Mikelly

Next question is how do you form it??? I mean, Do you hit it with heat or what? Sorry for the ignorance. I've never dealt with Lexan! Mike

I was told a while back the the turbo injectors would flow more fuel than needed, and wash the cylinders down with gas... Not sure, but I suspect you won't get the performance you hope for... The better option would be to find a turbo motor in the JY and swap it in. Remember to grab the harness and computer... Mike

FJ1200 is one of my all time favorite rides... My ZX9R is probably as agressive a riding style I'd want. I can drag my knee on the tarmac and ride all day with the Mrs. on the back without pain. I can also knock down 50MPG and NOT baby it. However, That will change over the winter when we do a stage three and some other tweeks... I've only had the balls to hold onto mine for a 165 MPH (Speedo indicated) blast once, but it still had PLENTY of pull when I started running out of space! Sport Bikes... Got to love them!

Here in lies the problem with people and toys... I had a kid tell my stepson that his 93 GSXR600 would DUST any bike in town, including my ZX9R... Then I found out that not only was it bone stock, but that the kid had been riding this bike (His first) for only 6 months. I just laughed... Ducati's are known to be slow and heavy. and only the 996/998/999 sereis are "Quick". I was waiting for Thurem to comment since he is a bike Mechanic by trade... I'm sure he has heard tons of stupid stories... Of all the stupidness out on the web, if you guys want some entertainment sometime, go out to ANY of the sportbike web pages and read the stupidity posted on those boards... Makes me feel REALY GOOD about what we have here! Mike

...Nopt to mention the cost of that sucker... You could do a turbo engine setup for the cot of the SC kit ALONE! Mike

Here is the list of MODS that made one of my cars run 186WHP... N42 head, 1982 ZX flat top pistons on a stock 280 block, stock rods and Crank, MSA header, Holley 390 Carb on a Sharp 4BBL carb. 2.5 inch exhaust with Dynomax muffler. It had 3:36 gears and a 5 speed sourced from god knows where... Ignition was a supercoil and an MSD box with NGK wires... That is real world, and was measured... NOT impressive based on the money spent to get that WHP... If you MUST stay L6, I'd find a factory Turbo setup, freshen and install it instead. Beware of seat-of-the-pants HP and Torque guestimates... John Coffey is a real good source for what combos are effective in the L6 configuration. Mike

Well we certainly tested the strength of the safety catches which worked BTW! We'll get it sorted out... I'm in no real hurry right now. I've got some more welding to do on the white car, and I'd like to get the grey car on the lift so I can swap the rear control arms out on it, and then move the cquare tube arms to the white car. I also need to make some front control arms and two sets of TC rods, since I sold the set off my Z to a customer who had an event coming up in April... Which has come and gone, so I hope he did well! Anyway, I'll get some pads ordered for the lift this week, and then tighten up the cables and grease the rails, and give her another test or two UNLOADED... I also have a service call in to have a tech come out and inspect the unit. Mike

I'm absolutely SICK over Bicycles... I've got a Giant Carbon Fiber road (Team issue from 1996 CFRmodel) bike with Campy Record 10 speed drivetrain that weighs 17# and is worth about $4500. My Jamis Dakar Pro is a 27 speed, full disk, full suspension lockout 25# wonder off road! I also have a Giant Carbon Hardtail mountain bike. My wife has a GT Idrive FS with hydraulic brakes and 27 Speed. She has a Cannondale Road bike, womens specific geometry for her size! My son Craig has a Specialised FS with Full XTR drivetrain. He also has a Raleigh Road bike that is like brand new. I have every tool known to man to work on bicycles with, as well as enough gear to outfit an army... I always keep extras, so keep that in mind if you come visiting... You might end up going for a ride! My other expensive hobby is my drums... Full custom cage, 6 toms, double pedal hooked to a single kick, double snare, 10 cymbles, chimes, woodblocks and cowbells... Love my drumset... Full Mapex Laquer finish in crazy orange... And of course, the cars... 2 Zs, the wife's 95 'Stang, My 93 GMC, and 90 Civic, as well as the 240SX that the 15 year old just inherrited! None of my cars are stock! Last nut certainly not least, I got back into motorcycling last year and my ZX9R has every option imaginable, including extra bodywork, as well as racing tires out the WAAZOOO! I've also outfitted the wife and I with top shelf leathers, boots, helmets, and a communicator! My spending has been cut short due to the biggest money consumer you could have... OUR HOUSE! Yesterday alone I spent $140 on 100 landscaping stones to corral the gravel in our walkways... Very good looking in the back yard... Now to get grass in there! And of course, the family room and the upstairs of the garage have to be done before the end of summer or she is gonna get a rope and string me up! Mike

