primadonna z

Tire Rack, and MSA are definately 1st class companies. I would have to add Arizona Z Car to list as well.

If you want something soft under you feet regular carpet pad will work. If you want to control noise, get a speciality carpet pad that is high density damped foam, with a barrier.

The aluminum bubble pad has a claimed R value of 14, so it does a fairly good job as a thermal insulator. It will however do virtually nothing for noise, perticulary for low frequency (exhaust/road rumble). The effective way to deal with noise control in these cars is to use a product such as Dyna Mat, or Roadkill and cover exposed metal surfaces throughly. These damping sheets are highly effective at controling vibrational energy transmitted from the chassis to the lightweight ridgid body panels, the vibration effectively turns them into speakers. This treatment will get rid of a lot of the buzzes that you hear in the car. Low Frequency (exhaust/road rumble) noise control is different, and will require Mass. For our purposes Mass will be carpet pad. If you want to be effective the carpet pad should have a barrier material of dense elastomer material usually 1/2 or 1 pound per square foot, attached to a damped close cell urethane foam. Overall thickness of this material is about 3/8 of an inch, and is easy to work with. Using the damping sheet, the carpet pad, and a quality instalation will net you outstanding results. I have been buying this stuff from Novicon USA (www.noviconusa.com). Nice folks, and they have great prices.

Hi Sparks, You're correct SBC. Brandon, You've got great taste! Thanks for the kind words.

There were a total of 3 S30's built (red, Black, white). In the last year Jack has built the Primadonna Z32 convertible. This car is not available for production, again Jack just wanted something different. Jack has the desire to build a coupe, and we are discussing building a Twin Turbo for the launch of a new website that Carless, and I are working on called ZSUPERCARS.COM. I am attempting to put together the money, and secure a car for this project as we speak. As you can imagine the time, and cost associated with building any widebody car is immense. The body panel cost is nothing compared to the project cost. Total commitment is required (time,resources,$$) to any project of this magnitude. How many kit cars do you see available today that are unfinished, or at best slapped together awaiting someone else to finish. I have one, a Manta Mirage. Big V8 sitting mid-ship in a tube chassis. I bought it a couple years ago, and it's so close to being done. But everyday I think about selling it. Life has gotten in the way, my priorities are changing, the dream is fading. If I could just fire the thing up, and grab a couple gears, square of a corner things might be different. I have so much respect for those undertaking the IMSA widebody conversions on this site. They deserve all of the support we can offer, their task is daunting. As for anymore Primadonna S30's, the molds are no more. Hopefully the remaining cars will survive to carry on the legacy. I suspect that we'll see at least 1 more Z32, possibly 2. Jack's a hardhead, and when he sets his mind to something look out. From there......who knows?

If it wasn't for the cars, Jack would probably go down in history for what he got away with in that Apartment Complex parking lot. We were talking about it the other night, and laughing. Jack said "nobody ever bothered me, one guy even brought me a case of sand paper". Today if you were to yank the dog house off your car in a complex parking lot, they would probably call the SWAT team.

It appears we brought somebody out of hiding!

Pecker pump must work! He only had it a couple months and he's getting rid of the Ferrari.

Looks like the inside of a cab that I was in, when I was in Puerto Rico. Is that a bicycle speedometer in the center of the steering wheel?

