engine bay. The electric engine cooler thing is missing. The intake box in the front of the car is missing, and the overflow tank for the radiator is gone without a trace. And there is nothing connected to the header... The pipes are there, so i'll have to see if the cat is gone... Now, I COULD scrap my old Z's parts... rendering it a rolling chassis only good for sending to the scrap yard. OR I could just buy the parts. Any ideas on wich is more cost effective? Personally, i think i could sell my Z for 1k due to imaculate interior. To any 280ZX owner this is a gem. But i have the feeling i'd be spending more than that just to get this new one running. Any help would be awsome.

...what kind of car is that in the 2nd pic? The file name says ShelbyGT04... But to me it looks like a tricked out miata or maybe a modded lotus...

That's a great point with the wheel issue. The more flush you make the wheel the better. I'd recomend altering your fender to have more of that "Viper" look where the wheel is in almost a full circle of a fender as appose the standard half circle 240Z fender cutout. I can't remeber if i mentioned it in my previous post but something unerneath the car to act as a cover will help alot. I don't know what ferrari uses but i know the enzo is built like that, where the undercariage is totally sealed off. Try to find ou t what martials companies use for that. I'd worry that fibergalss is too heavy. My first guess would be thin aluminum, wich would be light and durable enough. Another thing you might want to look at that would take EXTENSIVE work to do, would be to lower the front of the car a 3-4 inches. This could only be achieve by totally reworking the front sring towers and maybe some other extensive modifications, but it would give you the front dynamics of a mid engine car. This would utilize the hood as source of downforce. Another very serious option you have that you wouldn't have in most other modern day cars is putting the engine in back making it a rear engine car. I'd use a porshe transaxle and mate it a LS1 motor. I know FFR is using this in a new car. http://factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/GTM/GTMkit.html http://factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/GTM/gtmupdate/gtmrelease.html You can get a LS1 motor well over 1000 HP, just take a nice pocket book. This trans axle can take the power too. It's the same transaxle that they use in the GT racing. This would give you the ability to do whatever you want with the front end, and gain a better balance of the car. Ultimatelly this would give you a car better suited to your needs. If you really wanted you could fit a V8 like say a 427 HR with a tremec and a 9inch rear axle directlly bolted onto the tranny. It's just a matter of how hot your cockpit will get. With a transaxel like that porshe's the engine stays farther back, therefor making it easier to close off the engine from the cockpit and also reducing heat in the cockpit. And, just a quick question. How tall are you? This will make a large difference on how this are desinged...

I can't imagine accually needed much more ram than that. I personally won't ever have 1 GB of ram till games alone take 512. I've had Unreal04, ventrilo chat server, irc, winamp5, IE, slimbrowser, IP scan 3.5, all running with only 350 MB of ram being used. When i program i only use about 200 MB of ram. And that's 3d base render programing. Level design stuff. That's a pretty good set up. I'd buy a GOOD 400watt PSU though. Something by either silverstone or antec. And make sure it's got 120mm fans instead of 80mm. MUCH quiter. I'll only use 120mm fans from now on. Right now my specs are as fallows. ASUS A7V600 SATA usb2.0 6.1 audio giga ethernet AMD 2700+ 333 FSB Corsiar XMS Low Latency DDR333 (768) Radeon 9500 9700 mod (runs great. REAL mod, full 8 piplines) Wester Digital 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB cache Lite-on CD-RW 52X Lite-on CDROM 48X Silvestone 400W silent PSU Appox. cost of build $700 Build 1 year ago. Still runs strong. As soon as the new graphics cards come out and the prices of the old stuff drops i'm buying a 9800XT all in wonder. In levels i design in UT04 i average around 250 FPS in 1600x1200 will all options on with 2x everything on the card itself. I achieve it though card optimisation when i make my level. Nvidia users tell me that they run the levels the samea as any other, so no problems there so far. Personally, i think the only parts of your computer you need to spend a good amount of money on are your Mother board, graphics card, & ram. Everything else is negotiable. CPU power isn't required much in games, only in video/audio renderment stuff. And in that case p4s kille AMDs. But even an AMD 2000+ will run any new game. I've owner SEVERAL macs in my time. First computer i've ever owned was a performa. My town PC is an older ibook. Kool little thing to have wherever you go. But it's ALL about linux man. Linux is the future. I'm hoping that by red rat 11.0 we'll see a version that's compatible with 90% of hardware on the market, and something with a user friendly install. Linux is the only future compeditor with windoz for gamers. Last lan party i went to there were over 75 people there and i counted more than 30 people with linux running. And ALL our game's servers were linux based. The run better, cleaner, are open source, easier to maintain, and have the absolute BEST destop enviorment. But i'll probly always own a mac, windows, % linux system. Gotta have the best of all worlds.

