Mikelly

So my wife's BMW is due for a tranny filter and fluid change... I have ordered the filter and gaskets for the pan. However, The book calls for Dextron II (not 3) compatible fluid and I can NOT for the life of me find ANY... Soo the Question is this, What is the difference in 2 and 3? Anyone else know what the E36 BMW used in the auto tranny??? This one is a 97 328i. Mike

This is an all time low... I'm pretty sure this is the most confused body kit I've seen... Amazing what people do with cars... Mike

So as some of you may know, I was robbed of a GNOSE I loaned out three years ago to one of our own... It is gone, and there is nothing I can at this particular time do about it. However, this car is ready to go out for paint by the end of this month. I'm asking you guys, ANY of you guys, if you know where one is, or if you've come across one and since decided maybe you don't want to use it, Please contact me. I need one, and would like to get one on the car before I send it off for paint. Mike

Buddy of mine goes to an auction last weekend and calls me up... Seems there is a ton of auto related stuff at this guys house, including torches, a laith, and brake laith, tools, boxes, a press, parts washer.... lots of stuff... My Bday was coming up so he buys me this 1960s brake laith... FOR FORTY DOLLARS! We go to pick it up and the guy wants to sell me this 700# machine laith for $500... Couldn't justify it or the space it would take up right now, but man that was easily a many THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of machining tool I just let go... Guy was loading it on a truck to take it to North Carolina had I not bought it... Shame! This brake laith is friggin' nice... I'm amazed at the quality and speed. All parts, manuals, everything was included. Mike

The Steering column has been unbolted and has been laid into the passenger side footwell... Has NOTHING to do with operation of the vehicle. The guy has the car torn appart and nothing more... Everyone is making WAY to much out of this issue... Mike

Another point of reference for flares can be seen Here: http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z Look in JIm's Scarab Z pics folder. Mike

Right, The column is laying in the passenger seat well... It is a left hand drive car... This is the real deal guys... This man is pretty popular on other websites and has been doing swaps for over a decade... He may have even logged some time here... Mike

Beyond what Randy said, Which is excellent BTW, I'd check the TPS and if you can get a code scanner (I know, Ferrari only!), you might find something in the EFI system besides injectors, although I doubt it. MOst of these exotic cars sit at home in the garage and parts fail for lack of use... THen you tell the owner he or she is killing their car by letting it sit and not be driven, and they look at you like you have a third eye sticking out your forehead. Mike

Sounds like you're experiencing growing pains. From your point of view you probably think you did nothing wrong. From his, he sees another "intrudor" on his peace and tranquility. And even though you're in the south, Richmond is still a large, crime ridden city, and one that has held the highest record for homicide and violent crime for several years running... Welcome to city life... I know, I know "But I don't live in Richmond!"... You're 15 miles down the street... You live in Richmond. ! Mike

Hoover, Les is a nomad as of late... He was living in Georgia about an hour north of Atlanta, out near Road Atlanta. His relationship with his girlfriend tanked, and he ended up moving up to Tidewater Va in early 2002. I'd met him in 2001 when I drove to Atlanta to get the Gnose I bought from a guy down there. Les shows up in Early 2002 and starts talking on this board about doing fiberglass work in the navy and wanting to make new glass for Zs. He asked me to borrow the Gnose and a ONE OFF fiberglass rear taillight panel with an integrated spoiler (Of which I've never seen another, truly a one off deal that was ubber slick!). I loaded them to him, because he really wanted to get this glass business off the ground. I was hoping he was the real deal, as I was thinking about investing in a business with him and me being the money guy and him running the creations/ building side of the Fiberglass parts business. Then in September 2002 he dropped off the face of the planet. I got one phone call through to him before his nextel service was cancelled and he was working in some plant in Oklahoma. That was it... I've heard nothing since and I have no leads. I could find this guy through work, but I'd likely draw some attention in calling in some favors. This is very personal to me, because I let this guy into my home and treated him like family. All he had to do was tell me where the parts were... He didn't even OWN a Zcar at the time! I'd have driven wherever to get them and be on with my life... Your guess is as good as mine as to where he is right now... he could be in California, or anywhere... I know his father was in poor health down in Tidewater Va. area, but who knows... I got that address and someone actually checked the home out for me and found nothing related to Zs. Oh well... Mike

http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z NOw I've got two guys who have expressed interest in painting this car... One wants to do it in my shop, with me helping and learning, and the other wants to take it and do it, and charge me... Decisions decisions... Mike