Hi Guys, I have had a couple request for more information on the Primadonna's built in the late 70's/early 80's. This is the story, from JackAtkinson (Designer, Builder). I added the photo's to illustrate the story. There are hundreds more photo's but this should give you the idea. THE PRIMADONNA Z AN AUTO-BIOGRAPHY There has been a little debate and some misinformation over the years about the PrimadonnaZ. Since the dreamer of this creation does not talk much, I’ll fill anyone in who knows of its existence. Anyone who thinks they know how or why certain aspects of the design came to be are strictly speculating. Long before I was a Primadonna Z, I was just a 240Z. My name was ZBAIT. A name the dreamer gave me because nobody could catch me on the rolling hills above Redwood City, California where I lived. I was adopted in September of 1972 and it didn’t take long for him to start messing with me. At first, he said I needed just a little tweaking. However, in the early 70’s he used to take me to LagunaSeca and Sears Point Raceways to show me what I could be. He started me off with little bubble flares, an air dam and a rear spoiler. Strictly, off the shelf stuff. At first, I liked it but then at the next year’s races I saw these new flares on the Walt Maas Far Performance 240Z. We realized I would be hotter with this setup so the bubbles were popped off and I had a new look. We were happy for a couple more years when I noticed a change in him. He started showing a lot of interest in this thing called the 935. He told me how he fell in love with a German Boxer. I felt so inadequate. Then one day he stripped me down and said it could take a couple of years to rebuild me but when he was done, it would take 20 years for me to be fully appreciated. He was only 25 working on me outside of his apartment. He didn’t have a shop or a garage, just an aluminum box he built that he slipped me in. I fit like a glove and my box fit perfectly in his parking stall. He didn’t have fancy tools, not even a workbench, just worked off the curb. It was here where I was truly born. My designer and a young neighbor friend would sit for hours talking about how to make me the ultimate Z. Then one day he rolled me out of the metal box and fit me with the most exotic tires and wheels imaginable. I had an extended windshield, a huge whaletail and wing just like those 935’s. It was at this time he met his real love Yolanda and together they took me everywhere. I created quite a stir whenever I’d stop. Other makes were always trying to get a closer look on the road and their owners would wave, smile and try to make me go faster. I was a gunslinger. We were well known in the Z Owners of Northern California and were very active leading many other Z’s on tours from Oregon to Death Valley, California. Then things started to change. It was 1983 now. That’s when I saw my little sister for the first time. She had different hips, they were square. I was white and she was yellow. She was named Primadonna Z and her metal plates said Prima Z. Up until now, it was fun for everybody then we learned our owner was to sell clones of us to anyone that wanted to be ahead of his time. Little did we know another dreamer was looking for us. Never seeing a picture only hearing about the “Great White Z”. Then One day someone told this dreamer where he had seen the myth. He ran home, fired up his own creation and together they found us. Michael was his name and his car was a flat rusty red. Rusty must have been very upset because there was a deep roar coming from under his hood. Something called a V8 was lurking under there with a lot of other stuff I had never seen before. We became friends. Rusty would eventually look just like me, white, only with a lot more attitude. Jettlag was on his nameplate. By now, our bodies were very precise. Within a year, my yellow sister got a face-lift and became a real black beauty. In about 1985 the last change I received appeared. A new precise set of clothes, a stretched windshield, a whaletale without the wing and a flashy Mars Red paint job made me the sexiest Primadonna yet! That’s when my owner, designer and builder had to part with me and pass me on to another. A decision he would be saddened by. A year later, my black sister was adopted by Alan, a wonderful owner. So good, he still loves the black Prima Z after nearly 20 years. She’s in great hands! Michael kept Jettlag for another 14 years but in 2000, after 20 years, realized he could no longer give Jettlag the attention needed, he reluctantly parted with him. He also has felt the loss. Someone named Hoover took Jettlag never really loving or understanding what he had. With the help of the internet, Jettlag was sent off to a place called Tennessee to another Mike. Only this Mike cared less than Hoover. Jettlag had an uncertain future falling in disrepair with not much hope facing a slow death parked in the grass. Then a small miracle happened. Roger appeared. Not really knowing why, other than he had to rescue Jettlag. Jettlag was brought to Florida and is now being nurtured back to life. He’s in great hands with an owner who commands attention to detail and understands what he has. You say just a car! With Roger almost accidentally finding Jettlag, it led to him just as accidentally meeting the original dreamer and telling his story of how he found Jettlag. All of which brought two old friends back together again after many years. Jack and Michael after all have a lot in common and a lot of pictures and memories to share. Both realizing what they had and what they had lost. Epilogue The Primadonna Z was never intended to be a business, just a personal custom car and only from the evolution of creating it and using it, was the inevitable thought of duplication. With today’s acceptance of radical concepts there’s almost limitless possibilities. The Primadonna Z fits in with today’s concepts but 25 years ago, no one knew what Bling was! The last generation molds and jigs from the original design were sold to a friend in the early 90’s. Space being at a premium at home and our lives going in another direction, I thought they were in good hands. MilesGarcia saw the early stages of development to the last paint job. He wanted to keep the Primadonna alive. Unfortunately, he didn’t have “THE RIGHT STUFF” and after trying to re-sell the molds to the new owners, he inexplicably, without fully comprehending the consequences cut up, destroyed and dumped every piece. After nearly 9 years of designing, building and perfecting, the final ½ “ thick molds that were built to last and to perhaps make many parts, were history. Fortunately, not all art is treated this way. The only way the Primadonna can endure is if the current owners are smart enough to pull new molds or drive very carefully. Quite expensive but it’s the only insurance. I have just recently talked to Alan and he has done many Modifications to the black Prima Z car. Most to the engine and chassis. The body is pretty much unchanged. Roger has completely stripped his down for a complete rebuild with a lot of attention to detail including new paint. Again, the body is intact. The red car (formerly known as ZBAIT) has disappeared. I’ll only say that Vince cannot be located. The vin numbered was last registered in 1997 and the plates ZBAIT not in use and no record of it being salvaged. It may be just sitting under a cover in someone’s garage or yard and they don’t know what it is or what to do with it. Not everyone has the passion of RogerBerry or AlanPong. It’s my dream again to be reunited and own ZBAIT once more. The story of how MichaelOuellette’s car (Jettlag) left Hoover Chan (2nd owner) then eventually ending up clear across the country must be told by RogerBerry. Roger and Alan will be the key to the Primadonna survival, and I only hope who ever owns them in the future will keep them intact and their history alive and well. PRIMADONNA Z’S Original Designer and Builder Jack Atkinson - yojack1@aol.com 1st Owner 2nd Owner 3rd Owner 4th Owner Red (ZBAIT) Jack Atkinson, Vince ? California, California Black (Prima Z) Jack Atkinson, Alan Pong California, California White (Jettlag) Michael Ouellette, Hoover Chan, Mike Hill, Roger Berry California, California, Tennessee, Florida Actually there's a whole lot more to the story. Since I met Jack, and we went through all of this. He was bitten by the bug again, and has since built a Primadonna Z32 widebody. If anyone has any interest in a continuation of the story to the new car, let me know. Pictures of the new car can be seen @ Webshots Community - yojack1 Hope you enjoyed!

