Mikelly

This morning I found some rust around the filler neck box on the inside of the fender well on the right rear quarter. This is a particular concern because it isn't very easy to get to and requires removal of the box, and likely deformation of the quarter panel in the process... don't ask how I know! For me, it wasn't a big deal, since I welded the door closed after torching out the box frame work, and cutting in a new filler neck for my cell above it. I'll have pics up on my site later today. What I found was that the seam sealer that nissan used to close the gaps around the spot welds actually allows moisture that collects behind the door to run down into the seam sealer and... Rust! Just one more area I'd look at when searching for a new project candidate... Oh, and this new filler panel is gonna turn out nice I think! Mike

A very wise man once told me that there are only two certainties in life... "Death and Disappointment. Set your sights low and you'll be pleasantly surprised a few times per week!" It's stuck with me for almost three decades, and the older I get, the more I resist that thought. I remember posting a while back about "What did you accomplish". I think this certainly fits into that category. Having a good relationship with your spouse and truly loving each other, avoiding all the "Springer-like" drama in the world is the absolute best way to keeping sane. Communication, constant support of each other, and reconfirmation of your love and devotion will get you through a LOT with your spouse. It shouldn't be a power struggle or lies and deceit to get by or achieve stalemate. For the first time in 19 years I'm out on my own without another employer providing for me. I'm confident on one hand, and nervous as hell on the other. In three weeks I've lost 10 pounds and gotten a LOT less sleep than I would have ever thought. I've also spent a lot of money establishing a company that will hopefully be successful, but might flop. My wife has been 100% behind me on this and supporting beyond belief. There are previous lovers who would have just added to the mountain of stress, probably not being supportive or encouraging. Being supportive, honest, having open communication and deep respect for each other will also help you beyond description or belief in the bedroom as well. Trust and respect go hand in hand when exploring the intimate side of the relationship the two of you share. Shut down communication and start taking each other for granted and you'll be on shaky ground within months. I spent 32 years finding my perfect mate and dated a LOT of women along the way. I'd make deals with Gods or devils to keep that which I have built with my wife for the last 6 years. Death and Disappointment... maybe in the end that is all there is... But it is certainly a choice you can make to go down fighting. I turned a corner on that statement a few years back and told someone I'd rather go out with grace and dignity. You get one shot, so make the most of it. Mike

Dave, Good to hear from you... sorry to hear you sold the Z. And what made you leave Arizona to go back to HelLA? Mike

Jody's right... I lost 4 $25 dollar races one night in 1992 only to win $500 off this guy we had targeted. Sucker'd him into 5 carlengths! It can be like shooting fish in a barrel, or having the trick turned on you instead! Mike

Look at it this way... If those tools were here, we'd just ban them, right? Mike

YUp, and in Virginia if your dog bites someone, you are now charged with a FELONY. This, after a woman in my county watched as her two rotweillers or pitbulls (Forget the dog breed, but one or the other) attacked an 83 year old woman and killed her. This happened early this spring and by July lawmakers had something passed to make it a felony if your dog attacks someone. Mike

240ZR, your numbers aren't working, 'meh... As comparison, my 74 260Z weighed in at around 2580# without me in it, and ran 10:98s on BFG DRs at 129mph with a 500-ish HP 383stroker. Talkin' a lot of smack about cars you don't own or have experience driving is, well... 'Meh! Jody, that is friggin' awesome... I especially love this because my 18 year old (The youngest) just moved in with his daddy after daddy bought him a... 94 civic hatch with a B16/T3-4 turbo swap... We're waiting for the thing to blow up, as it is a clapped together pile... Wish I'd have known that was going down. I'd have made the drive up to spectate. As to how Pinks is done, I think it is pretty reflective of the BS that goes on in real street racing, minus the guns and fights and attitudes. BTW, I'm setting up a time with Jeff Creech to tune the Vette next week and do some final dyno runs. Mike

Some of the lift makers actually have hydraulic lifts designed for 9ft. ceilings. They don't get the car nearly as high in the air, but still... Makes doing work so much easier... These units being mentions are certainly a good alternative to jack stands and hey, free is the right price! Mike

