RebekahsZ

The LS2 valve covers just suck from the passenger side and dump blowby into the cold air intake before the throttle body.

It is finished. Here's a few pictures of how we handled it. NHRA doesn't require a loop at the rear of the driveshaft, but I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea. If I ever really do break a driveshaft, it would be nice if I didn't have to replace a bunch of sheetmetal in addition to having to get a new driveshaft. I don't always know how far to run with the "what-ifs." For now I'lll just try to do what the rule books say since most of those rules are based on bad experiences and proven over time. I'll pick up car tomorrow and try to finish installing droop limiter brackets and get straps on order before the weekend is done. In the first photo you can see the cracked paint where the driveshaft welds onto the yoke.

With flares that wide, you know side pipes (ala AC Cobra) would look really good (while I think they would look stupid with my un-flared fenders). Maybe not in this thread, but I'd love to see your concept for exhaust routing. It really sucks trying to fit exhaust under these cars that originally had like 1" exhaust pipes. I think your car could pull it off.

Here's your turnkey kit: 1) Ebay Sti R180 LSD $400 2) Betamotorsport axle stubs $500 3) Wolf Creek CV axles. $900 Done. I sold my kit a few months ago.

Took one step forward and two steps back. Took a stack of $20 bills and burned them.

Don't worry-at the track it will be dual dump tubes straight thru the front fenders via electric cutouts! Here's a picture that the fabricator sent me. The flat plate will be welded to the side of the tunnel.

Just got off the phone with Mike at JCI. He wants me to box driveshaft and send it to him. They want to look at it and see if they need a design change or anything. He said they went with a 2" driveshaft due to space limitations in tunnel but we discussed going larger or thicker wall. I'm to measure well to see how much larger I think I can stand. He's gonna shorten driveshaft 1/2" too. There was no hassling or objecting to my issue. We are lucky to have both JCI and JTR.

I put the black paint on over JCI's silver paint-I usually wipe everything down with acetone before I paint. The paint is one coat of Walmart rattle can primer follwed by 2 coats of Walmart rattle can gloss black. I'm actually thinking of getting a second driveshaft from JCI that is 1/2" shorter (shouldn't I be able to move the driveshaft some axially when I disconnect the driveshaft from the diff)? I barely have enough slack to install it. After I strip the paint, can a driveshaft be "magnafluxed" or something to be sure it is OK?

Yeah, I was just brainstorming. On the front I was actually thinking more of a dummy brake duct. Could you have one for aesthetics that is blocked off with a backside panel that is painted flat black? Can you believe Terry does that in a 2-car garage? That car is insane.

Pics of front droop limiter brackets. These "sandwich" the sheetmetal of the inner fender below the strut tower where the metal is 2 layers thick. Once I get them bolted onto car I'll be ordering straps. Whit Lyles as Red Wrench hotrod shop in Muscle Shoals is a great welder-looks like aviation quality welding to me (what looks like voids in this photo are not voids, the are just shadows caused by the flashbulb). Wish I had some clue of how much droop I should allow as a starting point to adjust from-anyone?

Plan is to use 1/2 of a standard driveshaft loop and attach it up inside the tunnel sideways with a flat plate taking the place of the other half. I don't see anything in the rule book that says the hoop has to be round, or attached to the car in any particular way. If you shop for driveshaft loops in the Summit catalog, the variety of style, shape and size is as diverse as the student body at McKinley High School. (I wonder how many folks on thie forum will admit to getting that joke)? Driveshaft is pretty close to driver side of tunnel leaving no room for hardware, so current plan is to only affix the loop on the passenger side of the tunnel with a heavy tab scabbed high in the tunnel and a second tab scabbed lower in the tunnel. Supposed to be ready for pick up tomorrow. If it isn't sleeting tomorrow, I'll post some pictures of the finished project. This plan should leave adequate room for a Y-pipe and a 3" single exhaust pipe.

Took car to local hotrod shop to get a driveshaft loop made. Put car up on jackstands to talk about options and fabrictor noticed cracked paint on the driveshaft tube right where the yolks weld on. Cracked paint is on both ends. Any advice? I did about 40-something passes on slicks this past summer and the car doesn't spin. Is it time for a new driveshaft? We have one driveshaft shop in town and I'm not real impressed with how filthy and disorganized the shop is, just doesn't inspire confidence. What do you guys think? Anybody destroyed a JCI driveshaft?

