pparaska

I was over at Michael's garage (for the first time) this evening and saw his car again. Incredible. It has a beast of a cage in it and in no way relies on the stock body for structure that I can see. BTW, here's the link to a writeup and pictures that Michael put together. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pparaska/MichaelOlsBBZ.htm (Note, this may not work in the near future. If so, try: http://home.comcast.net/~pparaska/MichaelOlsBBZ.htm)

My advice is to ditch the amp gage. The OE shunting resistor across it (in the 240Z) is prone to burn out, and then the milliamp-range meter movement gets the full brunt of the load across the gage terminals and promptly goes up in smoke. Then many parts of your electrical system go dead. Simply remove the lugs from the studs on the gage, and bolt them together with a good sized bolt. If you do this, make sure to use several layers of heat shrink tubing over the bolted connection, and mount the wires near the splice to something so it doesn't flop around. If you leave the gage in, but not working, you can just put both lugs/wires on one of the studs to get around all that.

Replica or not, it's cool to have another car that is built like that and looks like that. Twenty years ago, I thought about painting my Z like the BRE cars. Cool Project!

As I like to say, to each his own. And there will be differences! If I had a stable full of Zs, they'd be powered by L6, RB, 2JZ, VQ, Northstar, LS6, etc. No country or manufacturer has my allegance when it comes to cars or equipment for them. I do try to not buy much stuff from China, if I can help it, as the trade imbalance there is putting US workers out of work. Years ago I wanted a fun daily driver and was buying new. I looked at and drove the 240SX and loved the handling. But Nissan once again screwed the US on engine choices, and I went an bought a Mitsu Eclipse GSX. I've also always felt that going FWD in the Maxima was a mistake. Yes, Nissan builds some great RWD and AWD cars, but the US doesn't get many of them!

Wow, I need to get on HybridZ more often! I can't believe I missed this weeks ago! Brad, that is a great looking swap. Too bad Nissan doesn't bring back the old Z styling and sell it with that engine in it! I looks like it's supposed to be in there! Beautiful work!

Just watch the babies. That place has a few punks that like to bad mouth cars - some don't even have one themselves.

Congrats and thanks for serving the US for all those years! Pete

Great News, Al! I'm really glad to hear he's being cured, and feeling well mentally. I know you guys must be having a tough time of it worrying, etc. Hang in there. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. Cheers, Pete

Brett, that looks beautiful! The wide Centerline Wheels and Black paint make it look really menacing! You should be a proud daddy!

Why preach any manufacturer over all the others? Some might think THAT shows a huge amount of ignorance. No one will be banned for saying all Nissan. They might get a jab in the ribs or two. But if someone starts saying all other options than Nissan (or L6) are not worthy, junk, etc., they will get banned.

Canfield also has a competitive 195cc intake port volume head, PN 23-500. http://www.canfieldheads.com/sbc_2500.html

The Canfields are 65cc chambers. I got the CNC chamber option, $1190 complete.

Note that the Dart 220cc heads that grumpyvette pointed out need .150" offset intake rockers, so if you already have rockers, you'll be buying 8 new ones. Most 23 degree 220+ cc intake port SBC heads need offset rockers on the Intake. That was one reason I went with the new PN 23-550 215cc heads - no offset rockers needed, they use standard rockers. I have money invested in my Pro Magnum rockers that I didn't want to looe. BTW, the Canfield heads come with guide plates, but no studs. That's fine, since you usually want 3/8 or 7/16" studs and you can just buy them separately and install easily (use sealer - the intake stud hole breaks into the intake port). FWIW, the Canfields I bought flowed better than quoted on the intake side, at 292cfm@.500, and 297/298 from .600 to .800. Low lift flow was also excellent. The exhaust flowed worse than advertised, but a minor bowl cleanup made them flow quite well. For quoted, as-is tested and after-porting flow numbers, see below: Of course, the quoted and tested results differ some due to the different cylinder diameters used on the flow bench (4.125 for the quoted, 4.25" for the tests I had run). Both the Alan at Burtonsville Performance Machine and Ken at Canfield feel that will have a minor effect, maybe 6-8 cfm.

One thing that really irks me about AFR is that if you go with anything but a hydraulic FLAT TAPPET cam, you have to upgrade the springs. They won't sell you just the springs, you have to add another $300 or so for the upgraded valves as well. That gets PRICEY. Consider the Canfields. The 195s (PN 23-500) would be a good choice, and they come with springs that work with most streetable hydraulic roller cams, and the valves are high quality Ferea pieces even on the entry level heads. Call Dave at Thunder Racing PRODUCTS (not Thunder Racing - F-body guys) at 330-792-2451. He can get you a set cheaper than buying straight from Canfield. I paid $1190 for assembled 215cc heads. As for the cam, I have the solid flat tappet version of that one you have (the 236/242 one) and it's works great in my 327. I'd use that one. If anyone has a good place to buy hyd roller lifters (retro) that don't cost $400, I'd love to hear about it.

