DavyZ

I try to stay at 40 a week or so--its been slow in the mortgage banking business. Factor in drive time and I probably work more, but don't get paid for the trip home! Still I cannot complain--I have done 70 to 80 hour weeks, working only 5 days per week and it gets really old very quickly. Now that I have a family, I don't like to work 'too much.' Balance is the key to keeping sane mentally and emotionally. Davy

*Ugh* Don't ask All cash has gone into my house and remodeling, etc. Sad to say that, especially after a number of years now, but that's the long and short of it! I have given myself a reward of being able to finish the conversion late this summer (fall?) if I get the kitchen, dining room and family room finished. Davy

BINGO! It's all the same old story--PATHETIC!! Davy

Yes, they should fit. Most "blockhugger" headers will fit the JTR position. That said, you need to know if you have angle plugs or straight plugs on your heads. The sparkplug angle is where guys get caught. There is no good way to tell without having someone do it first. That's one reason why many guys buy brand name headers, like Sanderson and Hooker, because they know what to expect. I bought cheapie Summit brand blockhuggers and had them coated--they fit fine with straight plugs. These look similar to the ones I bought (don't they all look similar?) so I'm saying with a reasonable amount of conviction, they'll be fine. Davy

Bryan, We've had some long discussions and more then a few threads about "which swap kit is the best." I think hands down the JTR kit is favored on this site above Johns kit (was similar to Scarab?), the 'Scarab' kit offered by Hooker headers and I think Transdapt(?) or MSA. The JTR kit was the best in terms of getting the Chevy engine back as far as possible and I think was by far the cheapest overall (if memory serves me). That is for the LT1 and earlier engines. If you are talking about LSx series, then that's a different ballgame. Nearly 100% of the original members of the site use JTR for one reason or another. If you decide to go the John's Car's route, post some pics of your swap. There just aren't too many guys who have posted pics... Davy

Sweet! Yep, looks good enough to be factory! Man, I hope my modifications look that good when I do them... Davy

They are only rare because most have been converted to manual or crushed because nobody really wants them. Most Z cars are manual for a reason. The automatics most guys here (at this site) have are for drag racing because the engine is usually a V8. If this is a daily driver and you are stuck in traffic, hey have fun with the auto. If you want, you can convert it to manual transmission fairly easily. The best thing about stock auto Z cars is the price, as you have just found out. Since not too many people like them, they go for less. All said, you got a good deal if the car is clean. Pics? Davy

I have the same book--its and older one written in conjunction with Hot Rod magazine and called Engine Swapping Tips & Techniques. That was written a long long time ago and both the V8 swap and diesel engines have come a long way since then. Since you like the Z I'm assuming that you enjoy performance. Unless the engine you are installing in the Z makes up for its weight in performance, it is not worth doing the swap in my opinion. The Z car is a sports car by nature is best suited to that purpose. That said, if you are looking to do a modern diesel swap, then that is a different animal. Turbo diesels are gaining more and more popularity as they continue to show what they can do at the drag strip and now even at Le Mans. The one obstacle you will have to confront is weight. To my limited knowledge, the readily available diesel V8s are very heavy and most come from trucks. A Mercedes Diesel V8 would be a possible alternative, but very (prohibitively) expensive. For all your trouble, if you are truly looking to do something different, do a simple V8 swap, turbocharge it, and then convert to propane (LPG). Davy

Wow, "frankenheader" is pretty descriptive! lol At least it's doing the job and is under the car where no one will see it On a side note, the exhaust tips you treated your car too look the business!! You should be proud of your car, it rocks. Davy

Funny, but I knew it was a Z despite my not really knowing the Ferrari GTO well, it's because I know the Datsun so well. I scared myself! I was fooled about the color though---I thought it was black in the movie, not blue. I hated the movie BTW after the car scene. Davy

"17x9.5 with ST115 235/40/17 17x10.5 with ancient Dunlop 8080E 245/40/17" Some other good pics... Davy

Yipe! Man, what a sleeper! You are one sick, twisted individual...WELCOME! Davy

Ouchers! Take care of that thumb, Mark, since you'll need it for remodelling!!! Best wishes on a speedy recovery. Davy

Don, Good to see you posting, man! Your new shop looks great! How many sq ft is it? Still on the same piece of property, right? Looks like a lot of room to store the Nova, Z and just about everything else. Have you driven over the epoxy yet with something heavy? Hopefully it won't lift, but it shouldn't since it is industrial grade. I bought either Rustoleum(?) or Valspar(?) garage floor paint from Lowe's, but can't put it on until end of summer. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have purchased something like what you did... Davy

I have not done this, but I can imagine that behind the bumperette is merely styrofoam. I bet they just cut it and then glass over the whole thing, primer it, paint it, and call it good. If you want to find out, go to the junkyard and do some cutting there Davy

1) Good thing he was polite. 2) He's entitled to his opinion even though it blows 3) Good thing he doesn't log into this site! 'Nuff said. Davy

OK, so not as to drag this thing on, but I really want to know---those of you who HAVE mounted the MSD box inside the car, you don't have any noise coming from the box??? Perhaps mine is not working properly, but it does do it's job. Hmmm. Davy

I thought this might be the way it would end up...but still, there are some very cool possibilities listed above that others may take advantage of. Some of these ideas blow me away!! Davy

Brett, My guess is to have Sanderson fix them. Although after they fix it, they'll have to coat it again, you may be in for the same price for a new set. It looks bad Davy

I know you can get there from the black screen at the beginning when you log on--click on the photo album button....but I'm not sure what to do from there since I have not uploaded any from my computer (I have no video camera). I imagine it is similar to uploading a jpg from your computer though... Anyone else want to chime in? Davy

421 Z, I like the car! Did you get any videos of the action? Post it if you did!! Jim, I like the Morris Minor dragger. It makes me think of Anglias and Altereds from back in the day. Davy

It's either a clicking or buzzing noise' I can't remember exactly. I have not started the car in so long. Oh well, I just remember what it used to do and that I didn't like it. I'm mounting it in the engine bay after the V8 swap is complete. Davy

Great--thanks for posting the picture updates! I have a set of the same taillights, but I wasn't sure just how to disassemble them. It's almost like the lenses are part of the outer assembly even though they are not. Since they are somewhat exclusive, I have fears about breaking them or cracking the lenses so I'm thinking of leaving them as they are and trying graft them into the Z's rear taillight panel. Eh, we'll see. Great work on the car so far Davy