Jolane

If you want to look at buying a complete kit at once, check out Scoggin Dickey for a complete Vortech kit including everything to bolt the heads to an engine at http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/2172/SDPC-Vortec-Cylinder-Heads-and-Head-Kits.htm . This seems to be a good price. Joshua

Good Point RacerX, I did use a Heat Gun, since that was all I had, but was very careful to not get the graphics too hot. I also used low heat. Joshua

I don't know how firm you are on buying a MM175, but you might want to look for the Hobart Handler 180. I heard that there is a deal at TSC on these including the cart for under $600. You may want to look at http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ for more information. They seem to get great reviews. I am betting that the only difference between the Hobart and the MM is price and color. Joshua BTW, my Lincoln 3200HD (110V) works great for the sheet metal, if that is all you want to fix. I use .023 wire with C25, no spatter, nice solid welds. Any thicker than 1/8" though, and I don't feel like it has enough juice.

Terry, I was told by a friend that the body shop she works at applies this clear film for customers. You may want to call around to local body shops for some tips. I have seen Porsche's around here use it also on the rear fenders, right behind the door. Maybe a Porsche dealer can help you also? When I applied my graphics kit on my dirt bike, I used soapy water also as Tim said. I also used a heat gun for the compound shapes. Just some thoughts. Joshua

Today was the day to strip the doors and rear hatch I got from the U-Pull-It Yard. Here is my evaluation of the various paint strippers I tried. One was very good, two very bad, and a few in between. The hatch, for reference, had 8 coats of paint (1 primer and 1 color make one coat)! That is A LOT of paint, no wonder it was chipped in places. I followed the directions as best I could with each one. **Klean-Strip Aircraft Remover Spray, 18 OZ Can: (Purchased at Wal-Mart, ~$7). This product actually was the worst, and did nothing to any other paint I tried it on. Really, it acted more like a spray wax than paint stripper. Extremely Poor! **Eastwood DeKote: Specifies 3+ hours to sit. Well, after 5 hours now, it is not doing much. It did bubble the one top coat on the door, but has not touched the original coat under it. I rate this VERY Poor. What a waste of $44/gallon! **Mar-Hyde Tal-Strip II Aircraft Coating Remover, 1 Quart: (Purchased at Checker Auto Parts, ~$9). This stuff bubbled the paint better than the first two, but was dissappointing still. It was also rather expensive. I did not try spraying this paste, although the can says that it can be sprayed. I won't be using this again either, marginal results. **Klean-Strip Low Odor Aircraft Remover Paste, 1 Gallon: (Purchased at Checker Auto Parts, ~$19). This product worked okay, but when left on for the specified 30 minutes, it dried and was difficult to scrap off. When left on for 10 minutes, it made the paint a goopy mess. It required several applications, and made a mess! I will use it up, but won't buy any more. **Klean-Strip KS-3 Premium, 1 Gallon: (Purchased at Home Depot, ~$18) This product worked satisfactory, and even softens the under coating okay. The thicker paste made it easier to apply to the vertical and overhung surfaces. Required several applications, but was not as messy as the Aircraft stripper, and worked better. **Mar-Hyde Tal-Strip II Aircraft Coating Remover Spray, 15 Oz: (Purchased at Check Auto Parts, $6/can). Yes, this is the same stuff as the brush style listed above, including identical labeling other than one is a brush on and this is a spray, and expensive. The brush on is green, this is clear. This, amazingly enough, was awesome, and worth its weight in gold (well, almost). I used 4 cans of this today (Probably 2 cans per hatch, inside and outside of hatch). It takes 10-20 minutes to work, and makes the paint separate cleanly from the steel, leaving perfectly looking steel underneath. Most of the sprayed area is clean on first try, with only spot applications required at times. This by far is the BEST paint stripper I have even used, simply awesome. Now, if I could find another store that carries it (I need probably a 12 more), I would be set. Checker only had 2 cans at each store I tried... Hopefully this will help other in choosing the paint stripper to use. I know which one I will use from now on. It also softened the small spot of undercoating I tried. I am not sure though how effective it really is at removing undercoating. Also, wear gloves with any of these, boy do they burn otherwise! Joshua