Well Friday Doug Carrow came down and we screwed around the place for a while. Then we loaded Tom's T56 Tranns into the back of Doug's truck and headed off to UPS... 157# is too heavy for them, sooo I need to figure out how to lighten the box. GREAT! So Home we go... Next, we try to solve my lift issues... We work to get them system filled with the proper amount of fluid and any leak issues resolves, which we do. Then we raise the unit several times. The power switch on the unit is bad, so we resort to turning the unit on at the panel. Anyway, after we are confident that out fluid/ bleed issues are resolved, we decide to put my white Z on the lift and raise it. No issues. We go to lower it... NOTHING. Thing won't budge. So I bump the power to get the unit off its safety catches and still, nothing. Doug goes behind the car and gives it a gentle nudge and the thing drops about 18 inches at such an abrupt manor that the car shifts on the lift pads (Which need new roubber feet BTW!) and the car comes unsettles from the lift on the Drivers side... Scary... We end up having to use a floor jack and a section of pipe to raise the car back up enough to get the lift arms back in place, and then we let the car down... Talk about scary! The unit needs the tracks greased, the cables re-tightened and a new switch as well as arm pads. This unit is older and needed some TLC, but for $900 what would you expect??? Next time I'll have a pro come in and do the complete install on a unit I buy used... Mike

Well I've got the five lug conversion done on one of my Zs and I can't think of too much more than that. The BS with Centerline not making anything wider than 8 inches available to a four lug pattern is amazing. Years ago I could get 14 inch wide wheels in four lug pattern. I guess the parts availability is about the biggest issue. I'm contemplating if I should convert the white Z to 5 lug or not... That car is flared, so I'll need a super wide rim on the rear, and I'm gonna run slick on it, soooo Maybe I'll go the Mustang five lug route since I am thinking along the lines of running a 5.0 motor anyway... Mike

Well, yea it was kinda dorky, but made me laugh reading it, so you get a free pass! Good Morning HybridZ! Mike

Guys, I need a source for ealry Z lexan windshiled. I think I can buy the sheet and make the rear, but the front is gonna be tricky... Any leads would be great! Mike

All valid points Clint... Just seems suspicious if this motor had any miles on it... Give us the run down... I'm missing data here... Mike

Well it is possible but highly unlikely that the Dyno Pull did the deed. Kinda leads to something already being amiss and just being brought to surface during the hard pulls or due to the tuning conditions... I'm guessing here, but there is a Dyno Operator I know on a news group list I can ask... Mike

It has some body mods, like a tire hugger, euro tail, frame sliders, sidemarker eliminators. Has got some work done on the carbs, makes an honest 131 HP at the rear wheel, with a plus two rear sprocket, 520 conversion and K&N filters... Previous owner had it in the 9s but I can't launch it like that, and I'm about 190#s where he was in the 160# range. Nice bike though... Double bouble screen... I've got some other plastics I'm gonna get custom painted for it... I've only got $3700 in it and I'd love to trade up for a ZX12R!! That thing is a beast!!! Mike

Modified ZX9R Ninja 1998 vintage... She is scary and I DO MEAN Scary Quick! Mike

There is a reason I wear a nice suit to work... and commute in a 257,000 mile honda civic... I'm waaaaayyy to practical (And live to far away) to buy a new car... My civic, although ugly as hell with it's vinyl seats and black hood that doesn't match the light blue paint, knocks down 35+ mpg with the stock wheels and tires, and 31+ woth an oversized set and custom wheels. People look at me with their noses turned up when I'm in traffic. But hell with them. I've got a 180mph land rocket of a motorcycle at home in the garage, two Zs, a nice GMC truck with car trailer, and the 240sx and the wife's mildly mod'ed Mustang GT. Yea, I'll put around in the civic... Mike

I just spit coffee all over the monitor... that is cool stuff! It is worth $20 just reading the ad! Mike

From a crash rollover standpoint they do well. My little brother rolled one four times and it did very well in that accident. As for modifying them, they don't do well without some upgrades... The rears are NOT sturdy for added HP and the T2 motors don't do well with added boost... I personally like the body style. Mike

I think Mike C. is my long lost twin... There isn't enough crack in South East Washington DC to make me ever think one of these so called "New Supercars" is worth the $30000 price tag. Before your blood boils, remember I said "ME". I've never owned a brand new car, and I've never been seduced by that new car stigma. I'd do some more soul searching... $30000 in some parts of the country is 50% down on a home. However, Jason, If you do buy it, we'll want video of the four wheel burn outs!!!! Mike

Nightrider, I'm in a similar boat with my truck motor build and I'm trying to keep it on the cheap... However, For basically DOUBLE the cost you could have some decent forged rods. Check on Ebay for forged rods from CAT and SCAT. 4340 and 5130 H and I beams can be had for Under $220 and they are balanced and matched sets... Mike