That is soooo FUNNY!!

The givens must change - 125# Kentucky lass is okay but 1000# worth of red neck and vehicle should be 800#, 200# for each manslaughter potential redneck & 400# for the vehicle. Tractive effort is Fn(fc). Normal force times traction coefficient. Normal force @ rear wheel = 400#(.6)(vehicle 40%front/60%rear split) + 200#/2 (dumb driver front/rear split – 50%) + 200# (dumb cut-her-loose person who is over rear wheel) = 540# = Fn. fc of .8 is reasonable for rubber knobby tires on grass. Tractive force would be 432# if we agree (But you are the boss after all!). Now, as the buggy stretches the bungee the bungee starts to lift the rear of the buggy. When that lift diminishes normal force so lateral component of the bungee pull matches available traction, the buggy’s wheels spin and the buggy stalls. This is a looooooong example – To solve this properly we need the spring rate of the bungee and I can’t find that. That’s what allows us to calculate the bungee angle. Please read on. . . If the buggy gets 400# of pull laterally, then at a 15 degree angle (I made this up) the bungee is lifting with 103# force which diminishes normal force to 437#(540# – 103#)and with a friction coefficient of .8 the buggy is only capable of 349# pull. The buggy would have wheel spin already. That’s why the buggy does this mad dash, it needs momentum to get more pull than going slow would allow! The video shows the back end of the buggy lifting (watch it again). So assuming 400# pull is a reasonable achievement, then the instantaneous acceleration @ release is Ax = F/M = 400#/3.88 slugs (125#/32.2) = 103 ft/sec2 G’s is 103’/sec divided by acceleration of gravity (32.2) and that would be 3.2 g’s. The video show’s looks like a little more than this, but not much.

