Mikelly

ZROSSA, This site has A TON of data! Good find! I'll be reading this site for a while... Mike

I'd do the Ford swap over the LS1... Cost is the major factor. Chris Cloude just e-mailed me yesterday and one of his first comments was how cheap stuff is for his newly acquired early 90s Mustank. I think you could get much more bang for your buck. And quite frankly, I'm not a huge fan of those modular motors...and lets not forget about Optisparc... On to the other post above: JTR is a manual based on what Mike Knell THINKS is the best way to install a V8. If you take the one comment he makes, and exclude everything else, His statement of moving the weight further back and lower should be spot on. Every Supercar or Race car today employes the same technique. Now, add the issue of ground clearance and you have a potential problem. Now, I only know about one JTR install, Mine. I drove mine from Central Va. to Washington DC once per week all summer, 2000. Not once did I drag my 7 quart 8 inch pan. I drove to car shows on weekends, cruised parking lots with speed bumps in them, and never, not once did I scrape an oil pan. I didn't have coil overs at the time, and I was using MSA springs and Koni oil filled struts. I also ran 15 inch rims and tires. At one point someone on this board asked about pan clearance and I went outside and measured mine in the garage and I think I came up with 6 inches of clearance at that point. Might have been more. Now, I've driven several V8 Moded Zs, and I will tell you this: Steering a Scarab/Hooker style setup is different. The feel is different, the push from the rear is different and the cars have LESS tracion. The added rearward transfer of weight in the JTR install helps. It gives overall better weight distribution, and that is fact. That simply can't be disputed. What it boiles down to is this: If your DRIVING STYLE better lends itself to oversteer, light rear vehicles, then the Scarab swap and its much more simplified install is for you. The current trend in some racing classes is sort of going back to a oversteer, looser setup. Some of the young guns in several of the series are experimenting with this. However, If your driving style requires a more neutral balance and distribution of weight, You would be better served to Go the JTR route and maybe buy a Canton Shallow RR oil Pan (As I'll be doing since I've now got coil overs). To me, and I've driven a BUNCH of fast cars, including a few open wheel cars, there is simply no comparison, but my training and time behind the wheel is better suited to a 50/50 weight balanced car. Mike kelly

Jim, pete has your data and is sending it to you...He did your desk top Dyno build... We're in the chat room now... mike

BLKMGK, Good find! I'll be over there doing reseach! All signs are pointing towards the Holley stuff... I downloaded the manual and it looks really sweet. Mike

John knows of what he speaks... I checked to see how much it would cost to patent my control arm design for the rear... lawyer friend of mine just laughed and said he wouldn't want to take my money for such a waist of time... Just sell them.. save your money. Mike

Mark, Rubin, Mike M. and Danno will get their control arms shipped out by end of this week (That being this coming Friday the 2nd) If not sooner. I welded up the first hald of the two part units today (Almost used 1/2 a bottle of Argon) and I can't do anymore... I'm tired and my feet hurt. I'll be doing some more on each set pretty much all week and sending each set out when I'm finished with each set... I got them all to a point where I can deal with them individually. Now, when you get them you will notice a few things... The control arm bushing out by the strut assembly will need to besized down to fit. I did this by hand and using a bench grinder and rolling them a little at a time. You will have to size them for depth fitting as well. Your inboard bushings will work just fine as is. These units are beefy and should be bomb proof but PLEASE check the frequently. I've done everything I can do to make sure they'll work. But you will have to do your part as well. Check them to be safe the first few hundred miles and after a track event crawl under the car (You should be checking the car out anyway after and event) and give them the once over. They may fit tight on the strut assembly, as I wanted to make them as close to tolerance as possible. However, I tried several different strut assemblies and one thing I notice is there is slight differences in each tube. The mount at the strut will close in and tighten if yours fit loosely. I also recommend greasing the turnbuckle when you bolt it all together. I will probably ship them disassembled, depending on size of box. Mike

