DavyZ

We had many car windows tinted at the dealership. Guys charge about $150 to do 4 windows. If you want to do this yourself, get a UV reducing tint that is available now--and make sure it has some kind of a warranty against bluing!! I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of today's available tint. Sorry I can't supply you with brand names right now. You could call a few tinting guys and ask them what brands they use. Have fun! BTW, the new tints with a slightly mirrored finish look outstanding... Of course, on a black car, almost anything looks good. Davy

You could always try for less. The 305 engines are not anywhere near as popular as 327 engines for performance swaps. Start out with $500 and then you can always go up from there. You have nothing to lose by starting low. Personally, I would not get a 305 unless it was a deal I could not refuse. Davy

The JTR kit does not apply to the ZX as it is a totally different animal. Do not go through the trouble of moving the firewall in the ZX since you may run into trouble (not to mention open a can of worms) with the items behind the firewall. The JTR kit is the most successful kit IMO for the Z, that's true. However, if I was doing a ZX (Ross Corrigan may convice me of that due to the increasing success of his ride) I would do what Ross did and NOT try to use the JTR kit since it does not apply anyway. Since the ZX is totally different in its construction, the term "Scarab" does not apply either. Please understand this. A ZX V8 conversion is just different, not at all inferior to a Z V8 conversion. Does this make sense? I sense that you are stressing over an issue that is really no issue at all. Davy

This sounds a lot like "Motor Honey" that I used to use on my tired L20B motor in my 200SX. If your motor is old, it thickens the viscosity of the oil and "sticks" to the metal everywhere in the engine. I almost want to say it will help "cushion" some of the larger clearances between metal parts in the engine, thus reducing metallic rattles heard when the motor is running. The only problem is that thicker oils don't flow quite as well as thinner ones do, and in a Michigan winter...hmmm, not something I would want to do. During the summer, I suppose it won't be bad for your motor. I would love to hear what others have to say on this subject--all my info is from personal experience. Davy

Have you cried yet? Sometimes that helps. Seriously, you can't go wrong with the advice you have just gotten above. If you are still stuck, give me a call and I'll come over for a little bit and help you bang that sucker off. I have some tools I can bring along. Call me if you still can't get it off. Davy

No, the springs are not progressive--this just came up in a recent thread, use the search function. Mike (scca) says not to use progressive coilovers. It really comes down to the amount of travel left after lowering the car. 2" of travel is not a whole lot... A number of guys are using them on the street. What feels stiff is relative to what you expect and what you are used to. Sorry I can't be more specific. Davy

It supposedly adds clearance from the top of the motor to the hood, but numerous guys (Pete for example) are not using it as it does not really seem to do anything. I'll have to think it through for myself to see if it does something and then decide to use it or not. Davy

I really want to ride in your car now that you've done so much work to it! Good to hear the plan is coming together! Davy

quote: Originally posted by lonehdrider: ...I had to shudder when I read these paragraphs: "GM's Displacement on Demand... Did'nt they get enough with all that trickery with that stupid 4-6-8 engine they built way back when?... Lone, that's exactly what crossed my mind when I read that--think it'll make a few others shudder besides you and me???? Davy [ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

Sean, are you going to keep it stock? The 2.25" is fine unless you really bump the horsepower, then a 2.5" or larger would be better. I'm not too keen on knowledge about turbo cars except that the turbo does a good job of quelling a lot of engine noise to begin with, so you may not need a resonator to keep out the droning. With a n/a ride, you really need two sequential mufflers or a muffler and one resonator in an oversized exhaust system. Maybe Drax or Sean from Sac can help you find the sound you are looking for. From what you have described, it should sound pretty darn good to begin with!! Davy

Not sure how UPS is going up there, but that would be my preference. Go on line for pricing--they have a great website and you can plug in both addresses and it spits out a $ amount. Davy

