pparaska

Datto, thanks! Man I wouldn't touch the paint on your car - I love it. A closer pic to show the pattern in your grill would be cool. I saw your page with all the pics of your car, but I can't tell even from the front end shot what the pattern looks like. Thanks

Another way to build a 327 these days is to take the more available 350 block (pre-86) and use a large journal 327 steel crank (68-69) or a 307 cast iron crank (same 3.25" stroke and main/rod bearing diameters match the 350 and large journal 327).

I did what Mike says on the Wilwood calipers I'm using - just get a standard (3/8-24) tube nut, cut off the flared end of the hard line, remove the metric tube nut, replace it with the standard one, and re-double flare. Then you just need a 1/8" NPT male to 3/8-24 felmale inverted flare adapter to screw into the caliper.

What Night_rider_383 said. I'd rather have a blower than a bottle any day.

I don't have my car handy but you bring up some good points, Lone (as usual). My first though isto reroute the brake line and do primaries through the inner fenders, with a collector in the wheel well .

My Exhaust info is at: http://members.home.net/pparaska/exhaust.htm It's a bit of work. I think it's overkill also, for many V8Zs. A 2-1/2" dual to single 3" system with a good muffler and a resonator has been shown to breathe well and keep the noise down.

John, Eric, I was just half kidding about the water cooled pipes. I think a pipe-in-pipe setup would do wonders for keeping the heat out of the car. A bolt on rocker cover is not going to give the kind of stiffness that a welded rocker gives, IMO. Here's an idea that might solve both problems: 1) Cut off the outer rocker panel. 2) Install a steel tube in the inside area of the rocker box. This could be a square tube. Have it accessible from in front of the door, where the stock rocker tapers down under the front fender. There's not alot of room here. but if you were to put a 3.5"x3.5" square tube against the inner rocker panel (you'd have to remove the vertical sheet steel that is in the midst of this opening at the front and rear). 3) Weld the square tube into the inner rocker and tie it to the rear wheel house and the front door pillar. 4) With the pipe welded in place, the outer rocker could now be just cosmetic. Now make it a bolt on outer rocker panel. 5) Access into the pipe. Two ideas: a) Leave the pipe intact and "load" the sidepipe into it from the front. I'm thinking of a chambered 2.5"pipe. You could paint the inside of the square tube with some of that shuttle tile paint that the NASCAR guys paint their floors with before installing them. Or slide some kind of rigid flat insulation in before or after the chambered pipe goes in. You'd of course have a cutout in the square pipe for the outlet turnout of the chambered pipe. And some bolting points for the ends of the chambered pipe to the square pipe. (Chambered pipe is going to be loud. Putting an H-pipe between the sidepipes should help.) Before welding in the square pipe, cut it in half, down the length. You'd have two channels now. Weld one channel into the inner rocker having the legs stick outward. Arrange some flanges top and bottom with a welded in row of nuts top and bottom, to bolt a mirror image piece to to put the square tube back together. Now you have easy access for installing exhaust. If you can arrange some sheer pucks/pins along those flanges, all the better for stiffness. If you want I can sketch this and post it.

I think that a 26x19 will fit, but not sure. Crossflow is superior to downflow anyway. It's a better way to go.

Man, this has been gone over many times, but I'll give you my short answer: Easy, streetable wide power band, huge aftermarket of low cost parts. Neck snapping acceleration and throttle response from 2000-6000+ (depending on build of V8) rpm. Plus, if done correctly, it keeps the weight distribution and weight the same or better than the L6.

Of course, there are water jacketed side pipes. I saw that recently, can't remember where. A custom rod, I believe. That ought to keep a bit of noise down also. (tongue-in-cheek)

Wow! You did a great job putting that G-nose and those flares on from what I can see! The paint looks great! The G-Nose looks awesome! Congrats!

How about finding a small journal (62-67) 327 Block or use a 350 block with bearing spacers (might have to make those out of 350 bearing shells). Then get some 302 pistons, or order ones with the correct compression height? Use the 283 crank and rods (replace with ARP bolts) and put the 302 pistons on it in the 327 or 350 block and you'd have the 302.

Do some searches for 17x9 etc. in this forum and you'll find LOTS of info on this topic. Darn, we need an FAQ! My site has info on how to get 17x9s on the back of a stock fendered 70-78. Check out the "Wheels and Tires" page.

...and whether there's enough paint on the car so that you don't go through when you wet sand it!

If you got to: http://www.metroinfiniti.com/q45_2002.htm And click on "specificiations" you get the 2002 Q45 specs (the link Owen gave for that model pointed to the 2001 specs, I think) and it does have a 2.764 diff! Man, that'd be sweet with a Ford Top Loader or Super T-10! Heck, take the T-56 apart and take 5th and 6th out! But the 3.69:1 ain't bad either!