Terry Oxendale most recently did this... Terry, care to elaborate??? Mike

1st off, DANNO, You didn't offend me, and I'm sorry you took it that way. My point was to let everyone know that I've been working on my own stuff while awaiting the machinist to deliver parts.. Spoke with him on the phone and he had a $40,000 piece of machinery break on him, which was the delay for us. Basically he had to wait on several special order parts to get his CNC back online. Lets face it, I made a promise to you guys to get them to you in September and here we are getting ready for November.. Don't want you guys to think I've been slacking on my customers. You and the other current customers know that, as I've contacted you offline, but I posted here so any potential NEW customers would understand the hold up. We have gone into uncharted waters with this rear design and it is ALOT of work. Until Friday I had all the parts cut and laid out without welding them, as I wanted to have everything in house and on the jig to ensure 100% accurate sizing. You guys will be my test bed, which speaks to the price tag for them... The next group won't get them as cheap, as each unit requires about 6.5 hours to make from start to finish. This is no relfection on anyone on HybridZ, and I'm just glad I'm able to make these for the Zcar Community. Now, on to the other questions: Davy, they are a royal blue but my Digicam did something funky when the flash went off.. The clear coat caused the flash to wash out the color. The flares, the rear units are MSA and I DO NOT recommend them. After they were on and painted I found that the right one rides higher than the left. Apparently the right unit drew up and shrunk in the mold. the MAS Racing (651-644-6811) units I got for the front are MUCH better examples. I may be ripping the rears out and ordering a new set of rears... The MAS Racing units also are HALF the price of the MSA units. As for installation, I'd suspect that a competent shop could put them on for you Front and rear for about $1000 on top of paint. That was the average I was quoted...But make sure they have done them before... Mounting the rear correctly takes extra work. Mike

Its a Sharp and I have not used it even once. We'll be testing it out over the winter though. Some of the mods I'll be performing to the body are: Removing the rain gutters Fixing the rear flares Filling in the Gas lid Filling in the vents behind the 1/4 windows Adding 2.5 inch flares up front Adding the Gnose Fabricating a front Spoiler for the Gnose Belly pans front and rear Rear Spoiler change out... On the rear spoiler I'm looking at adjustable sheetmetal units, as well as simple BRE type units...Not sure yet.. E-mail me your examples of cool rear spoilers on Zs! Mike

Danno, I don't have mine to the shop yet. As soon as I get YOURS done, I'll make up a set for me. I have to get those sets promised out the door first and then I'll get mine down to Jamie to have them Powder coated. Jamie has offered to help make the control arms and I'll be coordinating some future business arrangements with Jamie in the future. There may also be a change in the design down the road, but more to follow later on that. Mike

I got my stuff back from Jamie T a few weeks ago and mounted the suspension back under the car while I was waiting some parts to come in for the control arm orders. Pics of my suspension can be seen at: http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z I also took the 14 year old out in the garage the other night and had him help me strip all the wiring out from under the interior and exterior front of the car, minus the dash and heater electronics... Next move is to remove the heater core, and controls. On the control arm orders, I got one box in Yesterday evening and the other box was insured and I have the magical little notice from my mail box earlier today, so I'll have everything in hand by tomorrow to knock the first four orders out this weekend. Folks should be getting notices this coming week with tracking numbers! Back to my car: Goal is to get it back on four wheels and loaded up on a trailer next weekend for a trip to the brother in laws house so I can use his lift to get under the car with a sprayer and spray por15 sealer under the whole car! Once that is done, I'll be back to putting the wiring back in (Correctly) and getting my motor rebuilt with new rings (Remember I washed them down) and new cam and rockers. Then I'll be getting the Commander 950 harness and ECU and putting the motor and trans back in the car. From there, its on to the body work, flaring the front fenders squaring away my Gnose, and finishing the fuel plumbing, brake plumbing, and radiator mounts. From there, its a matter of re-installing the interior and debugging the beast! Mike

82Racecar, There are several good body shops in the Va Beach/ Norfolk area. Do some searching, but beware, cusome bodywork isn't cheap! I'll be doing all my own work since I have someone in the family who used to paint cars and I have an HPLV Gun to break in. Oh, my dreamcar... just click on my link, then go to http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z and check out my current status! Mike

Fastest Non-V8Zcar I have ever gone for a ride in was a Turbo Rotary RX7 powered ZCar from ZDr. in Roanoke Va. The car was owned by Rob, one of the mechanics at Zdr. and then Bought by Doc's brother. It was SCARRY fast at ANY Speed. Mike Kelly

VERY NICE!! BTW, I can make those braces... In either steel or aluminum... I REALLY LIKE THE BELLY PAN!!! And yes I just shouted that!!! Mike

