Mikelly

Well I might as well come clean and let the cat out of the bag... I'm still making them... Hell, I announced I was quiting and people have been coming out of the woodwork. I have a pair that needs to be shipped out right now as a matter of fact... I'm gona continue to sell them, but pace myself and try to keep customers informed of the alloted time. Mike

You guys get an A+. Most people can't talk politics and in the past we have had to lock one or two religious/ political topics.... But it is rare that we have to. That is why this site is simply the best on the web. Mature people, Open minds, No limits! Mike

Pointing a gun at someone and telling them to be a democracy??? Uh, I hope you are being a little dramatic with your example.... In Haiti the war lord used to hang tires over the heads of people who spoke out against him. He would then set them afire... We rescued those who weren't already charred. In Panama we finally righted a wrong that was created by us. In Grenada, same thing. In Bosnia We created peace where there was mass murder. In Kuwait we liberated a country, freed them from the terrors of a horrible man. I don't know what answer you will accept Moridin. Maybe there isn't one. Mike

Moridin, You must have missed something in an earlier post... I worked for CIA for 10.5 years before I became a contractor. Now I support another government agency in the intelligence field. My career with the agency has been cleaned up so I can say I worked for them on resumes and such. TRUST ME on this one thing: The American public has NO CLUE the amount of attempts the US stops by terrorists world WIDE in actions against the US and its interests on a daily basis. The American Public has NO CLUE just how many times the hard work of the intelligence field has averted disaster. There are no such thing as intelligence failures in my book. I'm done with this topic. Not mad, just can't defend myself or the direction of our country any further than I have. You either have faith, get it, or you don't. Pick one. Mike

For 12 years we've been asking the UN to put some teeth into what they are supposed to stand for. Clinton made a half hearted effort because he didn't want a war, and his liberal friends, and the liberal actresses and singers he was banging didn't want a war. Now we have pretty conflusive proof that they are still up to their same tricks, can tie them to Bio and Chem, other WMD, and we can lay a money trail and support trail back to them for 9/11/01. Why not? For every why now, I'll say why not with GOOD reason. If this war was further into the calander year, I'd say "Good Move George. Posturing for the whitehouse!" But it is WAY to early for that and he knows. So throw out the politics... We've touched base on US agressive interest in oil in the other thread, so I won't rehash that. How about this: HOw about the fact that there is a ton of evidence that those who aren't cleared and who don't have to fill out financial disclosure forms, get reinvestigated and polygraphed on a very regular basis don't get to see??? What if there was enough evidence to fill up a warehouse... and what if that evidence was real and conclusive and confirmed that Saddam was not only in non-compliance, but had plans to use the stuff HERE? What if... The UN, the rest of the world, and atleast 30% of Americans still wouldn't listen. So, you ask Why now? I say Why NOT now... Give war a chance... Peace will follow. Mike

This one has been on ebay before... Mike

Livewire, Yes he has. In the last 5 years there have been traces of attacks on his own people with Chem/ Bio, and on the border with Iran. He also has had countless "sympathizers" murdered within his iwn country. The man has still managed to keep his people in the grips of fear, primarely due to the fact that he has a captive audience. On a related not I heard a woman as the gas station 15 minutes ago bitching about how long it has taken... We've been there going on DAY 8! We are NOT going about it this time the way we did last time. You know Why??? We do NOT want to kill any more civilians than is absolutely necessary. We won't be doing the blanket bombing this time that we did through much of Iraq in the first war. No, we are trying to be more selective and precise. That care for the Iraqie people has put more of our soldiers in harms way. As to the comment about Bush Senior... Plain and simple. He caved under pressure from the religious right, and allowed Gengrich to steer him down the wrong path to re-election. He screwed the pooch and considered it his biggest failure. He should have stayed the course, finished the objective and we wouldn't be here now, and he would likely have been re-elected had he remained a little more moderate. Mike

Livewire, Also do a search on the world Human rights and humanitarian relief efforts in Iraq. Saddam has a reputation of getting loyalty through execution. It is also reported that he gains sexual gratefication from watching video taped executions that he has ordered and or participated in. This same man has executed relatives and inlaws. In the 80's he used chemical weapons on the Iranians, but we didn't make to much of it since we were enemies of the Iranians at the time. The Kurds have always been an easy target for him. He used chemical & biological weapons on the US lead coalition in the first war. Now, If you missed the weight of what I just typed, re-read it again. I'm not making these claims up. There is a ton documented proof that this man is a murderer. ...Give Peace a Chance?? ! ! ! ! No. I say with WAR will come PEACE! Mike 8)

I've met Randy... If he is as good at driving the bike as he is at his car, he meets the weight requirement... An FZ1 is capable of 10s... Then again My custom ZX9R was taken into the 9s, but not by me!!! I SUCK at drag racing... Mike

