PeterAllen

Page 7: 2.1 CHOICE OF REPLACEMENT ENGINE A manufacturer’s standard or optional engine should be selected and installed using all the standard components for that vehicle model. However, where this is not practicable, the following requirements should be met:  Any replacement engine should be of similar mass and power output to that of an engine fitted by the original vehicle manufacturer as standard or optional equipment;  When the replacement engine is larger in power output than an engine offered by the vehicle manufacturer as standard or optional equipment, the vehicle must be equipped with any necessary upgrading of equipment, e.g. brakes, front suspension, etc.; and  The power and/or torque of the replacement engine must not exceed the capacity of the vehicle driveline.

Ad states that a 'Qld mod plate' will be supplied for the engine/transmission BUT that's only part of what is required. You can't have that HP without brake upgrades which have to be approved (it may or may not have them) and the steering may need to be altered (more approval). As an import it will have no ADR approvals. I would recommend only purchasing this car if it is fully registered with engineering approval, which could run into many thousands $$$ extra. Discuss it wth an approval engineer first.

Some time ago I purchased one of the earlier Russell push-on fitting and found it very very hard to press on, I could never tell for certain if it had 'clicked' into position. I wonder if some of those failings were due to incorrect installation rather than a design flaw? Either way I wouldn't be using the earlier type.

Peter, you're showing your age... or is it your Queenslander-ness! The term used in sophisticated circles these days is 'owner-operator'.

David - My original thoughts were to go AN and I went through the exercise you are now doing but I had a change of heart. Probably the main reason for the change was that '63 GTOs didn't have AN fittings and I want to keep some semblance of period about the car (even allowing for the LS1), plus I didn't want to start mixing metric, imperial, AN, etc. on the car. Also, because I'm using all GM components for fuel I wanted to retain the push-on connections - I don't want to over complicate this build so that I get stranded somewhere like Wheelabarrowback waiting days for parts. To cut an involved story short I ended up utilising the original GM fittings (cheap as chips) by cutting off the heat-shrunk plastic tubing and attaching rubber/synthetic fuel lines with the traditional hose clamp. It's an individual choice of course but I'm happy with it. For your consideration.

Fit a Holden diff - several have already done so on S30s so it shouldn't be too hard on yours. There are heaps of cheap Holden LSDs around, I picked up an LSD 3.08 for $150 and no trouble getting drive shafts made up or CVs. Plenty of shaft suppliers - look up Bosnjak Engineering for starters.

Has anyone made up or purchased a cross-brace for the rear shock towers on a 240Z fitted with Arizona Z Car shocks? If so, could you provide a photo of the brace and fitting. Thanks

Mick, you need to get the car out and about a bit more. I'm looking forward to joining you for some Sunday morning drives down through the National Park - 18 months or so.

David. I was very keen to have my exhaust tucked up high for ground clearance, i.e. so I can lower the car substantially. Now that it's done I'm really concerned about heat transfer to the cabin and I feel I have in fact over done it. There are spots where I can't fit a heat shield 5-10mm off the floor/ transmission tunnel and still have clearance to the exhaust. If you haven't already done so I would actually fit, or mock up, the heat shields before I finalised the exhaust layout. For your consideration.

Not so. There is no structural stress on the roof skin, it is there merely to keep the sun and rain off the occupants. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Unless you are a 'Ledge' of this world, trying to achieve a Zed roof with no bog is a waste of time and effort. How do I know this? I've just spent the afternoon beating the tripe out of mine!

As requested

David – is this for aesthetics or practicality? I kicked that idea around for some time but started to think I was designing around that cross-brace rather than other parameters and eventually found it wasn’t an issue. I could still use the OEM brace after I installed the GM diff (IIRC you’re using a Ford) and fitted the exhaust. I will, if necessary for structural rigidity, design my own cross-brace and may run from frame rail to frame rail which means it could act as a tail-shaft safety strap as well. For me it was a bit like the transverse links (LCAs) they look too cheap to fit in with the rest of the build. Do you have the diff and exhaust fitted? (edit) I'm having trouble trying to remember all this but I think with the twin exhaust I had to clear the rear cross-brace behind the diff so it became the determining reference as to how high the exhaust could be mounted. If you are running your exhaust along the same path is there any point in tucking it up higher at the front of the diff if it has to pass lower at the rear?" (See two added photos)

I hadn't realised that George was such a close friend of William and Kate. Do you know where those rear lower control arms were made? Thanks

Andrew (240Z_AU) and Adam (acf321) would be good candidates

I was a bit suspicious at first but there is such a company. http://www.x2p.co.uk/#home Oh no, it's that annoying git from Wheeler Dealer. Perhaps the '0044' portion of the number is a UK dial out? Its perhaps should be '0011', the Oz dial out.

Doug - I know it's painful because I and the others have been through it but as you can see you did get an answer, albeit verbal. However, you are now just as likely to find the engineer won't accept the Nissan weights and will want one from the Department. I would write to the Dept and obtain a written response and keep it on file (play the bureaucrates at their own game). It's a merry-go-round we've all been on. Establish a contact with an engineer and see what he/she want as they are the one to sign off. I have copies of the original documentation Nissan (Capital Motors - Arnold Glass) submitted to the RMS. Mate, there are no short cuts. Good luck with the build. The GOB

He did ask and Mick, Alan, Jason and Mark, all experienced in S30 engine swaps, advised him to enquire through the proper channels, yet after that he still want to fraudulently alter the vehicle ID plate. I might be a grumpy old bastard but it's evident I have plenty of justification.

With that attitude you are not going to get very far . That sort of moronic action leads to tougher regulations for everyone. You give genuine guys who do the right thing a bad name... Grow up.

Thanks, but I phoned last month just to get a price on those but I couldn't even get a ring-tone. I've been all over the place to 4WD specialist, suspension shops and race car fabricators but nobody seems to have that particular type. Also, I need a 5/8" bore to match the 16mm spindle pin. I think the forged Speedway ends look more like a Ferrari production item from the 60s so that's why I'm keen on them. I'm making new LCAs mainly for appearance but designed them to have some adjustment as it was easy to incorporate.

I'm after these bushed rod ends: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Rod-End-Supply-FBE12-3-4-Inch-Four-Bar-End,60385.html The US mob got back to me and they want $90US to post 4 out here! The Aussie mob are away until the 24th - sounds like something of a one man show - but they claim to have fortnightly bulk shipments sent out. I have contacts in the US and I often end up having items posted to them and they forward the item on to me. Someone wanted $119 to post a Le Mans filler cap but a fellow 250GTO owner posted it to me for $12!

D'oh... now you tell me. Thanks Richard... Yes, it's only for gentle touring. So the rubber bushes are molded to the sleeves and distort to allow movement?

What is the VIN number stamped on the firewall... near the brake booster?

I've only pulled a few apart and they were all pretty well buggered so I'm just not sure how this all functions. Do the bushes (3) rotate around the sleeve (4) or is the only movement supposed to come from the distortion of the bushes?... Thanks

I ran a bead of Sikaflex 221 along the edge of my new rail - and all lap joints - and used a brush with the bristles cut short to squeeze it out, prior to applying the stone chip.

Has anyone purchased from this Aussie mob? http://speedwaymotors.com.au/ I've tried phoning the USA but they placed me in the queue for so long I gave up. I tried e-mailing but no reply. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/