DavyZ

No! (is that positive?) OK, yes you will not have to worry about Mustangs. How's that?

My Gosh, Mikes on a feeding frenzy!!!

Thanks guys for the information! Mike Kelly: I was hoping to avoid the inevitable of putting in the connectors, but I'll probably meet this issue head on anyway since my S&W 8 point roll cage I have will be installed anyway. There is some good info on Pete's site for that. I'm impressed that Chris' impression of the ride was what it was with that big front bar--I guess spings & shocks play a major role too. Pete: I'll probably go with the same sway bar size initially as you and Zfan Mike have, unless the car already comes with a larger bar. This will be cheaper to begin with I may spend the extra money for the Eibach springs since they are progressive and I'm looking for a reasonable ride w/o excessive harshness. I had a 510 with a very stiff suspension--not for me. If I owned that car now, I'd have to make frequent potty stops due to the jiggling of my kidneys and resonance in my bladder from the ride! Thanks Mike K., Mike Zfan, Pete, and Owen for the great info! David

Having sold my 260Z, I am in the situation where I'll need to pick up some sway bars if the 240Z I purchase doesn't have god aftermarket ones already. 1) Is there a big difference IYO between the different bars that are out there? Is bigger really better? 2) Are metal bushings a definite no no for the street? 3) Do you have a favorite brand and why? What did they cost you? 4) Is there a "best deal" you can think of that makes $$$ sense? 5) What is the "perfect" size bar for a V8 powered street Z? 6) JTR says the car will do better accelerating out of turns w/o a rear bar--what about chassis flex over time?? Does it matter? Thanks guys. Information is good only if it's for poeple to see! I appreciate the opinions and info. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend! David

I think your hood is one of the best parts of your car, Len! Haha! David

Man, you are SET! That's exactly the kind of car to get for a conversion. A decent car that works & looks good, but the engine is on its way out; perfect! Let us know the juicy details when you get the chance. Good score on one with nice paint--that (bodywork and paint)is sometimes the most costly thing to take care of, just ask Pete David

Adam, a place to get very reasonably priced HEI modules is www.northernautoparts.com !! Save an additional $10 off your order when you punch in the code P10-61 when you check out. Good luck, Adam! David

Les, this bracket is for the rear brakes, not the front.

Wow! Since you're going very techno here, I would strongly suggest figuring out the total cost first before jumping in to all those mods. The nicer the Z car you buy, the better. It will need less work to begin with, especially if things are already working. The ZX aerodynamics are better, I'm fairly sure, although I have not looked at the Road&Track Cd for either car. If you want luxury, go for the ZX, if you want it a little more raw, go with the Z. Whatever you do, don't get caught in a "project" when what you really want is a V8Z to drive around. Finish the basics first and start with a decent car. Then go for the techno stuff. You'll be much happier with a car that actually drives. Hope this gets ya thinking. David

Most louvered hoods have them sticking up out of the hood. Has anyone seen them going down the otherway? I'm picturing it, and think it would look ok and not lose the "smooth" lines and appearance of the stock hood. It would be "original." David

Thanks Mike, I'll go out and get it!

Terry, you get it from "authorized dealers." Try 1-800-827-6715 or www.thefinishedlook.com to get it. They are located in Sacramento and advertise in DRIVE! magazine. David

See if you can get a look at it sometime. Just be sure to bring your camera! David

Dan, you could drop in a stroked 400 sbc with no mods to the body. Then you are looking at 427 ci or more. That starts to get expensive though. But, if you don't mind then shoot, go with an aluminum Brodix block stroker motor! That'll run...and twist the car a bit! David

I imagine you'll have to wear gloves on your next date!! LOL David PS--Heh, do they smell wierd too?

Well, knowing Mike Knell, he'll figure some way around it or some way to make it work.

Al, my 260Z had dual downdraft Webers--do NOT go this route. The SUs work better IMO and they don't end up with pools of gas in the "pea trap" part of the manifold!!! Z-Therapy apparently does some serious work on SUs. It may be $$$, but they're supposed to be the cat's meow. Al, what about a detuned Ford or Chevy V8 like a 305 carbed Chevy V8--stock with no mods. Only 190hp! C'mon, you're ready for another project! David

My friend Len (Fairlady 327) has a Muncie 4 speed in his 240Z. The ratios are perfect for drag racing, which is what he does best, but he totally needs a 5th gear because it spins too high on the freeway. It all depends on what kind of driving you'll do with the car. If you already have the tranny, great! They are very strong, but very short. Your shifter will be a tad bit forward of the "stock" location, even with the JTR setback position. Hopefully Lenster will chime in. David PS--he's feeling like the king of the street racing world since he beat that Skyline the other weekend. Hehe

Long, I saw those units on a V8Z at the WC Nats. They are quality units. My only concern would be weight since they are cast iron. Are these mounted on your motor? David

The 5.7L engine in the newer Holdens is still carbed???? Wow? I didn't expect that at all, because all engines have been FI since the late 1980's I think. This was to increase gas mileage and reduce/control emissions. I assumed the Aussies were even "greener" than we were! David

Dan, welcome to HybridZ! Is your question asking where to find a chassis for a V8 conversion? If so, we look everywhere including the newspaper, AutoTrader, the www, ebay, your local Z club (a great place to start BTW), word of mouth, etc. Good luck with finding the right car for the swap. Use the archives/search function here to answer your questions. David

I think that thread by Lone Star 1 was the summation of the status. If he'll do a complete write up, Dan will post in the Featured Car section. I'm hoping soon. Look for the pics of the car in the Member's rides. I think you'll be impressed! He did a really sanitary job and it apparently work pretty well. David

Craig, I totally understood what you meant. Yes, it is the best of both worlds! But, my 260Z bumpers are made of such thin sheet metal, I really don't think they'll stop anything larger than a shopping cart (as you said )!!! I'm deciding now that if the 240Z I get still has the metal bumpers, I'll yank them in favor of the fiberglass ones since I want them body color and without rust. Of course, if they are really nice, like my 260Z bumpers were, then maybe I'll flip a coin in favor of them. Who knows...I just need a car! David

The Infinity Q45 V8 is an all alloy motor with twin OHC heads. The one in my '90 Q45 puts out an estimated 278 hp. It redlines at 7000rpm and is a smooth motor. It comes with an automatic tranny, and I have NO idea if a 300ZX tranny will bolt up to the little monster. It moves that huge car really well, so in a smaller lighter Z it would be sooo much fun! I think you'll be blazing a trail here because I have not heard of anyone else doing the swap before. Don't the V8 Holdens have 5.7L V8 engines with aluminum heads? Is that too heavy of a motor for you? How about the Rover V8? There are some Aussies that have done the swap and it really looks good. David [ May 22, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

Mike, thanks for correcting that! Now I can have a looksee! Kevin, I think the 10:1 is a hopeful 10:1. I'm going on what I have read in the magazines and such. The engine is a '72 Camaro Z28 motor which, according to my literature, has either a dismal 8.0:1 or 8.5:1 compression ratio with 76cc heads. Using a "standard" head gasket, compression should be kicked up to 9.5:1 or an optomistic 10:1 compression ratio with 64cc heads. Even not knowing the piston top block deck clearance, I believe I'm in the ballpark. 58cc heads would push me way over 10:1. I'll use premium gas with the 64cc heads anyway so I'm gonna be ok unless you compute out #'s otherwise. I'll spec the block and pistons when I take the heads off. Thanks for the help and it's good to see you around again David