pparaska

Not sure why you'd say that (the first sentence). Keeping the diff where it is, but lowering the outer attachment point of the CA relative to the stub axle centerline would make the CA angle down more, making the camber curve slower in a lowered Z, and raising the roll center.

I was only pointing those out for the LOWERING OF THE STRUT/CA attachment point, not to say the entire thing should be copied. OBVIOUSLY, Jaime's path is a stronger route to persue for stub axle strength. I was just showing that SINGLE DESIGN element that Jamie might want to consider, not saying that the 280Z stub was the way to go.

(split from http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=100758) Jaime - build it and they will come! Not sure how many, but if it's not break-the-bank over-the-top expensive, I can see my Z sporting these rear pieces. I had a thought on the strut (re)design. This modification of the stock Z rear strut is intriguing to me - it radically changes the camber curve and roll center height of the rear. http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=14036&cat=500&page=1 http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13695&cat=500&page=1 http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13688&cat=500&page=1 Incredible work!!!! You could adapt a similar idea (lowering the outer control arm attachement point on the strut assembly) EASILY since you're starting from scratch. Just make those two vertical-ish tubes longer and probably at a different angle viewed from the rear. Yes, I know he's copyrighted the design, but all you'd be doing is using the idea of lowering the outer suspension pickup point. Last time I checked that kind of idea grabbing is not illegal, even in the US. Thoughts? New thread?

Interesting analysis! I'd be very grateful to see your database of articles with the data that makes up your 6 categories - I don't recall ever seeing this kind of analysis before - very interesting! Looks like the kind of thing we could make as an FAQ ! I think one thing to add is that the build of the car (weight, gearing) has a lot to do with what's an acceptable category engine to use in that vehicle. A H/O Street/ Mild Race engine may sound radical if you think in terms of a heavy muscle car with a 3.55:1 rear and 28" tires, but a much less radical street ride if the car is light like a Z with 3.70:1 gears and 25" tires. BTW, just one nit. The ratios you've calculated are actually 25%, not .25%. To get %, you have to multiply the ratio by 100. This topic of "too big a port" is very much like "double pumper carbs are for racing", and "more than 225 degrees of .050" duration will be unstreetable". The double pumper taboo was something I somewhat believed until I tried first a vac sec Holley on my 327, and then a double pumper. The light car with 3.7:1 gearing and 26" tires made for a great match to the double pumper - bog was only an issue if you did something stupid like mash the gas in 5th at 45mph. The 225 degree duration @.050" thing is also too general of a "rule of thumb". Streetability is very much a function of having good Low rpm torque which is dependent on dynamic compression, which is dependent on static compression ratio and SEAT timing (intake valve closing in particular) which is dependent on the SEAT duration numbers and lobe separation angle. Many of the newer cams (Comp Cams Xtreme, Lunati Voodoo, Crane Powermax) have very quick action, meaning that a 230 or 240 degree duration @.050" cam can have 270-ish seat duration, unlike the cams of 20 years ago. That means you really don't have to give up low rpm as much as the old rules of thumb used to dictate. I often laugh when I see magazine articles where the owner chose a 180cc port for a 400+ cube engine, so that the engine wouldn't lose low speed torque, and then puts a cam with alot of seat duration and little lobe separation to make more power. He ends up with a narrow power band - the cam is tuned more for mid-high rpm and the heads become a restriction trying to breathe at the mid high rpms. It would be better to go with a larger port and less cam seat duration and/or more LSA. You just can't make power if the heads can't flow enough air - no matter how big the cam!

Hey Dan - Happy B'day!!!

