Mikelly

So it's true. The car that caused so much stir and grief, has run its course. I took a deposit on my GT2 Converted 996TT today, and it'll be bittersweet when I see her go... Next, I'm considering putting the SpecMiata and the Zcar up on the blocks to be sold as well. So what's going on? Not really sure what the next chapter holds for our garage. Taking off on the motorcycle tomorrow for 4 days, and gonna give it some thought... But out of the 48 cars that I've owned to date, the 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo has been, by far, the most impressive and intimidating car that I've ever owned... Mike

Ah, Yea no tire temps worth measuring. Mike

Dave I had zero issues with coolant temps, but had issues with OIL temps, and honestly I'm 99% sure it was due to the whole Autometer gauges/crap sensors issue. I have previously checked the coolant temp sensor several times and had the gauge read 210-220 degrees, yet a probe type pyrometer shows the top of the head at the senser port to read in the 180-185 degrees. I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna replace the oil temp and water temp with mechanical gauges. However, I've started thinking about AIM units, although I don't see a ton of weight from the swap and the cost is steep... So based on what I was seeing from the gauges, I was fine when running hard and in free air. I saw zero temp escalations from the car when behind other vehicles and at normal cruising speeds (50-70mph). I did see hot oil temps lugging at low speeds (15-30mph for lenghty periods of time) and that hot temp issue was due to the problem below... I had significant fuel loading issues at low speeds (15-30mph) due to the secondary fuel pump overdriving the regulator. The temporary answer there is to cut off the carter fuel pump until I'm "moving". It pulls fuel into the surge tank, and from the surge tank the Holley blue pump draws it on thru. "Maybe" it's enough, but I don't want to starve the motor under WOT... According to the Chassis guy, the numbers are at 2.5 negative front and rear, but I agree, after seeing the pics... could use another half to full degree... I'm moving to hoosiers, and wider tires, so we'll see what the wear turns out to be soon... The wing was a cheap part from EBAY. Don't have a make/model. I made the uprights to get the wing into clean air where it can do its job! Mike

Pics of my car on Watkins Glen for some "touring" laps... Was nice to see the profile of the car with it loaded up under "some" acceleration into corners... I also wanted to see ground clearance, because a couple of the guys who were in the blue car behind me had said it looked as if the exhaust was "on the ground" and it clearly "is not". Mike

What's your price range? Mike

Well it's just paint, and at some point I may well change my color, over time... Mike

Here are a few more snaps of them on the car... Installed the VDO pickup and the new fuel level gauge. No more wondering if I'm going to run out of fuel half way thru a track session. Mike

Thanks guys! My concern is that the polished finish would be a nightmare to keep clean with race pads... It would drive me nuts... I'm actually thinking about going with this wheel instead: http://www.ccwheel.com/wheelprofiles-display.php?id=LM5 Simplicity in design and keeping it clean is the goal... Mike

So I was wondering what CCWs would look like on my car, and since I still have Jim's red Zcar at my place... For some reason Jim decided he needed to run the same tire size as his C5Z06 had, and bought 17X9 fronts and 18X11 rears. He also had them offset in the rear so wide that I bet there's nearly and inch clearance at the rear strut housing... So if I order a set (and I likely will because these are gorgious on my car) they'll be 18s, probably with black centers. Mike

Yea, Um... I've got a Porsche 911 Turbo for sale for only $52K and it'll run circles around this car... And do it in true style... $250K... Dude is on CRACK! Pretty sure I recently threw away a pair of Scarab motor mounts, and maybe a pair of their valve covers... Mike

While we were in Watkins Glen last week, we bought a few pieces and I just framed them, along with a piece Dave Weitz had given to me some time ago... Two pieces Bob Sharp Signed for me: The event poster for this year: Dave Weitz's Present to me... Repro of the BRE510 Signed by Brock: And a couple posters from years past that don't have datsuns... Mike

Pic of the breather relocation... Mike

So I'm not happy with my fuel delivery on the datsun right now, primarely because of its lack of consistancy... Welcome to old school Holley/Mallory fuel deliver right? Don't get me wrong, the carb I'm using is probably the best I've ever had on a car, but now the regulator is giving me fits and letting me down... And I'm sure then it'll be "something else"... So I'm going to move BACK to my cutler intake manifold and 42# injectors/1000CFM TB. Since I have the hardware, and now that I've found I have a FAST beta tester withing an hour of me (EB3 motorsports), I'm thinking I'll go the FAST XFi route, since I can also use their traction control system and the advantages of their 3d programing and direct scale tuning cell by cell. Anyone here have any experience? The owner of EB3 showed me some of his 228MPH passes on his 1/4 mile car and I was amazed at the level of detail and tunability. I figure I'll have about $2500 in the system, but when I swap over to an LSx platform, I'll already have the computer and some support stuff, and just transfer it all over... I really need to start going thru the garage and putting some of this "other" stuff up forsale so I can make more room... Mike