OK, thanks. That's the new plan.

If you can locate him (try Little Rock, Arkansas) "BlueOvalZ" Terry Oxendale is super at making modified fiberglass body parts for the Z-car. Try tracking him down and I bet he'll advise you. Thinking out of the box style wise. I think to the trailing edge of the flare: can you leave the back open (or make it look open) like a big vent or like an old 1950s Ferrari Testa Rosa? For the front, could you put a huge "brake duct" in the front or maybe a fog lamp?? Just some thoughts-you got a tough styling delimna. Big Sam had some huge tires, maybe you could find some cues there??

Here you go! 1-1/4" flat steel 3/16" thick plate. Triangular in order to cast rocks/debris aside rather than trapping it until I grind to a hault.

Just got back from the fabricators "office" where I've asked him to make me a custom driveshaft loop that will fit inside the tunnel and leave room for my exhaust system. Look in drivetrain section for a new thread about my driveshaft (did I just say I haven't had any trouble?). Jynxed myself.

Yeah. I'm not having issues....yet. I have to use a dead blow hammer to get my flanges past each other then it bolts up fine. I don't like using hammers except on nails. I'd like to have a little more slop to make assembly easier and to make sure I'm not beating up the tranny.

Get whatever you can for motor/trans. I gave mine away. Try Craig'slist. If you are gonna nitrous your motor from the get-go, go ahead and do what you have to to allow a bigger shot. I'm gonna blow your doors off if you just do a 100 shot. Go ahead and plan for a separate fuel pickup and dedicated fuel pump and do a big wet system. It's about the same amount of work, so aim bigger!

With the basic JCI kit and a regular T56 bellhousing, my driveshaft needs to be shortened about 1/2 inch. I really have to wrestle it in and I feel I should have a little more longitudinal wiggle room. Another project to keep me from being ready in the spring!

My cousin is a member at Motorsport Ranch. He's had a silver WRx station wagon, a spec miata and a Radical out there. His name is Jake Turrell and last we talked he was working on a Caterham. His brother in law is Keith Verges, who I think spends a lot of time on that track in a variety of vehicles. We wore out a pair of his tires one day about 10 years ago in the WRx. LOVE that place! It is the safest track I've ever seen. I've been both on the track and OFF the track, yet his car is no worse for the experience; the runoff areas are so nice. Perhaps some day I can make the trip to join you for a day of driving?

Thanks-will do! JetHot 2000 it is! Is 2000 good enough, or should I go for an even higher temp coating (worth the money)? Sorry, gonna stick with something that looks pretty. You guys have helped a lot. I'm gonna order some mild steel flanges for the headers themselves (exhaust pipe tubing is cheap, but I sure don't want to have trouble with my header cracking). I'll use the stainless flanges on my tail pipe sections. Next question: if I use a mild steel flange on the header, and a stainless flange on the first section of exhaust pipe with a shared v-band clamp, do you think it will have sealing problems due to dissimilar expansion properties?

Thanks guys, gonna get a 6232-21 Milwaukee 5" deep portaband with the Swag table. I need this to mount atop my work bench due to very limited floor space (limited by my wife's minivan).

I really appreciate the amount of input. The reason I went with stainless flanges was so that they would stay easy to disconnect for years to come (I take stuff apart often). If the welds crack-they'll be very easy to disconnect! I'll check my local welding supply store for the 309L filler. I haven't ordered my tubing yet, but I'll consider trying to get 304 stainless instead of mild steel. I was planning to use LOTS of bends because my frame notches for exhaust cutouts are at an awkward angle and I'm a psycho for ground clearance, but as usual I'm probably being a little neurotic and going overboard. I kind of hate how even stainless discolors, so I was going to send it all off to JetHot for coating inside and out, guess I could still do that with stainless, but then I'm really being psycho!

I tried puting a straight piece of 1.25" angle iron welded to the crossmember, but I felt like it was a trap for rocks. So, the car is at the fabricator getting a triangular cattle catcher or plow shaped piece of steel welded to the crossmember. It is 1.25" tall. Pictures when I get car back ( getting lots of little things fixed).