Mikelly

It's a tough job, But... Mike

Big thanks to Doug Carrow for coming up yesterday and helping me pull another 7 hour day... We mudded most of the walls, and all that is left is final touch ups and some sanding... And the ceiling, but I'm within a week of painting! Mike

Yup,my experience has been to replace ALL the lines, hard and soft when the lines are rusted like that! Sucks... I had to buy flare tools and tubing benders for brake line years back, and I just order all new stuff and plumb it when I start on a new project! Mike

Yea, it is kinda hypocritical to hammer the guy if you've never been on a course with an instructor. It can be overwhelming... People react to presure differently... When I was an Glynco (Federal Police Academy) we tried to help this student learn to drive agressively. The guy got his license at 16 and never drove again. He lived in Washington DC and took public transportation everywhere... He was 26 when he got into the academy... We worked with him for 4 weeks and tried to get him to PASS them minimum requirements, but after he tore up one car his confidence just plumitted. He failed out of the course... That is an extreme case, but I've seen guys come completely unglued at the track... It can be very stressfull. Crashing an $80K car and then having to explain it to your family and friends... Think about it. Would you want that stress?? Mike

Well the sheetrock is done... Now on to the mudding... I'll be SOOOO Glad when this interior is painted and done so I can MOVE IN!! Mike

Well I just got an e-mail back from my engine builder and he recommended I buy the Scat crank over the forged crank for my specific application. Looks like I will do that and spend the money saved to converting to solid roller from my hydraulic roller setup. Mike

I've never been a big fan of High reving engines IF I can make the same power lower, with a flatter torque curve. My previous 383 stroker did just fine. Although I had some traction issues, I think some of the traction related issues are due to people not setting up the chassis properly. I was able to launch fine and get plenty of traction once I got out of the hole. Tires, suspension, and air presure go a long way towards the proper setup... I use Scottie GNZ for my current example since my car is in 394 pieces... Mike

Charles, Do you have specs and info on that crank?? That is a good price...Just curious what it rates for. I haven't ordered the 4340 crank yet, was actually waiting until tomorrow to do so... Mike

Nope, one axles should be longer than the other. Sounds like you have two left side axles... Mike

My combo used the 400 crank and 5.7 rods with standard configuration "Claimer" pistons. I'd look into the parts you have. Good rods and pistons would have saved me from having a rebuild/ redo of the existing power plant... I'm now going with a 383 stroker crank that is 4340 forged and I'm getting it for $500 shipped. I have 4340 rods and forged wiseico pistons... I'm getting ready to drop the motor off in Feb to Pete's builder for a complete build up... I'm just gonna re-use the Scat crank in a 383 build up for my truck later on... Mike

Doug, It is bone stock and was purchased for $200. Can't really say at the moment, but my oldest step son would love for me to do a turbo swap into that car because of the body style and sex appeal... I'm a little biased towards doing a Buick GNX motor swap. The wife wants to keep it stock and drive it every day and give me the Mustang to drive, which would mean I'd have to get rid of the Honda (Oh Darn!), so I don't know just yet... It has an intermittant KNock in the engine, but they are notorious for flex wheel cracks and torque converter bolt breakage... Nice looking car though overall... Only down side is it is an automaitc... The wife loves that though... Mike

Tom paid me $1650 for the trans, Centerforce DF clutch kit, slave cylinder already modified for the Z, shifter, dust shield, and otrher small parts. Mike

Sold my track bike last night... Never got to ride it and lost a couple hundred dollars selling it... But I really enjoy the green beast, and I've got a complete extra set of bodyworkfor it just in case of the inevitable accident at the track... Now to get the White Z to it's new home... Then I'll be down to 1 Z, 1 240SX, the Mustang, the truck and the Honda, and of course the green meanie... Mike

Me feel guilty??? Hell the check cleared, that's all I was worried about !! Seriously, I'm sorry that a member would do something like this. I know Mike claims to have had serious medical issues, and he may very well have. But we have a large contingent of members in the lone star state who would have been glad to help if only asked... You have to ask to receive help, and to this point he hasn't. Now what the hell are you gonna do with two T56 trannies??? Mike