ALL Giood points by JT240Z. I have waided into the programable injection waters inly so far as to buy two systems and evaluate the software, one for my V8Z project, and one for the Mustang. Educate yourself first before making a decision on buying a system. What do you want to do with the system? Is a simple ECU enough? Do you only NEED fuel managements, or want to control spark as well? Do you know the difference in Wide band and Narrow band? Open and close loop? There is a ton of info you need to know before you make a decision. Furthermore, Do you have support locally? One KEY feature I like in both the Holley system I've bought for my Z and the Tweecer I bought for the Mustang is that I can hook a laptop in, hook the laptop up to my network and modem and allow a tech to SEE what I'm doing to the car, or better yet LET HIM TUNE IT REMOTELY for me! If you don't have support locally THIS is a GOOOOOD option if you have enough cash to support it. That said, Education about programing FI systems is key. It is no different than being able to work on your own PC at home. I'm surprised PeteP hasn't chimed in since he recently bought the Megasquirt and I think he plans to get the MegaJolt as well. Mike

So, what is the deal with us anyway??? Man I can't tell you guys how much the whole West Coast Nationals and my comments that followed have filled up my mail box. I wanted to clear the air, so here goes... ZF Racing LLC has one goal, one mission. My goal has been to put a car on the map at the SCCA SOLO2 Nationals. That has been the goal from DAY ONE! Steve and Ian contacted my former business partner three years ago and here we are today with a very quick car, and two very good drivers. For the past two years I've posted about how these two guys have worked hard to compete in the Northern California region and how over most of 2002 they got TTOD at more than 75% of the events they entered. These guys are quick, and yes the car is a minimalist car, but that is what it takes to be competitive at the level we are shooting for. We know the car ONLY had hood and door skins. But it can per the SCCA rules. This car is purpose built, no bones about it... Again, That is WHAT IT TAKES to win. And you want to know something else? We're gonna take the rules even further to their limits with this car. You guys and gals haven't seen anything yet! Ian is a ZCAR guy, and he has owned some very quick Street turbo Zs. Steve is more like myself in the sense that he wants to compete. Doesn't matter what you put him in, he is gonna try to beat you with it. And this gets us to the hot water I seem to have gotten into with some folks who are near and dear to the event and it's sponser last weekend. Far as I'm concerned the whole issue from last year is over, done, finished. It was fun to poke a stick about this years turn of events, but apparently it stung a little too much with some folks, and it really was not the overall intention. I wanted to prove a point and in my wonderfully Irish TACT (Or lack there of...) I stepped on peoples toes a little to firmly. Sal at MSA has hooked me up and helped me out over the last 15 years, and I bear him, nor his company no ill will. Am I happy we had a good showing? Damned straight. But from this point forward I consider it a done deal. It was an autocross school, nothing more. My guys came to learn and they did. They have every year they have attended and I certainly wouldn't want them to be excluded from future events. However, this Us vs. them thing stops here. Regardless of how it all began, and everyone can sit and point fingers, The buck stops here. I instigated it after last year, and for that I'll take full responsibility, but it ends now. I wish MSA and their staff the best of successes in 2003 and beyond. ZF Racing LLC has been on hiatus for almost 6 months now while I completed my shop. I'm just now to a point of dusting off some new ideas for products, as well as building my own company cars, and I do NOT want to tarnish the hard work people like Steve, Ian, and John Williams have put forth for the sake of my name, and my ideas. I don't want their efforts to be somehow over-shadowed by my own comments, or the actions of others. So from this day forth I'll let the actions on the tarmac speak for themselves. I'll be happy when we win, and scratch my head and go back to the drawing board when something breaks or we lose. But we will be pointed in the right direction, with eyes firmly glued toward the future, not focused on the past. It isn't about beating others. It is about being the best you can possibly be. We aren't there yet, and we have a ways to go, but steve and Ian have built the foundation. With the new recruits I will have waving the ZF Racing flag this coming year (I'm seeking drivers on the east coast and in the Texas region), I think we'll achieve the intended goal of being our best. Thanks! Mike Kelly

Nothing to be ashamed of man. That car is a wicked beast to tryt and take down with your Z. Put those Pro1s on it and do some tuning and my guess is you'll stand a better chance of hold the snakle at bey! Mike

Well after the goings on over the last few days, and after consulting with Steve and Ian, I may end up in Northern California for several days in June/ July. More to follow... But I'd like to get back down to the LA/ Orange County areas. We'll see. I'll be sure to keep you guys posted, as I'd like to make myself available to anyone in the Zcar community for dicsussions about Hybrids and things Z related. I already have a place to stay if I come to LA, Right Van? Stay tuned... Mike