Thanks Z-Tard! That was informative. How do you plan to mount the dash, since it sounds like you are not going to use the metal framework from the old dash? Also, are you going to make the dash look like carbon fiber also, so basically you want to see the grain after it is done? That would make sense then why you did not recess the gauges. Thanks Again, Joshua

Z-Tard, Nice work. It is looking nice. I do have a few questions for you about your dash, as I am really considering making a composite one for my car as well. 1. How are you going to support the dash once it is complete? 2. Are you using the stock metal framework and ripping the foam off? 3. What gauges are you using, and will they recessed, similar to stock? 4. Did you design this to also work with the metal trim plate that is stock in front of the dash, right next to the windshield, or does your dash run all the way up to the firewall? 5. Do you plan to cover the fiberglass with any material when complete, or just paint? 6. What about the vents, defroster, and heater control panel? Do you have a heater? I am thinking about making mine look almost identical to the stoch dash, except for using aftermarket gauges. As for the heater controls, maybe I will get some different ones out of another car, haven't really looked very hard yet though. I am thinking that covering a fiberglass dash with leather, or another material, would make it look nice. Maybe a texture on the fiberglass surface would fine also? Thanks for any and all input. Joshua

Oh, I remember what is was called...Dex...

I can understand the frustration...but I also see the other side. I personally know a kid in high school (a group actualy that my GF's son hangs out with) who was really going through the cough medicine...ends up SHE was on something made from cough medicine, I don't remember the name that was used. Bad news though, and it was rather abundant I guess throughout this group of kids. My GF is a nurse and had no idea about the "drug" they were making and using... I feel like there should be less government, not more, but this falls under the same thinking as increased "gun control", the only people who the legislation will negatively affect are the honest ones. The "bad guys" will get whatever they want anyways... As for two adults, so four bottles...along the lines of alcohol. I cannot buy alcohol with my teenage brother standing with me in line. He has to go wait in the car, and the alcohol has to be put back on the shelf so I can walk over a pick it up again and try checking out again. I don't drink by the way, but this happened when trying to buy a six pack for my dad during the holidays! Hope you feel better! Joshua

Sam280Z, In looking at the picture of the shell on the rotisserie, it looks like the sub frame connectors are not carried all the back to the rear subframe (at least on the outside). You might want to extend them up that rear slant into the rear main supporting frame. Did you pain the interior also? Did you strip the whole car to metal, or just scuff the original paint? So you know how much PPg DP Primer you used? I wish my car was to that point already... Joshua

I know how that goes...please just be careful. Are you referring to breaking the strut housing itself? This would be the part were the strut tube ties into the hub area (which houses the bearings)? Did your tire flop in/out? I saw a 300ZX in the junk yard that hit something and it broke the strut tube where it is welded/pressed into the spindle area. Joshua

Stevo, I think that the feedback you will get is that the ZXT trannies were notchy feeling compared to the NA trannies. You could break either with the horse power you listed depending on how you treat it. Shock kills these, so "neutral drops" should be a big no no. I loved the way my NA shifted in my 83, and the close ratio was good with a mildly upgraded NA engine. As for high load and high speed shifting, can't really say, never had a turbo. A big reason I decided to go V8 was due to durability (and cheap horsepower, although somewhere the cheap part disappeared). I was worried about transmission choices, amoung other things. I broke an NA tranny with that mild NA engine I put in, and did not want any repeats of that if at all possible. I will agree with you about the search function...it can be hard to find stuff. There really is a lot of information here, sometimes it just takes days worth of reading to find what you are looking for. Good Luck, Joshua