I have nothing to do with the automotive industry, nore do I have any interest in automobiles! Up WAAAAAYYY To late... Mike

Take it from someone who makes serious scratch in online sales, I can attest to not making LOTS of sales on stock Zcar parts here... I've got a shed full and can't give them away. Got to ZCar.com and Zdriver, and try ebay. We're a hotrod lot here... Mike

Tom, I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I had a bad situation with Mike when I sold him my seats. He made it right, so I never broadcast it. Anyway, just so everyone knows, Tom has paid ME IN FULL For the T56 I have and I have NOT sent it yet due to time constraints and my Job... I'm going BACK to work tonight and won't get off until tomorrow night Midnight... War is Hell as they say... ANYWAY, Tom, you Clutch Kit and all the small stuff will be going out Thursday afternoon and I'll e-mail the tracking number and I'll send out the Tranny as soon as I can get the box built... The box will be built AROUND the tranny with the rear and front bolted into it. It will be one solid piece. Also, there is a new speedo sensor in original packaging for it as well, and all the little small parts... Tom, you will have a T56. I'm just sorry you had to pay for it twice. Mike

It is just a standard B18B1. It only makes 142HP out of the box, which is 40More than his current motor, and it makes 29 FT# more torque... For $450 what do ya expect?? Mike

Yea, I'll be the cranky Hip dad on the Ninja trying to educate the youth of the world on the values of racing OFF the street in head to head competition... 'Er, yea that's it... Brad Pit will play me, and Jennifer Anestin will play my saucy wife! Mike

Well on Friday I managed to STEP OFF a 6 foot scafold... Landed on concrete on my side and back, rolled and got up on my feet... no damage to me that I could tell other than sore as hell the next day! I did hang all the dry wall for both the side walls and one 12 ft., section on the front Saturday with my oldest stepson. I'll finish it off this week. Then it will be mudding and taping for me... 38 sheets of 12 ft. X 4ft. sheetrock and I only broke one piece... Mike Mike

Yesterday morning my Wife and I jumped in my GMC and headed North to the Big Apple and Long Island to pick up an Acura Integra motor and a brand new folding cherry picker... For $650 for everything. This particular motor is supposedly THE motor for doing Hybrid swaps in civic and turboing them, so we'll see.. I couldn't resist the cherry picker... thing was new and I only paid $170 for it! Trip was long and uneventfull... Wife had a good time hanging out with me for the day, which is something that she doesn't get to do often! Now the Honda experience begins... YUCK! Mike

This game SUX... Here's why... I CAN'T STOP PLAYING IT!!! VERY COOL! Mike

Sorry Stony...I missed this post... I have a tubing notcher and they work really well... Just get a good 1/2 inch drill and plan to buy lots of bi-metal hole saws! Mike

We see this all the time with Motorcyclists... Guy I know bought his first bike this year and it was an 87 CBR600. It was old and tired and he quickly lost his love for it... Two months later he "Graduated" to a 996 superhawk. What Made him think he was ready is beyond me... Some idiots feel that the fact that they have money is all it takes... Unfortunately you can't buy brains or skill. Mike

Yup this is good stuff... I got into a long discussion e-mailing a potential customer back and forth and the one thing he (And most people) over looked was the fact that the ball joint at the bottom, and the rubber mount/ isolator at the top allow the assembly to move in that arc. The info discussed about the TC rod placement is very interesting. I know our Northern California car is running an aggressive front caster setting at well over 7 degrees, but runs very little negative camber, at less than a degree in the front wheels. Bump steer is a much more critical factor in the Z early suspension design and I'd think that competitors who plan to champaign a Zcar in a series would want to buy three major pieces of equipment in order to set their cars up: Caster/ Camber Gages, Bump travel Gage, and scales. Then learn how to use them effectively and how to interpret the data and apply changes accordingly. This last part is critical to being successfull. Mike