Leon

Cross-posting isn't allowed here...

Nice! It would be interesting to compare maps once you've finished tuning.

Interesting... Any Ortiz newsletters on this?

I will say that the E36 M Coupe is also a fantastic car and reminds me of the S30, except with a lot more refinement. I almost got one but maintenance and price drove me away. I haven't driven a Z3 Roadster so can't comment there. Now that I think about it, an E36 M3 fits the bill great! Find a '98 and call it close enough. I'm 6'2", 200lb and fit nice and snug. I sit a bit high though but there is space to drop the seat down an inch with custom brackets. I've had no issues with heel-toe downshifting, you have to realize it's set up for heavy braking rather than heel-toeing on the daily commute (which I love to do anyway ). Now Miatas are just absolutely tiny, no way do I fit in those!

It really doesn't matter. This isn't an F1 car. A tiny change in unsprung weight isn't going to be noticeable. The valving of those dampers is not that accurate, and again, this is not F1.

Let me know, because I'm coming with you!

This is, unfortunately, the reason why I went to 16s. Tire options are very limited in 15" and smaller rim sizes, as you've noticed. Getting a summer performance tire close to the stock diameter is pretty much impossible unless you go to at least 16" wheels. Luckily 225/50-16 is a common tire size and it fits my Z without rolling using 16X7 Panasports, which I'm guessing have a slight positive offset (+6mm or so). I've been searching for wheels to put on my other Z, but it's tough to find 16" rims that look "right" on the Z and have the correct offset. If we had better tire options, I'd be all for getting 14s and 15s.

Sounds like you've never driven an S2000. I can change that. I think the price is very reasonable for what you get, but I got mine at the start of 2012 so they may be a bit more expensive now. Still, an advertised price is not typically the sale price. I looked at a few cars before I got mine and could've had an AP1 w/ 80k miles for $10k (clean title but had dents and needed some maintenance). I think you can still find a nicely taken-care of AP1 for $10k. It'll have over 100k miles but with good maintenance it'll go for another 150-200k. It's a typical Honda in that department. But enough of me trying to talk it up. It's a great car and if you can find one in good shape close to $10k, it may be worth at least checking out to see what you think.

Great minds think alike! Although I have no idea how you fit in there. I'm 6'2" and I'm looking into getting lower seat rails to be more comfortable and not have to duck down to see traffic lights. This is with an OEM hardtop which already gives me another inch or so of headroom. A "wider" person will have trouble fitting the bolstered seats and getting in and out can be difficult. With that said, it's a small sacrifice (for me) to make for such a fantastic car!

Hands down, a Honda S2000. To me, it is an evolution of the S30 (MUCH more so than the 350Z) as it's a raw, firm, minimalist sports car designed for just that. It's not a car based on some econo-car chassis but engineered from the beginning to be what it was going to be, a sports car. It impresses the hell out of me because not only does it perform, but it's also reliable and gets decent mpg! I've had mine for over a year and I've kept a spreadsheet tracking all costs. I've only done basic maintenance and gas, and I'm averaging 28mpg.

Engine braking should not be difficult to tune-in, and should not change WOT power output. I bet if they retarded your spark timing at very high vacuum and high rpm, you'll get all the engine braking you need. I would clarify with the tuner exactly how they're trying to tune-in engine braking...

Sweeeet! I'm in just to hear them!

I also agree, that Z looks like it's already on lowering springs. BTW, good luck finding decent tires in those sizes!

I did the same thing earlier this year. I'm only on my 4th Z-car but it was the most expensive one yet - $5k for an early 260Z roller that was almost finished but not quite. Came with literally a ton of great parts. Ok, I didn't weigh them all but I wouldn't be surprised. After adding it up, it was a fantastic deal. No way I could've gotten that car to where it is with anything near $5k. My god, I was wondering when I'd hear this. I need to make a trip to Tony's yard, ASAP!!!

Great job Matt (and Jim)!

Now you're on to the fun part!

My bet is on an electrical connector getting damaged, destroyed, or left disconnected during the exhaust install. Did you have a header put in? That's a more involved job than just replacing the exhaust pipe and something could've easily been left off or knocked loose.

Mustache bars pop up here and elsewhere, usually $50-75 a piece. Same deal for the diff side stub axles. If you already have the driveshaft that came with the T5/R200 combo, all you need is the mustache bar and axles to complete the swap.

Good! I'm not much of a steak fan but I'm always down for some sushi or Thai food.

I bought these rims from a guy in Livermore so I hope that they're not actually your brother's stolen wheels! See you there, Jim.

There's a ton of great advice here, and you (along with any other young and future engineers) will get some serious benefit out of re-reading this thread a few times! I will add one little thing regarding your search for a summer job, put yourself in a position where not only can you learn a few things that'll pertain to what you want to do but also to network with people that can get you into the right places. For a while, I naively thought that most people get jobs by finding an opening and submitting a resume... It's way easier to lock down a position by knowing someone who knows someone.

So you charge it with a battery charger and it loses it's charge by the next day? Replace the battery.

I don't understand changing cams just to get a sound. I bet you'd be satisfied with a header and duals. My Z has a stock cam, triples, header, and dual pipes:

Nice man, by ambitious I mean you're getting big jobs done quick. I love that you're bringing the orange car back to life, can't wait to see it! BTW, damn Ray, you have quite the "collection".

FWIW, A 225/50-15 is 23.9" tall, not 24.7".