Copied from my HybridZ Garage page: "My SECOND V8 for the Z - 400 Chevy * OK - so the 327 was fun! The cam (Comp Cams Xtreme XS274S-10) has a nice lope, breathes well from 2200-6400 rpm. But cruising in 5th at 65 mph is not very much fun. Bottom of the torque curve at cruise. Sure, I could have backed off on the cam duration/overlap, but then I'd have less power - and I have gotten used to the power as it is. The acceleration at the top end just isn't in the "scary" region where I want it. * I did add a 700 cfm Holley Projection TBI setup to the engine, and now I can cruise even down at 1500 rpm, and it pulls much better from a 2000 rpm cruise. * Oh, another problem developed. My ignorance, bad luck and some severely leaking (into the manifold) Holley carbs (into the manifold) caused the cylinders on the 327 to get fuel-washed. So now the 327 is an oil burner. A quart of 10W40 every 500 miles. After 4000 miles, it's a lost cause - worn rings and/or cylinder scuffing. * So what does a gear head do? Get another engine! And of course, it has to be bigger and better than the last one! MORE POWER!! * I've come to realize that how fast an engine revs has more to do with the torque it's putting out over the rpm band than the stroke of the engine. Sure, the 327 has a shorter stroke, so you'd think it'd rev quicker than a 400, but the 400 has a bunch more torque to accelerate the car. Plus it breathes better (larger bore). If you're happy with a 6300rpm redline (I am) then a 400 will do that - with a bunch more torque and power. * Dave Williams at "Maximum Overdrive Racing Engines" had a 2 bolt 400 "509" casting (high nickel content) block that was standard bore. He took that and built a balanced and blueprinted shortblock that'll work out to 10.5:1 with 65 cc heads... * Well, the old 461 casting "camel hump" heads just wouldn't do the 406 justice. So a set of 215cc intake runner Canfield heads were ordered... These are similar to the 220cc heads, but don't require offset rocker arms. * Oh, that problem with washing down the cylinders with the Holley? Fixed with a good 650 DP carb. But that's going by the wayside since I bought a used 700 cfm Holley Pro-jection 4D throttle body injection kit. The 4D computer will be replaced with a Megasquirt computer in the future. * The Specs: http://alteredz.com/EngineInfo.htm - 2 Bolt 400 block, "509" high Nickel content", bored .030" over (4.155" bore), +.005" decked (pistons .005" above deck) - Scat 9000 383, (6.0" rod) crank (PN 9-350-3750-6000), 3.750" Stroke x 6.000" x 2.100" Rod - Lightweight - Internal Balance, with 350-to-400 bearing spacers - Probe Industries 15cc dished forged pistons (PN 1302-12341-030). Hastings 0.035" oversize rings custom gapped to 0.014". - 5140 I beam 6" connecting rods, ARP bolts - ARP main studs, head studs - Canfield 215cc intake port, 65cc chamber Aluminum 23 degree heads (PN 23-550), 2.08/1.60 valves, Bowl ported (exhaust only) - Comp Cams Pro Magnum 7/16" 1.52:1 ratio steel roller rockers. 7/16" screw in studs and guide plates. 0.040" Felpro 1014 head gaskets - (Click here for quoted, out-of-box, and ported (exhaust) flow data) This combination gives about 10.5:1 compression ratio. - Cam Motion PN 2442-2501-12-4 Solid Roller "Low Lash" Camshaft : 274/280 Advertised Duration, .577"/.570" lift (1.5:1), 244/251 @ 0.050" tappet lift, 112 degrees lobe separation, Isky Redzone lifters with pressurized roller oiling, Cloyes True Roller timing set, Scoggin-Dickey / Bo Laws 3 piece timing cover (PN SD60004) - Edelbrock Victor Jr. PN 2975, single plane intake manifold - Holley 700 cfm Pro-Jection 4D Throttle Body Fuel Injection (to be upgraded to a Megasquirt fuel injection computer). - Recurved HEI distributor, HEI BruteThunder Coil, MSD Soft Touch Rev Limiter, MSD 8.5mm Super Conductor Plug Wires, Accel 734 plugs. - Hooker Block Hugger Headers. Stainless Steel/Ceramic coated (along with most of the entire exhaust system ) (May go to full length tuned headers, 1-3/4" or 1-7/8" primary, 3" collector) - Melling High Pressure SB pump, Canton Road Race oil pan and pickup, System 1 one quart filter. - Based on the above data (assuming the long tube headers and mufflers), Desktop Dyno 2000 gives the following estimate: 535 lbft @ 4500 rpm 525 hp @ 5700 rpm. If I get 85% of that, I'll be more than satisfied!" The use is 99% street cruising/ego-bruising, 0.5% Drags, 0.5% track days. I want to move beyond TBI, plus the Holley 700cfm TBI I have will be too small for the 406 once I get that in. I looked at the "packages" and their prices for port EFI - you know Holley, etc. $2500 for a single plane with injectors, air door, harness, sensors, ECU seems like too much to me. I found that I could get an old Hilborn on Ebay for ~$500 pretty easily (once I learned that everyone was using sniping software on these bids), and that putting in injector bungs, making fuel rails (or using fittings on the injectors and using braided hose and a distribution block), was not all that expensive. Then using Megasquirt and making your own harness, and buying som GM sensors and a Ford PWM idle solenoid would add maybe $500-$600 more. So for less money, but more DIY work, I can have IR, which should make for a wider power band (use a lumpy cam for mid and top rpm range, but not hurt low end as much due to IR). That and be a bit diffferent than all the LT1, manifold and single carb, etc. setups that are so common. I plan on making a 5 sided air box that includes a bottom that seals around the IR tubes, 4 vertical sides, all attached to the engine. Then have a flexible seal at the top of the 4 vertical sides that seals against the hood. Intake air to the box will be piped into the front or side vertical sides of the box, to the radiator support, with cone filters infront of the radiator support. That way I can pop the hood at a show and have the ram tube showing, except for tennis balls, or something else over them to keep the french fries, bugs, and small animals out of them . Also, I feel that many of the filters you see on the tubes probably screw up the flow characteristics of the ram tubes, and having a large plenum box that is fed by filtered air is better for performance. The issue I see with doing the L6 with IR is that the brake booster gets in the way, as does the strut tower, but with the correct ram tube geometry, they can be much shorter and not be restrictive like a long, slightly flared tube.