I think it is a technology arguement more than a SIZE arguement personally... The LS1 is a far superior powerplant in my opinion. If I could unload my new 383 stroker tomorrow without taking a beating, I'd replace it with... and LS#! Distributorless, almost 100 pounds lighter, better head design, much better combos for more reliable power! So I agree with 9Kredline, and I agree with the other comments as well... Pretty much the LS# is all these things you guys mention... True contradiction in terminology! I drove my Corvette all 3 days this week to my former employers office in Upper Marlboro Maryland from my residence in Fredericksburg Va. It was 84 miles each way. I knocked down 24mpg in stop and go traffic and the car ran flawless all day, and this is with modified heads and aftermarket cam, along with full length headers and 3 inch exhaust... I'd be ALL OVER this combo in a Zcar. The LS# is the NEXT generation small block, which is why it is starting to show up in more platforms. Mike

Well I'm only speaking for Virginia Code, but bottom line is you have to prove you were in mortal danger AND fear of that danger AND fear of losing your life. We have a lot of folks in Virginia who, through their jobs are trained to deal with mortal danger... If you say the wrong things on the stand, and the prosecutor brings up the fact that you've had certain training and been trained to function at 100% without fear of losing your life, then you can basically be convicted... Maybe not of first degree, but certainly Manslaughter to second degree murder... So you have to be careful in Virginia... The scenario with the two guys in the hallway and one having a tire iron... That is one I'd NOT want to defend. Shooting someone in the back, in the dark, while they are in your house robbing it in Virginia could possibly get you sent to federal assrammin' prison... No thanks. As for property thefts... You can't harm someone stealing your chit! You CAN detain them. You can stop them. You can't assault them. So if you have someone who attacks you when you try to detain them, then game is on... You must be prepared to deal with attorneys, the law and how it reads, and be prepared to counter with verbiage that would make Bill Clinton proud! Know the game, the rules and the boundaries before you make a choice to use leathal force to stop someone in a crime... And for god's sake... READ THE CODES on firearm ownership, carry, and liability in your state if you plan to, or already do own a gun with the intention to use it to protect yourself. Simple things like knowing the attacker has to be armed, and facing you before you shoot him or her, can make the difference in squeezing the trigger... Also, training... Training can hurt you in a court of law. I've had over the years a number of defensive, tactical as well as other gov't training programs designed to keep you alive where people don't want you to be alive. Because of this training, I would be in much deeper trouble legally and liably than my wife. It's much better for her to shoot an invaider in the dark, emptying the whole clip of the gun into them with their back to her, than it would be for me to get a 100% legal kill on a scumbag who was trying to come towards me with a knife. Training can hurt your chances in court. Getting a permit to carry concealled is a guarentee that you will open yourself up to a liable suit long after the legal wrangling is over. Like I said at the top... Make sure you know what YOUR state laws are, because they differ wildly from state to state. Mike

Here are things to consider... You don't work, and you don't get paid... The other side of that is your employer also loses productivity and if you are getting benefits provided to you (Healthcare, long and short term disability, 401K, retirement, Life insurance) then all that still needs to be paid while you (Or in her case SHE) are/is taking LWOP. LWOP doesnt' help anyone involved. Furthermore, I'm now an employer (As of this week) and I can tell you after looking at resumes all day the last three days, I'm not calling someone who has been fired or has a period of time in their resume where they appear to have been without work... I'm just not riniging the phone to ASK why... You don't even rate an interview, You following me? It absolutely sux to be an adult and have to work. It also sux to not be able to stay out on your own and pay your bills... I'd say shorten the vacation by two days, and take that two days when you need it for the trip to the keys... One last comment... If your soon to be wife was truly valued by her employer, she wouldn't still be on a "trial basis". And if she was truly valued, they'd have worked out two days for her to take LWOP down the road. So if everything else is as you exlpained it, then she should probably be looking for another employer anyway. Rule #1 to success... Your PEOPLE that you HIRE will make you a success or sink you... Treat them well, and you will (SHOULD) be rewarded. Mike

DOn't get me wrong... IT is a nice thing to have I'm sure and beats the hell out of jack stands... But I paid $900 for a used lift... You can get hydraulic low level lifts that still raise the car about 5-6 ft. for not much more than that unit...Mayb $1500-2000 referbished! Mike

