Mikelly

Interesting... I've got two step sons who see my house, my garage and my toys and ASSume that they should have them as well... At their MUCH younger ages. Michael, Your father probably wouldn't want to have your project sit beside his house and drop his realestate value, and neither would the neighbores... I'd recommend putting the project on the back burner until you have more income, and a place of your own to OWN a project car of any type. My oldest stepson went through a bout of being thrown out of the house by his real father last weekend, primarely because of all the extra car parts he has ammased and hidden in the house... He doesn't respect his father's wishes, and this has caused a huge riff between them. And for once in five years, I've found myself on his father's side, which pisses me off because I don't particularly like to align myself with someone I have no respect for... However, the point is, your parents are steering you away from this project car for a reason... A good reason. THEY don't want to have to deal with YOUR project. Wait until you move out and are on your own, supporting yourself, calling your own shots... It won't be to long of a wait... Oh, and I don't want to hear about your mom's annoying quirks until you are ready to empty you spleen to us about your own little annoying quirks... We all have them... Welcome to growing up! Mike 8)

I'd like to apologize for the misspelling, But I do so with an excuse... A: The previous software wouldn't allow you to edit titles... and B: I'm up at 4AM, in the office by 5:30 and working on stuff, while typing on hybridZ or putting out HybridZ related fires, while multitasking on some work-related BS. My spelling has slipped over the years, primarely with time and poor keyboards, rushing to do to much, and generally not running spell check... Oh well, Shoot me... Mike 8)

Sorry Null, the motor is back out and on the engine stand... It was a test fit, and I pulled all the data I needed... However, you would have to make your collector connection to the right header angled to miss the frame rail... That would be an issue to work out with the fitter, or to weld up yourself... not a huge concern, but one to be aware of. I'll be running 3 inch pipes all the way back, maybe 3.5 oval pipes... Not sure yet... Mike 8)

Stressed member... Hell I thought that was one of our unhappy Hybrid Family... Nope, I've removed a couple of these... They hold NOTHING together if you plan to build elsewhere in the engine bey... I run a stress bar between the strut towers and I use a MUCH stonger brace at the lower mount area. Mike

Had a buddy of mine who installs carpet for a living over to my house to install some carpet in the family room and the bedroom... Rich has a 31 Ford Street rod pickup truck he has been working on for some time... I casually mentioned I'd be selling my trailer as I was upgrading to something bigger with brakes. He asked what I wanted and I told him the situation... I'm in a time crunch to move it and wanted to make space for the other... So it had to go for cheap... He eyeballed it and then asked if I wanted to trade labor for it... I still owed him for installation and padding on the stuff he was installing in the family room and craig's room. So He made the offer to comp that balance ($290) PLUS install the carpet in the rest of my house (27X16 Master bedroom, Stairway and 11X14 Bedroom) for the remainder of the trailer, since I really wanted more for it and since it was really worth more than I was asking him! So now I have about $1500 worth of carpet to buy at his cost, and the whole house will be done! DONE! He took it when he left. I signed the title and he is gonna bring the tag back to me! Cool COOL COOL! Mike 8)

I see this as MUCH more important than many other parts we HybridZers over-engineer. Jim Biondo actually had some VERY serious issues with stub axles and the housing for the stub axle deforming if memory serves me correctly... Pete Paraska can comment further on this. As for $1000... I'd spend it in a second as long as we could be sure that the existing housing and race for the bearings could also withstand the additional loading... My car is expected to see 495#ft. of torque repeatedly. We also expect to run on sticky tires and for the car to be in the 2500# range. The torque is what kills them, so yea, I'd be very willing to buy some for $1000 a set... Mike 8)

http://hybridz.org/nuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=coppermine&file=index GO there... You can see the pics with the blue powder coated suspension pieces to see the car in question! Mike 8)

I uploaded some pics into the gallery... They show the motor from the underside... You can see how low the headers hang below the frame rail. You can also see the slight interferance of the P-side collector to the flange... Yesterday I got some paint on the trans tunnel area, and the floorpans, as well as some of the frame rails... I'll be addressing the rest of the surface rust on the new rails later this week... I also finished up the sheetmetal filler around the fuel cell, and will pre and paint, then adhere that into place, drill mounting holes for the cell, and prep the rest of the undercarriage for paint. mike

Like I said before Michael, Everything has a price... If he is willing to PAY the price, then Sure, I'd wheel it up on the trailer for him... ...Yea, here we go again.... Mike

I'll have to upload some more pics after this weekend... I want to get some pics of the underside of the car... All the suspension has been powder coated, and nothing has been scrimped on to date. The chassis is straight and the body is true... And yea, I have gone nuts on the parts selection, which is why I let Pete P and Zdreamer (Mark!) talk me into the Gforce tranny... Everything in my house has a price, except for the wife, the kid, the dog and the cats... So, yea, I'd sell it... But it wouldn't go cheap! No fire sales, but I'd let her go... WITH the car trailer! Mike