I have to agree with John and Matt, I also would use spacers. I do believe that it could go beyond peace of mind. First, 2mm is a big deal when talking about screw clearances. That's 80 thou. A "loose" fit for a screw is typically ~14 thou. A tight fit ~3 thou. Regular ~ 7 thou. Even the loose is grossly oversized. As for indexing the gear, I understand the agrument, but as John already said, what about engine braking? Also, by indexing, you have now removed material from under the head of the screw, effectively cantilevering the head off one side. This can induce a bending moment in the screw, NOT a good thing. Finally, there must be some degree of bolt flexing and gear slipping. I realize that the friction is rather high from the ring gear to the carrier, dependant on the screw preload, but I can't imagine that the bolt won't flex side to side under varying drive and braking loads. With the additional screw clearances involved, it has a lot more room to do this as well. If the ring gear was pinned to the carrier on the other hand (similar to how clutch pressure plates are pinned to the crankshaft), the slipping would be a none issue, and the screws would only hold the gear in place. Maybe issues will never arise, but maybe they will over time due to cyclic loading. The only reservation I have about using 10mm bolts in a 12mm carrier is, Do the screw heads cover enough of the carrier? Can washers be used? When I put an LSD in my diff, I will use shims if required and address any screw head issues. Joshua

I will ask, without grilling you though...why and how did your tire blow out at 120? Why was there a curb beside you? That seems to indicate, at least in my neck of the desert, that you were on a public, possibly narrow road. Was your tire old? Very worn? Cheap brand? You might want to check the rest of your tires before any more high speed driving...for yours and others safety please! Joshua

Sorry, I got so wrapped up in ranting about the venting...I forgot to mention the seats I choose for my 83 280ZX. The original seats were the shorter style with adjustable headrests. I replaced them with earlier (79/80 style) one piece style seats. They bolted right in, color matched perfectly, and they were more supportive, comfortable, and cheap. Not exactly the racing style you might be after though... Joshua

Joe, I was glad to read your post...I too do not want to debate bikes. I whole heartidly agree about posers on any bike, Harley or Not. I live in a neighborhood that has a few of them... I also hate the squid type...yeah, you know, the type who are weaving in and out on their brand new sportbike cutting people off wearing nothing but a wife beater, shorts and sneakers... I raced motocross for a while, and I NEVER rode without a helmet and proper gear, everything on (unless I was loading the bike). I never ride my street bike without a helmet, leather jacket, leather gloves... I know others (including my dad) who wear whatever is comfortable...tee-shirt, no gloves, etc... I choose to ride right and ride safe. Thanks for the beer offer, but I will say that I don't drink, and have never even tasted beer (yes I am plenty old enough to be legal). I wouldn't mind a coke though, okay Bro! haha Post a pick of your bike sometime. Like I said, there are some nice looking Harley's out there! Just not for me to own... Joshua

Gnosez, Somehow I missed your reply about Cobra seats, although I replied after it. What model of Cobra seats do you have? Thanks, Joshua

Finding seats that will fit right seems to be a problem. I started a thread a few days ago about seats for a 240, and did receive some feedback. I do not think though that the feedback was enough though to help me make a decision between 3 different seats. Good Luck though, hopefully you have a dealer closer than 6+ hours away where you can sit in the seats you are looking at. As for the comments 2126 made, I only assume that he may be referring to my post. I have searched and read for literally days (worth of time), and have measured I don't kow how many seats in junk yards and in my other cars I drive regularly. I have also called seemingly all of the local shops around town, and several manufacturers, trying to find demo's or local stock for something I could sit in. I very well believe I HAVE done my homework to the best I could. With that said, I still did't feel comfortable outlaying some good cash for leather seats. Yes it is personal, but at least knowing what the choices are is very helpful. I am sorry to have inconvienced anyone by asking about what I did not find. After all, this is a means of exchanging information about a common interest, Z CARS. A lot of people have aftermarket performance seats similar to those others are seeking. Everybody has a waist and height. I have seen some very helpful information about seats for taller people, along the lines of what seat is too tall. Why is width such a harmful question. Yes, the manufacturers list general dimensions, but even they admitted that the dimensions are general. They don't list everything I need to know so I can fit them into my car without purchasing, or at least calling. Maybe I misunderstood how this sort of forum is supposed to work. I thought it was intended for knowledge transfer, and for helping others. I will continue to help if I can, because if I can save someone else aggrevation, time, money, whatever...I will. End of Rant! Joshua

