DavyZ

Hmmm, throwing a 2+2 into the mix makes things a bit more interesting. I think you could avoid the association I alluded to in my earlier post with the proper stance and the use of the large, low-profile wheels & tires, in keeping the three outlet side pipes. Suffice it to say that I believe your idea has merit, especially taking into consideration the careful process you are implementing in doing the job "correctly." Good luck, Eric. Davy

Ron, this topic was brought up recently. Your best bet is to look under the recent postings of Mike Kelley using the search function. Someone had emailed him with the same question and he put the topic out there. Hope this helps. Davy

Randy, Extrude Hone is pretty cool, and if you have the bucks for their services, I'm sure they can make a good thing better! The examples of what they can do for manifolds are really stunning. I suppose if I were putting together a 500hp Turbo Z I would look them up. Davy

Welcome to the forum! You should find plenty of information on this site to answer most of your questions. Take your time looking at the black information screen and all the links, tech articles, etc. To answer your question of "why a V8?", the answer is that "it was meant to be." The V8 is a natural candidate for the Z and the torque of a big V8 cannot be beat IMO. I love instant rubber, and the V8Z is one of the best cars for that. There is a "kit" that most Chevy guys on the forum use. It is produced by JTR (Jags That Run) and is the overwhelming choice of the kits available on the market. Look on the black "Speed Racer" screen under the links and find JTR. I would suggest purchasing their book first and reading about the conversion--if it is something you want to do, before plunging into a big project. Again, welcome to the forum. Davy

Pete, once the car is finished, you should take the time to do some major photography with the car yourself or even get a pro to do it--that car is more than magazine material!!! I think Evan had some very "artsy" shots of his car in a sunset. Please do some of that for your car too. I swear you'll see shots of it coming up on other guy's websites! Davy

Yes, this sounds very enticing to me--please post the pics! Davy

Geeeze, DAN! Swhuheeeeet! Extremely good looking car. Man those Panasports set off the paint, which sets off the G-nose, etc!!! You should be VERY proud right now. I love it when a car comes together! Davy

You asked for it: Aside from possible compromises in the structural integrity of the car, the side pipes are an intriguing idea. A louvered or vented valence covering them would add to the appeal, but bare pipes would be a recipe for burned skin---no fun IMO. Having grown up in San Jose, I don't like the three outlets because it smacks of lowriders--but that's just a cultural and asthetic thing with me. I guess they would be open at the ends vs the closed ones found on many older Chevy Impala lowriders. What might not be practical, but would look "raw" would be the twin pipes that some of the Cobras and Daytonas used to run. Those look great in white on the sides of the car, although I think they might look strange covered. I'm not sure that for the amount of time & money involved in the modification that I would embark on such an endeavor, but I'm sure that many would since this has been a topic that comes up every so often from different people. It'll work out and I'm sure there is demand. Davy

Pete, the pics of your car with that new paint made it look absolutely stunning. Truly a pure, smooth as glass, shinier than water look. Just beautiful; totally show car quality. I think you got your money's worth with this one. Just be incredibly careful putting it all back together, please...or you will weep some bitter tears! Davy

Be careful about driving with nothing holding the glass in. What about fixing it with some duct tape for the ride over? Bring some good solvent for cleaning up the tape glue when you've arrived. As far as the metal trim goes, the problem is that without it dirt gets trapped in the grooves and looks bad. It would look ok if it was just flat rubber, but it's not. You could powdercoat (or just spraypaint) the metal trim black. Yeah, I know not putting back in is easier--just look to see if you like the looks of it... Davy [ July 10, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

Congrats on finishing your car! Davy

That reminds me of the terms we had when I was a real estate appraiser: the actual age and the effective age are very different things. Pete, I think your car has an effective age of 0 or even 6 months (wheels and tires count, sorry) Davy

Website matches the car BTW. Very nicely done, both the car and the website. Davy

Kevin, I was coming at his post from a car dealer point of view--you are right in saying that if no fraud is intended, then it probably does not matter too much. Suffice it to say that these cars are so old, it does not matter what the odo says. In other words, if you are in the market for one of these cars, do you even care what the mileage says anyway since the odo only has 5 numerical places, not 6? I never did. CA DMV does keep track of the odometer readings every time a car is sold. If someone changes the mileage reading, there legally must be a "statement of facts" given to DMV. However, when a car is really old, they can't verify it's 100% correct anyway. My $.02 Davy

Well, at least I thought they were...

Hmmm, that should have no problems breaking the tires loose...Very sweet looking! Davy

Ross, congrats on getting that new system up and running. I know you'll enjoy your car even more now! Davy

Owen, you are the Man!!! Thanks for posting that valuable info! Again, what ratio does that rearend have? Davy

Sean, I do not. I once posted in the Announcements forum "Where are the Brits?" and no Brits replied. However, the Aussies rock and hopefully you can get info off of one of their sites. Good luck, man. Davy

That is illegal in most states I would think (especially in CA)--it is altering the odometer and that is a big "no no." If your odometer "breaks," then you can legally change it for a new one, and that will read "01 miles." Of course there have been guys that have tried things like hooking the odo up to a drill and reversing the mileage that way, but I would never suggest that because of the legal issues involved. You are better off just buying a new odo/speedometer. My $.02 Davy

BLKMGK: too much! The glove box is a cool idea, but the whole interior of that car...eeeeeww! Actually, if we manufacture a kit for a Hondah Civic, I'm sure we can be bazillionairs tomorrow... It would be cool to have backlit guages for the older Z cars. I could get into that! The lighting my 260Z had was pathetic! Davy

Welcome to the Forum! All it took was one ride to convince me I had to build one of these monsters. Enjoy the ride! Davy

Jason, I don't have my JTR book in front of me, but if you are talking about the brass fitting/adapter that screws into the side of the Chevy engine, I had a machine shop tap mine for me. Yes it was $20, but I didn't care. I wanted it done once and done right. Davy

My 350 is a 2-bolt and I'll run that sucker up to 375hp easy with new heads--no problems, no fear, no mess, no smell. Like what was said earlier, 2-bolt mains should be ok to 450-500hp; which encompasses most of our street use anyway. Davy

Pete, thanks for looking those up, but the thread BLKMGK and I are thinking of was really long and even more informative I at least can remember that because Rick Johnson who I bought the system from posted a bit on that thread. The thread probably started out as one topic and ended up being exhaust! Phooey! Again, thanks for looking. Davy