Well everything has it's price... I have the motor sitting in the car right now, as we are test fitting the new headers... I also am getting ready to order the new $2000 trans, clutch kit and other accessories... Bottom line is the more I spend on the project, the higher the price goes... It IS available... But keep in mind, there are a LOT of one off parts on it, and it does come with a TRUE 500+ HP motor with programable FI Complete, balanced, blue printed, build book, the PERFECT suspension, Large brakes, and LOTS of extras... It won't go cheap! Forgot to mention the infinity Q45 setup, including custom axles, two rears, TWO mustache bars, the rear aluminum brace, the adapters, and everything to make the Q45 work in the Z, all autometer Phantom gages new in their boxes, new Corbeau A4 seats... Pete's Frame rail design welded in, NO Rust in the chassis... I could go on and on... 5 lug hub and stub axle setup with MUstang 5 star wheels... Every Zpart I own... New in the box painless wiring harness... Mike

I'm currently building a LS1 motor for the 99 Vette I own and I also have one of the BEST LS1 Edit tuners in the COUNTRY who is aiding in the build. All I can tell you is what he has strongly suggested, and he tunes LS1 and LS6 motors for a living using a DYNO and his setup in his shop... Jeff Creech is his name and he goes by the name of Milk Man on LS1tech.com. Pete Paraska and I have been to his shop in Durham, NC. And he is certainly VERY knowledgable. Jeff DOES NOT recommend using a larger MAF and he DOES NOT recommend removing the screen. He is a fan of the LS6, the BLACK WING, and the VARARAM. Jeff also likes the Thunder 224/224 114LSA cam kit, which is what I'm running. He also likes the kooks header set up. Bottom line is there are TONS of options out there to make the LS1 run well... I've spent about $2900 to date on the new LS1 heads, Thunder Racing cam package, JE forged pistons, forged HBeam rods, Z06 upper induction (Intake, injectors, TB, rails, plumbing) and a new block and crank. We are running near stock bore, stroke, and compression. We're building ours to Jeff's spec and using his data on what has worked with other cars he has tuned to well over 410 Wheel HP. I will NOT have more than $5000 in the engine, including a flywheel, clutch kit and accessories. And I plan to spend about $1000 on custom tuning and dyno time. The goal was $6000 for the motor PLUS tuning. So Jeff and Dave Williams have saved me a LOT of money through their collective wisdom. Again, do your research, and make sure you know someone who really knows their stuff when it comes to the LS1. Mike 8)

Guys, Sorry I haven't commented on these discussions... I can read at work, but not post... CIA's Software for ya! I don't know how "LOW" low is for some... However, I've got a set of ground control coil overs, 10 inch rear springs, 9 inch front springs, 17inch wheels with low profile 40 series tires all around and my car sits with about 6 threads showing from the perch stops. With that setup, I've got 3 inches ground clearance from the ground... I'm not so sure this is to low... I also know that my oil pan hangs level with the collector on the headers. I'm gonna use them and see what happens... They hang lower than the frame rail. Again, Not sure what others will be using on their cars, but I'm gonna try them... I don't think there is much more than an inch hanging lower. Once I get the car on the lift, I'll take more pics and try to get them posted. Mike

Not sure it will really be an issue anyway... I mean, If the coil overs are set to low, then I'm gonna be killing some struts... I also think I'm gonna be gaining a half inch clearance when the trans is in with the motor, leveling it in the bey... As it is now, the rear is still sitting a bit lower than should be... You'll have to see it when you guys come for the shindig! Mike

Problem #3.. DOn't let your kid be the one under the car taking measurements... I have 3 inches of clearance.. Not four or five... I'm hurrying as fast as I can RPMS! Next step, Painting the undercarriage! Mike 8)

I got a set of the S&S longtube headers from one of our members and I was kinda antsy to test the motor with them installed... Problem one: Canton oil pan WON'T clear headers... So I installed my old Moroso pan back on... 1.5 inches lower in the cradle... BUT it hangs at the same depth as the headers, so nothing lost there... Problem two: My car was SLAMMED on the ground... Had to raise the coil overs up two inches, but it still sits fairly low... I will take some pics... However, I looked under the car and I personally think these headers WILL work. I may have to notch the frame slightly (Less than 1/2 inch) and I think I can live with the amount of ground clearance. I raised the car so I can fit two fingers under each fender lip to get an idea of the clearance needed from under the car... I have about 4 to 5 inches from the flange to the ground... Livable. It was very motivating to get the motor mounted... Man I need a 5 speed! MIke

Yup, 98 Silverado 4X4 3door Z71 package. It is loaded with everything except the leather interior. I'm very pleased with it overall. It is getting 17mpg so far, and I plan to install a tonneau cover immediately to aid in furtheringthe mileage! I do have a coolant leak issue, although it is in the catch container, not the motor. I can fill the overflow catch container and have the radiator topped off and within two days the container is empty... However, the radiator never gets low... I do see evidence of coolant leak on a hose fitting, and it may be steaming out at tha location, but I plan to flush the coolant system and change the Tstat anyway, so I'll address this fitting at the same time! THe thing has a TON more torque than the other truck, and with 5 years newer styling, it sure is much more comfortable! If it ever stops raining, I'll clean it up and take some pics! I already installed my MP3 player... Nice speakers came in the truck, so I'll leave that part alone! I ended up giving them my 93 GMC stepside low rider with 262K miles on it and $10K in cash. So I think overall it was a fair deal... My truck needed a ball joint for sure, and was getting tired, had an oil pan & trans pan leak... Trans was getting iffy and would have needed attention at some point! Mike

