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mclark999

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Posts posted by mclark999

  1. I am a newcomer to posting on this forum, although I have looked at the postings for quite some time. My experience in cars is that of 1930's bodied hot rods and a bit of "muscle cars" thanks to my friends. I've had a 1970 240Z for a few years now, and finally I got my act together.

     

    First off, I removed the original motor and transmission. Next, I ordered the GTO body kit from Thunder Ranch. Basically my goal for this car is to make a nice streetable 11 second V-8 powered machine. The motor will be a bored and stroked Ford 302 with aluminum heads to better equalize weight distribution front to rear. With a 500 - 600 HP & Torque output, the transmission choice will be a TKO 600 5 speed. Carburetor(s) or fuel injection is trivial at this point. I don't much fancy the wire rims, and since this isn't an original car

     

    Thanks to my muscle car friends, I know it's not only possible, but easy to slightly reinforce a unibody structure to accommodate this amount of torque. What has me worried though is flexing of a hard launching unibody car with this bonded on fiberglass body kit. I plan to own this car until the day I die, and that could be decades, so obviously I only want to do the work one time. Conversely, the cost of upgrading the front suspension and brakes to 5 lug Ford bolt pattern is that or more than the cost of a complete aftermarket IFS commonly used on a hot rod.

    Since the R180 differential will not meet the needs of my project, what to do there too?

     

    I've read all about the R200 swap, and quite frankly I don't believe it's worth it. We're talking a ring and pinion gear only 20 mm larger - that's 7.87" vs 7.08". I've destroyed a 7.5" solid rear axle in my everyday driver with a 140 HP V-6 and street tires. An extreme case no doubt, but not something I wish to repeat in any vehicle. It was the ring and pinion that got shredded, my 28 spline axles remained intact.

     

    Through infrequently on this forum, there are people who have back halved their Z car with success.

    LD%203-link.jpg

    Yes I know the picture is of a Camaro and a three link, but it illustrates my idea.

     

    I may be a heretic for considering a solid rear axle, but with a 4 link setup and coilovers there is no reason ride quality has to be compromised. But now this project is getting costly. If I'm going to go to the trouble of welding in mounts for a solid rear axle, obviously subframe connectors will have to be made and welded in to stiffen the "chassis". What now? Continue the madness forward and get rid of the datsun front suspension with an aftermarket IFS? Or spend just as much money to keep the Datsun based front suspension but upgrade it? Where is this line drawn? But since my wheel offset is not something I can not change, perhaps I'm doomed to custom IFS.

     

    A cage or simple rollbar has not even been discussed at this point, but obviously either would help to stiffen the structure. What about a complete frame? Somebody was crazy enough (though in a good way) to have Art Morrison build them a custom chassis for their Datsun Z.

     

    I would like input from anyone who has similar thoughts and questions. Also, if anyone happens to have some quarter mile times they would be willing to share?

     

    Thanks for the post - got me to thinking about suspension. I know Factory Five offers 3 link, 4 link, and IRS for their Cobras. I found this article from hot rod pretty interesting:

    http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/0604_rear_suspension_guide/pictures_diagrams.html

     

    Sounds like you are into 1/4 mile racing. GTO is an interesting car for that. I'll be doing mostly road courses so will stick with the R200 and coilovers.

  2. "Also, my dash was disassembled when I bought my car and the hazard switch is missing. Any recommendations on a replacement?"

     

    Hey Mclark999, I have a hazard switch in a box of extra/un-used parts. You're more than welcome to it. If you're not in a rush though. I'm in Vietnam at the moment and won't be back to Canada for another 2 months.

     

     

     

    Thank's Con Brio. When you get back you can email me mclark998 at yahoo . com and we can work something out.

  3. Hi mclark999,

     

    Remember that your working with a fiberglass body now, may seem obvious but you need a ground wire now. I'm building a glass body 32 Ford right now so I've come across the same problem.

