Marty Rogan

I have not run that exact size, but I did run RA1's in 225/50/15 on zero offset Rewinds with no rubbing. It also depends on if you have the stock front valance or an air dam on the front. If you have an air dam, it should be no problem. If you have the stock valance, you may have to roll the front lip of the fender a little bit. RA1's are a great track tire. I would not run on the street though. They have a 140 tread wear rating and the street would wear them out in no time at all. Hope that helps. Marty

That's cool. I thought putting it back to stock would be pretty tuff to do, but thought he might want to with such a low VIN car. Marty

Whatever happened to the 2 Z's that were used for North American testing? I believe they were shipped back to Japan for evaluation after the test. Wonder what happened to them after that? Marty

Absolutely stunning!!! Congrats Jerry, she turned out beautiful. Any idea what Les plans to do with the #29 car? Marty

I am with conedodger. I quit entering car shows. Oh, my car won plenty of awards and even a couple of Best in Shows. It is very stock (maybe 3-4 not totally stock parts on it) and nicely detailed engine bay. The last show I entered, first place was given to a two-tone brown 240Z, with tons of aftermarket parts, and the engine bay that looked like a circus. The fuel rail and the manifold and various other parts were painted blue and red (and I am not talking about aeroquip hoses either). It was then that I realized that these local shows were very political. They vote for their buddies more than for a deserving car. Two people who were attending said that I had the nicest car there and were stunned to learn that I didn't even place in the show. That's when I decided all of the money and time and fretting over every paint chip just was not worth it to get a plastic trophy. I started putting on more and more improvements like electronic ignition, grippy steering wheel, etc. and I enjoy driving the car a whole lot more. Anytime there is a choice between going to the race track or a car show, the track wins every time, hands down. Zeddy, you already have the right answer. Modify your car the way that makes you happy and drive the hell out of it at the Texas Rally!! And if you want to go to a car show for some good car conversation, go for it, but don't bother paying an entry fee. Well that my 2 cents worth anyway. Marty

I have relatively new Nissan wires on my car. Recently, I switched to a ZX Distributor and MSD Blaster II coil. I was wondering if the sotck wires are adequate, or should I upgrade to something else? Marty

Hey Rich, How do you do in the show? Marty

You can also stick a couple 0f 2x10's, about three feet long under the ramps, to help cut down the angle even more. Marty

So, how did you manage to get an invite to see the hanger?

Thanks for the reply Wade, but I picked one up some time ago.

My yellow track car had the quick steering knuckles, and they made a big difference. I liked them a lot. The car was maybe an inch or so lowered and I did not use the bump steer spacers. I did not notice any ill effects from that. As far as the poly bushings for the TC rod, I would recommend what I did. Put a polly bushing in the front to retain stiffness. Put a stock rubber bushing on the back side of the TC Rod where the hex nut goes on. This will also help to prevent the TC Rod from breaking, as has been reported when using the polly bushings at both ends. Marty

I am SOOOOO jealous!! There is an LS1 powered 260Z at the tracks around here. He intimidates the hell out of the Z06's. If you are tracking the car, I hope it has a really good roll cage and 5 point harnesses. Nice! Marty

I was also enjoying a re-read of this thread. But you never answered the question on where the builds stands today. Did you finish the car? I would be interested in seeing updated pictures. Marty

Does anyone sell the transverse link supports with the ears separately? Without having to buy the whole sway bar kit? TIA, Marty

First make sure that your calipers are on the correct side, with the bleeder pointing up as Zed Head said. Bleed the Master cylinder first. Then make sure the rear drums are adjusted to get all the slack out. You can then use the hand brake a couple of times to get any remaining slack out. On new calipers it can be really difficult to get air out of them. Try this old racer trick that I learned from someone here: Make sure you thoroughly bleed the master cylinder first. Then move to the right rear, left rear, right front, and then left front. I also had to crank up the rear drums a bit more. Once the brakes are bled all around, go to the right front, remove the outer brake pad, open the bleeder screw, then take a pair of lock jaw pliers (Put tape on them so you don't chew up the pitstons) and force the pistons in. Be careful not to push them past the seals. Carefully step on the brake to push the piston back out, but not past the seals. Repeat until all the air is out. Put the pad back in and do this to the inner brake pistons. Then repeat on the left front. I was amazed at how much extra air I forced out of the calipers. I also recommend SpeedBleeders. With a 25' clear hose I could sit in the driver's seat and bleed the brakes myself. Hope this helps, good luck!! Marty

I agree with Chuck. I used drum brakes with the Toyota vented 4X4 upgrade in the front on my track car and they performed great. Just get some decent pads and make sure you adjust the rears properly. Rear disks are mostly for cheaper maintenance in my opinion. Marty

It looks very similar to the Bob Sharp racing wheel that came on my track car when I bought it. That was made by Racemark. I really liked the feel of that wheel on the track. Marty

How does $25 +shipping sound?

One small clarification: You can use the early version clutch fork and slave cylinder with a 225mm 280Z clutch. Functionally they do the same job. You just have to adjust it once in a while. If that does not bother you, then use it. For as many times as you have adjusted your SU's, I can't imagine a slave cylinder adjustment would be a big deal, !!! Marty

As an alternative, I have a decent pair of rust-free inspection lids, from AZ, that I could sell you. send me a PM if you are interested. Marty

Zedy, The critical thing to keep straight is, to match the clutch to the throw out bearing collar, and to match the fork to the slave cylinder. If you use the stock 240Z Clutch and pressure plate, use the L24 throw out bearing collar. You say you have an A-Type 4 spd. now, so you probably have a fork with the hole in it for an adjustable slave cylinder. That will work, but you will have to periodically adjust it. Some people like the adjustment. To others, it is a pain in the neck. My personal preference, especially for a street car, would be to switch to the later fork, without the hole, and to switch to the self adjusting slave. As Dieaszd stated, and I concur based upon talking with a couple of Z Racers, the stock Nissan L-24 clutch is plenty strong for use with an L-28. The other thing to consider is, what diff are you going to use? The stock 3.36 R180 will work. However, you will not get the most out of the new L-28. You would get much more satisfying performance with a 3.9 or 4.11 diff. Diffs can be had in R180 or R200. An R180 will bolt right up. To go to an R200, you will need to switch to a 280Z moustashe bar and drive shaft. Again, this assumes that you have an early '71. For what it is worth, I put the following into my early '71: F54 block, L-28, bored .40 over '83 5 spd. 240 mm stock flywheel and Nissan clutch from a 280Z 2+2 Switched to self adjustable slave R180 (open diff) with 4.11 gears. Picked it for the gearing, lower weight, and not having to deal with the R200 changes. This was my track car. It had as you say very "peppy" performance. The stock clutch withstood plenty of abuse and was never a problem. Another consideration, with that new found horse power, is to upgrade the brakes!! Hope this helps, Marty

Congrats! It is a VERY nice looking car. I especially like the blue interior. Love that color combo. Marty

How did you get the center caps to stay on the front of those Rewinds? Marty

Very nice! What brand strut bar is that and where did you get it?? Thanks, Marty

Congrats Rich, that is outstanding!!! Beautiful car. It is also a great thing that you could get your wife to go along and actually enjoy it too! That is an unbelieveable score to get 2 mint series I hubcaps for $160. You must be living right, there in Southern CA. Marty