She does know there is NO CURE, RIGHT??? This Shiznit is TERMINAL! Good Luck! Mike

So Mark, How many will this make? I'm still reeling over the fact that you got dibs on the Blue one and then it turned into SUCH the project! Good Luck man, Hope to see it at the track! Mike

Well If anyone KNOWS where Les Heath is, they will get a hansome reward in locating and getting back to me MY Gnose and custom tail light panel I loaned him in Spring 2002 so he could pull a mold... Far as I'm concerned the guy stole it from me at this point. In 2005 I haven't heard a PEEP from him since FALL 2002... If you guys run across him anywhere, I'd like to know about it. Hoover, I'd be in for chipping in on a mold setup. Mike

OH Christ I'm still laughing... For anyone getting their "Sign-off", they should know better... What an absolute idiot... Tim, Spec Miata is known as one of the most crowded and fun classes to race because of all the Miatas alone... Normally there are 30-40 miatas alone on the grid at VIR and Summit Point. I'd rather have a lot of cars on a grid than only 6 (Cough F1 Cough)! Looks like fun! I may well end up in a Spec Miata when all is said and done... For $6000-10000 you can get a decent car with a history, spares, everything you need and you're ready to race... Mike

Hoover, i'd love to get in on this... Can you shoot me some pics? Mike

Dude comes here and on his first posts is blind and insulting... Nice... Someone should have posted the RULES for being HERE for you to read... http://forums.hybridz.org/announcement.php?f=65&announcementid=2 RIF = Reading Is Fundamental if you plan to stay and I recommend reading that link thoroughly. Yea, we're watching... Anyone want odds??? Mike

You have our sympathies Larry. Your HybridZ family is here to listen and help! Don't hesistate to call on us. Mike

Spoke at length with Mitch about this and other issues this afternoon for about half an hour... 30 minutes creativity with a wiz wheel and we're ITS legal. He said not to sweat it, as he would be able to modify the configuration to cover any class I'd be interested in... But then again, My main goal was safety first for a high HP track day car! Mike

You are SOOOO right about the SCCA rules... Mitch was telling me some of the horror stories... Those Gusset plates with the holes are indeed welded to the insides of the A-Pillar and Roof. This thing is gonna ROCK! Mike

I've not seen more than ten minutes of any of these "reality" shows that I like other than the OCC show and the American Hotrod Series and BOTH of those I end up MUTING so I don't hear the "drama"! I don't get these shows on TV at all now... Lets sit and watch other people living their lives because ours suck that much??? I don't think so! Mike

Actually Katman, This cage was built to pass ITS and Vintage specs. The Guys at Piper Motorsports are not only fabircators, but do inspections. There is additional work underside that was already done, and I'm already planning some other engine bay bracing to tie into the firewall. These guys do Zero Drag or NHRA work... Only SCCA and NASA, as well as IRL, and Cart. They are FIA certified. I drove the cage to another shop who also does cage work and spoke with the fabricator there who confirmed their work is SCCA legal. Mike

The fabricator told me that they figure 1.5 inch .120 wall tubing to weigh about 1.25 pounds per foot. They used about 65 ft. of tubing. I painted the cage metalic "aluminum" today and it looks pretty sharp. While I was waiting on the cage to dry, I went ahead and started tearing down the Vette. Got the headers and exhaust, wheels, bunch of sensors and lines disconnected, oil cooler disconnected and drained, and the alternator and serpantine belt off and out of the way. The coil packs are off as well... I also found a rod end a about a quarter of a piston. The Spark plug on cylinder #2 didnt fare so well either... More pics to come this week! Mike

The owner of the shop that did the cage commented on just how dangerous these cars are in a side impact situation... He really wanted to focus on making this car as safe as possible. Mitch (Owner, from Newzeland) told me his goal was to get the car as safe from all angles as he possibly could. I've started prep work on the cage tubing and will have it all painted shortly... I may have the car in for paint as soon as next week. Gotta let the guy up the street know that it is back from cage install... Mike

So is it broken, fractured or sprained? Mike