Mikelly

Oh, Yea... Great Falls... Nice place to rock climb and hike! Yup, About an hour and 15 from there... Guys, REMEMBER THE COOKOUT! May 15th! Mike

Which Grand Rapids? I'm 60 miles south of Washington DC 3 miles off I-95. Since I've got a motor for the Z, I'll probably sell the LS1. Although, I may change my mind when all is said and done. I've got a stand alone EFI system for which ever motor I use... And an LS1 Probably weighs 50# less than my 383 stroker. But that stroker is gonna make some KILLER power and Torque. Not to mention the fact that i'll need all the cash I can get my hands on in order to get a Pete Paraska-like paint job! Mike

Holy Cow! YOu realize you probably have another 30HP or so once the motor is broken in, tuned and dialed in, right? THat is gonna fly! Mike 8)

Had a slight slow down in the LS1 porject motor we're putting together for the Vette. My builder had a heart attack a few weeks back. Got an e-mail from him lst night... He has envintoried the parts, and I'm still searching for a TC kit, a balancer, and I think that will do it. Just got a balanced and blue printed oil pump for it, but other than the small parts and the balancer (And some roller rockers), I think everything is close to ready. My goal was to have the motor in hands by the end of April, but considering his health, I'd suspect we won't have it back until June time frame! I'm just glad he is doing OK... The guy is a wealth of knowledge and a super guy! So we're shooting for 415 WHP on this puppy in a stock bodied Targa C5... I can NOT wait to get my hands on that much power in this car. Mike

WHy yes, doug, Yes we do...! Mike

Well you could do as I'm gonna do and sell one toy to re-do another! Yup, My green, two wheeled instrument of death is gonna go up on the auction block soon, along with all the extra plastics, spare tank, set of wheels, and race slicks! 8) But it should get the Z into and then out of paint jail over the fall! Mike

My MOney is on an LS6 Chebby! Mike

With numbr 38 looming around the corner for me, trust me, the older you get, the faster they come! ENjoy it while you can! Happy B-Day! Mike 8)

Wanted to comment on something... I know some of our members are not as fortunate as I. I have never forgotten how hard things can be. I am very fortunate for everything I've been given, and from the humble roots of a trailer in Orange County, Virginia, it is sometimes hard and difficult to comprehend my own good fortune. Sounds kinda funny to actually post this, but I do sometimes feel very guilty about my own good fortune! Thanks for the well wishes guys! Mike 8)

Yup, got my package and offer letter today. I'll go by my employer's office tomorrow to drop off my letter of resignation... I'm stoked... This new gig could be the start of something huge if things work out. Also, I need to get back to work... This working on a ladder and installing siding is KILLING my knees... I've not been this sore in YEARS! Real work SUX! Not spent ANY time on the Z yet, but plan to this coming week as I move it to the lift and start mocking up a control arm fix for the rears in question. Mike 8)

I know it sounds silly, but the hardware is better... The locking pinch nut style perch, the top cap, spacers, and the powder coating seem to be of better quality... I've had 6 or 7 sets from different suppliers in hand, and these were by far the best, and it was all the little stuff that made the difference! Attention to detail... that is the key! Mike 8)

Couple of comments... Make certain whoever you get to do the cage installation is certified for the events you plan to run. Also, Make sure you study the rules... And don't procrasenate to long on the build... Rules changes have impacted THREE of the projects I've built over the years. Make sure you don't take to long and if you plan a $45K budget, make sure you have that much money in the bank. More people lose interest in their projects or get screwed by a rules change to the point of ditching the project. Don't start the project until you have the funds... You CAN build a 200MPH Car... But I'd recommend shooting for something that will beat the existing record FIRST, and then workiong your way up to something faster... As was mentioned by others... All that matters is what the certificate says the car actually DID in an event... Mike 8)

Juan, You've got e-mail... Also, Someone mentioned the little e-brake adapter that Wilwood sells... BLKMGK has the setup on his car and HATES it... Says they drag constantly... Just an FYI! mike 8)

THAT is the show I'd like to make... Unfortunately, I'm still in the hold pattern for my new job, and the honeydew list is sitting on my desk right now, or I'd grab one of those cheap flights to make that open header cruise! Hopefully next year guys! The new gig will give me 5 weeks of leave, so time won't be an issue. 8) Mike

My personal opinion here... I've got Ground Control Coil overs and I think they are the best coil overs made, period. Those guys also provide a TON of useful info when you call them... Very good technical resource for suspension and spring related questions... They've done this so long, and with so many different folks, that they are the experts in suspension setups. If you have to go the caster/ Camber plate route, they are the best, bar none! Good Luck! Mike 8)

Between lack of connectivity at work, and life getting in the way, I've not spent much time looking at pics of Tim's or Owen's or Turbo Meisters... I've been to MSA twice, and I've seen a lot of unimpressive vehicles... and some cool cars... I'm amazed that the HybridZ set, and especially the cars I mention above, didn't get some form of recognition. That just plain stinks... mike