Well My 93 has the 700R4 in it and hasn't been touched except for a fluid flush at 125K and a BG flush at 250K miles... It shifts a little funky, but is otherwise doing OK... I think this truck will serve the need, just didn'twant to buy a complete dog of a vehicle... I should have posession of it tomorrow! Thanks guys! Mike

I did a bit of research and a couple of things changed significantly on the later year trucks... The 96 models all got upgraded to passenger airbags as well as drivers bags (Which my 93 has neither) and 4W ABS (Mine only has rear wheel ABS). The 98 models were supposed to be upgraded to the 4L60E. It also had improved rear suspension to aid in the drooping rear end... I'm torn... I'll be driving this truck 130miles round trip on days I don't drive the Vette, so figure atleast 50% of the time... Not sure my wallet could stand the hit from the 454 in the 2500 series... Mike 8)

GUys, I have what I believe to be a good deal on a 98 Chevy 4X4 Z71 silverado package 3 door truck. It is a shortbed extended cab with about 90K miles on it. Guy wants to sell it for $12200. It books for $14200 in average condition... Anyway, He is willing to take my truck (GMC stepside 2 WD) and $10K for his. I know nothing about the Vortec 5.7 Motor. Any help or tips would be good... Also, Before I give this used car dealer my truck.. I'll extend the same offer locally to anyone who wants it for $2200... And I have a BUNCH of parts that go with it... It is a 93GMC Stepside Sierra GT, power everything LOADED, Lowered with a 2inch front (Spindles) 4 inch rear (Shackles) drop with Doersch drop shocks. It has some bolt ons, a tow cam, under drive pulleys, 3 inch exhaust and High flo cat. Few other things like a Reece hitch and a hard bed cover... I'm selling it cheap because it has a pyle of miles on it (260K) and will need a motor in the not so distant future... ANy advice or tips on the other truck I'm buying would be great! Mike 8)

http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z Select the autoX pics to see them... Visit the Vette folder to see new pics of the underside of the Vette from the "Lift" perspective. Mike

My build is using the factory LS1 heads, crank & block. The pistons, rods, and cam kit are all that is aftermarket. The goal is to have 400+RWHP for less than $6000. So far I'm at $2500 for the new heads, new crank, new block, cam kit, pistons, and rods. I still need headers ($1400 for the headers and cats I want), Z06 intake ($300 Used), McLeod Clutch kit and master cylinder ($1200), crank pulley/ balancer ($240), and to install it all and truck it down to Jeff in Durham for a programming & Dyno Tune session. The advantage is weight. 48# worth according to a lot of the guys in LS1tech.com land. Also, remember that my statement was "If you don't have apowerplant". And from what I undersatand on the LT1 and LS1 platforms, when you go modifying the induction, swapping cams, or bumping compression, tweeking the computer parameters is a must in order to still pass the sniff test. Mike 8)

With LS1 Edit, you can cut off the sensors and the Randon Tech cats are so small, they would easily fit in the trans tunnel area, along with an X or H pipe. Next... MIke

The LS1 comes with four 02 sensors. There is some tuning that can be done better with only two of them in place is what I've read on some of the boards. However, a good LS1 Edit tuner (Like Jeff aka Milkman) can get around this and make the smog police happy. It also depends on how radical the build and if it is forced induction or non. Those exhaust size recommendations are all dual. No one in the LS1 community would think of running a single out. 8) Mike

By the way, This is the SAME IDENTICAL advice given to me by one of the top LS1 EDIT software tuners on the east coast. Jeff Creech, Dyno operator and tuner in Durham, NC. gave me the basic blueprint for building my LS1 motor for our Vette... We've upgraded the cold air kit and the exhaust, as well as the quick shifter. I also purchased some Eagle H-beam rods, Wiseco forged pistons (Stock compression) and we're buying the Thunder Racing 224/224 Dur. 114 LSA 556 lift cam package, which comes with new springs, retainers, and proper length pushrods. We're also opening the heads up, going with larger valves, and going with an LS6 intake and Shaner TB. Headers... We're torn between the SLP and the kooks, but will go full length 1 7/8th with random cats. This SAME setup with a stock MAS, Ford 30# injectors and a new STOCK fuel pump made 412HP and passed emissions in North Carolina on a 2001 Corvette in Jeff's shop. That is a LOT of HP for a relatively inexpensive ALUMINUM small block. I can NOT stress enough that if I were putting a motor in my Z, and didn't already have one, I'd get an LS1. I may still end up doing just that in the end, since I have the stock motor in the Vette right now... But I've got the 383 stroker, which should be in the same range of HP right now... Myabe sell it or put it in the truck? Decisions decisions... But make no mistakes... The LS1/ LS6 is the new generation of hop up SBC and the aftermarket is finally starting to get on board. My timing couldn't be better for wading into those waters! Mike