Jim, I agree with you on soooo many levels. Our country, although not PERFECT, is still the best in the world. Sometimes our leadership is shortsided. I liked Clintons Economic stance nationally, but hated his international policy, and quite frankly I took it personal when he got on TV and lied about Monica and sex. Bush has strong international stances, which I personally like, but his economic stance here at home isn't great. Coupled with the crappy hand he was dealt with this four year term, we won't truly get to see what he is or isn't capable of this term due to the attacks, impact to economy by the attacks, and the war. Speak out, support a candidate, Hell even protest. Just do it with a WELL INFORMED ton of research in your back pocket. You don't want to be caught on film like the earlier examples shown in this thread. Free speech is something people have died for. It is a right we should ALL exercise with pride, and with that supreme sacrefice made by others in mind. My only recommendation in doing so is to research and NOT to allow the liberal press to bait and hook you into their machine of mis-information. Overall this has been a very healthy and positive discussion about a very emotionally charged topic. Mike

Well I disagree. I think you can point to Bush all you want, but he, not unlike the USA, is a very conveniant target. Afghanistan being a mess? Afghanistan was in worse shape BEFORE we went in there. People think this is gonna correct itself overnight. It just isn't that simple. Not to mention the fact that the UN bought into Afghanistan and hasn't spent SQUAT compared to what the pledged. Now, I'm gonna also do what the demacrats did when Clinton was in office and say that PART of the economic problem was looming on the horizon before Bush took office. 9/11 had a tremendous impact and put us squarly in the the middle of a ressession. Our financial district was SHUT DOWN for a week. The airline industry alone generates a TON of revenue and employement for the nation, and it is crippled right now. ALL of this is directly caused by the attacks of 9/11. As I stated before, I'm not a republican, but I also base my decisions on FACTS. GW Bush didn't put us in Iraq, Saddam did. Say what you will, but facts speak for themselves. When the American public SEES that BIO/Chem weapons ARE IN FACT in large quantities within Iraq's control what will you say then? I guess we should have sat back and waited for Saddam to use them, Huh?? I don't get it. Mike

Guys, I've got the Edelbrock finned aluminum covers, and I'm gonna ditch them for something more sexy... Recommendations please.. Mike

Suspension and brakes are a must in my opinion for doing a V8 Zcar. You will have a total balanced package when done, and be much happier... I'm on V8Z #2... 383 stroker, forged H-beam rods, forged pistons, scat 9000 crank, roller cam, Roller hydraulic valve train, Dart Pro1 heads with 215cc runners, 72cc Chambers, 2.05/1.60 valves. Fuel will be feed through a custom fuel cell into a custom FI setup with a Cutler FI intake, 42# injectors, 1000CFM TB, and Holley Commander 950. Right now I have the ground control coil overs, my custom control arms front and back, 5 bolt conversion, Wilwood and Outlaw 4 piston calipers and big rotors (12.2 in front 11.5 in back) and I plan to do the R230 rear. Trans is up in the air, since I've done the T56 thing before and want to go with something different this time. Shooting for 400+ HP at the wheels. Mike

Well tonight I finished off the bottom end, got the water pump mounted, got the oil pressure sender plumbed, and bolted the March Alternator mount on and hung the alternator on the bracket, sans heads. Pete is coming over Saturday for the cook out and bringing his deck height tools, and his harmonic balancer driver to go ahead and do the balancer. Broke mine tonight putting the balancer on... I still need to source a trans (Tremec or similar 5 speed) and headers, and decide what distributor to use. I'm amazed that I have most of the stuff to put this project back on the road. I still need to get the cage welded in, and get it prepped and painted, and then bolt everything in. Feels Real good to be back on track with a Zcar project underway! Mike

Well Said Aaron. I agree with you and 'Ole GW (That ain't Bush we're talking about folks...) 110%! Politics and parties SUCK! Mike

...And I'm stoked... Dave Williams did a hell of a job on the build and the amount of metal he had to remove to get my rods to clear is amazing. He did a wonderfull job. I can't wait to get it all buttoned up so I can get it mounted in the car, radiator mounted, and then finish up mocking the infrastructure up... Then I'll pull it all back out and prepare the car for the body and cage work... The fun begins! Mike

I agree with all statements. However, I would LOVE to deal with protesters who know the facts. Unfortunately most of the protestors I have encountered in my days have known ZERO REAL facts about what it is they are protesting and why. It is based mainly on emotion and not Reason or fact. I agree that we all should comment on our beliefs, and I also am a fan of free speech. However, I do have problems when people allow common sense and logic to escape them and that is when protestors and their causes go down the tubes. Mike

I Saw the new Viper up close and personal while in Ft. Lauderdale and the car looks completely different in person... It is a work of art, and the nose and hood make it damned sexy! Mike