Crackhouse, I feel exactly the same way. If I did not have all the body work to do (replacing and fixing stuff, not strengthening, I would nearly be done. It sure does take a long time though to do the body work (for me at least). I can empathize 100%. Joshua

Had this happen in my 83 280ZX also. Mine as NOT a leaking core though, rather it was the heater control valve. I did not pull the dash to swap this, but it was not easy to do. It is doable though. Getting the part from Nissan was the hardest part of the job at $125+. They did have it on the shelf for me, all they want is an arm... Joshua

Pete, You said that with the TKO that it came very close, I assume to the tunnel walls? I am not sure about the differences in tranny tunnels over the years, but I know that my TKOII had plenty of room without cutting the original transmission mounts off. The Lakewood bellhousing on the other hand did require so massaging to fit properly. I plan to run my exhaust tubes next to the transmission, over my tranny mount (which is not bar stock like the JTR manual). Just Curious, Joshua I am wondering where to run my fuel lines though, as keeping them away from the exhaust is a good thing, but with my cross member and tranny mount, I can't easily run them along the inside wall of the subframe connectors. I will figure something out though...that is clean and neat.

2126, I also did that...and their aren't any reps or resellers that stock the seats in my area. Closest is in El Paso...I am not ready to drive down there just to sit in some seats. Phoenix also had two places to try, so maybe I will head out that way for something in the next month and try them out at the same time... maybe not... BTW, Ryan at Corbeau was very helpful and good to deal with. It really is nice to talk to a someone who is knowledgeble and polite! Thanks for everyones help and ideas! Albuquerque is just an overpopulated little town... Joshua On a side note, it sounds like the CR1's would be the best bet. They are wider in the seating area, but still look like they will fit fine in the car. I am suprised I found no reference to them in my searches here. Also, the backs are slightly lower, possibly helping visibility out the back... Maybe the reason is because they bottoms are thicker than the A4's, making the seating position higher with the stock seat mounts. Since I am starting over with the seat mounts, no problemo...

Haha...I actually thought I could buy another set way back when and use the right on the left side to get them to match...until I thought about it a little harder. Dumb Dumb Dumb me! It bugs me too, but I guess it does no harm (other than interfere with the jack stands when I put them under the outer spindle pin on the passenger side)... Joshua

Mtcookson, What year of Maxima do you have. I have never heard about this bearing isue (don't really research the Maxima stuff though). The only thing I have heard is about a throw-out bearing noise on startup...which mine ('99 SE Limited 5-Speed) has. I intend on doing nothing to mine other than drive and maintain it...so I am not really worried about breaking it... Joshua

In reality, I don't hate Harley's, but have seen my share of problems with them. I have known a good number of people who have owned them as well, and everyone always seems to be working on them. I know that there are exceptions, but to be honest, when I know that a bike has been in the back of a truck 5+ times within a year just to get home...that is a big problem! The bike was great, beautiful work, engine ran okay (other than it marked its spot, uhhh leaked oil, with only a few thousand miles on it), but it was still a poor handling, slow, wimpy braking bike. I like precision, stuff that stops and turns when I want it to. Maybe I was outriding the Harley, and therefore it was not for me. As for the little Harley's (Sportsters), they supposedly have a bunch of problems, from mirrors breaking off and hitting riders to warping valve covers to...And they still cost more than a very good Jap bike. I am in it for the riding experience, not the nastalgia. I also have a problem with the mentality of a lot of Harley owners/riders...if you don't ride a Harley...blah blah! I don't think I will be buying a Chinese bike though any time soon, regardless of what it looks like. Joshua