Well smack my ass and call me crazy... We DID have a spell checker didn't we??? I thought it was one of the pics below the box you type in... OK, Sorry about that one... My point was that I think we were all getting confused because of the text and the way it read. Since we don't have one, I suggest for anyone who doesn't have sufficiant grammer (Not being a smart ass here guys, we all have different levels of education) skills to type it up in wordpad or MS word and then cut and copt it into the HybridZ text box. Mike

Me three... I want them I want them!!! Mike

To Quote "ok if this is the kind of wrong info you give i guess im better of asking a FORD tech he could tell me more than some of you have to the others thanx" 82Racecar, this is the kind of response that will "GIT" you into trouble on this site. I read these posts of yours hours ago and was baffled at how I should answer the string of posts... You recently posted a question in the Ford section asking about a battery drain issue...THAT IS A GOOD POST... Use that as your example or template on how to ask questions or "Git" help in the future. Now, and I hate mentioning this because sometimes I "Git" in a hurry and type to fast and then I for"GIT" to use the spell checker. I'm guilty of this... But I beg of you, PLEASE use the spell checker. It is hard to read and UNDERSTAND what you are asking because of the mispelling. I'm not picking here and I won't stand for anyone else getting on the band wagon and making inappropriate (Bet I spelled that wrong to..) comments about this. Just please use the spell checker so we can better ASSIST you with your technical questions. Thanks Mike Kelly

Ron Isky confirmed it when I told him the trans I was using, and he pulled my data up from the original build (They keep that data from Crate builder special orders) and it was mismarked that the car had a T5, not a T56 in it. His description to me was "I bet that thing bucked like a bronco below 2K, right?" and I just laughed and said "yea, I thought it was fuel delivery..." That was confirmation to me... Mike

John, My spec's on my hydraulic roller cam were advertised as 282/294 duration with a 535/550 lift on 110 seperation. The rockers were 1.5. What I found was an inconsistancy in acceleration and throttle response anywhere below 2000 RPMs. Anything above that in 6th gear was fine...except for the fact that I was FLYING... Cruising at 65mph in 6th saw 1650 RPms and it would surge. To get it into a happy state I had to get the RPMs up to 1900-2000 or downshift to 5th. Mike

Pete said it well. 82Racecar, bottom line is that you pissed these guys off and then you come back and make more antagonistic remarks. You have posted very few questions here on our board which tells me you are new to the board. Go to the "Announcments" section and read my "Please Read***" post. You broke several of the rules in this thread alone. THESE GUYS ARE HERE TO HELP. I don't know if you have built motors before or not, but the bottom line, and this goes for EVERYONE READING THIS SITE, there is A TON of technical help here for all to enjoy IF YOU BEHAVE YOURSELVES. If you can't understand what was posted in that note, ask me off line and I will be more specific. As for you 82Racecar, consider this your final warning. I want you to be a part of the family, but STOP KICKING YOUR BROTHERS UNDER THE TABLE! Now GO TO YOUR ROOM! I'm done. Mike "The baby Sitter"

Well I don't plan to rev above 6000RPMs, and based on the newer cam, I may be lower than that... Mike

I'll be glad to give you a second chance, but I think you should maybe re-think your initial post and say what you really meant. I take it from your signature that you are currently searching for a good replacement rear end for your project and you were hoping that Scottie would have made more progress, No? Trust me, we are all awaiting the same thing. Unfortunately life gets in the way or I would have been able to have my car done for this past April's Desert assault... Mike Kelly

Guys, I'm in 100% agreement. You guys were provoked and It was wrong. However, We have got to get a handle on it. The individual that started this thread has been contacted, and I'd appreciate all of you guys keeping your head. I'm locking this thread and if any of you want to e-mail me offline to discuss it, please do! Mike [ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: Mikelly ]

OK Guys... This has gone on LONG ENOUGH. Keep the language in check and NO NAME CALLING. If it happens again people WILL be banned, no exceptions and no excuses. This site WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS. Re-Read the mission statement and make your decisions to stay or go, but be polite in doing so. Mike Kelly Administrator

Some of my questions are: Can I run the same Kmotion springs that I'm running on my hybraulic roller motor, and what length pushrod to use... I'm hoping to only have to swap out the pushrods, lifters, rockers and cam... My original intention was to just swap the cam... We'll see... Mike