Mikelly

Go big if you can... I have a smaller unit, and my brother has a floor mount unit and his is much more usefull. I also recommend getting the 'Ole joint jigger and a tubbing bender from Northern Tools... My tubing bender was on sale for $89 and works with rollcage tubing... 12ton unit and comes with a multitude of shoes for tubing sizes... I'm currently looking at leasing a milling machine... However, My brother is having to reclaim the welder he loaned me, so I had to buy a new Mig welder this weekend... Should be delivered this week sometime... And of course I want a plasma cutter too.... Mike

Go big if you can... I have a smaller unit, and my brother has a floor mount unit and his is much more usefull. I also recommend getting the 'Ole joint jigger and a tubbing bender from Northern Tools... My tubing bender was on sale for $89 and works with rollcage tubing... 12ton unit and comes with a multitude of shoes for tubing sizes... I'm currently looking at leasing a milling machine... Mike

Cut the spare area out and made a square frame. The cell is mounted flush with the floor but I would have liked to have had is elevated a bit so it wouldn't hang down to low, but that would have affected the filler angle. I think pics are on my homepage link to the project... Mike [ May 23, 2001: Message edited by: Mikelly ]

Owen, I did download the pic, thanks bunch. The pics you gave me show a really good example of the cell installation for tech in Japan. I don't currently have a fire wall constructed, but will have one before the car is finished. Mike

Sanderson also makes that exact unit in a Cast Aluminum version... My buddy with the 355 SB Blown 55 Chevy has them and they are a work of art... Notice that they do away with two of the header bolts??? Nice Stuff, and most likely what I'll go with in a shorty style unit, instead of the block hugger configuration... Mike

Well I did a little research on Cutler FI Systems and it seems that they were the big dogs back in the mid-90's which tells me that I may end up ditching the main harness and computer for something with datalogging and more robust software. I know that I will need to upgrade the injectors, although I'll not know for sure until I get the car Dyno Tuned. I plan to go with atleast 30# injectors. I'm hypothisising here with what will stay and what will go since I'm gonna be waiding into uncharted waters (For me anyway) and I'll need to be searching the archives...Fast Frog, you gave me a guys number a while back to call about FI systems, and I'll be digging that up, and I'll be pulling some favors from all over this board to get thwe induction issues worked out. Since this week and coming long weekend are gonna be wet, I'll be working hard towards finishing up the floor pans and frame rail mods, wrapping up the roll cage and removing the complete heater control/ wiring harness from the car... That is the next hurdle for me personally... I want to get the wiring squared and the battery box and fuel plumbing done. Any FI Tech sites you guys can point me to would be much appreciated... also, Holley is selling their Commander MPI computer and harness for about $1000... what other options will I have out there... this assumes I'll need to get rid of the existing computer and harness.. Also, I have 8 professionally cleaned and matched 26# injectors on their way to me...I'm gonna be selling them if anyone needs them... I'll let them go reasonably cheap, since they won't work for me... Mike Kelly

Well it seems that the injectors are 26# units, not 36# units... So they will have to go, and I suppose I'll be getting some 36# units... THe 26# units were just cleaned and supposedly have the paper work with them... Keep an eye out for some injectors for me guys... and of course, my 26# units will be up for sale ASAP! Mike

Jim, Go out to: http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z and look through the photos...I'll throw up some pics of the wheel/tire later on tonight if they aren't up...I've deleted some pics, but I'll check... Go there tonight and check it out. Mike

This is the first time I've bought on e-bay, but my understanding was that since I hadn't met the minimum (Which turned out to be $950) that there was no guarantee that the seller would let me have it for less... I e-mailed him and he was pretty firm on getting his minimum (Which he didn't disclose to me before hand) and he stated that if it didn't sell that he would part the stuff out and probably get more money. So, rather than loose the chance to get it, I figured the extra $100 was worth it....Based on how expensive these things are. BLKMGK the injectors are supposed to be 36# units. I asked him if he had 30# units to swap in as I think that will feed my current motor better. What do you guys think? My buddy at Summit was the deciding factor. He checked to ensure that I could get replacement stuff for it. It has an aluminum intake Jim, and I figure it is well worth $950. I'm just not sure about the electronics. We'll see.