Dude, this is all good man, your car is possesed This will help you beat people with 100 more HP on you. Your car is a fighter man. Accually i have no idea on the crank issue... Maybe your motor locked up. Have you started the car latelly I think that pathfinder could tow a single car... Might kill the gas milage, but who cares if your car gets to the track with 0 miles put on it.

A well built pc don't crash either.... I've owned several macs & wondows and build several linux systems. My OSX Ibooks has NEVER crashed. My current linux game/test box has NEVER crashed... my windows internet surf computer................. too many chrashest to count. It's all in how the system is designed. If it's designed simplistically without a huge list of processes and keep the structure clean there won't be a problem. I've designed my own operating sytems for hardware i've build. Even things like network switches have an OS on them, any the rarelly crash. Very rarely indeed. I'm not talking about makeing a console that's designed like a pc. I'm talking about a console that could show the PC crowd how to do it right. 8)

Thanx for the info 8) I'm gonna bring it to a guy i know to have a tune up done once i get my new ZX running.

I'm buying a ps2 this summer, i havn't owned GT3 yet... I'm gonna try to get a good way through gt3 before gt4 comes out. Maybe even buy gt2. BUT!!! Has anyone see our wonderful new demos by nvidia & ati?!?!?! Holy ()%^&)(#$*%*@ DANG! Dx9 games are gonna ROCK! The next gen platform console (as long as they wait a good solid 2 years to come out) or gonna be SICK! I can wait to see the next gen racing games. We're talking Sudo realism, millions of flying particles, and with the help of cel- shading and even better bump mapping we're seeing games that make the origonal toy story look like crap. It's scary man. Personally i think that EVERY new console this next time should come TOTALLY upgradable. So that when the next agp card comes out you can either buy it and put it in yourself or bring it to a service station for a small upgrade fee. This would make for a platform that could last well over 6 years easy. In the last 3 years we've seen game dependace shift from HEAVY CPU dependance over to HUGE RAM & Graphics card dependance. The new cpus have no problem running really advance games. I've seen guys runn over 300 FPS in unreal 03 with an athlon 1800+. They just can put any more than 12 bots into the game, where as i've had over 300 bots in my game running a solid 95 FPS. The cpu dependace has gone way down latlly, so i think the industry is prime for consoles with upgradable graphics cards & ram. And the whole idea that games run better if they're based on a certain card is really bull. The main problem with porting games is that they've been designed to handle a certain console, so you have to redo all the static meshes and change all the loading techniques. If they just designed console games like they designed pc games they'd only see about a 2% lower performance, but compatablity would be offf the chart. Game pots would take week instead of months, gamers could drop 200 bucks to triple thier performance, and you would add ram to accomidate running an mp3 player in the backround. And with how availible broadband is now days it only makes sence to transfer the console over to a PC media station for the home theater. Because isn't that what consoles are about anyways? Entertainment? I think nvidia and ati's HUGE leap in performance should be embraced as a doorway to the next type of game console. Not just a console to play games, but one in wich you can record tv, play music, play dvds, surf the web, play pc games, hook up a computer keyboard and mouse, ANYthing you can do with a computer. I could build a Home theater pc for $500 that would have everything that i described. If nintendo, sony and Microsoft wanted to, they could do the same and design the latest games on them. And if they wanted to, use thier own encryption to aviod cross platforming. You can see how stronglly i feel about this. But it's only because the tech industy was my life for some time. I still keep tabs on the industry, but i've yet to understnad it's stupidity. Will GT4 be a good game? Yes. Do i think it could be more? Yes. I've see what games now days CAN be. Any game designer will tell you that the half life 2 engine is one of the best pieces of software ever engineered. Is deserves a nobel prize. It's ability to use real physics is unheard of. If they could encorperate an engine like this into everygame then people might accually know what it's like to drive a car at 200 mph, or do a loop in a plane, a shoot an enemy target. The realism is so high now days, yet noone wants to use it because they know they can sell what they have for a better profit. Disgusting i say.

Ok, new ZX came today. Needs some TLC, but the only thing i need to buy is the fuel pump and air pressure regulator. The interior isn't that great, so... i was thinking of just gutting it and driving around with seat that have seat covers on. And opinions? I figure i can fix up whatever interior is left and sell it off. If any of it is in decent shape it's worth selling. Is there any interior that i should make sure i keep on? Like the door panel maybe? The one thing i found today that really ticks me off is that it has a nice rust spot where the spare goes. It'll need to be cut out. Looks like maybe while it sata pool gathered there causeing rust, because other than that one spot the chassis look great in the rust department. So whad' yall think? Gut it, primer it, beater it? Or clean, put together, keep stock looking? The one thing i'm worried about it noise. How much does the interior carpet help the engine noise? Another question. Can i take the front bumper off without the car lookng too funny? The bumper on it had been hit by something. Didn't effect car exept some small damage in the left fender, but the bumper is pretty bad. Don't want to drive with it like it is. I'll post some pics of it all. Any thought will be appreciated. PS even though the carpet would be gone i'd have a blanet in the back probly.