Agreed, the C4 seems a strange car to emulate to most people, but maybe this guy grew up around them and just really wanted a mini version? We all have different realities and life experiences that form our tastes, drives. etc. I was lucky to grow up around Shelby Mustangs, an AAR Cuda, 68/69 GTOs, Camaros, etc. So I had a very nicely rounded muscle car "upbringing" in high school to help me form my likes in not just one muscle car genre, but many. But I'd not put that kind of effort into a C4 replica myself either. Now a GTO 250? That's a whole 'nuther story .

Owen, that would be very reasonable if you can shorten the halfshafts for that much! This would also be a possibility for those that have binding issues with the R200 and 280ZXT CV halfshafts in the 70-78 cars. Lone, I think those flat plate adapters you see on his site are for the outer ends of the shafts. The inner ends, if from the R230, would bolt right up, but the outer ends would need a 6 to 4 hole adapter plate. This swap is looking so awesome right now. This looks so doable for reasonable money. The only draw back (possible?) is the availability of R230s with lower than 3.90 ratio gear sets from the auto recyclers. Can someone refresh my memory as to the available ratios from the factory for the R230s that fit like this one does?

Drax, thanks for that vote of confidence! But I'll tell ya, there are a few others that I'd probably name before mine! The one that comes to mind immediately as a favorite HybridZ is Terry's. Then (stream of consciousness) SpeedRacer's GTO replica. Or is that in the other order, I don't want to even think that far. There are some really cool HybridZ's out there, all with their different outstanding attributes. I'll stop there. But I really am anxious to get mine on the road to enjoy DRIVING it. Thanks again guys!

Big tip on the windsheild stainless, if you use it: Put the gasket on the glass, Put the stainless in the gasket, then install the whole thing into the car. The stainless is next to impossible to put in the gasket after the windshield is in, without tearing up the gasket "lips" that hold it in.

Thanks guys - I'm pretty stoked about it! And those pics are the day after it was painted, before it was wet sanded and compounded! Don't worry, the body and paint guys are incredible prefectionists. The painter, Richard Glemph, is a pretty well known street rod/ show car painter in the area. They wouldn't dream of letting me put it back together. They have the other big parts on now and I'll be going to see it and take pics tomorrow if they haven't started fixing the roof yet. I'll post new pics if I get some. Believe me, that paint job wasn't cheap. Confidential number, to save me from shame.

The gasket goes all the way around the windshield and rear glass and hold it into a hole in the car that's a good 1" larger than the glass. Sounds risky as hell. I'd just remove it when you get there. Gaskets. I've heard from people that the Precision Parts one is pretty good. but I've also heard that it doesn't sit down very well, but reputed Z car restorers. So I just sprung for OE gaskets front and rear. Ouch. That's about $150 total. And I've also heard from several restorers that the stainless trim helps to flatten the gasket down onto the car. I was going to leave it out for the same reasons, but decided to use it. It's at the powdercoaters right now with the rest of the stainless trim and the sail panel badges - semi-gloss black.

quote: Originally posted by Kevin Shasteen: I think Davy is correct when referring to Pete's car as opposed to everyone else's car. Its kind of like dog years! Most of us spend about 6 months to 2 years making the swap while Pete takes 10 years...that makes Pete's Z quite older than the rest of our Z's. Hehe-I think we just created a new term Paraska Z years compared to normal Z-years! Sorry Pete; couldnt refuse; BTW when do you get your Z out of Paint Jail? In regards to the object of this thread-If you're gonna set the Odometer to "0" its always good to practive on an second hand extra Odometer; that way if you accidently break the Odometer w/the learning curve factor-you have nothing to worry about because its an extra & not the original Odometer...if it matters at all. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) Kevin you funny guy, you. :rooleyes: 1 guess 10 Paraska years = 1 Z year? Well, the paint got put on the car, but a really small void in some plastic skimmed on the roof by the previous body shop developed into a small sink hole in the paint. The painter fixed it so that 999 people in 1000 would not see it, but he's now working on repainting the roof. Good thing this guy is a wizard, as he can blend the pearl. Probably won't get it back for another few weeks, as he's going on vacation this/next week. Oh well, I've waited 11 years, what's another few weeks?

Congrats, I await the pics!

Guys, nothing is impossible. If you are EVER looking for Metric "Stuff" (and I mean just about anything you can think of that might be available in Metric sizes, and a bunch you never thought of), just go to or call Maryland Metrics. This great state of MD does have a few neat places, and this is one of them. I'm sure they can get you metric pipe taps - they also have all the british taps as well - use their search engine on PIPE TAP and you'll see what I mean. That place ROCKS. [ July 09, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ]

MANY (18?) years ago, my Z was turning over to 100,000 miles, and I put the puppy up on jack stands and ran it the last half mile until all 00000 showed on the odometer. I then pulled it out and replaced it with another used one. It now resides in my rebuilt from the ground up Z - pretty fitting. At this point, it makes little sense for me to talk about the car's actual mileage. [ July 09, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ]