Mikelly

Nathan, Not to worry, You are included in that limited group of guys who regularly go to the track and understand the above comments. Mike

BlackBob, Since Im' in the middle of research on the SR20 family of motors, I can pretty much state that there aren't any current projects in the US with a TTsetup using the SR20, none that are documented anyways. I also asked the editor of Turbo & Hi Tech and the answer I got back was Not that he was aware... BTW, What is your full time occupation??? In your profile you list Paintball Field Ref., I'm just curious. Mike

You could get by with it. As the others mention, you probably will be twisting pretty high RPMs, and I'd kep an eye out for a T5 or other related 5 speed for the future... But to get your grin on, you should be OK! Mike

I think there are a hand full of guys on this board who have enough experience and track time to even discuss this topic with real legitemacy. John C. is one of them, and I'd like to thank him for injecting some facts into this particular discussion. I used to Autocross a Ford Fiesta that was mildly modified. I regularly beat cars MUCH better suited to spank my car at larger courses. However, on a tight autocross I'd hand most of the guys their butts... Did that make my little Fiesta a Better handling car? Not likely. Saying that a 'Vette or Viper does X or Y better is without merit. As John C. stated above, WAY TO MANY variables... Mike

I'm pretty sure it is PG13... Mr. Skin was commenting on that on Thursday's Don and Mike Radio Show... I already have a turbo timer for the project so they won't have to worry about "Coking" the turbo after they slide to a stop and Jump out AFTER they Jump the bridge... Now, We all know this is no less science fiction than a Star Trek Movie, maybe even more so. But here is my fear: Some kid is gonna see these stunts and try to pull his best 2F2F moves on the highway. This happened: In 1982 my Best friend and I were coming home from a high school football game when we came towards a train track crossing. My friend was driving his 71 Plymoth Duster, and he floored the throttle, wrung out the little 318 and we set sail across those tracks... We landed the jump and drove home, happy and feeling "To COOL" like Bo and Luke Duke. Three weeks later he loaned his car to a buddy who was driving at normal speeds on a back country road. A ball joint on the right front wheel gave way and the poor guy rolled the car three times, took a trip to the hospital for a broken arm and fractured ankle and my buddy Dwayne lost his pride and joy. Gee, I wonder HOW THAT BALL JOINT FAILED ??? Couldn't possibly have had anything to do with JUMPING RAILROAD TRACKS, now could it...??? Yea, I'm nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs after my boys going to see that movie! Mike

Having eaten DOG, I can personally attest to the fact that ANYTHING tastes good in brown sauce... Don't ask! Mike

Doug, You need a girlfriend! Get a room! Mike

This one was posted YEARS Ago somewhere. Cut open ANY fram filter and you will see that these guys are RIGHT! I switched from fram filters back in 1997 and I noticed less blow by, less oil consumption, and cleaner oil... I now use Purolator, AC Delco, And Motorsport filters ... The Purolator stuff is used on the Honda, and in a pinch will go on the GMC and Ford, and I use the A'c Delco on the GMC as a 1st choice, and the Ford Motorsport filters on the Mustang... WIX filters are nice... And I also use CANTON filters on the 383 Stroker. So why is it that FRAM is the best SELLING filter??? Marketing. Can you say John Force? FRAM has a HUGE marketing machine. Everyone I know uses them, and all of them swear I'm crazy... Yet I have two vehicles with over 250,000 miles on them and a Mustang that has 133,000 on it and I drive all of them HARD! I don't use Fram. Mike

Yesterday My kids saw it. I'm sure I'm gonna hate it long before it comes out on Tape, since I'm not wasting a DIME to go see it at the theater... I did spend some time with My younger son yesterday explaining in real world terms why adding a cold air intale WON'T have much positive effect on a bone stock car. I also gave him the Lingefelter book to read about engine principles, and how a motor must be modified to work efficiantly... You know, More air inlet needs more fuel inlet added, and both will require more efficiant spark (if it doesn't exist already) and finally, larger plumbing to allow the additional spent excesses to escape more rapidly... I didn't get into cams and heads, or compression yet, but we did get his brothers turbpo parts out and lay them out in a mocked up design so he could see how all the parts will work together on the LS motor we are building. Hopefully I'll be able to dispell all the 2FSquared crap that I will certainly hear starting today... Mike

