Yes.
You don't even have to spend that much to get a 240Z that will turn faster laps around a race track then stock versions of the cars you list. Read the stickies in the Suspension forums.
Be very, very careful about shortening the strut too much. Lots of 280Z guys found out the hard way what happens when a 240Z strut is put in the back of their car.
No shorten then 15" in the rear and 13.25" in the front (measured inside the strut tube) for a 240Z.
FYI... the 3000gt is a 3,800 lb car. You will definitely need to revalve at least the compression side of the shock for a car that weighs 1,400 lbs. less.
No. You want the arms pointing down from the inside to the outside. Parallel means you don't get any camber gain in bump. If the car rolls 3 degrees you essentially lose 3 degrees of negative camber, which means if you start with 1.5 degrees negative you'll end up with about 1 degree of positive camber in a hard corner.
What your going through is a small price to pay. Hopefully all the payments have been made. Soon enough you'll be sitting at an Isotopes game with your son, eating hot dogs and explaining the finer points of base stealing.
Balance bars. All Tilton master have the same external width (OD).
I typically use the -250 balance bar and the Tilton master cylinders need to be spaced 2.5" apart, center-to-center. Funny how the balance bar has the spacing as part of the part number.
Wilwood MCs were mounted too close together so the pushrods, when set in line with the MCs, put the clevis' almost touching the balance bar tube. Balance bar articulation caused front brake MC clevis to bind on the tube and end any further articulation of the balance bar.
Myron,
One thing to check on your balance bar setup... Make sure the clevis' don't bottom against the tube under hard braking. Check it yourself while someone else mashes the brake pedal or put a piece of tape around the edges of the tube and do a track session. Check the tape for marks.
A customer had an intermittent front lockup problem last weekend with his home built bias bar setup and that's the problem we found.
The BZ3015 and BZ3012 are identical in all respects. The part number difference has to do with the gland nut: M48 x 1.5p for the 240 and M51 x 1.5p for the 280. Either shock will fit in the 240 or 280 strut tubes. The 280 strut tubes have a larger OD and ID then the 240 strut tubes.
Nope. Because of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle we can only calculate the probability of the glass being half full or half empty of anything. We can never be certain that it actually is half full or empty.
Here's a good book to start with. Technology has moved on but this will teach you the basics.
http://www.amazon.com/Modify-Your-Nissan-Datsun-Engine/dp/1931128049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236184973&sr=8-1
If you're doing it in NASCAR style, you need something like this:
Clive "Bubba" Boyle, Jr.
Clive "Cletus" Boyle, Jr.
Clive "June Bug" Boyle, Jr.
Clive "The Hammer" Boyle, Jr.
... you get it.
IMHO...
No pre-load on a street car. Ride height per Jon's recommendations above and make sure you've got at least 4" of bump travel at the wheel/tire before you're into the bump stops.
Rear supports are inner fender and yes the main hoop is overbent beyond 180 degrees. SCCA allows +/- 10 degrees and Mark uses that to get the main hoop to the floor.
I have not seen the Kirk roll bar (4 point) so it might be like the Autopower one that mounts to the inner fenders (all 4 points). I don't think so but I'm sure I can call mark and order the 4 point built the same as the main hoop and rear braces in his 6 point cage.
6 point cage Tubing is in the process of changing to 1 3/4 x 095 to meet the recent SCCA rule changes. I don't know if he's changing the 4 point style which still has to meet the old Solo1/2 rule set.
Yes, you're missing two points. Two rear braces, main hoop, and two forward door hoops. In Tim's installation he might not have all the parts in the pictures, but I sold him a 6 point with single door bars.