Z-TARD

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Maybe I'm just biased towards Enfields because I have one, I think everyone should have one The one thing that stands out for me with this rifle is the way it just naturally points to what you want to shoot at once you shoulder it, theres very little searching for the target once you get it up there. The SKS's I've shot didn't nearly have the same feel to them, although I can't really find anything negative to say about them either (other than the already mentioned "wandering zero" when they heat up). My No4 Mk1 consistently shoots in the 1.5"-2" range at 100 yds, not exactly benchrest quality, but comparable to most modern production hunting rifles.

I've always been a big fan of the Enfields, pound for pound probably one of the most fun rifles to shoot ever made. 10 rounds in a bolt action last quite a while. The action itself is the very definition of rugged simplicity, and is smoother than nearly all modern bolt action rifles made. (I would say ALL, but I'm sure there are some european guns that are probably just as smooth, the Sako TRG-21/42 comes to mind) The SKS is also a decent rifle, but I've always leaned more towards the AK-47 variants, which are pretty much the SKS in a more evolved and perfected configuration. See if you can find one of the newer romanian AK variants in single stack, low capacity mag configurations, I think they might be legal here in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia Mike

You should definitely be able to pull a vacuum off of the exhaust. It would be almost identical to the way a sand blaster works, high pressure gas forced over the top of a small diameter tube will create a suction, more velocity= higher suction. Strangely enough, this is also how the sewage system on a Spruance class destroyer works, 100 psi salt water is forced through a pipe fitting called an eductor, which is internally shaped to maximize the amount of vacuum created by the fluid forced through it. The eductor pulls vacuum from the top of the sewage tank, so that the tank is always under about 16 to 20 inches of vacuum, it'll suck a turd through several hundred feet of piping in about 3 seconds flat. So yeah, something similar to this should definitely be able to reduce internal crank case pressure It would be nice to hear from someone that has actually done this though, to see if there was any gain in Hp. Anyone? Mike

The rears are 10.5" with 27mm offset, fronts are 9" with 24mm offset. I'm not sure what that works out to as far as backspace, I'll check it later and post results. I'm running 1.5" spacers on the back now, with coilovers using 9" springs. I could pobably get 1" spacers in there and reduce the amount my wheels stick out, but the look is kinda growing on me. I think with some ZG flares it will look really aggresive and pissed off. If I were going to do this without the flares, I think that 9" with 245's in the rear and 8" with 235's would probably work without rubbing. I'll post some more pics once I get the flares figured out. Mike

I'd wait to cut it off until after you have some other kind of bracing welded in place. It might seem flimsy, but I'd bet it does a lot as far as adding rigidity to the front strut assembly. Project is definitely looking good though, keep posting pics You should paint it flat black, Mad Max drift car..... Mike

Looks like the modular pattern to me. I have a T45 trans. out of a 97 GT mustang that had the 4.6, and the bellhousing looks like the same configuration. Mike

Thanks for the compliments Davy. I'm still not completely decided on a final color yet, I'm leaning more towards orange at this point. Orange would look pretty menacing as well, kind of like the 432 Z's. I still have about 3/4" between the strut and rear tire, so i might even be able to stuff some 285 or 295 tires in there.......

double post

Heres a pic of the J-30 output flanges. Unfortunately I didn't count the splines when I had it apart, I'll have to pull one tomorrow to check. Looks very close though. Some pics of the outer end of those SE shafts would be nice Mike

Those would plug in in place of the 5 or 6 bolt flanges on the VLSD differential? What does the other end of those look like? I have a VLSD diff from an Infiniti J-30, this is getting interesting.....

The 17x7 wheels I had on it before just didn't quite cut it for me, I still found myself occasionally suffering from tire envy. The cure: Mustang Cobra R rims, 10.5" in back and 9" in front. Tires are 275/40ZR17 in rear and 245/40ZR17 in front. Ultra beefy. The rears protrude past the fender lip by about 1.5", the fronts by about 1", so it looks like a set of ZG flares will probably work out okay. The fronts rub a llittle on the lower valance when turning, so I'll have to figure that out before I get it on the road. The car looks kind of cartoonish for now, but I think once I get the flares and lower the suspension a little it will look a lot better. Anyway, heres the pics,

Most modern wheels will require a spacer in the rear anyway, so just drill the stub for 4.5"x5 (ford/nissan) and then get an adapter/spacer with the larger chevy bolt pattern. Mike

Building an entire belly pan might be a little labor intensive for such an undertaking. I'd suggest looking at the airflow characteristics of different types of spoilers: BRE, Whale Tale, Ricer Shopping Cart Handle, etc. Depending on the speed of the air in that thing, I suppose parts could be made from balsa wood or cardboard to reduce cost. A cardboard belly pan would be pretty easy to fab up. Maybe just loan the car to the class for a few days, along with some resaerch material concerning automotive areodynamics, and see what the students come up with. Sometimes a fresh perspective on things can make for some interesting solutions. Mike

Woops! I've got a set of these I'll be using on my engine, along with a CAT water pump. I checked all of them by hand, the fulcrums all pivot smoothly, no gritty feeling in the bearings. No cracks that I can see. They're supposed to be cast from 17-4 stainless. Mine are not rusty yet, and a magnet sticks to them so they do appear to be cast from a high carbon stainless of some sort. I'm actually pretty impressed with them, but the true test will be how well they hold up in an engine. I'll have mine together in a few months. I guess I'll be keeping a pretty close eye on my valvetrain Mike

Check these out:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7924566405&category=33624 These would be a lot more durable than aluminum, and the split ratio of 1.6/1.5 might be kinda cool. He has standard sets in his other auctions too. Hope this helps, Mike

They can pry my small block chevy from my cold, dead fingers Mike

One of us needs to buy this and make the ultimate frankenstien Z....... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7922154657&category=6783 Says it was gutted by fire, but the engine and drivetrain look pretty much intact, will probably need a new wiring harness, and all the little plastic junk.

Euro rail won't get you there, but if you get a chance to check out Palma (An island off the eastern coast of spain), do it. I've been to more countries than I care to remember, but Palma is one that sticks out in my mind as probably the coolest place on earth. Awesome beaches, food, nightlife. It's a major vacation spot for Europeans, so you'll have a chance to meet people from everywhere. Also, the ratio of women/men is pretty favorable as well Mike

I drive past this building nearly every day, and every day I think to myself: "That looks really familiar for some reason...." The building in question is pictured below, it is the Mormon temple in San Diego. Today it finally hits me, why this is so familiar, why it looks kinda out of place, and why it gives off a vauge "One of these kids is not like the others" kind of vibe. See lower picture for clarification. The model pictured above should be instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the 80's. It's the Gun Star spacecraft from the movie "The Last Starfighter". To me, the temple pictured above looks like two of these sitting side by side on a launchpad. Any of the conspiracy theory guys care to chime in on this one? Mike

It would be interesting to see how the 280Z hood vents function at speed. Sems like it would be a underhood pressure vs frontal windshield pressure battle. At certain speeds there might not even be any flow in either direction in or out of the hood vents. I think that for venting at speed, the vents should probably be positioned as far forward on the hood as practical so that they don't get any cowl induction effect from being to close to the windshield. Mike

I used to have one of those, it was signed by Spinal Tap. Had to sell it off to pay for my brainstem transplant

Wow. How much faster do you think it goes now?

Kinda like a galloping mutant condom....