Leon

Did you have your exhaust done at Exhaust Works in Belmont? Looks just like the twice pipes that Todd built me a few years ago.

Hey Bill! Will do, but I'm not expecting any surprises. I did a test-fit with the Bilsteins tonight and looks like everything is kosher. I learned about the DP plates through this forum, there are a good number of guys running them. Here's the website (prices are not up to date, FYI): http://dpracing.co/ Don was great to deal with.

Correct, no cutting or welding required, straight bolt-in. That's why I went with the DPs! They're very nice pieces, pricey but worth it. FWIW, they aren't direct replacements for the stock upper strut mount. You need coilovers to use them as the spring seat is for a 2.5" spring.

Got a set of camber plates from DP Racing to top it all off. Pun intended.

Thanks Jim, I know you're a fan of incremental changes and the scientific process yourself! I hear you on the modern car comparison. I'd love for the Z to handle like an S2000 but that's no easy feat. I'll do my best to get it close. I will document the process and would love to have you come by! I can give you a heads up as far as when I'm planning to do the work.

It's official, booked the tickets! We'll be going from 11/21-12/6. Now the real planning begins! I'll be sure to review this thread as we make plans, feel free to throw out any more suggestions if you have any. Thanks!

Nice find John!

Which could probably be attributed to the fact that most people who cut coils don't close the ends, as posted above.

Typical coil springs have closed ends, meaning there are 2 inactive coils. From pictures found here, Tokico 280Z springs have 8 turns and 6 active coils. Using k1=185lb/in, n1=6 coils, n2=5 coils, and k2 is the unknown: k2 = k1*n1/n2 k2 = 222 lb/in This is a 20% change, which is a bit more than "not very much".

Cutting springs definitely affects spring rate, no matter whether they're linear or progressive. When cutting a progressive spring, the amount of spring rate change is dependent upon which coil you cut.

Chris, Have you had a chance to drive the car with the Bilsteins yet? Wondering how they feel without the re-valve. Thanks!

I doubt it's valve timing or head gasket. Your compression test and coolant pressure test eliminates the HG. Valve timing would affect all cylinders. Have you tried a power balance test, disabling one cylinder at a time and noting RPM drop? That may give you clues as to the offending cylinder and if it follows the carb. To me, it sounds like you've narrowed it down to the carb being the issue since the plug fouling moved when you moved the carb. Twisted throttle shaft also came to my mind, as well as some other mechanical issue with the carb, e.g. leaky starter circuit, leaking accel pump, etc.

Possibly an internal leak, such as the starter circuit? My knowledge is based on Webers, I haven't touched Mikunis but if they have similar starter circuit pistons I'd look there.

Excellent, muahaha!

Welcome to my neighborhood! I like the GG Park suggestion (the Academy of Sciences is a must if you're at the park) and Lands End is beautiful as well. Walking the Golden Gate Bridge is awesome too especially on a nice, clear day. The rest probably depends on how you like spending time when you travel. If you like touristy places, you can walk up Telegraph hill to Coit Tower, drive down Lombard, walk around Pier 39, reserve an Alcatraz tour (if they're not already sold out), etc. If you like baseball, I'd highly recommend catching a Giants game, the ballpark is awesome. If you want to do less touristy stuff and hang out in local spots, I'd walk around the Marina and catch lunch at one of the cafes. Crissy Field is nearby as well. You can rent bikes from Sports Basement and ride around 'til you can't anymore! Since you'd be close to the Golden Gate Bridge, you could rent bikes and ride across instead of walking if you feel like climbing some hills initially. Fort Funston is a fun beach walk and is also dog-heaven if you guys like dogs. For a twistier driving experience, head to Vermont street on Potrero Hill instead of Lombard. If you want to head outside of SF, drive some sweet roads and catch a delicious and relaxing lunch, go to Alice's Cafe at 4-Corners (Hwy 84 & 35). It's a well-known hangout for bike riders and car guys. If you want quiet and peaceful, go during the week. If you want to see some action and meet a bunch of like-minded people, head up on a weekend. There's a ton of stuff to do, honestly. If you have any questions, just send me a PM or give me a call at 650-438-0224! I'd be happy to have you come by my place and talk Zs for a minute or two if you'd be so inclined. I work at Sears Point/Infineon/Sonoma Raceway so you're free to come by for lunch sometime and check out the shop as well. I'm camping 7/25-27 but will be back home Sunday night.

Hey Jim, good to hear from you! The Bilsteins are easy to source as they're designed for the Mk1 VW Rabbit and readily available, unlike the Z-specific ones. It's the gland nuts that are hard to find. The gland nuts make it essentially a plug-and-play deal. The car has some sort of old-school coilovers with unknown spring rates. The plan is to remove the springs and measure stiffness, and then dyno the shocks to establish a baseline as well as to see if they'll need revalving to match the car. Lucky for me, there's a great shock shop right by my work that can revalve Bilsteins! We also have a home-made shock dyno at our shop in case I want to go crazy.

I'll admit I had to look him up. At least one of his bikes is on display in Wellington! Credit goes to Wikipedia...

Suspension geometry will change, but you won't lose any bump travel.

Thanks Takashi! I'll let you know if I need it.

Ah, I forgot to ask for it! I was planning on stopping by a shock shop by my work to see if they have it or can source one. Where did you get yours?

The shocks have arrived! I made sure to test-fit the gland nut onto a strut housing to make sure it's correct. I got the part number from John Coffey, thanks again John. Got the whole setup from AJUSA, who were fantastic to deal with!

Thanks guys! Seeing if I can get 2 weeks off from work (just took a week last week). We're looking at going around Thanksgiving time (last week of November, first week of December). I'm liking the idea of focusing on one region and exploring it. Mmm, XR6...

http://www.amazon.com/Brake-Handbook-Fred-Puhn/dp/0895862328

I'm curious if the ignition settings differ between your MS1 and MS2 setups, whether the difference be in the software or hardware. I'm not very knowledgeable with MS, not yet at least, so unfortunately I can't be of much help outside of general stuff.

Very nice! Reminds me of Clive's old LS Z.