RebekahsZ

Hey Xnke - with 17X7s, did you have to cut the airdam and front fender to clear the tire when turning? What size tire did you mount on that?

Congrats! See you Sunday afternoon? EastTNz, you bringing the beer?

Install an R160, then your half shafts will be fine. If something is gonna break, the diff is the best option.

Dragzine? What kind of magazine is that? Sounds a lot like Drag Queen to me. All that talk about "the zesty sauce..." JK-very cool.

I'm no expert, but I love to bench race as much as anybody, so here goes. When it comes to tires, there is no such thing as too much. But, there is a threshold that is very limited for tire fitment for the 240z,260z, and 280z because of the strut suspension and the narrow rear fenders. With stock fenders, the largest tire that you can mount, without having any fender rubbing issues is a 15X7. Yes, you can fit up to a 9" wheel, but you have to do a fair amount of modification. But a 15X7, ZERO OFFSET wheel will fit everytime, right out of the box. No worries, no headaches. With a V8 in my Z, I can spin ANY tire that you can buy, even a hot drag slick. So, forget about finding a tire that won't spin. So, you are looking for a compromise that FITS, and is better than what you have. The 225/50/15, like the 15X7, fits everytime, right out of the box. With modifcations to the suspension and body, you can fit a 245 and above, but you've got to do a lot of work. So, i'm with you: 15X7 and 225/50/15 tires on all 4 corners. Now, WHICH tire? If you are going to put a lot of miles on the car, I would get Dunlop Direzza, also known as Star-specs, in a 225/50/15. If you want a sexier looking tread and can replace the tire more often, I would go with a Nitto N01. Both of these tires are under $200 each and offer a LOT of traction. As always, be careful on the street.

Just kidding! If I ever get to build my big shop for the z, I'll be buying my wife a convertible new beetle. It has been on her bucket list for as long as I can remember.

PLATA-turbo or no turbo, new VWs are for lesbians. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

Here's a shout out to heavy85: Cameron, can you check your PMs? I sent you a question on your seats. Call me at 256-366-4685 or email me at pkeiththompson@yahoo.com if your PM system isn't working. I'm having trouble with the Intermediate RR seats and am hoping you can render some advice. Thanks. I figured I could reach you via this thread since I think you've been lurking on this topic.

Un-fish scaled the interior plastic pieces. Will likely only run the very rear three plastic pieces. I test fit and trimmed away all the places that make them hard to install and remove (basically notched the hell out of them so I don't have to remove the hatch struts to install them). I think the forward three pieces will interfere with the cage, but they are all ready just the same, although it would be nice to have a dome light again someday. Started working on the stock adjustable seat rails. Tired of the contortion it requires to get the rear 2 seat mount nuts on, so I drilled a hole under them so I can tighten them from under the car. It was SO much easier to install the seat rails after that simple mod-question is: how much water is going to come up thru those holes-gotta find some 3/4" plugs.

Eager to see some pictures of the cage. Did you pull the dash for the cage to go in?

You'll be OK until they fail. Might want to put some sort of safety loop around them, they tend to tear up control arms and brake lines. They can fail at any time. After I broke a driveshaft, I marked the new yoke with some parallel lines so that I could see it twisting, hopefully prior to the point of failure. After one night at the track, when I inspected it, it had twisted a probably 15 degrees (I replaced it before failure), so who is to say whether if that last little twist, that proves to be too much, would be at a stand still? I have a buddy who broke a stock axle on a 2-3 shift without NO2, but it was with a manual trans. Its not a matter of IF, its a matter of WHEN. My racing buddy had a cross shaft get cocked inside his one-legged R200, and when it did, it locked that wheel long enough to break an axle at the outside yoke. He was half way down the track when it broke. It didn't do much damage-we had another diff and axle on it in a couple nights and were back at the track the following weekend. Don't do burn-outs, and if you feel wheel hop, get out of it. I run CV axles; even so, this year I plan to install axle safety loops and build up a spare set of axles to keep in my truck when I go to the track.

First drive after konis and AZC brake conversion (did not do parking brake-hence the chalk block)!

Define "a little fab work."