I thought the C4 and C5 vette had an exemption, or exception to the rule... Maybe I'm wrong... I always wondered why it was that the Zcar got zinged... You can build hald shaft loops to keep failed axles from taking out the brake lines, and it isn't a structural part of the rear... Mike

Nope. A Zcar running 10.99 or quicker is outside the rules of IHRA and NHRA IF you run the Stock Zcar configuration. There is only ONE control arm on each rear axle. If you plan to be NHRA legal I'd recommend doing a corvette or solid axle swap. Mike

Guys, I'm gonna buy Gaskets and I'm currious What has worked best for our members?? I've got a pre-86 4 bolt bowtie block and Aluminum heads from Dart... Trying to get the best gaskets made... Mike

Before I continue. Let me point out something else as obvious as the nose's on all our faces... The discussion we are having here would NOT go on in other countries in the world. Back on track now: Livewire, some answers to your questions... 1: Most of the missiles being fired upon US and Brittish troops are on the Banned weapons list. Also, there have been tons of trace evidence found that show conclusively that Chem/ Bio weapons are still in development. Saddam has since yesterday threatened to unleash Chem/ Bio on the city of Bahgdad if the coalition advances upon the city. Thought he didn't have any? 2: Point is They lied and lied REPEATEDLY when evidence was thrown in their faces. These are not people of honor. 3: Power is ALL he is concerned with... 4: Anthrax has a tracable gene that allows us to figure out the exact strain, type, culture used, and cultivation used. There were three different strains found during the anthrax attacks inside the United States AFTER 9/11. What the American public seemed to miss, although it was reported, was that most MAJOR government facilities recieved packages laced with anthrax. The early packages found had very dirty strains of the virus, indicating that they were developed in less than ideal circumstances. However, some of the envilopes carried a very mature, very strong strain of the Virus. This stuff was likely created in Iraq, as their signature "Gene" was evident in several locations. Finally the strongest strain, of which only a handfull of labretories in the world have been able to grow, which is MUCH more leathel, was found as well. That last strain likely came from within our own borders. However, it is strongly suspected that this stuff was cooked up by muslim terrorists using an industrial facility with a VERY well engineered HVAC climate control system and an extremely sanetized area to cultivate the strain. This particular strain would have required someone skilled in engineering such a gene, and that is where I'll leave that unsolved mystery. 5: We requested siesure of Iraqie assets after financial ties were connected to Bin Laddin. Further, there is evidence of conversations between members of the 9/11 attacks and key Iraqie officials in the weeks and months leading up to 9/11. Further, Key members of Bin Laddin's organization step up conversations via land line and e-mail, well as other signals intelligence that were traced back to these key Iraqie officials. Everything I'm stating here can be found in the archives for MOST of these media agencies... As a matter of fact Bill O'reilley Just hit the high points on his show last week, or the week before quoting much of the same reporting. Problem is that the real conclusive evidence (True nails in the Coffin!) is currently not available to the public. Why not back Russia? Well Pete can attest to my frustrations over this. I don't get how we could be so wrong in that area... And lets not call them Chechens... They are terrorists. The village of Chechenyia was a small town filled with mostly elderly retiries. That uprising has everything to do with control of the military assets located at a base within that town, and nothing to do with creating a free Chechen state. We should have allowed the soviets the latitude to quickly finish it, but the arguements within the UN were that the fighting had been going on for many years (Since 1994) and they couldn't seem to gain control. Once the free press started reporting the horrors of war in the region, the bleeding hearts started pouring out over the violence unleashed by Russian troops and the UN began to scream about the atrocities. Lets forget about how the Rebels have used the citizens of that community as human shields, starved, raped and tortured the people of the community and destroyed a civilized people. As for the French, they have never supported anything we do with regards to conflict in the world. They have banned us in the past from using their air space, and they continue to throw up road blocks within the UN with regards to US interests world wide. Germany isn't letting us use their airbases. NO, those bases are ours. That is why they are called US airbases within Germany. Other areas where we aren't seen favorably: Turkey, Spain, Moracco, Pakestan, India, Serbia, Croatie, Bosnia, Most of Africa, all of the middle east. Why? By and large the muslim faith have been given misinformation that the United States continually contribute to by our actions, or their perception of our intentions by our actions. My fear is that we are breeding 3 more generations of "American hating" Muslims who will never see what we are trying to achieve. Further, we severely limit our effectivity outside our borders when we continue to operate in the vacuum of assumptions that the rest of the world views us as we view ourselves. This short-sited view of the world will continue to hurt us if we do not seek a better understanding of the people we wish to help before we go in and try to "Help" them without asking if we are truly needed... ...And don't get me started on the UN... My safety has been personally jeapordized by those idiots TWICE! This has been a VERY GOOD and healthy discussion and I appreciate it! Thanks Guys! Mike