Tannji, I had that same idea. But it was to make one adjustable "Cam" on the throttle lever of a carb or TB. I too like to make things adjustable . How about this? : Attach it to the existing throttle lever with a few screws, spacers, etc., and adjust away. Once you have a nice action you like, cobble up a cam.

Incredible! My bracket is almost and exact copy of that, except for the leg down to the lower motor mount bolt - I didn't do that, but it's probably a good idea. AL, from now on, if doesn't mind, I'll just link to your site or this thread when someone asks about my A/C bracket - show them yours instead!

That looks great! That's going to be one mean looking VR with those meats under it! I too am interested to see the pics of how the 240SX subframe was mounted in the 240Z.

5.7" rod 327 pistons have a compression height of 1.675" 5.7" rod 350 pistons have a compression height of 1.560" (0.115" difference) 6.0" rod 350 pistons have a compression height of 1.260" With a 6.125" rod (available), you could put a 1.260" compression height 350 6" rod piston on it and use it in a 327. That's darned close to thte 6.209" Ford rod they used in the 353 engine Davy pointed to, and the resulting Rod/Stroke ratio works out to 1.885:1 instead of the 353's 1.910:1. Hardly worth worrying about. You'd lose .010" of deck height, but that's usually the direction you want to go anyway. (If you are using a .039" composition gasket, you want zero deck height anyway, and the combination of usual nominal piston compression heights, rod length and half stroke work out to 9.000" anyway, where as the block has a nominal 9.025" crank CL to deck dimension anyway.)

Most find that the cable loosens and then the mount rips. I am using a Ron Tyler designed and built mount. He no longer makes them, but full plans for this easy, over the diff mount with isolation are on his site. The pics on his site are actually the unit installed in my Z. This mount lowers the front of the diff to less than 1/2" off the stock crossmember (without the lower stock mount installed) and helps with driveline U-joint angles. Since the mount is in compression, it won't tear, except on decelleration. The stock GM tranny mount as shown on Ron's site tore quickly, so I replaced it with a Urethane aftermarket GM tranny mount. Ron's Site: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~rontyler/diffmount.html Mine: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pparaska/drivelinemods.htm#Differential_Front_Mount

Jon, no pics. It's so simple as to be ridiculous. Take a piece of angle iron (approx 1-1/4"x1-1/4"x1/8") about 9 inches long. Use the top two bolts from the motor mount/setback plate on the drivers side of the JTR mounting to hold the bracket. Weld two ears that stick up off one side of the angle iron that have a hole in them that passes the bolt that goes through the mounting lugs on the Sanden compressor. Weld in a piece of flat stock into the opening of the angle to box it off (make it stiffer). The really funny part is that the angle iron came from an old bed frame . The adjuster is just an internally threaded piece of bar stock (left and right hand threads) with rod ends in each end. Super simple.

I use a panel meter ususally (50 amp) to do stuff like that.

I didn't know about that engine family having a cracked flywheel history, but as I was reading down this thread, the flywheel bolts, or PP bolts came to mind. Or a broken clutch disk hub spring. Good luck.

Looks Great! I see alot of work and nice detail stuff going on everywhere! What is really great is that you photographed so much of it! Congrats on a sweet V8Z!

I have Craftsman Hand tools. I've only had to have 1 replaced (socket that split trying to loosen a rusted nut). My Craftsman angle grinder has served me well, and never missed a beat. My Craftsman upright 6hp/60gal oil-less air compressor will probably last forever. I've probably turned it on less than 50 times in the 8 years I've had it. TOO DAMNED LOUD!!! My no-name, 5" jaw vise is my best tool. The jaws can be rotated 360 degrees in the vertical plane - very useful. I laugh when I hit it by accident when beating on something and the body filler chips off! I guess the casting process was so bad that they felt they better do body work to these to get them to sell!

I just wanted to finish my report on this. I now have 225psi on the high side, about 15psi on the low side at 85 deg F. I realize that's low, but it cools well, and the compressor makes alot of noise as it is. But I get 45 degrees out of the vents even on a 95 degree day with 85%+ relative humidity. Works Great! The LTD blower fan is awesome. It will blow dry your hair as well .