Z-TARD

72 240Z w/ 383 chevy small block and T-56 trans. Located in San Diego, CA 78 280Z stock L-28 Located in Tucson, AZ I would be interested in improving the high speed areodynamics of the car, maybe a more modern looking body kit than what is currently available.

My wife recently purchased a new 05' Civic (I tried to talk her into getting a 350Z, but to no avail). Before leaving the dealership with it, they went over some of the maintenance requirements with us. I didn't really pay attention to most of it, because it's a Honda, and I plan on driving the tires off of it. The one tid bit I did happen to catch though, is that I'm not supposed to change the oil in this thing for the firrst 10,000 miles. Evidently there are "conditioners" in the oil that need lots of run time to soak into the metal. I realize that with synthetic oils, I can get away with changing the oil well beyond the 3,000 mile mark, but isn't this a bit excessive? My standard break in procedure with new cars is to run them for the first 500 miles with whatever crap oil they came with, and then change it with a high quality synthetic. The thought of running it for 20 times that long without an oil change makes me cringe. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Mike

It would probably be a good idea for more of us to post over there, I think any forum with the name Wangan Midnight should have a Z car majority. From what I've seen so far, it also looks like they could use a lot more of our gearhead expertise over there. Maybe with a little intervention on our parts, it will become a site more like HybridZ as opposed to one of the "other forums". Maybe after seeing some of our cars over there, the guys with mustangs and neons on that site will trade them in on 1st gen Z cars..... Probably just wishfull thinking. Mike

Ummmm....That kind of statement wont make a whole lot of friends for you on this site, considering that there is an entire board on here devoted to just such a swap.

I like this one too, concerning the swap of a sr20 into a 280: "you need to move the engien forward quite a bit because its much lighter than the cast iron L6 thats in the 280z." Hmmmmm.... I'd mount it to a pylon that extends about 12 feet in front of the car just to be sure. Mike

I can pick out a few: The rear fender arch looks very close, as does the tail light area. The wheel arches look really close, I bet a set of ZG's would bolt right on. The rear quarter window is almost the same shape, just twice as large.

Sounds like most days in the Navy, except we can't get fired for having an attitude, and we can't quit either. My only question is how do you plan on grunting out an entire meal through the little slot in the suggestion box? I'm lactose intolerant, so when I eat ice cream the end result is that I can shat through a keyhole at 50 paces. My advice is to find the foodgroup that accomplishes this for you and give that little box hell. Put me down for a $20 Paypal donation as well upon mission completion. Mike

Sweet! That should keep the freezer stocked up for a while.

Thanks! The only bad part about finishing a project like this is that now I feel like making another one, and another, and another..... How did your elk hunt go? Mike

Pretty close, it's an older Nokia from back when they first started putting cameras in cell phones. I think the model just prior to mine used 35mm film... If it had a 4 foot whip antenna on it, it would be a dead ringer for the old Vietnam era field radios. Sometimes when I'm stuck in freeway traffic I do get the urge to use it to call in an airstrike for napalm.

I wonder if they make them in an 8" version to go on the end of the Folgers coffee cans I plan on installing on my 240......

My regular digital camera isn't talking to my computer anymore, so I had to take this picture with my cell phone. This is my newly finished 1911 built on a KT Ordnance 80% complete frame. Slide is the 6" longslide from STI. Nowlin barrel, various manufacturers (too many to remember) on the internals. Total build was less than $700, and I would feel pretty confident putting this one up against any of the $2000+ high end 1911's currently on the market. The project was quite a learning experience, but not all that difficult. For anyone with some mechanical aptitude wanting a kick *** 1911, this is the cheapest and most rewarding way to go. Mike

The P-2000 pictured above probably breaks down a lot like their USP series pistols. Pop out the slide release and pull it apart into 4 parts: Slide, Barrel, Spring assembly, and Frame. My USP is the easiest gun to clean that I own. The mags load all 10 rounds without too much thumb fatigue. I don't own a Glock, so I can't compare the loading experience between the two. I've always liked the HK pistols more than the Glocks because of the more conventional exposed hammer design, along with a slick single action trigger pull. Having said that though, I don't think any pistol currently made (Even SIG, with the exception of the new GSR) can outperform a properly set up 1911 as far as accuracy, ergonomics, and function are concerned. Begin flame war....... Mike

Done. Do I get a T-shirt now? Mike

The rear quarter panels are different due to the bumpers. The 240 and early 260 have a slight depression that the smaller bumper sits in after it wraps around the side of the car. The 280's rear quarters are flush. The 280 also has bigger "chin" pieces that make up the lower nose portion of the car. These are bigger due to both the larger crash bumpers, and the revised location of the turn indicators to the center grill area. As far as extrnal sheetmetal goes, those are the most significant differences between the two. Mike

Personally, I'd be worried about any build on a Z that was done for profit. Typically, these are not exactly what one would call a profitable project. I definitely wouldn't expect any frills or extra shiny things on it Unfortunately, I've never heard of anyone in the area that builds Z's. Best of luck though, Mike

Wow, that would have to be one reliable pistol to ingest the rounds backward and still fire. No compromise indeed..... I'll have to try that out with my USP .45. Expect my next few posts to come from the critical care ward at the local hospital. LOL. Mike

Ditto that. That movie still creeps me out. Everything about that film was perfect: music, setting, special effects, story line, everything.It has a pretty strong cult following to this day. Probably only a matter of time before they make a lame remake or sequel starring Dean Cain. Mike

Try these guys. http://stores.ebay.com/VertexNow_Bends_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQftidZ1QQpZ2QQtZkm I bought all my stainless bends and tube from them for my exhaust. Pretty cheap, and good quality. Mike

For some reason, I feel the urge to tip over a 55 gallon can of kerosene under it and light it up. My only concern is that it might not be enough kerosene.

The shining is probably not too shocking by todays standards, but there are definitely a few scenes in there that are not in keeping with the feel good atmosphere depicted in that trailer... Let us know how it goes Mike

Ha Ha Ha , thats awesome. Makes it look like an Adam Sandler movie. Too bad that wasn't the original trailer for the film, imagine the shock on the audiences face as blood starts cascading down the hallway "What the hell? I thought this was a feel good movie...." My new mission in life is to find someone who has never seen, read, or heard of the shining, and show them that trailer followed by the full movie. [insert evil laughter] Mike

Thanks for the support guys. I'd have to can her if you guys didn't approve Eventually I suppose she will get used to the Z-Tard last name.... Mike

Well, after 5 long years of going out, I finally broke and allowed myself to be dragged into a chappel I tried to compromise and opt for the drive through wedding service in Vegas, but she was more persistant and we ended up doing it at the Mandalay Bay. I tried to talk her into doing it in jeans and a t-shirt also. You can see how well that worked out.....[mushiness] Seriously though, I'm very excited to see what the future holds for us, and am glad to have finally settled down with a woman that I love very much.[/mushiness] I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Z-Tard:

"Properly modified" is the key term here. Unfortunately I didn't really know what the hell I was doing when I did the feed ramp on mine, and took off a little too much metal. I had to chamfer the edge of the chamber quite a bit to make up for the metal I took off the feed ramp. I'm afraid if I chamfered it any more, the case might not have enough support which could lead to ruptures. Not good. I've chalked this one up as a learning experience, which I didn't repeat with my KT Ordnance build. Thanks for the tip about the empty cases. I never heard of that before, but it makes sense. An empty case is like the ultimate hollow point. One of these days when I'm in NM, we should get together and blow some stuff up Mike