My 1980 z7 turbo

I'll wont be happy until this beast is running and driving!

Been a real hectic month...finally made it out to the garage....found out my #5-6 merge hits the rag joint....hard to say wtf happened, but it's time to get rid of the rag joint...200 bucks for a new shaft is out of the question, so here's my solution:
1- $15 straight coupler
2- steering shafts
1- heavy wall tube





I still have to do the final fitting and welding.

Very nice, thats a pretty smart idea. Damn rag joints....

thanks....being on a very tight budget forces you to think outside of the box!!

Finished my homemade solid steering shaft....I should have cleaned splines better on the rack...the coupler got stuck, forcing me to do all of the welding on the car....not as pretty as I would have liked!...anyways, here it is.

I saved myself around $185 over what a new solid shaft sells for, or around $40 for what a u-joint coupler costs.

Finally finished driver side header...time for some paint!





They're not the prettiest....you're not going to see much of them once their painted and on the car.

That looks pretty darn good to me... good work!

Thanks.....I'm a little too picky sometimes......cool thing is, with the engine lifted, front lifted, these bad boys slide right in from underneath!

Installed shifter and cable.

I would like to see pics detailing your subframe connectors....

Aug wrote:

I would like to see pics detailing your subframe connectors....

I took pictures after I installed them....I didn't think about taking pics while I was building them.
They're constructed of 3/16" wall 2x2 tubing...I cut them to follow the contour of the floor.

Does the connector continue through inside the rear subframe, or do you just end it at the vertical part of the floor? If it continues, how did you finish it off inside the rear subframe?

That is done differently than others I've seen. You definitely have a different take on stuff. I like it. It gives me a different option compared to what I was thinking.

Thanks,
Mike.

Aug wrote:

Does the connector continue through inside the rear subframe, or do you just end it at the vertical part of the floor? If it continues, how did you finish it off inside the rear subframe?

That is done differently than others I've seen. You definitely have a different take on stuff. I like it. It gives me a different option compared to what I was thinking.

Thanks,
Mike.

The connectors don't go into the rear subframe....quite honestly, unless you cut the rear subframe open, there isn't much to weld to. I used a 3/16" plate as an anchor plate for my connectors, then added my 2x3 tube outriggers to tie into the rocker panels....later, this is where I will be welding the main hoop for the cage I will be installing. What I havent done yet is install the front outriggers to attatch the front part of the cage...sure beats welding plates to an uneven floor. Plus it's also more solid than welding to a floor. I'm not sure how fast this beast will ever be, but better to overbuild now then having to back and redo something that should have been done.

Headers are finally installed

Man, that a tight fit! But it looks pretty damn good for homemade headers.

So you wanna make me one for my 2.3?

fox81 wrote:

Man, that a tight fit! But it looks pretty damn good for homemade headers.

So you wanna make me one for my 2.3?

Thanks!.....I could probably whip up a 2.3 header in a few hours.....just send me a car with a 2.3 for mockup.

turbocharged or naturally aspirated?

underside shot of car showing collector placement....sorry for the crappy cell phone picture...camera died.

sorry...stupid computer is acting up and wont let me insert pictures