Dave, I appreciate it...I was worried I might lose it....I waited until the last few minutes to go ahead and just click the "Buy It Now" button... Mike

I just bought a complete system made by Cutler... Take a look here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=588189023 I spoke with my contact at Summit who told me I can pretty much get anything I need for the system from Holley... I figure $950 for is a sweet deal if I only have to swap out the main harness and the brain... Mike

You have to have an outside Filler method. My trap door idea worked, but was by no means ideal and I've gone to something different... I saw a slick trick when I was at the MSA show. Guy used the factory filler location and had a piece of pipe welded at and angle down to the filler bail/45degree fill neck and it was a good design with plenty of angle. I have put a filler cap at the rear tail light panel and plan to use a flip down license plate frame to cover mine. The fuel cell sits where the spare tire used to be, hanging out the bottom. I do plan to build a trunk area with an access panel just to be on the safe side of the rules issue.. Mike

Welcome to my hell... Five months ago I was really struggling with what rim to buy. After seeing a new Ferrari coup tooling down the road today on I-95 south boung with thin spoked 5 stars and nice LARGE brakes, I'm convinced the Cobra R is my wheel... I may even upgrade my brakes to something much larger on the rear JUST to fill in the rear wheel spokes... Oh god, I'm entering full on poser mode! Mike

Randy, I'll keep you posted. I'm filling the initial orders for front arms and TC rods 1st, but should have something to show by early June. I have the in-board mount done, just need to source the outboard steel mount and the square tubing. The blocks and turnbuckles are in the mail to me and I should have them by tomorrow. My plan as of now is to get the initial orders out by no later than memorial day weekend. Funny snag I hit last night was finding the matterial for the inner bolt bushing on the control arm. Worst case will but me burning the factory sleeve out of the units I converted, but that adds some time to the process. As of right now I have it down to less than 4 hours to do a complete set of these front units, including TC Rods. I had a question sent to me about how much I'm making off these units, and I'll be honest with you guys... I'm paying myself the scale wage to make these units, and after I factor in the cost for matterials, and shipping, and paying myself for the tooling and my labor, I'm making about $50 off the deal. The rear units are costing me more to make, and more time, so they will have to cost you more to buy. However, they will be top shelf units and will allow much needed adjustment of toe and camber without hacking up your strut tower and adding in noise from camber plates. When you factor in the cost of camber plates and then the cost to have them installed, I tihnk the price is VERY Fair. I'll try to get the first sets out the door by the end of June. Mike

Few gauges short of an idiot light...that was so damned funny one of my employees just came in to check on me I was laughing so hard... I'm up for running some timing equipment...I have family in JohnsonCity and usually make the drive to Boone's Creek in about 5.25 hours! Mike

Well that makes Two of you Summit boys that visit this site often.... But the guy I know is from the Ohio location... Welcome, and glad to have you aboard... Mike

I spoke with the Machinist last night and the parts are on their way to me. I should have enough stock to turn out at least 7 sets by the end of May. 3 of those have been claimed and prepaid already, but I will still have enough matterial to do 4 more sets. I also have enough stock to turn out two sets of the rear units. The rear design is basically Simon's unit, almost identical. When I have the unit complete I will post pics. E-mail me for TC rods and Front control arms requests, and also please get on the list if you want the rear units as well... as of right now I will have two full inches of adjustment for the rear units. The turn buckle is 4340 Cromoly and the base is bored from a solid 1018 mild steel. The rest of the unit will function like Simons. Mike Kelly ZF Racing LLC