I'd love to see a photo of these. The link at the top of this thread is broken. I went to Ross's site and didn't see this part listed.

Well' date=' that's the setup as I bought it off of ebay. Obviously a race-only kind of setup . I bought some shorter stacks just like in this auction http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4544016801 (about 6" long) and plan to shorten them a bit as well as angle cut them on the bottom so they stick up at an angle so the will fit. This may not work well without a scoop of some kind. But in Vizards book, he shows some results of research on ram tube designs, including exponential flares like the ones in that auction, and lesser flares with 270degree rolled entrances (very important detail!), and then a very short eliptical shape that also flows as well as the longer flared ones. Not as much bling, but the FUNCTION. I'd never put the long tubes through the hood, but I might use short ones under the hood. A buddy wants me to do that latter, and cut a hole in the hood and replace the steel removed with a clear plastic, like some of the old Ferarri's. Yeah, those will be needed for the cruise ins and shows . Different colored ones, no doubt! Talk about old school bling! I guess I need fuzzy dice on the rear view mirror too! NOT!

Vinh, Eric N. (not Rick) is SlickZ (or something close to that) here on HybridZ. I've emailed him in the past months to talk about Daytona Cobra Zs (Nalle's specifically) and he mentioned "some guy in PA" that had at least one and wanted to get more info on your Daytona(s). He loves these things and is looking for all the info and quality photos he can get! I expect my buddy Glenn to join HybridZ any day now and chime in on his modified Nalle-kitted Z, etc. He lives on the Kent Island, MD, and hopes to have his out on the street again (even in the rough body condition it's in) this Summer. He hopes to go to the Cruisin' Ocean City 2005 in May with it, if he can pull it off! I'm sure he'll be up for some of the Z shows in PA this year as well (ZDays, etc.). We'll surely get together soon! Staledale- lets get the MD-PA HybridZ people at some of these shows this year!

Stale- That show (Carlisle Import) is always on the weekend of my anniversary. Plus it always seems to downpour!!!! Anyway, it also coincides with the Cruisin' Ocean City weekend. I much prefer to see those cars and that crowd than tromp around in the mud in Carlisle looking at rusty British car parts (just kidding about the last part!). The Maryland Z club usually has a show at the Carlisle Import day. If I wasn't going to Ocean City MD for the Cruise In, I'd probably be there. Sorry, street rods, muscle cars and the odd exotic and kit car in OC beats Carlisle Import in my book - But I wish I could do both!