Ordered a new waterpump, a new breather/tank combo for the valve cover, and a rebuild kit for the mallory fuel pressure regulator. I also bought some header wrap for the downpipes on the exhaust, wrapped them, and sorted the alternator solenoid wiring. I'm really not happy with the carb/fuel pressure setup. DOn't know how a brand new setup like that just "stops" managing pressure... But then again, I've been here before... Oh well...It came back and made pressure yesterday, and today it's back to not managing pressure off throttle. Mike

I've officially given up on the XXR 527. Fortunately Next Level Motoring gave me a full refund, as they were still waiting on the rears to arrive and I'd lost serious interest in the wheel and its ability to survive heavy roadcourse work... Who knows... Guess I'll be doing CCWs... Mike

This one, and it's forsale... and it was STUPID FAST on Saturday at the races... What's worse is the fact that I'm considering selling mine, along with my 996TT which is currently forsale... Might just end up with ole' number 75 in my garage if I can move quick enough! Mike

ZGAD, Sure thing man! I still have "car guy" cook-outs every year with pretty decent turn-outs from time to time...Not sure how far you are from me, though! Gettysburg is about 2.5 hours on average! Mike

David, good idea, and was great meeting you and others as well... I was so busy with so many different people, trying to keep everyone happy and still meet those I wanted to was tough... I did manage to get Bob Sharp to sign some art work for me!! Mike

And a shot Tom Harris took of the car right after we unloaded it at the race track! Mike

Just back from our week at Watkins Glen. The rain was so bad that I didn't even get the car out of the trailer until Thursday, which means I missed out on every opportunity to do a track event or open lapping. The car suffered some mechanical issues as well, which side-lined it for much of the weekend. We did manage to drive it from the town of Watkins Glen to the Wings of Eagles in Horseheads. I also drove the car for a few laps around WGi at "exceptionally slow" speeds. The car really didn't like lugging around the course doing 25-30 MPH. It lugged and bogged, and I bagged it and headed to the spot for the car show... Here are pics taken by a photographer at the park: Got to meet Dave Palermo. Gonna dig thru my pics and post some of his car and of the event later... In the end, a bad alternator, an intake leak, and what appears to be a water pump going bad... All this is from years of parts sitting and not being used, I'm sure... Oh well, now prepping for VIR in two weeks! Mike

I'd Listen to Johnc on this one. I'd also plan my additional metal placement and amount of carefully. We had a substantial cage welded into my car and I now have a 2700 pound pig. Between the cage and the framerails, we probably added 200 pounds to the car. Mike

By the way, this is a very handy little corner weight calculator... http://opuscorvair.com/cornerweightcalculator.html My cross corner weights are pretty decent at 48.5%, and the front to rear is really good ... 48.2 front/51.8! Even if she is a heavy pig!!! Mike

You can read the serial numbers from a dollar bill in the paint... It's finally that clean... Sad thing is, it was so dirty, I went thru a brand new bar of clay on the car! Mike

David, I don't know man... I'm just a little confused. My seats combined weight 36 pounds. My dash and gauges weigh maybe 15 pounds. My doors don't weigh more than 12 pounds each. My hood is carbon fiber and weighs nothing. No rear bumper or bumper hardware, the front bumper beind an MSA Type 3 airdam/bumper that weighs maybe 15 pounds. Areas I know I can whittle down, tires/wheels are heavy and we have a solution in the works for that. The battery is heavy, so maybe a Braille unit could help... What else??? I know my cage is pretty substantial, but it's still only 1.5 inch SCCA legal tubing. The fuel cell is lighter than the stock fuel tank. MrJDM, You might make that weight, but you likely may not. I got the numbers Thursday night and wanted to puke. I was expecting 2300-2500 pounds, but NOT 2700 pounds... No way in hell... Well... Here I am... 2700 pounds. Here's what I know... I have the means, and if need be, I'll gutt the cage and start over on the car. This car WILL lose the weight... I've lost 30 pounds in three months, and I'll lose another 30 over the fall/winter... The car has got to shed pounds if I'm going to enter it in anything worth doing with it. Mike

Got the car back from corner balance and alignment. Did a full clean up/wash/claybar/compound, Zaino ZAIO/Z8. Car is the cleanest it has ever been and this is the first time the car has been detailed in some manor... Actually impressed with how it's turned out. Loading up for Watkins Glen later today and heading out on Monday. I'll take some pics and post them during that process... Mike