Mikelly

I'm running 18X10.75 on the rear and 18X9.75 upfront! Pics of the car can be seen in my build thread in the Member's Projects/S30 category. Mike

Finished product... Thanks aplyedmind! Appreicate the sentiment and the compliments... Shame this car has taken so long to get motivation to finish... It's really coming together now! Mike

Here is the finished NACA Duct install on the passenger side... I still need to form the "air foil" and install that... Driver's side window frame is drying... Getting ever closer to "done". Mike

I have a set on order for my V8Z track car... Hope they arrive before we leave for the Watkins Glen Historic GP, where Datsun is the Marque of Honor this year... Would be nice to see those chrome black wheels on the car going around the streets of WG and on WGI! Probably would get a lot of attention, over the TSWs I've got on the car now... Just sayin'... Mike

John, Hang in there... I sympathize with all that you have going on... I'm kind of in the same boat right now... BTW, PCA/First Settlers is looking for instructors for September's event... https://www.motorsportreg.com/index.cfm/event/event.advert/uidEvent/E6D37518-00D0-F2F7-B5D6F972CB2C659A Mike

So I finally got a decent set of headlight covers for the car (thanks to MSA) and started some progress on the Naca duct 1/4 windows... The Dyno session has been bumped to Next Tuesday, per request of the shop. Mike

John, I'm supposed to go to the dyno this friday for a tuning session, so I'll know... I also want to talk to them about possibly taking my existing motor and converting it to FI with the setup I still have... Might need a new computer/harness from a decent source, but otherwise I've got everything for that car... If the 383 stroker lives and performs as well as I hope it will, then this whole LS1 thing could take a back seat for a "little while"... How's your particular rocket coming along? Mike

Joe, not sure if you've kept track of the last 8 years spent on the "other" build. I'd like to keep this one within less than half a decade! My goal isn't more HP. My goal is reliable power. I personally think 400 WHP with a nice broad torque curve would be ideal... Anything more, I'm just not "that good" to extract its potential... Call me a realist, but I want to focus on having it running by next spring. Mike

So I inherited an LS1 from a friend who needed my help swapping a motor into his LS1 based camaro. This motor already has the following: Patriot 5.3L heads with Patriot Double springs Yello Terra 1.8 roller rockers Comp Cams 216/220 114LSA with a 525/532-ish lift (still trying to get that info nailed down) Also comes with an alumimum LS1 intake (think it's a weiand) The motor came out because the owner stripped a head bolt and the head gasket started leaking. So I'll go thru the bottom end. Looking at upgrading the rods/pistons, along with the hardware with ARP studs/bolts. I've been out of the LS1 scene for a while, so anything anyone can recommend would be great. Also looking for recommendations on sourcing wiring harness/ECU as well as headers (assuming the JTR units are my best bet for ground clearance) and either the JTR or Johnscars mounts...I'll re-use the TKO600 trans and McLeod bellhousing if possible, along with the rest of that package. So far that clutch kit/hydraulics is holding up to the task! Fire away, I'm looking to get educated here... Mike

So I'm starting to peace together the bits and pieces to do the LS1 V8 conversion... My Zcar already has a JTR conversion with a 1st gen V8 in it. I'm looking for a mount kit, custom harness and ECU, along with any other bits and pieces someone may be trying to unload from a project that is being parted... Thanks! Mike

So this afternoon I got a little bit more done on the car... I welded in an o2 bung for tuning. I'll be having a dyno/Tuning session on Friday. I also addressed a leak at the Speedo gear, which just cropped up during today's drive... strange... And I started fitting the lexan/naca ducts into the 1/4 windows. Still have a few more things to wrap up before the Glen. Must admit, it was a very cool drive today in the car... Mike