When I was building my motor (Actually the builder was building, I was paying) I spoke with an engineer at Isky Cams who talked me out of a dual plane intake. We were shooting for a broad torque curve and a cam that would rev to 7200RPMs and needed a comperable intake for the chore. Dual plane units are fine, they work, and in a 3500# car they really do help with the off idle to 3500RPM range. However, as the others have mentioned here, these Zs are much much lighter and just don't need MORE torque. Single plane intakes also don't give you a "Lazy" feel if you use the right valve train parts. Best BANG for the BUCK in my opinion is going with a roller valve train and a single plane intake... and as BLKMGK noted, it will make swapping to FI that much easier... I'll probably do that with my Victor Jr if my motor doesn't sell... Mike

Guys, What head options do I have (Aluminum) for a 93 GM TBI Truck motor??? Single TB and all emissions are required... GMPP have anything I could use with that Funky TBI Intake???? Mike

I'm busy as a one armed paper hanger at times... Hell last night the "Soon to be" MRs. Kelly had me unloading a truck load of fill dirt for her flower bed, and then dredging the drainage ditch behind our property to ensure proper flow of the marshy area... this weekend I'll be finishing my privacy fence finally (Started it last fall) and getting another dump truck full of dirt delivered for the flower beds in the back yard.. Busy Busy...and did I mention I have 3 full sets of TC Rods complete and ready to shipp out as soon as the control arm parts arrive and are assembled???? However, this whole Harry home-owner thing is really eating into my project reserection... Mike

MASS Products has three different sized rear flares..You might want to do a search here for the number (I don't have it with me, but posted it in this category several times) and give them a call and get them to send a catalog, or ask them how large their rear flares are... They claim to sell a 5-6 inch wide flare and that is a Large flare on a Z. I have their front flares that I'm molding into the 1-piece front end I bought from them and the flares were of excellent quality, much more so than the front end... Mike

And to further build on what lone said, I'm not doubting that these guys are driving these cars with that kind of "Potential" HP. But driving around with it cranking out 8PSI of boost as a commutor and driving around with 20psi boost are two totally different things all together. That explains the survivability of some of these motors. These guys with the TT cars don't squeeze the boost up until its time to prove their point. But if they were running all the time at 20psi, those motors wouldn't survive 5000 miles on the street on stock internals... Thats my opinion anyway. Mike

....and I think I'm gonna go with a nice royal blue on all my under car parts... I have to grind off the rings holding my coil overs in place, and I need to relocate them higher, but after that and pulling the mustach bar, I should be ready to cart everything your way next weekend. BTW, nice selection of colors you have there... I think I would go with something more suttle if I painted the car something like a charcoal gray, or something else... But since It will likely have sponsore vynils on the panels...Might as well go all race! Mike

Well after reading both your posts... I hate to say this but Mine is VERY tight and it is a facotry unit...I did have it shortened, but it was tight when I got the trans... Although I do like the new shifters being offered... Mike

Well the only thing BAD I can say about that motor is that it doesn't have aluminum heads... That is totally preference, but it does add some weight to the nose of the car... Numbers are impressive and the motor is internally balanced... Two things you would have to replace before installing it... The Flex PLate is 168 tooth and you want to run a 153 tooth flywheel with your T56, so you can tell them to keep that. The 8 inch balancer needs to be swapped for something 7inches or smaller. I paid $3800 delivered for my 383 stroker, with aluminum heads and Victory Jr. Intake, oil pan to intake, portmatched, and some extras done internally... Roller valve train, and other stuff... If it were me, I'd seriously look into the GM HiPo crate motors offered by GMPP. Their Fast Burn 385 gives you a lot of bang for the buck and a warranty (I believe...)! One thing you wan't to do is exhaust all your options before you settle on a package. Then put it on paper and sell yourself on it... I mean play devil's advocate BIG TIME.. One Mistake I made that I would Change: I wouldn't do the 383 stroker.. I would do a 350 and let it stretch a little more in the revs, maybe go with a milder cam profile, and have everything internally balanced... But (And this is just my opinion here) I wouldn't buy a new motor without getting aluminum heads thrown into the build. Hope this helps.. Mike