Well technically I haven't given my notice yet, since I'm waiting for the irchestration behind the scenes, but I figure all have about three more weeks of working around the house before I have to put on a suit and go back into the environment over at Langley... SO... I'm residing the garage... Bought a bunch of vinyl siding and by the shindig I should have most of it done... So those of you who have in the past seen the lovely T-111 with the nice fading stain, it will be a thing of the past. Might even get some gutters put up while I'm at it. Going shopping for a big screen TV today though... Gonna be in Richmond at the Sears outlet! Mike

So this week I've been sort of off work, but on call and fielding calls about interviews... I had two this week, and a meeting with my old boss, who has since left my company and started his own. He offered me a job with his new start up firm, $10K more per year, and most of the same benefits, except the leave isn't as good... 5 weeks off vs. 6 weeks with the current company, and 6 holidays instead of all the government recognized holidays. The 401K match was 1% less, but you vest immediately... for a 3% total match based on salary. Everything else is the same. Same health care provider, same long term and short term disability, as well as life insurance. But the kicker was this: The job is with two customers who need more help and they will be looking to me to provide SLAs, MOU and MOA verbiage, as well as recommendations on future staffing. Basically handing me a business area to grow within the federal government. My former, and now soon to be future boss is proposing this contract: For all new contracts I sign, I get 2% for up to 2Million bucks, 3% for between 2-4 million, 4% for 4-5 million, and 5% for anything over 5million bucks. In government contracts, this is very good. Obviously I didn't turn down the gig. I should start with the company by 2nd week in May! Mike

Jon, You can tweak the PCM on the CHevy, and you can do quite a bit more in the area of common bolt ons. Some of the guys are seeing 15-20% power gain with cat backs, cold air intakes, and retuning of the PCM. Mike

My 93 GMC was retired at 262K miles. It was the BEST vehicle I've owned to date and felt guilty as hell when I sold it. I replaced it with a 98 Chevy Silverado 3 door 4X4 a few weeks ago, and I love it... The thing hauls ass, seems to be faster than the 2X4 version I retired, and is knocking down an average of 16-17 per gallon... My father is a Ford man, but I just don't like working on Fords, and it boils down to preference... The Chevy/ GMC line has worked VERY well for me, and I hope this 98 model lasts as long as the 93 did... Friend of mine just picked up a 2002 GMC Denali Quadra steer 4X4 4 door truck! Talk about the Pickup truck with everything... Holycow! Mike 8)

I'll caution you here... Our test mule 240Z weighs 1950# and runs on full slicks only, uses extremely stuff springs, stiff sway bars, and solid mounts in most locations. The car ran for 2+ years in this configuration on a 10 month California sunshine season with two drivers hammering the car most weekends... The car sees some track events, but mostly solo1 & solo2 events... Three weeks ago Steve and Ian had a failure on the control arm at the outboard side of the arm at the location of the spindlepin mount. A weld failed due to stress... Fortunately it was the very first set, and saw extreme stresses under hard conditions... You can't measure fatigue stress accurately... We had done some serious stress analysis on these parts, and knew we would have an issue creep up in a stress related area. the constant cyclic abuse on the parts and the weld was something that, coupled with the added stress from hard suspension mounts and large sway bars, simply put a mulitplier unimaginable on the parts... And you have no control over how a driver will configure his or her car. Good luck! Mike Kelly 8)

The only cage kit I'm aware of that will pass both SCCA and NASA inspections is the Autopower weld in Cage. Beware that S&W, Jegs, and others sell a kit that is ONLY NHRA certified, which is a lower level requirement. Autopower had to junk a lot of their cages last year since SCCA and NASA changed their rules for mild steel cages... They now MUST be of DOM material... No more ERW or like materials... I found this out AFTER I got ahold of a four point bar from one of our members here... So, if you are building a car for eventual use on a track, just beware! Mike

I work for a "Defense" contractor in the Washington DC area, specializing in the intelligence community. My specialty is systems engineering, systems integration, and testing IT systems for aquisition and implementation. This is the norm for guys with top secret clearances, and full lifestyle polygraph investigations, or full scope polys as they are known. The problem is Uncle Sam doesn't have enough people with my kinda clearance, so those of us that have them are fortunate. As long as I don't do anything stupid or illegal (In the realm of felony crimes), then I'm good for the long haul. I've had other guys I know sit on overhead with their companies, for months, but it hadn't happened to me in my 18 years. This just checks off another box! I'm gonna enjoy it while I can! Mike

The contract I was on ended on Thursday. What does this mean? Well I was panicing, lining up interviews with other contacts and companies... And my boss got wind of it... So yesterday at an offsite get together the president of my company was having, they cornered me and informed me that they hired me for the long haul, and that I was getting PAID to stay at home until they find suitable work for me. The president heard me comment on the fact that I was tightening the belt, and he told me not to fear. "Go live your life, and enjoy the time off. Your health care, vacation, and full benefits are intact. We will NOT fire you, and the only way you will leave the company is by your choice, not mine." He also told me to have the wife give him a call if she needed to hear a few words to calm her. So, after talking to a number of other employees who have found themselves in the same situation, and had MONTHS off work without losing pay, I feel a LOT better... I'm gonna finish up some work on the house, the garage, and work on the Zcar. Man-O-Man! Mike

THat pan is the original Moroso pan I used on the other build... And that right there is YOUR answer... If you think it was to low, well I drove with that pan for almost a year without dragging the pan on anything... It is an 8.25 inch deep pan. Mike