[Ian K]

Hi Malc,

IIR, the Southern GT rear cradle is designed for an inverted ZF (well, as we all should
know by now, it is a normally oriented ZF, but since most ZFs are now ZF-2s for
Panteras ...).

Other reasons to go with the Southern GT cradle is the improved suspension geometry,
so I have already figured on that route (as well as just getting a Southern GT chassis
if a second hand GTD is not available when I make the plunge). However, my concern
is that the UN1 boxes have the drive shaft joints sitting below the input shaft. In a lowered
engine/cradle set up, this might cause the drive shaft angles to be oriented less than
optimally. Flipping the UN1 (as with the Porsche G50 series and ZFs to a lesser degree)
appears to align the joints and level the shafts somewhat.

So, it boils down to what I wind up with. If I start from scratch, than probably a Southern
GT with ZFQ since that appears to be the "native" set up. If I go the GTD route, the
upgrade to a Southern GT rear cradle is high up on the list. Right up there with working
with whatever transaxle it comes with (if any). The 6 spd UN1 upgrade sounds very
appealing due to the compact design and the lower cost as compared to a ZF/ZFQ or
G50 series box.

Ian