Someone asked me how to register as a new user on HybridZ. Sure, it's simple to figure out for most of us that use computers a lot, but for a new-to-computer-type, it's not so easy to figure out, I suppose. Let's assume they start their browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) and can figure out how to find the start page for http://hybridz.org, you know, the rear view mirror shot with the Z in it. Next they figure they must need to click on "Forums" below the HybridZ Logo. Cool, they are looking at the forum main page. Below is a pictoral of what to do to register a username for yourself: 1 - From Main Forum page, find the (blue) menu bar at the top of the page, and click once on "Register" on the bar, to the right of "HybridZ" . (Yeah, I took drawing lessons from John Madden!!!) : 2 - On the page that comes up (see below), input your Date of Birth using the pull-down arrow boxes for the month and day, and type in the 4 digit year. (Anyone know what the date in the image below signifies? I'll tell you - it's the date of the introduction of the 240Z in the USA!) 3 - Read the introductory text in the box on the following page (shown below) and read the general rules very carefully, commit them to memory and click on the box below the rules window to the left of the statement "I have read, and agree to abide by the HybridZ rules" only if you agree. Then click the register button below it to proceed with your registration. 4 - - Fill in your User name (which you will use to log into the forums with, and people will get to know you by) - Select a password and fill it into the "Password" and "Confirm Password" boxes. Make the password something you will remember, but something that's not easily guessed. It's case sensitive (to upper and lower case letters), so remember if you used upper and lower letters and where. Also use digits in the password to make it a bit more difficult for someone to crack. - Enter your Email address in the "Email Address" and "Confirm Email Address" boxes. This is the email address that the administrators, website software, and users (optionally) will have access to to send you email. - Carefully read the letters and/or numbers in the image verification box and type that set of letters/numbers in the box to the right of the image. - Fill in your location (at least your state, or province and your country, and hopefully your city location). This is helpful when people want to get together for various reasons, buy parts/cars from one another, and look for people in route to your long distance destinations to either meet with or ask for help if your Z breaks down! (I used this before, knowing that Rags (Joe Ragno) lived in upstate NJ when my Z broke down on the way home from the 2003 convention - he was a life-saver!) - Change your Date of Birth if you fudged a few years the first time . - Fill in the name or User name of the person(s) that referred you to HybridZ.org in the "Referrer" box. - Select the correct timezone and Daylight Savings Time option. - If you want HybridZ users to be able to send you email (from an email link below your user name in your posts, or from your profile information), click on the box to the left of "Receive Email from Other Members" - Go back and check over the information you filled in, and once it's correct, click the "Complete Registration" button at the bottom of the page. 5 - The next page (see below) will show that you've registered and tell you that you need to go read the new email message that the site software sent you, and click on the link in that mail message to finish the registration process. Once you do that, you can log into the HybridZ forums using the User name and password you supplied above and post messages, etc. There are other features (photo albums to upload graphics and photos to, the VBGarage where you can list all the details about your cars) you can now take part in as well. Welcome to HybridZ.org! Before posting, you should read the full set of Rules (click here), memorize them, agree to them, and make them your new philosophy and mindset so that you fit into the HybridZ community successfully. We've had a few aborted attempts in the past where we've banned users that refused to follow the rules, but it happens RARELY. This is VERY important stuff! You must think of HybridZ as it was originally intended to be - a warm cozy party at a friend's house where stimulating, open-minded discussion is the norm, and immature, rude behaviour gets you the cold shoulder and the Administrators and Moderators throwing you out the door!!! We've had only a handful of people that had to be banned from the site in the 5+ years it's been up as of this writing. Cheers, Pete Paraska (pparaska)

LOL!!!! Thanks for that response, Grumpyvette - the people at work wanted to know what I was cracking up about (your response).