Couple of things contribute to more weight... The 5MPH bumpers are a HUGE contributor. Another issue is the metal added to the later 280 chassis is fairly significant as well. Another issue is suspension. The strut tubes on the later Zs is larger in diameter and you can FEEL the difference in picking them up... There was a catalitic converter and a resonator added to the later Zs, as well as a purge tank at the rear fuel filler. The addition of Fuel injection added more wire, more sensors, more complexity and more weight. Hope this helps. Mike

Don't get me wrong guys, When Doug and I were first talking about this last time he was up the first thought that came to mind was how abusive the loading would create for the tires... And this well might be a Summit point main circuit ONLY kinda situation... BTW, Summit is opening their new Shennandoa Circuit later this summer. Supposed to be a MUCH nicer track! John, What type of Tie rod are you running??? Mike

Jeromio, It makes sense that the tires would get more abuse from loading them. And Thure, I understand what you're talking about with brake dive on bikes, But I'm pretty sure that (Based on some dicsussions I've had with others) that this could well be a possible solution, sometimes and at some tracks... I don't plan to run this car at one track only. I hope to get out to several different courses... Mike

Tim, I'm not following you here... It should Resist the forward load. Acting as a lever, The vehicle should be less inclined to roll forward with stiffer springs, preloaded in the suspension... You lost me... Am I missing something? I know when Doug talked to a couple of his ITS/ SCCA track buddies who ahd campaigned Zs successfully for some time, they had log books that showed that they did this to combat this type of issue at certain tracks... This isn't going to be a be all end all, we're just looking to experiment with it on the track car to get some measurables... Also, I'd like to get some input from you, and source your materials used on your tubular tie rods... Mike

Amen Brother RPMS... Fast & Furious was in the same league as Biker Boys... Full of WAY over the top, never gonna be close to reality, closer to Sci-Fi for me to personally like... However, I'm sure it will gain it's share of noteriety (as the decades pass) as a movie that defined a generation... That is SAD! Mike

John, We're gonna run a 1 1/8 front bar and a 5/8th adjustable rear bar. I'm also gonna use straight tube Tie rods with heim joints to get rid of as much bump steer as possible... some fo what you describe might be attributed to the bumpsteer issue, maybe not though. If it doesn't work well, we can swap them around and try 250's up front and 300s in the rear... Goal is to have a MUCH wider selection of springs come spring time, ranging from 200-400# in incriments of 25# increases. Mike

So I've been playing with Springs... I have FOUR Eibach 250# 12 inch springs, two QA1 220# 9 inch springs and two QA1 300# 10 inch springs. I've Got two cars with coil overs and adjustable suspensions... One for track use, one for street use... Both will have LARGE brakes... Both using Tokico struts... One adjustable, one non-adjustable. On the street car I swapped out the 250# springs I had up front and swapped in the 9 inch 220# springs... Leaving the 250# 12 inch springs in the back for now... However, I can't get the street car low enough with that setup, and unless I modify the hat, I'll be relegated to swaping shorter springs in the back as well... This is a street car that will have really wide tires under stock fenders... So now Doug and I are playing with springs for the track car and Doug has enlisted the help of his racer buddie's past tips and tricks... We're likely going to use the 250# springs in the rear, with the 300# springs up front... Why you may ask? Brake dive... According to Dougs buddies who spend significant time at the track, Brake dive is and issue, and that is how guys running large brakes are combating this very issue... With 250# springs in the back and 300# springs in the front we'll be able to provide more stability and less un-weighting of the rear of the car under heavy braking... This is VERY important for my particular driving style. When at the track on the ZX9R I'm typically at the end of the braking zone with daylight under my REAR tire just before entering the corners on the end of long straights, as much as 2-4 inches... I really like using my brakes up, and this will hopefully help us retain straightline stability, tractability for positioning entry into the apex, and allow for deeper braking... This is how I do it on the bike, with significant stiffness (Preload) in the front forks (Also using Racetech Gold emulators for tuning the forks) with a moderate amount of preload in the rear, enough so the rear doesn't sag a lot and transfer to much weight back under acceleration, which on a motorcycle equates to lots of wheelies... Back to the car! Anyway, with this setup, I'm contemplating running the non-adjustable tokicos on the track car, as opposed to the adjustable tokicos. Not 100% sure yet, and will have to discuss with Pete, Jamie and Doug... But that is the latest... Comments??? Mike

