RebekahsZ

Post your measurement between the garage floor and the bottom of your rocker panel at the pinch flange. From your photo, the car isn't terribly low. Where I see the problem is that you have wheels that are too wide and flares that are mounted too low. Not positive, but you may be comparing apples to oranges. Please post that measurement and compare it to the ride height that johnc indicates in his alignment FAQ. I think somewhere between 5 and 6 inches is correct. You may not be able to drive your car, but in the hellaflush race, you are a winner. Take lots of photos before you fix it.

Sick in bed, so I researched quite a bit. Looks like those Eagle Lifts and the Atlas lifts are the same lift. In fact most of the lifts in the $1400 range are of the same basic design. My buddy here has an Atlas. The only problem I have seen is the lift arms sagging. The BendPack is about double the price but has much heavier design to the arms and goes down to 3-1/2" on the low profile arm design. Looks like 4" of 3000psi slab is all that is required for a 2-post. Slab design isn't as important for a 4-post, as many of them don't even have to be bolted down (though I sure would bolt mine down)! I watched a video of the center jacks that go between the ramps on a 4-post. They seem very gimmicky and it looks like it takes a certain amount of work to use them. Plus, I think they would hit my oil pan when driving up. I think I will use the 4-post for storage and minor services without center jacks, and commit to buy a separate 2-post. I think I should buy with sufficient capacity to lift a Suburban (do I own a Suburban-no), which weighs 8600# if I have my numbers straight. My truck is 4000 and my Z 0s 2400, my wife's minivan is around 4000. Seems crazy to buy extra capacity, but I could see me moving to a full-size van or Suburban as a tow vehicle some day. Install seems to be an issue, mostly due to the heavy weight of the kits. In fact, just getting the kit off the delivery truck might be a problem. Will need to talk to my buddies to see how they got around that. I think when it is time to guy that I will start with the 2-post first and maybe buy the 4-post the following year.

I just saw your post about the Indian lady and your shirt. When we in Paris, I was amazed by the motorcyclists of all races and social classes driving like they were in Bombay. Even Ducatis, vintage Triumphs and BMWs. Total disregard for safety. Surely, the motorcycle fatality rate is high. Handlebar vs. rear view mirror. Absolute motorcycle mayhem.

I wonder how many living human bodies they crammed into that Datsun. Perhaps as many as they can fit onto a scooter?

Please please start a build thread in the Gen III section. There are a lot of builds going on off the grid, and there is so much we learn from each other. For example, there are a few guys claiming to use the Hawks kit, but so far, we have zero documentation on an actual build. Please show us how it is going and let us know when you hit snags of various kinds. There are two LS2 contributors: me, and m1noel (I gotta check spelling on that screen name). Mike doesn't post often, but he did a super job on his car and was a big resource for me.

Consider making your life easier and limiting wheel width to 7". You can make 7s fit all day long, but trying to fit anything more than that can really suck the life out of you. The tire sizes you have suggested will do fine on a 7" rim and you can avoid a lot of unnecessary pain. There is so much more to a car than phat rims. Spend the time on a 5-lug swap so that your wheel options really open up. I wish I had done that before I built up a multi-thousand dollar "quiver" of 4-lug wheels and tires.

Anybody out there recess their floor so that the arms of the 2-post lift can drop down into the floor? I'm also planning to have extra long ramps made for the 4-poster to account for lowered cars. Although it will only be a 2-car garage, I really want it to be a big help in taking a lot of the hassles of working next to my wife's minivan away. Then her garage will get a used sports car of some kind for her in place of my disassembled Z-car so she can shake the "soccer mom" blues loosen up a bit. I will be taking her for test rides in newer VW bugs, miatas and S2000s. Hoping for the latter. I will have two more years to scrimp and save for that.

Do you have a favorite brand?

Consider taking it off and into the parts store. I think they can bench test it. If not the parts store, then find an auto electric shop in your town (my town has exactly one). I could fill the Louvre with all the parts Ive swapped when they were fine. Do as I say, not as I do: My most recent starting problem cost me $200 for a new starter (LS2-GTO), and a new ignition switch (spider bites from junkyard), a new key tumbler assembly ($200). The actual problem: bad battery. Have both the starter and the battery tested. Then go from there. If it worked in the past, even though it was slow, I doubt it is an incompatible starter.