So this morning I drove the car on the street for the first time, ever... 8 years owning/building... I had family in at my mom's for my dad's memorial and "celebration of life" cookout, So this morning I drove it over there and then back to my place. About 26 miles round trip. Here are some "no track day butterfly" observations... The car is VERY comfy with those 400# rear springs and 500# front springs. I was surprised at the 50-80MPH cruising speeds on imperfect country roads that it wasn't more harshe... I have the 8610s setup dead center right now because I wasn't sure what to set them at, so Maybe I'll stiffen them over time. The car is VERY TWITCHY now with the rear sway bar... I'm probably going to disconnect it and see what happens...Very surprised at how "nervous" it steered and tracked in the road. None of that at the track the last time with lighter pound springs and no rear swaybar. The car is HOT inside the cockpit. WOW was it hot... And the air temps outside were only in the lower 70s. Engine oil/coolant temps were around 180 degrees unless I'd get behind another vehicle. Then if I followed another car the temps would increase to about 195, both on the oil temp and coolant temp. I'm guessing the closed off front end is paying me back for the lack of airflow. I'm guessing I'll need to tighten up the radiator box around the opening of the MSA bumper. There are gaps that need to be addressed. The "oil leak" at the oil pan went away. I'm guessing the issue was to much oil. Once back home I put it on the lift and inspected with a flashlight... No leaks!! The car is loud, but man was it fun to drive... The Family members present requested a "show of power" when I left, so I painted a little asphault for them... Big fun! Mike

Thanks Dave... Tonight was the memorial service for my dad, so I didn't get a "lot" done. Yesterday evening I swapped out the woefully inadequate brake pads and brake ducting for the new Hawk Pads and 2 inch brake ducting hoses that are long enough to be usefull and not fall out of the front bumper! Getting closer to wrapping this project up for the Glen! Mike

Tonight was my Dad's memorial and we're looking at the flowers... Members of the family didn't recognize a few of the arrangements from different people... Got a few from guys from the POrsche world, and one set in particular from my Zcar buddy in and his new bride in Md!! YUP... PParaska is a good egg! Made for interesting conversation chatting about who sent what and where we knew them from... The banter about the who/where and what cars was worth it for a great break from reality during such a somber occassion. Thanks Pete. Man it brought a smile to my face... Mike

Evan, I got them from ZCC! http://www.zccjdm.com/catalog.php?ref=azcarbum&recview=1&dt=93256&disp=name&per=10 Mike

Finished Product on the underhood blockoff/carb airducts: Pretty happy with it... Mike

David, Yup That's the one... Mike

This year's Vintage Grand Prix Honors the Datsun Marque. We're going to arrive Sunday night, and I'm registering (today) for the Chin Motorsports event that's being held on Monday/Tuesday Sept 5/6. So We'll be there from the 4th-11th of September. We've rented a house for the week. I'm just hoping the track will allow me to leave my car trailer there all week. we'll be doing "touring laps" of the course on Saturday, and running the old streets of the Glen course and doing the Parade as well... I spoke with the folks holding the event and there is going to be a HUGE Zcar turnout... Mike

I'll check them out after my stint on Watkins Glen in September. Mike

So today I needed some distraction from the loss of my dad, and I ended up back in the shop tinkering, as he would've done. This panel will get cleaned up and wire mesh over the openings for the intake airbox ducts: I also dug out my decals/stickers and applied a few... Nipping away at the list of things left, slowly but surely... Mike

...And it was a blessing. He suffered tremendously with Joint, bone and other pains, along with an inability to oxygenate his blood, holes in his heart, and extremely low blood pressure. My dad never saw me drive on a road course, but was the reason I got into cars. He never understood what I did for a living. All he knew was that I was his "baby". We didn't see eye to eye on much. But his work ethic, his morals and his desire to teach people will forever live in me, and through me. He was a great man, my hero and he will be missed. Mike Kelly

This evening I installed the turn signal lights in the front MSA Type3 bumper, replaced the carbon fiber uprights with 1/8th inch aluminum T6061 versions that allow less (ie NO) movement of the rear wing. Also sorted the rear swaybar link hardware. Coleman racing has 7/16th endlinks that thread right into the female versions sent with the AZ Zcar control arms. So next I'm going to resolve the rear 1/4 window mounts and look at the height of the pins on the hood. Also plan to finish up a few more aero tricks on the car...Knocking the list down little by little... Mike

So we're not dropping the oil pan. I found that by using the other dipstick as a gauge (canton 7 quart) I could actually see that the car had well over 1.5 quarts to much oil in it. So I'm going to just see how it does. I drained out enough and topped off everything. We also bolted on the strut brace. I have a list of "honey does" and then I'll be backing it out and taking it for a quick "cruise" Soon! Mike

Looking good... Updates? Mike

What he said... Shooting for no more than 4 5/8th inches back spacing. Mike