Messages

196

General Discussion / Re: What's it worth, untouched Cortez silver 69 RS Z

« on: August 02, 2016, 03:52:44 PM »

Wow! At what point do you just sell off the few decent parts and let mother nature finish what she started with the rest of it.

John

197

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 30, 2016, 03:12:31 PM »

I think the tech guy messed up.  JE literature says the 123567 piston uses the original ring sizes as mandated by NHRA, which would be 5/64.

The newer style JE/SRP pistons use the 1/16 rings.

198

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 28, 2016, 02:18:04 PM »

Thanks, that was a nice comparison picture (for a little while anyway).

I ordered those same pistons.

John

199

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1972 Road America Trans Am

« on: July 27, 2016, 10:24:50 PM »

Thanks for the link to the car Bill.  23 certainly looks a lot different now, but I don't know how much of its life it spent in lavender.

You know you can copy the picture above and save it to your files,  or are you wanting the actual photograph?

John

200

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1972 Road America Trans Am

« on: July 27, 2016, 12:49:13 AM »

Wow awesome shot! Yes #23 is Duane Winkel's car in it's lavender color scheme. Love the family nearby and the early EZUP. Duane was sponsored by a body shop at the time and the paint job was part of the sponsorship.

I met with Duane last month for the very first time. We spent four hours together talking about "back in the day". He filled me in on the history of the car and how he got started in racing. One of his comments will stick with me forever. He said "how could such an insignificant car be so significant!".

Bill Godwin
current caretaker of #23

That's great that you were able to actually meet and talk to him.....happy to hear that not only the car is still around, but so is he!

Any current pictures of 23 available??  I am assuming it is no longer lavender?

Thanks,  John

201

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 26, 2016, 07:51:05 PM »

Great.  Exactly what I was looking at!

Thanks,  John

202

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1972 Road America Trans Am

« on: July 26, 2016, 03:50:54 PM »

I think it's great that many of these cars still exist!

John

203

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 26, 2016, 01:07:37 PM »

Thanks for the info X33RS, especially the numbers!

Did you use the SRP series?

204

Trans-Am Camaros / 1972 Road America Trans Am

« on: July 26, 2016, 02:33:10 AM »

We took a family trip to Elkhart Lake, Wis. in 72 for the Trans Am race when I was 16.
Here's a few of the decent pics I took with my cheapo Kodak camera.  These pics don't compare to most of the incredible pictures in this section, but I thought I'd share what I have.
The actual racing pictures are too small and distant looking to be of any value.
Other than the "0" Firebird T/A, I don't know who belongs to any of these cars.  I have recently seen the "87" Camaro in vintage races on tv.
Still have the program from the race.
















My biggest thrill was while watching the crew working on one of the cars, they asked if I'd roll one of the tires over to them to install on the car.    I never forgot that.

205

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 26, 2016, 01:07:56 AM »

Thanks for the link Jerry.  I was having trouble finding them on their site.  From your link I see I needed to click on NHRA.

Yes, everything I've read sounds like JE makes good stuff.  I think it will come down to either the 123567 or the JE/SRD 202890.

Thanks,  John

206

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 25, 2016, 09:49:41 PM »

Thanks!  Let me see what I can find out about those.

John

207

General Discussion / Re: 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 25, 2016, 02:31:54 PM »

That would give you a 350 CI engine.  In some of the posts I was reading they indicated you could change the rod length to compensate for the different wrist pin location of the 350 piston, use 350 pistons (more choices), and still end up at 302 CI.

208

General Discussion / 302 Replacement Pistons

« on: July 25, 2016, 01:16:26 PM »

I'm looking at doing a 302 +.030 rebuild and going to buy a set of pistons.  There was a good thread on this a few years ago discussing the various pistons available, but it looks like piston choices have really narrowed in the last few years.  It looks like you can change rod lengths and use 350 pistons, which have more choices, but if I stay with a 5.7" rod, the choices I'm seeing are hypereutectic or the JE/SRP forged.

I don't really want to go hypereutectic, and I have no problem with the JE/SRP piston, I'm just wondering what others have done (if anybody has done any recent rebuilds), or if I'm missing something in my searches.

JE offers the pistons and rings along with some nice looking MLS head gaskets in various thicknesses (.027, .030, .039, .051").

One goal I have is to keep the compression UP!  11.0:1 at least.

I plan to run the stock 30-30 cam.

Thanks for any info/opinions.

John

209

Original Cars and Details / Re: JohnZ's '69 Z/28

« on: July 23, 2016, 03:29:43 AM »

Thanks for the info.  I thought I read every word of the thread, but obviously I missed that sentence.
It takes cars like this to understand the option descriptions.  Looking at cars on ebay, etc., so many changes have taken place over the years that most of those cars are a poor reference as to what was original and what wasn't.

Thanks again,  John

210

Original Cars and Details / Re: JohnZ's '69 Z/28

« on: July 22, 2016, 01:37:44 PM »

Beautiful car for sure!  It's so nice to be able to see these rare unmolested cars after all the years that have passed.
I'm trying to study some of these option packages and learn the details of them.  Since this car is an X33, it has the Z21 style trim option (I think).
Are the door edge guards somehow part of that?, or a separate option?, or maybe just a dealer add-on?
Also from what I gather the Z21 should have the rear quarter louver accents and it looks like maybe this car doesn't have them?  The side view wasn't direct, so I may not be seeing them.

Help a newbie out!