Mikelly

I'm viewing the logs and it's showing you're staying in the 13-14:1 range in your afrs, which isn't horrible. Have you tried to run VE analyzer to autocorrect? I checked the regular stuff like your Launch control (which is off) and your overboost protection, which looks fine, and is set to 9PSI. I don't see anything glaring... If anything you could add more timing... But otherwise it doesn't look horrible. Mike

What I find odd is this... Lowered vehicle without proper suspension mods do suck, in ride quality, and ease of maintenance. That said, very car I own that is a sportscar is lowered. I drive the cars onto my lift without blocks, and then lift it and work on it, doesn't mattr if it is the Zcar, the Miata turbo' the GT3, on the long list of lowered cars before this current list. Some folks are idiots and should not have a platform from which to spout such jibberiish. Mike

...and are you using a wideband and which type. Post your file and logs. I just went thru a tuning session with a MSPNP guru in my area and learned a lot. Ton of info on MIATATURBO.net Mike

No updates on the motors. MAchine Shop still has the 383 stroker and I won't be ording parts for the LS1 until next week. I did get the cool-suit box in for the coolsuit. Just in time for fall when I wouldn't need it, right? Anyway, Hope to have more significant updates next week. Mike

I'm chiming in late, but wanted to pass this along... After 25 years owning Datsuns, I've come to the realization that we've been UNDERSPRINGING these cars, yes even for the street. I was shocked and pleasently surprised while driving all over the town of Watkins Glen last year, and the drive out to Horseheads and back on public roads, that my 400# rear and 500# front spring combo, along with the Koni inserts John is mentioning above, the car was compliant, but certainly not bone jarring. I've had others drive the car and ride in it and they said the same thing. If I ever end up with another 1st gen Zcar for a daily driver/weekend car, I'll be running something in the 300-350# range, and a setup like JohnC. sells. It just works so much better. Mike

Yesterday morning we had to put CJ, our 15 year old basset beagel, to sleep. Old age had gotten the best of him, and it was "time". Fortunately, the vet said we hadn't done the worst and waited to long. CJ was just 2 years old when I my wife, Donna and he was something else. From the beginning he tried to bite me, because he was her dog and I was a stranger. I was not a dog person, so when Donna moved to a house that wouldn't take pets, I took him to live with me and was wondering what the hell I was getting into. I was getting into becoming a dog person, I just didn't know it yet. The dog and I bonded and I grew to love him. Over the years he and I had a routine in the morning. I'd get up before sunrise (like today) and make coffee, and he would hear me and start wagging his tail. I would come over to him and start scratching his belly and stroking his face. Once he "woke up" fully, he'd nuzzle me with his snout. Up until last weekend he did this every weekend morning. I knew it was getting close to his time because this past weekend he just didn't have it in him. I listened for him this morning and my heart sank. CJ survived Cancer, Pancriatis, blindness the last 2 years, and a myriad of other illnesses and died as god intended him to, of old age. We are heartbroken over losing him, and I'm still crying, typiing this to you guys. But we spoiled and loved him and gave him a wonderful home. Yea Mornings are going to suck for a while.

This will be fairly easy to replicate. If things work out as planned, I may schedule some more time in the tunnel early next spring. Hope to get Matt and Mark, and a few others into the session as well. Will have some improvements and "variety" of body mods on hand if we can. Mike

Matt, Couple questions... What fluid did you run in it and where did it break? Mike

Matt Which Rear Diff are you running and did ou have a cooler on it? Mike

I did indeed. I'll be ordering a new oil PUMP to go with the rest of the "stuff" I need to make this pan work. Having owned two cars with Factory German Drysumps, I am a firm believer that this is the answer to the LS1 oiling problems. Thanks for selling it to me, Mark!

My build spanned 9 years and was very frustrating. During that time, I got married, became a stepdad in the midst of turmoil, ran ZF Racing LLC until I stopped in 2005, Built a Shop, started a new consulting business that took off, Moved to a new home, built another shop, moved offices twice, and all that time the Zcar just sat and made no progress. Pushing it around and spending thousands of dollars due to schedule and scope creep, just took the life out of my live for the Zcar project. I had to sell the other projects so I could focus on the Zcar and “finish it†enough to be able to drive it. Once I was able to drive it, I started getting motivated about the project again. Being able to take it to Watkins Glen last year for the Vintage Grand Prix celebration of all things Datsun was when I fell back in love with the car again. It gets really easy to get demotivated when there are so many other cool cars out there to own. And once you start looking, well there in lies the issue...