     

    Staledale

     

     

    I grounded everything. The lights all work. They just don't flash. Just stay on.

  4. This may be on the trivial side of things, but I've run into a little snag. After pulling out the old lighting and putting in new, my signals don't flash anymore. I think it's because now in the front and back I have only one bulb that flashes, while before I had two front and back.

     

    Has anyone else worked through this? I see I can get a resistor like for an LED light conversion. I wondered if I can just get a different flasher unit?

     

    Also, my dash was disassembled when I bought my car and the hazard switch is missing. Any recommendations on a replacement?

     

    Thanks for helping me handle the trivia. It's one step at a time.

     

    BTW - I've got one half of the rear suspension lowered. Progress :)

  5. I used duct tape and packing tape to tape my window up while I fixed the regulator. I left it on way to long and the tape dried super hard.

     

    The packing tape came off, but the glue is super hard. I got it off the window with a razor blade.

     

    Any ideas on how to get it off the paint? I tried goof off and tar/bug remover so far. I can try stronger things, but I don't want to hurt the paint. The paint is the original factory paint.

     

    Any ideas?

     

    Thanks

  6. Thank you!! I've actually been looking at used Centerline Draglites and found some excellent deals. However, they're all 5-lug. Buying the 5-lug adapters and used Draglites is cheaper than buying new 4-lug wheels without the adapters. I'll be happy to find the right sized wheels within a half inch of the correct backspace.

     

    I have a set of 4 lug Centerlines that I'll be selling. Don't know if you'd be interested. They are 15x10 front and 15x12 rear.

    2008 Nov -Dec_thumb.jpg

  7. Another wheel question... please don't blast me for not getting spokes... I can't afford them.:rolleyesg

     

    If I use these adapters (2" thick): http://www.skulte.com/product_info.php/cPath/21/products_id/56

     

    Will these wheels be a good fit on the rear of an Alpha 1?: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CLL%2D055907547&N=700+400056+300312+4294923105+4294793325+4294795022+4294919982+4294755960+115&autoview=sku

     

    Front rims: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CLL%2D055704547&N=700+400056+300312+4294923105+4294755960+4294793325+4294794966+4294795102+115&autoview=sku

     

    Rear tires will be 28-29" tall and 10.5-12.5" wide. Fronts will be 26-27" tall and 6-7" wide. I want the final fitment to look as as though they "belong" on this car even though the wheel style is completely wrong. I'm tired of the current wheels not filling the fenders.

     

     

    Go to Centerline Wheels website. They have several options that fit the Z 4 lug pattern and can custom offset what you want. Some of the options actually look nice on a GTO. I photoshopped a couple.

    Centerline12415razor_thumb.jpg

    Centerline_thumb.jpg

    GTO_10 centerlines 2_thumb.jpg

    GTO_10 with Venturo wheels_thumb.jpg

  8. ZZZeee - I'm not sure what outcome you are after which makes it very difficult to advise.

     

    I have just ordered a pair of 7" reverse-laced triple-cross wheels from Dayton Wire Wheels. I am hoping I can get away with a 6"-7" combination but I may have to go with a 7"-8". Either way I need the 7" so I have started there. I am widening the rear track to suit the narrow rear wheels so my dilemma is with how the narrow rims will look on the front. I should know in a few weeks.

     

    I'm considering the wire wheels as well. What is the difference between regular and reverse-laced. Does the reverse lacing give you the larger offset?

     

    And why triple laced? Is that for a certain look, or for strength?

     

    I would need 8" on the front and 10" on the rear. Do they both need to be reversed laced? Perhaps, I just need to talk to the guys at Dayton.

     

    THanks

  9. With a half full gas tank ours weighs 2250 lbs, but engine is aluminum, and lots of stuff has been removed or changed to aluminum.

     

    I'm in a bit of a quandary at the moment as I've begun the preparation for winter modifications and can't decide how extreme to go. I'm planning on redoing the chassis to make it safer and better. This means going to round tube and lots of suspension mods. I want it lower, especially in the front, and stronger as well as more capable. Also want to replace a few panels with aluminum.

