250 GTO - the enemy within!

[C5GTO]

Peter,
Not to make you question your radiator install, but if you're having clearance issues, have you thought about installing at an angle? I put mine in at somewhere around 60 degrees and managed to get the cap under the radiator fill opening in the nose







I'm also running AC so that's the radiator on top. The smaller, vertical mounted one is the inter-cooler for supercharger. Yep, it was quite the chore finding space for all them.

I like the way you've run fresh air ducting to intake over the top of the radiator. I'm planning to do something similar but haven't tackled that project yet.

By the way, I do like your homemade straps. They look much better than the purchased ones. That buckle looks like brass so hopefully that resolves the rust issue.

[C5GTO]

duplicate - deleting

[Gav]

Do you still make 'gimp' masks Mike?

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by Gav

Do you still make 'gimp' masks Mike?

Not any more. Every one want this machine washable PU synthetic leather these days. What kind of master slave worship is that? Honestly "machine washable"? The mask traditional leather mask should be hand scrubbed by the dutiful slave and then buffed to a high shine with leather polish. "Machine washable" just shows no commitment. Bloody weekend S&M I won't have a bar of it.

[stiffy]

Peter,

I also has similar issues when building my Daytona, tilt front, radiator A/C,

Power steering cooler.

It looks great (it is on an angle) and no cooling issues.

The oil temp increases to over 130Deg on track days, even after changing

To full synthetic oil.

I then added an oil cooler, but due to the space issues it was mounted

Under the engine, still too high so I added a fan, made no difference at all.

I have now relocated the power steering cooler and added a front

Mounted oil cooler, but it's difficult to mount as the front tilts. So a question

Does an oil cooler need to be solid mounted?

Stiffy

[Krait]

Originally Posted by stiffy

Peter,

Does an oil cooler need to be solid mounted?

Stiffy

Having had a hard mounted oil cooler crack in an event I'd say no. Used bobbin type rubber mounts on the replacement. Anchor the hoses so they don't impose a load on the cooler fittings. Never had another issue.

[PeterAllen]

Joel. I probable could, with a bit more engineering, position the radiator at an angle but I would then have clearance issue with the underside fibreglass. I'm a least confident it's better placed now than when it was in the engine bay. I'm learning that I have to live with compromises if I ever want to get it finished.

I think by their very nature these one-off projects are created by 'muddling through' rather than any real detailed drawing board design.

With the radiator re-installed I had to cut the spout off the thermostat housing and weld it at a new angle.



I triple checked all the hose clamps and felt confident as I started pouring the coolant into the system. Suddenly the floor started to turn green.. Bugger!

I soon realised I had only tacked the spout to the housing so I could perform a trial fit. I must have become diverted on some other aspect and forgot to remove and finish weld the housing... D'oh!



PS. Spare us all the Lorena Bobbitt jokes

[Modena]

Peter, I see your water outlet is not directly straight-out and I'm sure you intended that, but you can buy a straight water neck if you want one.

[Tenrocca]

Hi Pete, check your coolant is recommended for ls engines. my understanding was you had to use the orange stuff.

cheers

[PeterAllen]

Originally Posted by Modena

Peter, I see your water outlet is not directly straight-out and I'm sure you intended that, but you can buy a straight water neck if you want one.

Ben, I think it's the water inlet on an LS1?

Originally Posted by Tenrocca

Hi Pete, check your coolant is recommended for ls engines. my understanding was you had to use the orange stuff.

cheers

Thanks Andrew. I looked at the Techaloy site and they suggest three green (I'm using one, 90 Plus) and three red coolants for a VZ SS LS1 motor. Very difficult to differentiate.

[Rob. Smith]

About that pic of the radiator with the air con cooler on top. Maybe space the air con cooler an inch or more off the radiator core....you will get better air flow and improved cooling.

[PeterAllen]

Rob. I earlier spoke to an auto air/con chap about my whole a/c set-up and he advised to place the condenser as close to the radiator as possible to minimise turbulence between the two. He said he had been taught that as part of his trade.

[PeterAllen]

Oh dear... I've taken it up and down the street a couple of time on very tentative trials - mainly to see how many lost tools, etc, drop out! I have a section of grass between the shed and a narrow concrete driveway with a step up to the concrete. Yesterday was the first time I tried to reverse up but the rear wheels spun as I powered up the step and the car drifted sideways into the fence. Lucky it's not the final coat.

[Aussie Mike]

That'll buff out....

What a bugger.

[PeterAllen]

After all these years of working on it in a single car garage it's great to get it outside and view its overall proportions. I'm kinda pleased with how it has worked out. The photo is taken with a small camera and has a bit of a fish-eye perspective. The rear panel is better proportioned than it appears here.

[750hp]

A lot of people are relieved to get a little stone chip on their new paint so they don't have to worry about keeping the paint perfect. You took that theory to the next level!

Great to see it out in the light of day.

[Lexluther]

Found this the other day not sure how old it is, it is the first time I have seen it

Abandoned Car Mysteries Explained…Your Favourite Barn Finds Re-Visited - Gleems

Hope the link works
Cheers

[PeterAllen]

There is some dispute as to whether that car was purchased or purloined from the owner. As I understand it the car can only be traded in Europe, where it appears possession in 9/10ths of the law. If it's returned to the US it will be confiscated/impounded.

Regarding my project, I finally managed to get my wife to take a run up and down the street in the 350hp Ferrari 250 GTO shaped car. At the conclusion of the ride she made the following comment, "the seats are comfortable". I love that woman.

[PeterAllen]

The car had a bad knocking sound in the rear so I pulled the CVs apart to check the alignment of the spiders. They were okay but some of the balls were bare of grease. Following advice I re-greased the CVs and then hand worked them to ensure all operating surfaces were greased - never too old to learn. Result is no more knocking sound.

While I had the rear apart I decided to install some after-market LCAs, which I had delayed fitting as they used Rose joints. I don't really like such joints on road cars due to my durability concerns so I fitted bushed rod ends.

Stock 240Z LCA and after-market arm.


New arm in jig.


Using jig to set new bushed ends to basic configuration.


New ends fitted but there were some mating issues.


I skimmed 4mm off one face of each end.


Beautiful


I took the car up and down the street and gave it a 'bit of wellie', I came back inside and changed my undies.

[deano59]

looks great . i have no problem using heim joints on road cars if you see some of the stuff we put them thru at speedway and other motor racing forms i dont think ive ever had one let go on its own i may have torn some up is some big rollovers but like anything buy the quality ones you should not have a problem