I used to have one but I destroyed it on a spontaneous off-road excursion about 15 years ago. I bought mine thru JC Whitney. After I destroyed it, I couldn't find a replacement. I liked how low it was but it could take a speed bump or trailer loading incident. But not a curb at 60 sliding sideways and backward.

Contractor is pulling permits to build a 30x30 2-car garage for me. This is intended to be a Z-car shrine. I plan for 10' doors and a cathedral ceiling to allow for 2 lifts: a 2-post for tire and suspension work and a 4-post lift for car storage, quick services like oil changes and front end alignments (will later add bearing plates for that). Please share your favorite brands and brands to avoid. I need to get slab specs from manufacturers and power supply requirements to give to my contractor. Of course you are all welcome to come use my lift any time!

My new screen saver. Am I seeing that last photo correctly: did they replace the guard rail along the final straight of AMP with a big sand trap?

I didn't have metal exposed when I assembled it, but when I removed my diff to go with a different ratio, that's when I found the metal torn thru the thinned rubber. Try dropping your clutch on slicks about 100 times then inspect it.

Or the oil pan!

Talking of daughters: you know my screen name? Well, my daughter was turning 16 soon and said she wanted to drive my car to school on her 16th birthday. She started referring to the Z as her car. So we went together and got my old Z out of my mother's garage in Arkansas and trailered it home. It took a few months to get the Dellortos cleaned of tar and the car was running well. Did I mention that her birthday is in January? So she cranks up the car easily in the heated garage and parks it in sub-freezing school parking lot all day. Comes out and can't get the cold-soaked side-draft L6 to crank. Drains the battery, floods the car, has to hitch a ride home in the dark-on her BIRTHDAY! I had to trailer the car home that night. She never referred to the car as "hers" again and has not driven it since. It was that night that I started making plans for the LS2 swap. I wanted modern EFI so that I wouldn't get stranded in the cold-the 400 hp was just an added bonus! Funny how the car bug bites and bites back.

There's no place to go if you lose it on that track-kinda scary!

What effect does lowering a Z car have on drag and CD? No, I didn't search. Not at all. With coilovers, lowering is simple, and free. I have a 1/2-mile event in a couple months and am wondering if I should slam it for the event.

That's like no autocross I've ever seen-awesome! Turn off the music!

When I grind down the rubber to fit my R200, the interlock gets exposed and puts metal to metal between the interlock and the diff. I'm going to try to space it away instead of grinding it away next time.

Found PM-weird, I usually get an email when a PM comes in. Something must be mis-configured.

The French have never been eager to enter into a conflict. But I really did enjoy Paris and would go back in a heartbeat.

Did he compliment your wife on her shoes? Those male flight attendants can be a tricky bunch! Did you get my PM? Call me maybe?

SunnyZ-I'm thinking about changing pans next time motor is out (for ground clearance). Is there only one LS3 pan, or is it from a specific chassis?

Just scored a pair of 275/40/17 Hoosier A6 tires from jphglobal.com (or .net) for $150 each shipped. He has kept me on his wait list for a pair for over a year, and faithful to his word, he emailed me when a set came in. Production date of 9/12, but still very soft and nice. Mounted, bagged and going in the air-conditioned storage and ready, should I manage to get to an autocross.

4.60 (!)-you are gonna be one stick slappin' son-of-a-gun (unless you run 30"+ tall tires) ! What trans and tire diameter you running? With a 3.90, I found first gear borderline useless with a 26" tire. Maybe you are running a powerglide? I have gone to progressively taller gearing-3.54 with 28" tire (required fender surgery), using just 1-2-3 gears in the 1/8th. Even as it is, Im ripping thru 1-2 really quick. I really look forward to your driving impressions at the track. I don't presume to have the BEST plan. I wish we had a drag racing forum on hybridz to share ideas. As it is, we have to have a bunch of 1-on-1 conversations.