     

    I am stuggling to decide, should we sell this one (in the current weird market, either will go for a lot, because of the weak dollar, or for not enough because of weak worldwide economy) and build another the way I now want to, or do I cut this one apart and make it better.

     

    If I start fresh I know how I'll build it. If I cut into this one (which is more than likely what will happen) I can't decide how extreme to take it. I may go all the way with new front and rear suspension and a full tube frame, or cut out the floor and everything forward of the firewall and just make it tube chassis on the front two-thirds. Either way the resulting frame will be a lot stronger, so then I'm either putting Arizona Z car strut assemblies on all 4 corners or switching the front suspension to something else like mustang II style or new corvette pieces. The car is fun as it is, but I want it to be more.

     

    Regardless what I do to the chassis I am going to make the trunk lid and hood out of aluminum this winter. Depending on my time and patience we may do the doors too. That's a lot bigger job though so who knows, maybe I just re skin them..

     

    Your thoughts? would you sell and start over, or modify the existing? And would you, if the opportunity presented, when switching to a tube frame arrangement use z car derived struts or switch to A-arms and coilovers? The cost is close enough to being the same either way to really make this a difficult choice. On the front it's $3000+ for the AZC stuff and that's in the same price range as a tubular A-Arm setup with big brakes. Even a Vette setup is about the same after buying and modifying one to work..

     

    The body stuff I'm doing either way as I want it to look more accurate and the aluminum panels will resolve some fit issues and make for much better looking gaps in the panel openings.

     

     

    Dream big, Chelle and build even bigger!!!

     

    In one of the kit car magazines, a guy is building a GTO from scratch. From what I've seen, you are talented enough to do it. Why start with a Datsun if you can build exactly what you want? Now if I was going to do it, I'd buy a Factory Five coupe (frame only) and modify it to work with a GTO all aluminum body on it.

     

    Then I'd talk to some good Chinese friends (in China), and ask them to start a business building and selling classic replica Ferarrri 3 liter v12s for projects like ours. Patents expired years ago. So far, no one's wanted to take on the Italian guys due to law suits, but if the Chinese can clone the iPhone, I don't think they'd be bothered by Ferrari.

     

    You'd have a reasonably priced and very drivable, very high performance replica for a smidgeon of what an original would cost.

     

    That's my 2 pennies worth. Go for it!!!

  10. Hey mudjr,

    I know that I've already sent these to you but thought I'd post so everyone could have a look. Regards.

     

    Hey Con Brio,

     

    What hardware is this (your hood latches) and where did you get it? I've been looking around the web and the Triumph Spitfire latches look like they might work. Did you consider those?

     

    Thanks,

     

    Michael

  11. I'm more than half way through the Vello Rosa conversion. I would highly recommend you do what I did -- buy a really high quality rustfree 280. I bought the car in Arizona and it doesn't have rust anywhere. Even if you don't go with the spyder type, the extra strength in the 280 will serve you well with a high power v8. Cutting the top off the 280, nothing sagged. I will reinforce, but only because I cut the top off. If you go for the coupe conversion and use a rustfree 280, you can avoid all the strengthening. You might want to bolt on shock tower mounts, but won't need to do much more than that.

     

    I recommend completely rust free because this is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge project. Why make more work for yourself?

     

    You might even cheat a little the way I did. My car already had the V8 installed and the brakes and suspension upgraded. Saved me tons of hours, so I could just focus on the body kit.

     

    If you can find a car that someone else has loved and improved, but is bored with or can't afford, you can get a deal and save yourself a lot of time and money. I paid less for my donor car than I would have just to build the engine that came in it.

     

    No matter what you do, the guys and gals here are very helpful and very encouraging. Have a blast.