What J. Did was EXACTLY what you want to do, or drill TAP and HELICOIL the existing holes. Don't leave it as is... If the bolt breaks off under load, you could have a seriously damaging and dangerous problem. Mike

Pete, To add further to your comment on the tires... Temp and wear ratings are critical as well when selecting decent tires for ANY car. So yea, you can buy rubber bands that are hard as a rock and will give thousands of miles, but will you have traction? Not likely... Denny, I'd argue that there are fewer V8Zs in the country than you would ever need to worry about. Sure there are lots of projects out there, but to few actually running on the streets to be concerned with getting caught at the same event with! "Sheople"... I've been using that term a LOT lately... "Lead, Follow, or get out of the way, But Don't critisize me because I decide on a path less conventional!" mjk 2003 Mike

I'm assuming you are refering to the yard impliment he is holding in the air.... Right??? Mike

$1600 for the hinges... See, and you guys thought some of us Zcar venders were expensive! Sheesh! MIke

Well add fender flares and a Porsche 930 style whale tail and then guess what people will ask... "What Year is your Porsche????" I would open the hood and then they would say "What is this thing exactly?" "Must be some kinda concept car..." Oh Geez... I had one guy ARGUE with me about the fact that I MADE the transformation... Guy was completely clueless! Mike

Well, If you aren't affraid to travel, and not affraid to turn a wrench or two, I know of a 1987 Mustang that has about $8000 in suspension and brake mods done to it, including a 6 point cage, BAER A Sedan brakes, 16X8 aluminum wheels, Grigs Torque arm, Koni Yellow struts, Eibach Springs, Kmember is done, rear control arms are all aftermarket boxed stuff, Subframes, New Cervini hood. Car is black with Ttops and the hood is white. Has a Salleen Wing out back and full working A/C and Alpine Stereo... 3.55 gears with Possi. The catch, He sold the motor and trans. This car has LIKE NEW PAINT and NO RUST OR BODY DAMAGE... $4000... I'm told he might drop it a few hundred... But just on the parts list alone, that car is SWEET! Mike

You can order all your parts, tubing, Heims, everything to make it a bolt in or weld in device from these two places: http://www.stockcarproducts.com http://www.colemanracing.com You can also get it shipped from S&W race cars. Check online for their website in Google! Mike

We finally got the 240SX home and the stepson spent better part of two days cleaning it up... I put it up on the lift last night to bleed the brakes and I saw a LOT of rust on the suspension. Fortunately very lille is on the car frame, except in the area under the donut/ above the fuel tank. A rear DUST Shield from the brakes has RUSTED THROUGH!!! I'll need to get him out there with a wire wheel... Here is the problem though... We're doing research because the car has a wicked intermittant knock in the engine that changes, and even goes away depending on the reves/ if it is in gear or not... I'm hearing on one of the other sites that the knock sensor can actually be the culprit. Any one ever dealt with this issue on the K24 series Nissan motors?? Mike

Well they do require you to A: Put the car in gear... (Sorry, had to comment) and B: make sure all air is out of the lines. Mike