Ditto on what Pete said--having owned an older turbocharged car, lag abounded. When I went to work for VW, their turbocharged cars had little to no lag, BUT there was still a kick-in-the-pants difference between the turbo 1.8L and the n/a 2.8L--probably due in most part to cubic inches. Funny thing is that with merely a chip change, the diminutive 1.8L puts out more horsepower than the 2.8L. Ahhh, nothing like ECM tunability for turbos! Hmmm, maybe I'll turbocharge the V8 sometime...Lonehdrider, are you listening? I may need your help... Davy

Last time I read about the CR of the engine, it was not exactly low--something on the order of about 10:1, or close to it. The engine requires premium fuel and is rather thirsty in a 4000+ lb car--I would not doubt you could get high 20's for mileage in a light 240Z Well, maybe if your foot wasn't into it all the time... Davy [ August 22, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

Mike, where did you buy the new, weaker spring--do tell. TIA Davy

Ryan, the biggest issues will come with the T56 install--use the search function in this forum under "drivetrain" and even under "Chevy" for the info you need. In fact, I think Mike Kelly's write-up is in the tech articles on the beginning page... Welcome to the forum and good luck . Davy

Mike kZ: should have figured you did what was logical & reasonable (unlike your ride...) Davy

Count me in as a Curious George! The price right as I noted earlier and I think this may be a deal. Side note: even if accidents are listed, don't assume the car has terminal damage since it has a clean title, yes? It may be the bargain of the year. Shoot, for that money I would like to drive the car for the summer. Clean it up some and sell it for more if you need to. Sheesh. Davy

Jeromio, are you talking about the bracket as in set-back plates or just the spacers? You'll see what I'm talking about when you read the JTR manual. I wouldn't use aluminum in an area that was subject to vibration stress. The way the JTR setup is, the set-back plates are steel and take the vibes, while the aluminum spacers just make up clearance between the block and the mounts. Just food for thought. BTW, a nice car like yours deserves a nice motor--you'll be glad you've done this, believe me. Davy

quote: Originally posted by Greg SmileZ: ...I did have problems getting the pilot bearing out after I hit it too hard and seemed to mess it up slightly.... A racer friend of mine suggested filling the cavity behind the pilot bearing with wheel grease, and with an old input shaft from a transmission give it a pound or two and the hydraulic action will pop the old one out....It worked great! Haha! Neat trick--I'll have to remeber that one! I love learning stuff like that from guys who have been around a while Davy

I think JTR's TPI/TBI swapping manual would come handy in here. I have seen an LT1 swap last year at Dando's in Fremont--everything looked like it fit. I was not into LT1's at the time, so I couldn't tell if it had been modified from original, but I think it was all there. Measure, measure, measure. Davy

I've looked at the Hurst shifters (sort of) and they look good--thanks for the opinion about the relative performance, Sean & JT. Davy

Just remember that shortening a spring makes it stiffer! (You'll need both hands, arms, and feet for this one then). You may need to find a replacement spring altogether. PITA. Davy

Drax: I know, I know, I know...I'm not even an inliner anymore! That will be remedied by the end of the year or much sooner I hope. Thanks for the replys on the Pro 5.0. I'm just wondering if there are any to stay away from...like some of the discussions regarding the automatic shifters (I know, different animal) I wanted to "protect" myself from making an unnecessary mistake. I'll do more research on the ones offered by Hurst, B&M, Steeda, etc. Remember that this is a GM unit. Davy

Welcome to the forum! First, the ZX V8 swap is a little different than the Z V8 swap. First thing would be to buy the JTR manual to get a very comprehensive look at the swap in general and what you'll have to tackle. Next, there are several fellows who can help you by answering direct questions regarding the swap, like Ross Corrigan who has one of these lovely, fast cars. And finally, use the search function to find out all you can about previous questions asked--you'll find most of them have been answered and it will make your whole swap much easier. Davy

This solution may seem Mickey Mouse, but it worked well for me: take a smog pump bracket and use it to mount the alternator. You can use washers or spacer tubing to get the desired fitment/alignment pulley to pulley. It tucks the alternator in low and tight to the front center of the engine. Just a thought. Davy