DavyZ

Thanks to all the vets, especially the soldiers who gave their lives for our country and our freedom. Davy

Your transmission should be lined up with the center-line of the chassis. The transmission is pointing way off to the left. Get yourself an angle finder if you have to, even eyeball it (not recommended), but don't leave it there like that. Davy

Frank, I hope I can attach this photo of a Victor Jr. You think this is what you have? Good for you! Why don't you just convert it? However, what you see in the photos is not exactly an Edelbrock even though it came from that company. Here is a photo of the Edelbrock Victor Jr, but with no EFI bungs: Ignore the number at the bottom of the photo. Hope this helps. Davy

Wow, great article! I love C&D Davy

Frank, I have a Victor Jr set up with bungs for injectors. It's basically new and I have to sell it. PM me and I will send you photos. It may be a day or so before I answer you simply because I am so blasted busy working right now. Davy

Something else to consider, there have been a lot of threads from the past that dealt with the rear gearing vs 6 speed tranny. It seems most 6 speeds have a numerically high first gear, which is not exactly what you want unless you like starting out in second gear all the time. Remember that most R200s (I assume you have one) have the 3.55 gears. The 3.36s are much more difficult to find. In fact, I'd rather look for a transmission (5 or 6 speed) with a first gear in the high 2s and maybe forget about the 6th gear. The other complaint was that the 6th gear was so high that it comes into play with the camshaft specs of where the torque curve starts and trying to keep the engine happy in cruising. In other words, you don't want a car that cruises with RPM so low that it ruins driveability. There is rpm that is "too low" for the engine. To sum up this whole post, make sure you do your homework on the complete package: camshaft, gearing (tranny, rear end), tire size (diameter), etc. To make a streetable package that you will enjoy, the more sorted out your combination is, the more you will like it and the more effective it will be at pounding your competition (not that you'll ever race it on the street, heh). Good luck. Davy

Nice plumbing work on the underhood side of the car. Let us know how those ebay turbos last. I know there has been talk about the doubts of their longevity, but you never know, they may just work out fine. Good looking car too. The video is very revealing and it appears that you have the car set up very well. It stays planted and just pulls from the line, continually accelerating with just a loud GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL! I'd love to see that on an iMax screen, up close, with surround sound. Davy

I agree! Not looking behind you CAN kill you. The guy was oblivious to the tire coming his way. Good thing it took a nice jump too. Davy

Impressive looking race. The big blower is certainly eye-catching, but I'd go for stealth on the street. Hence, I default to your Z. Davy

I did buy some billet jewelry from David a while back--would buy again if I ever have money again.... He's a square deal kind of guy. No problems or worries. Fast shipping. Good ebayer. I recommend ++++++++++ Stuff like that Davy

Man, I'm not even telling where I fall into that category. This isn't even funny John, I'm not sure I like being slapped with reality. I'm the guy wearing the sweatshirt who just slapped on some cheap cologne to cover the B.O. smell and who just farted discretely (or audibly) behind you in line... bjhines, I was laughing at your list too---funny that we do the same things with our kids Davy

It's been some years since I ordered from them, but they were certainly on the up and up when I did! I would give this some time and give them a chance. Let us know how this ends up, Frank. Davy

Now I really have to return you phone call!! At least they had insurance I think you'll be driving a Ford Festiva next Davy

Conversion looks very nice and that you took your time in doing it right. The car looks great from what I can see too. Thanks for sharing! Davy

My wife makes a pretty amazing pot roast, which is also one of my favorite dishes It goes something like this: Take your meat of choice (beef here) and brown/sear all sides in a pan or Dutch oven after oiling the pan and salt & peppering meat first (and any herbs or spices you want: majoram, thyme, dried parsley, etc.) After meat is seared well on all sides, getting a nice carmelization, remove from pot and lower heat to medium and then saute one sliced onion (and garlic if you like ) in that pot. After onions are soft, deglaze pan with 1/2 cup or so of red wine. Return meat to pot and then fill pot with brazing liquid up to 1/2 the height of the meat. Brazing liquid, can be low sodium beef broth, beef broth + tomato sauce, etc. Now transfer pot to 350 degree oven and let sit for 3 hours (depending on size of roast). Half way though the cooking time, add any veggies that you like: carrots, celery, parsnips, potatoes, etc. You'll know when the roast is ready, it will not be tough any longer, but will pull apart easily. After everything is finished cooking, transfer meat & veggies to platter and cover to keep warm. Make a gravy from remaining brazing liquid by bringing to a boil and adding a mixture of 1/2 cup milk and 2-3 TBS flour. Wisk as you SLOWLY pour in flour to avoid lumps. Then, add seasoning to taste, pour through sieve to get rid of the lumps you made by not following my directions. Good luck. Davy

Agreed. I think the car would do better with all of the little "details" removed (read: things that make the bodywork look 'busy') and then have a race inspired paint job. I think it might actually be OK then. Davy

Looking good. Let us know how it turns out. I'd love to see the final results. Davy

Wow, that really looks nice. I love the "period" look of the paint too. All in all a great job. Where have all the IMSA cars gone?? *gets melancholy* Davy

I have never seen that happen with a roller cam. In fact, I didn't know it was even possible without ruining the roller rocker to cause that to happen. What was your valve spring rate if you know? I am curious. Davy

I think the spoiler looks pretty good on the car. I have to agree that it certainly looks better than the majority of the aluminum ones out there. This one almost looks like an aggressive factory option. Eh, that's my opinion anyway. Davy

Guys, they make subtle spoilers for the Z car already. This isn't one of those! This is for those of us who want a LARGER spoiler than the wimpy looking ones already available and SMALLER than the ginormous whale tail spoilers. If you don't like what you see, don't worry, MSA has got you covered... I like the subtle changes in the making that will enhance the look of the spoiler, especially with the rounded edges--it does match the body lines of the car better. Nice work. Davy

All I know that is if I was being interviewed after the run by that chick in the fur bikini and "ears" it would be hard to stay on topic... Why does it never happen to me??? Davy

Ron, I want to use the whole post as a signature, seriously. That was really poetic! Great advice too Logan, Ron is correct about the power. The problem is that you will eventually get used to the power and speed. That means doing more modifications later as well. None of these cars is truly ever finished in my opinion. If you build a 355 or 383, it will make no difference in the long run, for you will upgrade later on anyway. Your personal preference and what intrigues you is what you should build. Davy

My heartfelt condolences go out to you and your family. There are quite a few TX Z guys. I'm sure that some could help sell off his car & parts for the family. I know that someone will rise to the occasion. Davy

I respect your willingness to go to this kind of an extent to make this happen. I hope you will be successful in this swap. It would be cool just to see the photos of a completed swap, pretty or not. I just picked up a cheap 96 Thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 (I never owned a Ford before) and I like the car and I like the 2V engine too. I can imagine the 4V engine being vastly superior, so I am looking at your swap with interest. May your time and money hold out... Davy