     

    Michael

  12. Anyone that's put the Vello Rosa on a 280, how did you extend the fuel filler pipe? The manual recommends welding a piece of tailpipe in as the extension. Is there a way do do it with rubber hose and clamps like for the 240? I guess I don't trust that I'll weld the right length piece in and would have to redo. Seems like it would have to be a fairly exact fit.

     

    Thanks

     

    Michael

  13. Hi again Michael,

     

    Is the engine in your car? What engine and exhaust system are you running/plan to run?

     

    Yes, everything that's going to be in it except gas and people is in it right now, so the weight isn't going to change much.

     

    It's a SBC in the Scarab position with headers and a single 2" or so exhaust. I looked under the car and can see that I'll need to have the whole exhaust raised up. There's a 2" gap between it and the car from the engine bay to the back.

     

    My only plan for the exhaust is to have it split into a dual diffuser at the far rear.

  14. I agree with Zerrari that 15" rims and high aspect ratio tyres can be part of the final equation.

     

     

    Actually, the tires in the pictures are 15". The rears are 295/50s and the fronts are 265/60s. I'm going to replace them with a set of vintage racing wheels I already have that are 14". I plan to use high aspect ratio tires with those.

    9569_thumb.attach

  15. It's a 280, so I will change the the strut isolator to get the initial inch or so. Are those available new anywhere?

     

    As you can see from the attached picture, I have a full 5 inches of space between the rubber and the fender. I'll need to lower more than an inch to make it look right.

     

    The front isn't so bad. Probably an inch and a half lower will work.

    VR 001_thumb.jpg

    VR 002_thumb.jpg

    VR 003_thumb.jpg

  16. Hey anyone who has finished a VR

     

    How much did you lower your car front and back to make it look good?

     

    Please post pics straight on from the side to show your ride height and clearance above the tires.

     

    I'll take pics and add them here. Looks like I'd need to lower the back of my car about 4 inches to make it look right. I don't think that's feasible. BUt, the guy I bought the car from may have raised the height. I won't know until I pull the rear struts out.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Michael

  17. Just finished installing the taillights. These are Opel GT lights from http://opelgtsource.com. They include everything needed including new lenses and housings and used electrical bits.

     

    I decided to go with the more modern Ferrari look. I just don't care for the bullet lights on the Velo Rossa rear end. Plus these put out a lot more light.

     

    Due to the lack of space behind the fiberglass panel, I had to cut sheetmetal to fit the electical parts in. Otherwise it was fairly straight forward.

     

    Took about 8 hours all together to do the job. If anyone is considering these, I have a big hole saw available.

     

    Ciao for now,

     

    Michael

    DSCN4931_thumb.JPG

    DSCN4930_thumb.JPG

    DSCN4932_thumb.JPG

  18. My 280Z came with a phantom grip that was new in the box and not installed. I'm selling it as I'm not looking for max performance out of my Vello Rossa.

     

    If you want more performance and can't afford or find an LSD, this is a deal.

     

    I'm knocking 40% off the new price of $369.

     

    It's yours now for $222 plus $10 shipping anywhere in the U.S.

     

    That's a deal.

  19. Dan - Are you the one that wrote the thread on cutting out the fenders so you can put the wide body on without welding up the mess left behind?

     

    See the pictures below. Most people weld these, but either you or another experienced builder on this site gave a complete method for taping/bonding the fender back together.

    IMG_0459.sized_thumb.jpg

  20. I was wiggling the hood a little today to see how well it lines up and the whole thing broke free from the mount.

     

    It was fiberglassed with some layers to the mount. I'll email John Washington and see what the best way to line it up is before I reglue it.

     

    Any ideas? What should I use to refasten it? I'll post some pics tomorrow.

     

    The adventure continues....

     

     

    QUOTE]

     

    I emailed John Washington and found out I have the new style hood hinge which should have not failed. I'm attaching some pictures. Biggest question is how to get this thing lined back up to reattach it.

    DSCN4689_thumb.JPG

    DSCN4690_thumb.JPG

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