In Virginia there is much more at risk. You are considered at fault unless you can prove to a jury of your idiots, I mean peers, That you were in fear of your life. Lets say someone comes into my garage and is stealing my corvette and I catch them as they are getting into the car. All I can do is stand behind the car so he can't move it. Once he moves the car towards me in a threatening maner, Game on! BANG! However, just catching someone in your home in virginia doesn't give you the right to blast, stab, beat, or otherwise terminate the life of a scumbag. This whole issue came to light in 1998 when some peckerwood broke into my garage and stole a $3000 MTB. Once he was caught trying to get it repaired at a local bike shop (He was asking about "value" of it), I was informed by the police that they probably wouldn't prosecute. Funny... Four weeks later I get a pair of cruisers come to my home. Apparently this fine young man and his father were attacked in his front yard in the middle of the night and subdued, by an assailent who was dressed in black and wearing a balaclava. The officer reminded me of the conversation I had with her when she had previously informed me that the county probably wouldn't press charges since the ladd was only caught with the stollen goos, and not in the process of stealing them... Back then I'd mentioned that not prosecuting the scumbag would only breed a vigilant community, making her job obsolete. Anyway, We had a back and forth about where I was, and what I did or did not do... Finally I told the officer to either arrest me or get off my property. I then got my cell phone and called my attorney... They left and I never heard a word from them again. 6 months later I ran into the young ladd in a grocery store and he left his shopping cart (With a kid in it) and left the store... Leaving the kid... His girlfriend came up to me ten minutes later and informed me that the guy would never steal another thing in his life... "Lesson learned" was her exact words. Find them, then prosecute them. If the local "LAW" doesn't help you out, Just find them... Mike

$1300??? OUCH! Mike

I remember when this car was for sale last year. Man, I wish... Boy do I wish I could swing that... RIP Paul! Mike

Well there is a whole slew of stories out there. Dodge makes me nervous based on how they are allowing Mitsubishie to hound guys with the EVO8, and wholesale voiding any warranties for people tracking their cars... It is absolutely crazy... I know there are a LOT of horror stories on the diesel truck forums about all kinds of stupidity! B_Sosick, Lot of guys on here are runing CAIs of one form or another... Guess they are stupid? Mike

Excellent Story Scott! Mike

The control arms and TC rods sure look familiar! THat is one heck of a deal, when you see everything that comes with it... Mike

I can fit a finger in between the strut assemlby and the tire/rim on the 255 series Bridgestone RE750 tire. Car has been rolling around on these just fine, and those who have been to my shop for cookouts can attest to the fender clearance and fitment. Mike

Well, I'd counter that by saying it is a SMALLER block than the other small block we're referencing... It is lighter, and the dimensions aren't wildly different from that of my 383 stroker sitting on the stand. I suspect the deck height is lower, and overall dimensions are similar. So maybe the LS1, based on size, cubic inches, and weight is the next generation of the small block chevy. Mike

It's only illegal to shoot a thief if you get caught... If you find out who did it, lay low after everything settles and the insurance is paid... then pay them a visit after dark... Wear black clothes, catch them from behind, and remind them why they really don't ever want to have the misfortune of finding their sticky fingers attached to your personal belongings ever again... I hear it's a b!tch to have to wipe your arse with busted hands... Mike

Talk with ross about struts as well... You can get custom valved Konis for your setup. If you're sectioning the strut, make darned sure to follow John C.'s write-up... I disagree with the above comment about Tokicos. I've got a brand new set with one already failed unit... And they ahve only been used to roll the car around in the shop... Illuminas seem to be ok for street use and AutoX... Dont' plan to use them in road race or HPDEs. Most guys I know who have generally don't keep them... They tend to not be able to shed heat well and end up failing in the valving chamber. MIke

Motor? Why on earth would you put a motor in it? That's just more weight to roll around the garage! Mike

Yup, they work just fine... Get on Jamie's list to buy his ultra bling front hubs and then drill out your rear stub axles to five lub and you're there... Those rims shoudl be a size 8inch or 8.5... I used a half in rear wheel spacer and rolled the lip fo the fender... I now have a 25540-17mounted on the rears with no rub issues and the tire does not interfere with my coil over kit. Mike

Uh, you're not allowed.. If I can't sell mine, you can't sell yours, and I have everything on mine that you're missing! Been busy as heck around my place...None of it car related... I need to finish the filler neck work before Jamie takes it off to paint it... The vette is runng well, and I've been driving it to work every day (80+ miles each way right now). Trying to find additional work on a gov't contract for me, while also placing candidates with slots for my existing bosses company. Really want to finish the Z... Mike