PZG302

In most of the cars everyone has here normal oils are more than enough. My circuit Z ran standard diff oil in a locked R180, was only changed when the diff was welded up and no problems for 10 years or so Gearbox oil was a good quality standard oil, no need for fancy smurf's blood stuff. Again only changed when the gearbox was pulled out, so three times in 15 years, and again apart from the usual stuffed synchro on 2nd I had no gearbox pproblems, especially if yoou take your time on the changes, thay are old gearboxes that can't be smashed through the gears. The only fancy oil I used was Goe Gibbs Driven for the motor and it was changed every second event with a standard filter.

Gotta say, gee those wheels look good........ Mick did you get the message I sent about the seconnd set for the clearences? matt

Will try to get there, depends on what has been booked in for me at the moment. Won't be in a Zed, probably the Hairdresser car, or something Nissan with a hairdryer if I get some good news later this week.

If the rail is reasonably straight and the floor isn't kinked, there is a good chance it will pull out pretty good. This will save you a lot of time and dollars. I hope you do have a pheonix on your hands...

Doesn't look to bad, strip the guard off and check the inner guard and the rail, the rest is pretty easy. But you will have to strip it all down to make sure. You should be back on the track in not too long. Good luck with it.

As long as the rail isn't too badly bent on the front right the chassis may be Ok, will be well worth having a good look when you pull it apart. One good thing about being a 280ZX is a replacement shell or front corner isn't too bad. Also, get someone around to have a look at the car once you pull it apart to check the shell and to see if it can be straightened, the dollars will be less than building a new one. Take your time deciding what you're going to do before making the final decision. Been there and done that, but because of the cage, floor, A pillar and rails where bent and what the car was to be used for I decided to write it off. If you go down the reshelling route, re shelling doesn't take long, I have helped reshell an RX3 overnight to racce on a Sunday after a saturday afternoon multiple roll over. And for yourself, take a couple of days off, you will be sore tomorrow and tuesday once the adrenalin goes away, again I know from experience from a couple of occaisions now.... Matt

Not good, hope you're Ok and the car isn't too bad. Mountain Straight is a pretty daunting piece of road for a hillclimb. You are travelling suprising quick across the finish line. Other than that, I hope yoou had a good weekend and came home with a bit of plastic to show for it.

What do hours and hours of work for bastards who won't pay cause they are tight arsed race car drivers?? Rather have a real job.... have interview next week for a local gov. job, 6 month contracct to start with and then see what happens, works well for me with a couple of longer term irons in fires. Also means if I get this i get a donor car for the S14 to drive for 6 months until i can justify a new ute.....

Wait 3 weeks it will be on again..... have watched it about 4 times now in the last 3 months....... I hate not having a real job

Richard, Falcon Ute, BF XR6's with 6 speed auto can be had for <$15K if you look around, throw a hayman Reece 2300kg tow hitch on it and you won't go wrong. Mechanically, they are pretty bullet proof, just swap out front liquid filled bushes for solid, and fit a transmission cooler and it will go forever, plus I found mine very comfortable for long trips, Brisbane - Sydney towing the race car an easy 11 hours down the coast road and only needing to stop for fuel at the Taree service centre, return trip oonnly stopping for fuel at macksville. My XR8 would get 10l/100km on the freeway with two up and a couple of hundred kg in the tray, towing the race zed with a hire trailer plus all my spares and tools from Sydney to brisbane with cruise set on the speed limit I got just better than 17l/100km. The six should do better and will beat the 8 for round town economy. And the ute will hold value if you are worried about reslale. If you can stretch to new, FGII XR6 turbos can be had for 35k on road with leather, 18"s, sat nav dual zone climate and all the rest of the fruit. My old ute is currently in a dealers for $22k, long story and I'm still not happy about it, but would be a good buy as a comfortable tow car. The best thing about the Falcons is the towing capacity and the size of the tray, I coulld fit two set of extra wheels/tyres, front spoiler, tools, jack, stands, and parts including bonnet pretty easily. So in summary, just get a cheap Falcon XR or XLS ute in the BF's or stretch to a R6or XR in the FG's

Ian, Option 1 Garage up here in Brisbane are doing 15x8"s n steel rimsat 0 offset. Their prices are pretty good and delivery is not a problem for them. here is a link to their contact page, http://www.option1garage.com.au/ContactUsorOrderOnline.htm

Adam, Also see Andy out at penrith muffler man. I will say it again, he is arguably the best exhaust bloke in the greater Sydney area, he also has/had most of the motorsport work in NSW. I'm still suprised you didn't go with his extractors when you were looking about 18 months ago. My extractors lasted 15 years and were passed on to Zedevan when he bought my motorand gearbox. IIf Evan does anymore than repair the damaged section from the prang he will lose power. They were the only 6-3-1 , ie 6 pipes to 3 pipes to one pipe, extractors i have seen and gave the car a unique note and plenty of torque.

