DavyZ

I also bought Ross C's brackets and they are STRONG! Be aware that they are raw steel and will rust unless you get some kind of coating on there--I wanted to coat them with a high quality clear, but I had this bottle of ricer yellow caliper paint just staring me in the face! Davy

A tach is a 'must' of you want to get the most out of the performance of the car. Not knowing what rpm you are shifting at is almost like not using headlights at night: you have an idea of where you are going, but you don't get there as efficiently. If you are relatively new to performance V8's or even to the particular cam grind in that car, then just shifting by the sound the motor makes without a tach is a mistake. See if you can get a tach hooked up, then go from there. The ideas about the cam grinds above are pretty good, especially regarding streetability. The last one mentioned (Summit K-1103 grind) is a '350 hp' cam.: the torque starts down low, which is great for the street, and the hp tops about 5500 to 6000 rpm if I remember correctly. You engine combo can handle a lot more cam, but if it is streetability you are looking for, that particular grind is a decent one for cheap that will do very well at the stop light grand prix. Now, there are other cam manufacturers, like Crane and Comp Cams, that make great cams--you can call their tech lines and discuss what you have and what you want it to do, and they can give you some great suggestions. Just food for thought. Davy

If that is Long's motor (ala MYRON), then zfan is correct: it was made to scream. The power will be in the top end. And, like zfan said, swapping out the cam and intake will give it better lower end characteristics, but it begs the question as to what the purpose of the car is going to be: street or strip? Or both? Davy

Gotcha. Davy

Denny, if you carefully read his site, you'll see that he mentions the interchangeability between motors. Heh, a nice swap that would be Nice site, Grog. Way to go to you for putting down useful info for others. That's the spirit of this forum. Davy

Brett, I sent you pics of the alternator mount. Davy

Brett, Sorry for not getting to this post earlier, but the bracket mounts the alternator very close to the waterpump--think of it as being right in front of the motor, next to the waterpumnp on the right (passenger) side of the motor. I'll send you some pictures when I get the chance (I have to go to work right now). Davy

Hey Brett (or is it Bret?), You can use just about anything or any mount/support you want. Some guys have gone to clean looking "L" type brackets and others have gone for the typical Chevy radiator mount. I heisted some from a Volvo that I'll be using, but I may change my mind. You can just bend some mild guage steel and make your own--all they have to do is keep it secured; the bottom mount keeps it from going anywhere, so the top ones hold it in place. Still, a bit of rubber insulation is highly recommended. You can go to a junkyard and look for mounts that will work, and they will look "factory." Davy

I've used Rit dye to do clothing before--it works. Again, you had better make sure it is completely dry, or you'll wind up with tinted clothing on your backside. If you want to dye/color vinyl or plastic, the very best product I have found at auto paint supply places is called SEM---get the "Landau Black" for Datsun panels. If you do it right, they will come out looking brand new and consistent sheen. I love the stuff. Davy

There's a buttload (well maybe not that many) of them running around here. They look big at first, and then you catch up to them and see that they are still small cars, especially by today's standards. My bro is going to buy one when he gets back from the Far East. He has all kinds of mods planned too I like them better than the New Beetle. Davy

I may be wrong, but a factor that is often overlooked in many cars is getting the air out of the system. Case-in-point: I had just installed a new radiator in my wife's minivan last week, taking out the old blown radiator, and the sucker still overheated! I finally burped the system and voila, no more overheating problems. Davy

Sweet engine! Sweet car! What more could you want???......forced induction! Davy

Just wanted to publicly let all know that I just bought some Sanderson headers from 'zfan' (Mike) and as a surprise he included some COPPER head gaskets and the collector flanges too!! You must have known it was my birthday! Thanks, Mike!!! Davy

Sweet! Nice vibes from your posts and your car!! Must be nice---my day WILL come and I have some big plans ahead... Davy

I bought the rear brackets from Ross C at web page and just painted them yesterday: ricer yellow!! They are VERY sturdy and looked great, but being raw steel, I knew they should be coated with something, so yellow caliper paint, here we come! Davy

Congrats!! Davy

Scatch that, they DO make them; just scroll down and you'll find it under this link: http://www.up22.com/falcongto.htm#DZ-101 Davy

I think this is their url. I know they make some great cowls for cowl induction hoods. http://www.unlimitedproducts.com/ I have not been through their website in a long time; not sure if they have the Z hood or not. Davy

"Chassis Damage?" The car has a unibody, meaning the frame and the 'body' are one piece. If the damage is located in a front fender or something like that, then you would be fine. IF, however, there is significant damage to the frame rails, thus knocking the unibody out of wack, then you might want to pass. A frame shop specializing in unibodies is who you should consult. Really, just asking online is not enough, since the type of damage and the amount of damage can vary greatly. Nobody, except and expert who actually can look at the car, can tell you what is involved with the repairs. My $.02. Davy

Bummer! If the police are involved (and sometimes that is the best thing) then a field sobriety test or breath test is in order--someone will go to jail! Seriously, hopefully they will not categorize your car as a "total" and give you the $500 they think your car is worth. Start doing your homework now if you think it may even come to that point. Sorry to hear of the bad news--if he was drunk, he should go to jail. Davy

I can't comment on the Pro kit, but I can tell you that shox.com has some increadibly low prices. Nice prices. Davy

The genuine Sparco hood pins are great, the cheap autoparts store knockoffs are not. I'm going with Sparco's as well---like BLKMJK said, "no welding necessary!" Davy

If some of those 'turbo-calculators' that are online are any idication, then the diminutive 355 should be pushing out 500+ horsepower with a relatively small amount of boost (under 8 pounds of boost). Granted, it is theory, but at least there is some education behind it! Davy

Yes, Lone, you keep suggesting that's where I put it, but I have to tell you that it somehow looks meaner when a big turbo is set up front of the motor. Still, logic will prevail and I'm sure that it will be in the place that makes the most sense Davy

You just use some good 8.8mm wires and they will line up just like that if you use their products; I had no trouble at all routing my wires, and YES, I did buy 'cut to fit' wires since I could get the best look in the engine bay. If you have never done that before, be forewarned: making mistakes is VERY frustrating The wires run perfectly because of what you don't see: Davy