Mudge, the United States Government has NOTHING to do with fuel pricing. That is left up to OPEC (International Organization) and the individual retailers who will take every advantage of this... It will get worse before it gets better. I predict we will see well over $3 per gallon before the end of the year. You have OPEC and the retailers to thank... That and a harsh winter, and the other reasons I list above... Don't get me wrong... It sucks having to dump $32 in the tank of my pickup (Regular unleaded) every time I fill up. But Bush isn't to blame... Mike

John, Spot on. It isn't about the US wanting to control the oil prices... But about Saddam Leveraging against his countrie's only asset to gain more power within the region. Mudge, The reason we are paying more for oil has to do with a couple of things. One is the Venezuela (SP??) strike that took place in January and Febuary, and the fact that any time an oil producing nation is at war it does have an effect on OPEC. Also, we must remember that the comparison of what we pay for now in gasoline is also based on 11 years AFTER, which means the dollar isn't worth what it was 11 years ago (Inflation). Couple that with the fact that we have predators in OPEC and HERE in America who want to exploit the situation. That is wrong and if you guys want to REALY protest, I recommend starting at your highest priced gas stations... I'm paying $1.52 for regular and $1.72 for premium! Good discussion here guys... Mike

...Damn, how did I miss the "Oil" issue... Riddle me this one kiddies... If this is a war about oil, why is it that: 1: We never TOOK OVER Kuwait after liberating THEM from Iraq's terror in 1991??? 2: We have NEVER tried to take over the single largest exporter of oil to the USA, CANADA? 3: Why haven't we told the liberal press and their pundits to take a hike and start drilling and taping into or own resources, many of which reside on national park lands??? If WE the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, the strongest country in the world, were so hell bent on controlling the worlds oil supplies, Why on gods earth would we start with Iraq when we have these other options (and I was joking about our friends to the north, but the oil question begs these answers...) It is ever so easy to look away from the cause of this and point blame back onto the USA. Why? Because we are a big target. Also, because we want to believe, as a nation of do-gooders, that everyone else in the world will do the right thing. Momamar didn't, Osamah won't, and neither will Saddam. Blame Washington if you must, but if you do, you are being emotional and not logical. Now, I am NOT a republican. Never have been. I am not a democrat. Never have been. I do not want war anywhere where it isn't needed. Kids the deal is that this guy and other bad guys around the world WON'T play by reasonable means. Reality is that bad people elsewhere in the world get into positions of power. It sucks, but so does a cracked block and thrown rod on startup. The UN would have come running to the USA to "DO SOMETHING " if a large scale attack had happened in Paris, Quebec, Stokholm, Frankfurt, you pick the MAJOR CITY around the world. We would have been pushed into this. It didn't. It happened right here, with people from every walk of life being impacted. This particular effort is ABSOLUTELY about 9/11 and if anyone thinks otherwise, they are wrong. Pick your nationality and I can post a name of someone from that country that was either in the towers or on the planes. I can go back to the archives and pull up some of the sentiment from the hours and days that followed the attacks. The American public and the world have short attention spans, and shorter memories... Make no bones about it, the French would have been looking for cheese to go with that whine had it been on their soil. Those of us who do or have in the past worked with intelligence agencies have insight to a world that the general public will never get to see. We see material and technology that will never exist outside of the confines of the respective state and federal agencies that house those technologies. I wish Powell would have shown more damning evidence, but unfortunately the briefing materials he used were strong enough and THAT info was over the heads of 90% of the people in the room. They, like the American "Protestors" don't get it. They want so badly to dislike Bush. Intelligence methods weren't worth the sacrefice to proove a point to people who wouldn't have listened anyway. So now we'll show what we knew all along. Don't get me wrong. I am not 100% for Bush. His economic policy and his domestic policy scare me. We all spent that check they gave us last year, claiming that it was surplus that belonged to the people, for the people, and should be given to the people. He should have sat on it. We all spent it on toys for our cars, kids, or significant others, and we spent it with joy, thinking "Yea it's MY MONEY afterall!" and we went on with our lives... Now where are we??? I didn't need the $300 given to me. I'd have rather had it put to use in areas of social reform, unemployment benefits, medical system overhauls, or better yet, get some of the truly needy here at home back on their feet. No, President Bush, I didn't need that little bit of jingle in my pocket, and most of us could have gotten by with it sitting where YOU needed it. I'll likely vote for him again, only because I'm a contractor in the federal government pool, and when Republicans are running the Whitehouse, I typically have a much happier time getting and keeping work. It's what I do, and likely why I won't leave the federal circle. I'm good at what I do, and I've been asked to stay with my company for a while longer. so I guess I'll stay at ringside with the best possible view of history unfolding yet again, all just so I can keep on saying... See, we knew... We knew. God Bless us all... Mike