And for the hairdresser set 15x8's would also probably be the easiest to sell to them, 9's mean flared or rolled at a minimum guards with proper offsets....

Hi Jason, I might be keen on 15X8 in a -9 neg for the Chugger, so would need 5x114.3 PCD, or whatever it is ford/valiant use. Also need the size of the centre hole to see if it will clear the bearing cover. You might also want to look at fittment for the hairdresser set, especially if you can get some stance bro....

Richard, Got exactly what you are after, but I am in Brisbane. If you are interested let me know, e-go shouldn't be too much to send it south.

As Lurch said Helicoil, and as others have said a long one. I've ended up with helicoils in just about every L series engine i've used to keep the h ead on, including one L18 that had a compression ration of around 12:1 and had that much taken off the head the A in the A87 for the head casting was a triangle and it was almost take a link out of the timing chain time.

Gav, about time you got rid of that dictatorial six foot four streak of bad tempered pelican shit.......... he should have been sacked years ago. Enjoy the spare time Lurch, there's still a cage up here to be made if you are quick enough in taking up Jason's offer, though strangely I've never seen Jason drink rum, just that horrible stuff from kentucky....

And I think a lot of people would be suprised at the speed they actually go.......

Using the gear calc program mentioned in another topic, the top speed of my 240 was a theoretical 249km/h at the 7200rpm in 5th gear running a 4.1:1 diff and 0.852:1 overdrive 5th with 640mm diameter slicks. This woulld need to be done down conrod so the thing could wind right out and the down hill run would overcome the brick wall that is aero. This would feel about right as the revs I pulled in 4th at QR and Lakeside equate to what the car has been clocked at, so about 210-215km/h through the kink at Lakeside. Was also clocked at 187km/h at the turn in point at Eatern Creek, so approaching the corner at about 215-220 at the braking marker there. I must point out that there are a lot of people who have optimistic speedos and belief in how fast a Z can actually go, they are aerodynamically like a brick without substantial work on the front and rear ends, and spook or BRE/Nismo front spoiler and bob tail don't cut it, neither will a rear diffuser unless a shit load of work is done to make the floor pan a venturi like structure.

You will be suprised how cheap the pads for Wilwoods are. For the dynalites they can be had in many compounds for $80 a set delivered from the States.

Nice!!!!!!

I'd put my hand up Richard, but not working at the moment has put the brakes on any racing other than the odd run around QR in the hairdresser car. If I was to do it I would want a run around QR so you are happy with my driving and also need to know what the contract wuld be to play other than the standard Kings Cross rule if it's binned.

Richard, Depending on budget, speak to freddy at Topstage for a wing that will work properly and have the right profile and work with the shape of the 280. Other option if you aren't adverse to a spoiler rather than a wing id Gavin, biscuitballs, maybe able to help. He was in the middle of designing a spoiler for me based on a mash up of an RS1600 escort/IMSA 240 wing that woulld have met the regulations for prodsport, given me heaps of downforce for a trach like Lakeside and kept the air from falling off the hip of the car. For QR or EC or PI I would have used the standard Nissan bob tail for minimal down force. Hope that helps. Matt

If it can be picked up after the 13th sept, then no probs, will be able to pick it up and store for you. If it needs to be gone prior, sorry i am interstate on holidays.

Zac, I would be borrowing a standard set of rims,or rims at 7" wide, to get through the inspection. You are only allowed to go and inch wider than standard, which IIRC is only 6" on a 280ZX. Depending on where you have to go to clear the defect as to how strict they will be, but I would be more conservative and get the obvious things as close to standard as possible, ie wheels and tyres, and make sure it is clean and you present it as tidy as possible for the inspection.