Racer Z

Drove it . . . real fast . . . on the track at Chuckwalla Raceway in So Cal. First time at this track and I got to say it is a fun track. The Z had three drivers for this two day event and performed well, no problems at all. Our rear disc brake mod seems to work very well.

Did the final prep for an upcoming road racing event at Chuckwalla in a few weeks. Changed the oil/filter Lubed the four lube points Checked the under-carriage for loose nuts/bolts Washed it in & out Bled the brake for the purpose of getting fresh fluid into the slave cylinders After that the best thing happened. We sold an engine block and some other stuff. I needed the cash and we needed the space in the shop.

Took some loose tires and rims to the tire shop to have them mounted and balanced in preparation for an event in May. In May we're going to Chuckwalla for a two day road race event.

Those things happen even to the most experienced. Instead of being pissed and frustrated, turn it (your view) around into a learning experience. "I learned so much! " is way better than, "I made all these mistakes " We all make mistakes. Some of us learn from our mistakes. I keep on learning. Sometimes I learn the same thing, again and again. LOL

Did some bench racing. I won Put some new rear pads in the Z. Did some more bench racing. I lost

Nice Fiat. My Lady has a red 500 Lounge with a red top. A really sweet car to drive.

Could be oil burning off. Could be tired rings or a rich carb mix. I've been Time Trialing for six years or so and the more common smell is hot tires and hot brake pads. Slipping clutches smell just like hot brakes. You're pushing your car way past it's design limits, so it will get hot and create smells you're not used too. We always get a cool down lap after a session to let things cool off before parking it. Be sure to NOT set the parking brake in the pits. That won't allow the rotors to cool evenly and will cause the rotors to warp. We've been plagued with heat related brake problems so I finally bought some temperature sensitive paint. Our front rotors got up to 1600 degrees. The pads turned ash white and cracked. Most definitely time to run some cooling ducts.

Slicker than snot. I would be very happy to have it in my Z.

So you and the Miata driver actually learned something about car control. Kind of hard to learn how to drive when the car does all the driving. Sounds like you had a grand old time, learned something and had fun learning it. I've been Time Trialing my 240Z for about four years now and my Dad's Alfa a couple of years before that. Although I don't like being wet and cold, a wet track can be a fun track and the time to learn "real" car control. The first time I got my Z on the track I was amazed at how neutral she felt and how well mannered she was. We had her corner weighted while she was bone stock and found that 51% of the weight is on the front axle. Don't need a mid-engine car to have a neutral handling car.

The wires generally do not fail. The more common problem with old cars is dirty switches and connections. And of course the PO (previous owner) that fixed the wiring harness with a chain saw.

It's been way to long since I voiced myself. As my brother said some time back, we got the engine and trans installed. Then we finished our rear disk brake conversion. Fixed up our new-old trailer. Put the car on the trailer and went racing. Pete drove and I was pit crew this time. The engine, trans and brakes worked well as did the rest of the car, so I got to relax and watch the races. Pete finished second in his class loosing to a Miata by a tenth of a second. And that's what we've been doing with our Z Car.

Always check the little things before diving into big things. I've know more than one guy that bought a new carburetor cause his car didn't run to later find out it was just out of gas.

Haven't done much to mine in a while. Life has forced other things to become a higher priority The engine and trans are still sitting on the floor waiting to go back in . . . several months later. Found a good deal on a trailer (car carrier) to haul the Z to the track with. Managed to drag that home without incident. It's been sitting for about 15 years so it needs some work before it's usable.

39 ??? You got room to turn around and fart?

Had I wanted a car with a V8, I would have bought a Camero. Actually, my F250 has a 390 in it, so I do have a V8. lol The L24 is a great little motor with a neat sound and plenty of potential.