PeterAllen

My phone is smart enough. I can call a number and actually speak to someone - I bet you young whipper snippers who think phones are for storing 'selfies' didn't know phones could do that. I'd still like to know how I can get the images to be smaller (like I could on Imageshack) so I don't have to scroll across the page to see the whole image. PS. Tim - I got some paint on the GTO - I'll send you some pics.

photobucket test

I have 100s of photos - mainly 60s-70s motor racing - on Imageshack but they now want a fee. I'm not so much opposed to the fee but I don't like giving my credit card details over the net to such sites. Any suggestions for free sites, Flickr, Photobucket, etc?

Looks good. A couple of suggestions if I may. Only stitch weld structural components, i.e. make sure you leave crumple zones on the extremities, otherwise any impact will be transmitted throughout the shell, rather than absorbed at the impact site, and may distort the whole thing. Stitch welded components can rarely be resurrected. Also, stress relieve the top plates on the Arizona struts otherwise they will distort when you weld them in (even with TIG) and you will have to hand file the tops flat.

PS. The house next door sold for $1.6m at auction yesterday and apparently the new owner turned up to show it off to her friends - she was not impressed with the riff-raff next door and wanted to know if this was a regular event.

Thanks to all those who turned up. Mike (the Pommie) really enjoyed this morning - some compensation for the cancelled Stones concert. However, some of you guys need to get a watch. The finish time was supposed to be 11:00, we are now hours behind with the GTO prepping schedule!

I hope there is still a level of commitment out there as I've spent half the day mowing lawns and fishing dead wildlife out of the pool. Looks like a few Clubmans will be coming, as well as a Cobra or two.

Thanks to all for the interest. There are others, both members and non-members, who have indicated they will be coming. In the first post I mentioned an eatery nearby - I've just realised the ironic symbolism for one member!

As some may know I have a Pommie friend out here helping me prep the car for painting. He is a Z-tragic, he's owned, restored and modified quite a few. He has already met a few members and had long Z-focused chats. As a way of entertaining him and finally arranging a Sydney get-together I thought I might offer an open invitation to members to drop around to my place (Sylvania) next Sunday (23rd March) between 09:00 and 11:00 to meet each other, chat and show off some cars. This will give you time to get back home for lunch and spend the afternoon with your loved one looking at new kitchens! There will be no catering but there is a little shop up the street that does great bacon & egg rolls, etc, and coffee. I would like to hear from anyone interested - PM me for the address and include your mobile number and I text back. If you've never actually met a fellow member (who has?) don't worry we are all pathetic creatures seeking others who share our interest. If your Z is actually running make sure you bring it along. Kids are welcome but they will be your responsibility.

On the TV they sounded like a Ducati. What sounds better than a Ducati?= 20 Ducacti. I'm with Alan Jones, "does the sound really matter if there is good racing". I fear that this years GPs, for the most part, will be economy runs with a possible spurt at the finish.

Some of the mature age members might relate to this cartoon in today's SMH.

If you are going to be moving the rotisserie around, even just a bit, get some 100mm castors off eBay - cheap as chips and they make life soooo much easier. Add 300mm the the vertical member on each stand and set the axis of rotation at 75mm above the bumper bar mounting points. My rotisserie is disassembled if you want to take any bits away to copy - I'm in 'The Shire'.

So, did you bump into Robert Trimbole while you were on the run in Ireland?

What are you doing for a parking brake? Sorry, I can't seem to find the manual anywhere.

Alex All my stuff (less than 12 mths old - used once) will be for sale after the 29th of March!

I don't think the Dept is on about ride height, it's probably more about coil bind on the springs - and conversely remaining tension on full drop. I can't find my manual at the moment but I'm sure it has cross-section views of the suspension (front and rear). If so, you might be able with a protractor to pick up an angle of the lower control arm (transverse link). From that you could fit a control arm to the same angle (inclinometer) and then calculate the distance to the guard lip. Document it all to show the engineer. I think you will find it difficult to find a member here who hasn't played with springs and ride heights, plus any OEM car may have sagging spring after 40 years. If I can find my manual I'll have a go at identifying the control arm angle

Who told you? Someone from the Dept, an approving engineer, your sister's ex-boyfriend's best mate's mate...? The method you describe only measures the upward travel, not the full travel. If it is a requirement then you need to obtain a copy and a written instruction on how it is measured. If you don't do these things in a formal manner you may find it to be an expensive waste of time and money. PS. Ever thought of becoming a Donating Member?

I rest my case.

Compressor and rattle gun - no better way to strip threads. Haven't you GenXs and GenYs ever heard of a socket set?

The nominal relocation of the pivot bolt holes is not only18mm higher but also 6mm outwards, negating the need for longer arms. As 'Enzo' stated you are best to decide on the ride height and wheel/tyre setup of your particular car and then determine where to drill the new hole.

This may sound complicated but here goes. When I fitted the Holden diff I had to use countersunk bolts to ensure clearance of the rubber drive coupling. I found that no bolt supplier had them in fine pitch. I bought longer bolts with a plain shank and by holding the head in a lathe chuck I could cut a fine thread on the previous plain shank. I then cut them to length. Any small machine shop should do it for a couple of bob.

David Here are a couple of snaps of the arm I weighed. One of the arm itself, just to ensure we are weighing the same item/components, and one of it sitting on the scales at 3.7kg. I calibrated (for want of a better word) the scales with some groceries and they seemed close enough. The arms appear to be pressed from 2mm sheet and the large support brace and roll bar location point appears to be pressed from 1.5mm sheet. I can't say for sure it is off my 3/72, 240Z as I've mixed and matched them over a period of time.

See this thread: http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,1257.0.html

If you are going to lower the car at the front did you consider redrilling the lower control arm pivot holes in the cross-member to help minimise bumpsteer?

If you care to read it properly you will see there is nothing wrong with lending you car for a friend's wedding. Transport Department manager for passenger transport, Bill Gonis, said ... "If they're simply just providing that service for a friend of theirs that's fine, that's the end of that. Clearly the government is responding to an allegation by a hire car company as they don't waste time and taxpayer money on surveillance of such matters. On the other hand you can't blame the hire car companies who pay public liability insurance and have a whole range of cost in running their business, trying to stop fly-by-nighters infiltrating their business. Typical on today's media, distort the facts to suit outlandish headlines. This is how stupid urban myths are started.