So, grump, no comment on that rumor, huh?

Chris, you are reading yet another thread by Grumpyvette. He got that name, I hear because everytime his wife stuck her head in the garage while he was working on the vette, he, uh, came off as grumpy . Just a rumor I'm sure! Seriously though, grumpyvette is one of (if not THE) engine theory and practice experts here on HybridZ. He has no Z (unless he bought one recently), but joined to help us out - we have enquiring minds here at HybridZ, and it attracts some incredibly sharp people! I love it, I've learned a bunch a member here. Grumpyvette also is moderator of of the Performance board on Chevytalk.org. I rated this thread 5 stars - I totally agree it's a bad a$$ thread!

Wow, that whole company is for sale! http://www.clubcobra.com/t62636.html Too bad - if I had a spare $70K sitting around, I'd probably put in an order for one of the last ones to be built! Yeah, the Z is cool, but a purpose built Daytona would be so much nicer, IMO. Especially with the nice hardware that one comes with! Got some deep pockets? Buy the business and keep building these beauties! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4542404217 Uh, the bidding is at $104.50. Imagine! The reserve is not met!!! 1 hour to go on the bidding!

I LOVE the idea of using the laser pointers! Great Idea!!!

Vinh, if you haven't read this page, you might want to review it: http://alteredz.com/drivelinemods.htm The tool I used to measure the vertical u-joint angles look like these: http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=3254&prmenbr=361 http://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplCtlgPage.asp?ReqTyp=CATALOG&CtlgPgNbr=2104 under "General Purpose Angle Indicators" Measure under the driveshaft as installed and then the block (like the starter mounting surface or pan rail or front machined surface) to get the front u-joint angle, then under the driveshaft again and the differential housing to get the rear angle. The horizontal angle is more difficult to measure, as you need to do some measurings in the lateral plane under the car and do some drawings and use some trigonometry. But I seem to recall that this was less than 1 degree on my car. Anyway, the total angle is the RSS of the two angles (square root of the sum of the vertical angle squared and the horizontal angle squared). Get that angle in the 1 degree range (and equal front and rear of course) and you'll be in happy land.

Awesome! Congrats! Did they toss you off the track - oh, wait, that'll be when you pull that 9 second run

Great post, Grumpy. I've been thinking along those lines myself - and that's why I went to 215cc Canfield heads. Interestingly, my 407 is very similar in specs to that engine, except for the cam (Cam Motion low lash solid roller, 274/279 @.020", 244/250 @ .050", .574/.577 lift with 1.5:1 rockers, 112 LSA), I have about 10.5:1 CR and with a 900cfm carb and large tube headers with mufflers, DD2000 says the following: _RPM_HP_TQ 3500 343 515 4000 407 535 4500 464 541 5000 507 533 5500 533 509 6000 534 467 6500 515 416 I also think that one has to look at the "discharge coefficient" as Michael puts it, or in another way of looking at it, the flow versus advertised port volume of a head. My Canfields flow 297cfm at .500" and beyond. That's pretty good for 215cc heads. Sure, I'd like to really look at this versus port cross section, but that number I don't have. (Any advice on what kind of pourable rubber, etc. to use to make a mold of the port? The valves are out at the moment.) What I'm saying is that if you look at flow versus cc of two heads, the one with the higher flow/cc ratio will have higher average port velocities anyway. Just looking at port volume or even cross section isn't enough.

heh - I ripped my GM tranny mount just tightening the nut onto the stud in the mount - that torque was enough to rip the flat plate that the stud is mounted to right off the rubber block. I first knew it broke the second I backed the car out of the garage for the first voyage! The urethane mounts are interlocking, so they won't just rip apart like that. Nice dyno numbers BTW!!

Cool to see this still going after 4 years! Fortunately, HybridZ now has the vbGarage. After logging into the forums, click on "User CP" at the top left of the forum page. That'll take you to the User Control Panel page. On the left column, click on "Edit vbGarage" and paste that stuff and any other data on your car into a slot in your garage. Add some pictures too! Viola, your own personal web page on your car! Add other cars too!