Beerman-that would be the one on the left. That is my plan, and I already have one purchased. I have been kind of thinking that it would be safer to use a switch that has a handle that is retained by a screw, as opposed to one that just has a little keyway holding the handle in. Is it perhaps for theft prevention that I see so many of the type on the left in pictures of race cars? Perhaps the owners of those cars turn off the power and take the little red key-handle with them??

On the steering shaft. Could the rack be twisted in its bushings? Also, be sure to retain the little u-bolt with the rubber bumper.

After the rollbar is done, the next step is to do the electrical safety stuff. I have seen several different kinds of cockpit mounted electrical shutoff switches. For NHRA spec I am required to have a cutoff switch mounted on the back of the car that has a permanent (non-removeable) cutoff handle. I have that done. NHRA does not require a cockpit mounted electrical cutoff switch, but several of you have advised me to install one anyway, so I am going to. But which style switch do you recommend? See photos and give recommendations. Thanks.

mattd-you are doing a beautiful job-it will surely be worth it. Make sure you do your safety stuff or you will be like SunnyZ and get run off from the track before you can really do some racing. It's like having a loaded gun and no place to shoot it. WarlordZ-put my number in your cell phone (256-366-4685). My name is Keith. Give me a call in late March and we can plan a trip to the strip on the same night. We could have our own little Z-Fest. HOPEFULLY, I will have all my winter work done. I seem to be really good at ordering parts that won't fit at the moment, but hopefully I will have it all sorted out in time to get some runs with good cool air before it starts to cook down here. I was getting a little bored last year trying to cut a good light and losing to the automatics. Hoping to go to lots of different tracks this summer just to add variety and mix it up some. Will definitely hit Hwy 45 and Pickwick a couple times each. Let me know if you every want to come down here for a visit to my shop-not a lot of Z-guys around, so I'd enjoy the company.

Quit calling gim and just go see him. If he's chronically unemployed, there might be a reason. At 46 years old, I'm discovering that most people on this world are worthless (not spiritually, but what I mean is undependable). Go see your car and see where it really is. He may not have even started, sold your supplies or traded them for beer and gotten wasted.

Try loosening the threaded adjustment that has the big locknut on it right by where the steering shaft goes into the rack. Also, make sure there is no bind on the u-joints.

I like it! How close are you to Lawrenceburg, TN ? Our "home" track is Hwy 43 Dragway at Ethridge, TN. Maybe you can join us some this summer?

Ordered some Kirkey Intermediate Road Race Seats. Sending them back. Issues: 1) Too dang wide at the shoulder (can't close the door). I could probably bend the shoulder wings in to allow closure of the door, but what if I kink them-then I'm stuck with them. After the return I am going to order the Pro Street Drag seat, which shares the same basic lower half, but without the shoulder wings. I do like the layback of these seats and I do like how well the fabric fits. I also like that the Intermediate RR seat is an inch shorter at the headrest than anything else Kirkey sells. But, I hope to need to reach around behind the passenger seat to open a NO2 bottle some time in the future, and that will be a no-go with these. 2) Too wide (loose) at the hips. I consider myself "medium build, middle age, mildly overweight and very out of shape." I'm 187# and 5'9" tall. My old fabric over steel frame seats are 15" wide at the inside of the steel frame. I have to really squeeze my butt into my old seat and it hugs me really well-I like the snug feel since this is a race car. I read the Kirkey instructions on how to measure my butt before ordering the Kirkey seat. I'm 17" from hip to hip when seated, so I ordered a 17" seat. It's too loose for a race car, although it might be a good size for a passenger seat. Plan: Return the seat and cover (big$ in shipping, ouch). Go sit in a buddy's Cobra Daytona Coupe replica that has Pro Street Drag seats and figure out whether to order 15" or 16" seats next. Will likely order a 16", and if it is too loose for the driver seat, I'll just put it in the passenger side and get a 15" seat for the driver.

If I recall, my sorry car tried to put us both into a wall, and I'm very glad you were the one driving. With a novice (me) at the wheel there might have been an ugly accident. Hoping to help out at Barber once this year if I can get free when you are down there. Maybe I can record tire temps or something like that.

Makes me want to go smash my car into a wall.... I guess those will wind up getting painted (?), such a pity

Go to an autocross and have the fastest driver drive it and give you feedback. Probably the fastest way to get where you want to go.

Like the work, Slowpoke. Like that red z.