Few years ago doing an engine swap we get to the point where it's time to start it, and dial it in. We fire this engine and it starts fine, but has this bizarre tickin sound. It's consistant with engine RPM, but this ticking is FAST! Well were all standing around listening, reving the engine, and trying to figure out where this sound is coming from. About then one of the guys turns white, and is pointing down at front of the engine. Seems when we were setting the distributor, because of all of the crap on the front of the engine I went below and used a ratchet on the damper bolt to bring it to TDC. You guessed it, I never took the ratchet off. When you'd rev the engine the ratchet would actuall levitate from the 6:00 position though.

Yea......Problem solved!

Maybe this will help as well. http://zlalomz.googlepages.com/imsazflarecomparisonredo

Hey Jon, They are chop. If you are going to add some glass, do yourself a favor and mount them the way you want them first. Without the original mold to put them in during the build-up process you're guaranteed a mess.The flares will more than likely be twisted, and your arch wrong. Currently you have the benefit of a lot of flexibility for getting a nice fit. Get them mounted first. Then get some glass on them. Once you have some glass on them, and it has cured, you can remove them and build them up more if you want. It will be harder, and sloppier to do it this way. But it will be alot cleaner in the end. It's one of those "pay me now, or pay me later" scenerios. Good Luck

Sent PM

I am wanting to do a small simple website, and am looking for someone knowledgeable to help me with the design, and posting process. Thought I would start the search with my brothers here. I really don't know anything about getting started. I have secured ZSUPERCARS.COM as the address. My intent is to have a small informational site featuring a bunch of wild, and unusual Z cars. The basis of the site would be to focus on the Z car and IMSA, SCCA, roadracing, autocross, and perhaps rally cars. I also want an area to post various shows/events around the country that my be of interest. I go to all kinds of shows/events and seldom see a Z car, but I have a great time, attract attention to the Z car, and meet a lot of people. If anyone has an interest, please let me now. I want to get started. Thanks, Roger

Hi Guys, In the March issue of Hot Rod Magazine, there are 6 pages dedicated to aerodynamics, and wind tunnel testing. Pretty intresting stuff. They outline some mods that "almost always work" as well as some that "doesn't really matter".

Sure, you can transition to round at any time. Notice I transitioned back to round just past the rear axle carriage.

Here is an example of Jack Atkinson's Z32 undergoing the widebody transformation. In this case aluminum AC tape was put on the body panels. Foam was then glued in place, and carved to the desired shape. Once you get close to the desired shape,Aluminum tape is put on top of the foam, and skim coated with body filler. Sand, block, fill, and prime this skim coat until you have exactly what you want your finished product to look like. Spend the time here, it will make a much nicer finished product. Once you have exactly what you want, mold release the surface and make your molds. Hope it helps.

A couple thoughts. I assume that you are taking the wheel apart and basically reassembling backwards (using your outer barrel on the inside, and likewise) in which case you just moved your valve stem inboard. This will require welding the valve stem hole, and make another in the new outer. Otherwise, you'll probably knock the valve stem off with the caliper the 1st time you move the car. Be aware that some 3pc mfg's (ie: BBS for one) use different thickness materials for inner and outer barrels. If your just flipping the wheel around somehow (scarey), or if you remove the tires to do the swap method, make sure you maintain the same tire rotation direction. Ply seperation is not uncommon after rotational direction changes.

From the looks on their faces, I don't believe the tree's are enjoying it either. Do they bite?