heavy85

Dude - you've got way too many projects. Need to step back and figure out what you're trying to get out of them. If I read between the lines you dont really need the money so why are you building two cars just to sell? Unless you're trying to start a business or something take some meds and focus. There will always be a next project. Hell if you do them all now then what do you have to look forward to? I think most who make fast progress have rich parent on summer break from college OR are more how shall I say ... have more years under the belt and their wives want them out of the house anyway so have plenty of time and $$. These are not worth losing your spouse over. My garage time is pretty much limited to after kids (four of them) go to bed plus a few hours on the weekend. But I still do make progress. In fact I expect to get my driveshaft back by then end of the week and hope to be driving the LS1 Z for the first time this weekend. Having a family does not mean that hobbies have to go away but there needs to be a balance. Figure out what's important to you. Cameron

Per the 2008 SCCA Solo rulebook for Modified class: "2. Master Switch - All cars shall be equipped with a master switch easily accessible from outside the car. Spec Racer Fords shall be wired per RFSRII. The master switch shall be installed directly in either battery cable and shall cut all electrical circuits but not an on-board fire system, if so equipped." So it appears that ground side is acceptable - that's where I put it anyway . Cameron

Only thing I see is the O2 sensor is at the bottom. I've read (emphasize READ no first hand experience) they last longer if mounting pointing up otherwise they collect moisture and can be prone to related problems. Where did that Cat headshield come from? Cameron

Pull the head off before you load it. Two guys can lift a shortblock without too much drama. My dad and I pulled and engine out of my first Z when I was 14 this way (MANY years ago). Hell I load/unloaded the bare block myself into the back of my Focus dd to take to the machine shop. Cameron

I had the same experience when I ordered mine a couple years ago. I used them anyway and just used zipties to clamp them on. Doesn't work real well but better than nothing. Cameron

I thought this too because you can get better motion ratio / longer end links / more range of motion / more consistent through travel / etc .... HOWEVER wouldn't attaching to the strut also add more sideload to the strut ... the thing trying to be avoided here? Cameron

Logically (at least to me ) the 5+ point without the sub belt is worse than stock three point because as you are pushed into the shoulder harness it's only means to resist you is to pull up on the latch which happens to be in the center of your lap thus pulling up the lap belt allowing you to slip under. Like that run-on.... I can notice this because I only use four of the five when I autocross and when I try to cinch down the shoulder straps it forces the lap to ride up. With the factory three point if anything as you are pushed into the shoulder strap it would tighten the lap belt because that is where the reaction force goes since it's all one continuous belt. Could be all wet but it makes since to me. Cameron

Am I seeing that right - is your car in the living room on carpet? Cameron

Jon - repeat after me: My name is Jon I'm a fabaholic My car will someday see the track again ... maybe (repeat) Step away from the welder and get that thing on the track already! Cameron

Haha ... maybe in "Z Dreamland" but they simply dont exist around here (central Illinois). Everything around here is only late model stuff only and not even pick and pull. Cameron

Not to divert too far but those were fun times ... back in the day ... late '90's for me. Back then if memory serves UTA (assuming from your avatar) was using some exotic Jap spec engine. 250 cc vs everyone else running 600 cc which given the ~17k RPM (from memory) could still choke the restrictor. Sounded cool as hell and shifted constantly but the judges didn't take kindly to the $$$. Also remember an aircraft type skin for bodywork but maybe that was another team. Back then mountain bike shocks with push/pull rods were just started to emerge. I was over in the Georgia Tech camp. Cameron

Jon - here's something else to think about and an experiment that I think would help validate your thought. Disconnect the top of the strut from the car. Now push the top of the strut forward and backwards with a reasonable amount of force. How much does the top of the strut move? If it's more than very very little then your control arms are not doing anything to help with rotational loads into the strut. Reason is that the strut/housing would have to deflect that amount before the control arm would even start to take load. If the top of the strut moves very very little then the LCA may take some load. One could argue that a stiff control arm would put more load into the strut. In reality the unibody will move around relative to the LCA. By making the LCA stiffer or not using a toe-link type of set-up you are taking away that degree of freedom (flexible LCA/soft bushings from the stock set-up) and as the chassis flexes and gets out of perfect alignment then it could bind up the strut - similar to what is said above. Not saying in the real world that's going to happen nor do I think there is anything wrong with your design I'm just giving some things to think about and a little experiment in your free time. Cameron

... but IMO trying to resist the rotational torque via the LCA is like trying to open a door near the hinge ... not real effective nor a loadcase I think the LCA was designed for. All IMHO Cameron

Holy sidewall front tire! 6 bolt pattern wheels? I'm not seeing the camber. That's a lot of ground clearance! Cameron

That's exactly why I did this to mount the LS1. Trying to connecting the mass to the tires as directly as possible ... Cameron

Uh what???? I race with a guy who rolled his FSP LeCar (Renault) during an autox. To fix it he actually cut the roof off and replaced it with another one and at the same time REMOVED his rollbar since it was 'dead weight'. I can't imagine why you would "need" a rollcage for autox unless you are trying to stiffen the chassis. Cameron

I used Aeroquip teflon hose with the steel braid. It's the industrial stuff but rated for fuel and a lot higher pressure than the fuel system will ever produce. It uses AN compatible (37 deg flare ... JIC style) re-usable ends. It was also cheaper than Earls at least around here at somewhere between 6 and 7 $/ft if I remember but dont quote me on that. It's only had gas in it for a couple weeks but given it's solid teflon I dont expect any problems. The only reason I could think they dont market this as fuel hose is the kinkability mentioned above. It's marketed as brake hose I believe. PS: I thought the NHRA rule was not more than 2' of rubber hose but steel braided was not restricted? Cameron

The second pic is half finished but if you look at the first one it actually bolts to the tunnel with two bolts per side PLUS it bolts to the tubes that go out to the SFC also with two bolts per side. It's really a bit of a pain to install as you have to angle it up past the tubes, push it over, and kind of wiggle it up in there. You have to do this because the tubes to the SFC are actually narrower than the top of the mount so you can't just raise it into place. Have not run it yet but it will be hard to tell because I added a bunch of other chassis improvements at the same time + the LS1/T56. I'll know more this Spring when it's driving. Thanks for the compliments guys. Cameron

It's made out of 14 and 16 gauge plate so it doesn't weigh much. I would say < 5 lbs. Yeah it took a long time to fabricate. Heaviest part is the tubes that tie over to the SFC and that's just because I used what I had (1x2x.083) instead of getting thinner wall since I have to mail order it. Cameron

That's why I did this for my tranny mount Here's an early shot not yet complete but installed Cameron

This seems to be an American thing. Watching the European and Auz and they seems to be really into the aero stuff. Lots of wings and little dodads everywhere. Cameron

Isn't that a Watt's linkage? Doesn't this have an advantage over typical panhard rod since the axle does not shift left/right with suspension travel? Or is this the same as De Dion? Cameron

It's been almost a year since the last update so now I'm done with the front end ... Connecting rockers to upper frame horn and to SFC and a little rust repair (the shark in the middle). And the finished k-member / engine mounts and strut tower to firewall bars (although a little hard to see in the light). With a combination of the k-member and the SFC to rocker bars it really makes for a nice straight way to distribute input loads (from suspension into crossmember) into the main structure. And the money shot. It's now running. Now that the front is about done I'm mostly happy but would probably do something different with the SFC next time. Now time for the back-end. Since everything is so much closer relatively it already seems worlds better than the front. I'm at least adding a harness bar and eventually a rollbar but otherwise nothing is really coming to me yet. Cameron