~Hello all any advice for a newbie?~ (kinda lengthy)

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi everybody,

 

I have been reading the posts you guys have here for about a month or so and I have been convinced to restore my 73 240z with a 350 conversion.. I am thinking of using a crate Goodwrench because of the warrenty and it can be financed.. I then plan to find a camaro 5-speed from the early 70's at a salvage yard. I have a R180 rearend, i think its stock and wouldnt mind keeping it. I only want 250hp or so for a daily driver perhaps upgradable late. My problems are gonna be the frame rails I think the floor board is gonna be ok. The previous owner restored the car half hazardly. He supported the framerails by welding steel to the underside of them to the firewall and then welded a horizontal steel bar across the rails. Is this safe? for high speed? the floor pan has been rigged with aluminum? or sheetmetal its kinda crazy it dips down. Also the wiring is screwed all to hell the ignition doesnt turn the starter as is and I think I would like to get a new wiring harness for the whole thing including gages and an after market heater control the stock ones been desmantled and is in awful condition. OK.. I know this is alot of info but Im just very set on this conversion. I have purchased the JTR manual and found it very usefull but not complete in some areas. wiring and such. Ill be glad to send some pictures if you wanna get a look-see and my project. Oh yea Im doing this conversion my self except for the major stuff like painting and bodywork. I can get a welding gun if needed but will I? Anywayz all and any comments will be appreciated.

 

Thanx

[Guest Anonymous]

OOPS almost forgot I wanna do the engine bay in rhinoliner or perhaps herculiner including the underside of the car is it worth it.. Supposed to be heat and water resistant to help stop that nasty rust bug.

[Guest Darthmentos]

A horizontal cross bar as described will add much rigidity to the chassis if done correctly. We intend on using a spray on bedliner for the lower portion of the engine compartment for ours, looks a lot like the original stuff. We dont know what heat rating it can take though.

[Guest Anonymous]

Glad to here that the crossbar is a + that Its gonna make the tranny harder to get out though but it will work. i found this info about herculiner its sold at walmart and half the price of rhinoliner Info list

 

What are you doing to your Z engine wise? and the wiring

[Guest Anonymous]

crap just

copy and paste this...

http://www.herculiner.com/diy_chart.html

[strotter]

Jeb: Crate engine is a great idea, something I wish I had done. Also, the 5-speed transmissions are later, look for a late-eighties to early-nineties T-5 "World Class" transmission, they were beefed up a bit and can handle more torque. As to wiring, everybody has trouble with wiring. A couple of weeks ago at the local Pick 'n Pull, I met a father and son patiently pulling the entire harness out of a '77. They'd been at it for an hour and were almost done (it looked like intestines hanging out of the car). They had brought a couple of pairs of sheet metal snips with them, looked like that sped up the process a lot. The kid was under the dash when I came by.

Good luck with your project. It will be fun!