Phantom, I still have quite the infatuation with german engineering, and daily drive a 2004 GT3. I also found my way around to focusing on finishing the Zcar and actually got to drive it a little bit on roadrace courses last year and this year, very little. True to form, it couldn't make it long before "issues" would crop up. I eventually got all those issues resolved and then managed to cross an oil line and starve the 383 stroker of oil. It's in the shop now, but I'm selling it in favor of the lighter LS1. I've got about $40K wrapped up in the cage, suspension, brakes, fuel deliver, EFI, Carbon Fiber stuff, wheels... Well it's down in the 2585 pound range now, and with the 383 stroker pushing 450BHP and 490#ft. torque, it was fun, but it wasn't uncontrollable. Less weight with a little more power would be perfect. Check out my thread in Members Projects to get an update on where the car is these days and how it's developed. Mike

Joe, You would be right... Clive has dibs on the complete heads/cam/valvetrain setup. This arrived today: Thanks MARK!!!!

Let's just say right now I have no budget concerns. Mike

I think I'm going to go the Tilton 5.5 triple disc option which will include their mini-starter, hydraulics setup, and bellhousing. Mark I. sent me his spare ARE drysump oil pan yesterday. So I'm well on my way to the drysump conversion. I pulled the LS1 appart and will probably be selling off the Patriot aluminum 5.3 heads/Golden Springs, YelloTerra rockers, Comp Cams pushrods and XR269HR cam. Specs on the cam below... http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/c...csid=1086&sb=2 That said, What would be the right heads/Cam package to get the car to 500-550BHP? Mike

Pulled out the LS1 and found the following: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/c...csid=1086&sb=2 I also dug through the boxes of stuff the previous owner gave me, and low and behold there are rockers in one of the boxes, so I ended up with those Yello-Terra Rockers afterall. I'll sell them, I guess. Main and rod bearings look good on the few caps I removed. Overall the motor seems to be in good shape. Also was fortunate to get an ARE drysump oil pan from Mark Icard. I am in the middle of going through everything and will probably build a list of parts for sale over the next few days. Mike

Man this thing is coming together well. Matt, Seriously, you, Icard, myself and a few others should get together down at AeroDyn2 and collect some data on these cars again with all the aero treatments we've each employed. Mike

Gang, I had a member ping me offline and ask about the WindTunnel Video clips and OTHER data collected during this test. The WindTunnel Video Clips can be seen on Youtube in the links below: There are a large number of clips, so just search on that user name's account I created just for this test data. Any where there was a test issue, like hood latch popping or piece of equipment coming loose, we didn't post, because the test was immediately stopped. The Photos collected, along with the spreadsheet with the data, can be seen in my Photobucket Wind Tunnel Test folder located here: http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Mikes%20Windtunnel%20Data/ Enjoy! Mike

I'll be selling some LS1 go fast parts here in the next few weeks... Head/cam/valvetrain... Mike

Juries have made bigger blunders. Wouldn't surprise me if they side with the owner. Mike

Bringing back this thread since my plans have changed again... Of course it is a year later, so go figure. The LS1 WILL be installed in the datsun over the winter. Right now I'm planning for an ARE drysump. Here's the current list of parts I have: LS1 Shortblock, complete. Patriot 5.3 truck heads with yello-terra springs Z06 intake. I need to find out if my bellhousing will work, I suspect it wont, and what others are using. Def. NOT getting rid of my Tremec TKO. Other recommendations for valvetrain durability would be useful as well. I plan to do the Comp-cams Trunion upgrade, or just buy their rockers. Mike

So the shortblock is loaded up in the truck and I am taking it to EB3 Motorsports. They are going to pull the crank and break the motor down. They will clean all the parts, inspect and then decide if the crank should be polished, turned or replaced. I should have it back in two weeks. Then it will be going up for sale as a complete motor. Also, Jim McNemar's Red Zcar will be going to its new home this coming weekend. I am excited to have that additional space back in my shop after 5 years of storing it for Jim. I know Tom Harris will treat it right! Mike

Browsing craigslist two days ago I found a paint-matched hardtop just 10 minutes down the street from my client site. I think that really finishes it off nicely!! Mike

Kind of on hold while we sort out if I'm re-installing the 383 stroker or selling the platform before the end of the year. Motor will go to the shop this coming week. Should have it back within a week. Mike

Two things... Thanks for more pics... LOVE THEM, and Oh um... About that shifting... my dad used to have this saying. "Keep grinding them, they'll make them out of rubber next year!" As usual great video... Keep waving the hybridZ flag for those of us who are down, but not out... Mike