Mikelly

Tom, The porsche now has full monoball suspension at all corners, and actually I was in the race seats that will be transfered to the Zcar. The funny thing is that the Porsche actually scared me driving it this past weekend. I haven't been in it on the track in 18 months, and the car is so fast everywhere, it's hard to contemplate. Time will tell, but at the risk of the pricks and assholes coming out of the woodwork to hammer me for doing a comparison between two wonderful machines, I'll write up a very detailed comparo once the Zcar has had a very thorough shake down for a very fair comparison. Having been in the Miata, the "harshness" of the non-power assist cars has already been exposed. However, in order to properly drive the 996TT at the track, we've turned of much of the "assistance" in the car... The goals for all three of these cars are very different. My goal for the miata is to have something we as a family can enjoy together. The Porsche is currently being developed to compete in the Ultimate Track Car Challenge. We've upgraded a lot over the last 18 months in order to make it a better car overall... The Zcar is the beginning and the end of my "builds". When it's done and tracking maybe those who have spewed so much venom upon me will finally be silenced. Who knows... I guess time will tell... Mike

Who the hell let in the hooligans??? We can post in other member's projects??? OK, project update: Yesterday, yes YESTERDAY I workd on the Zcar, after I did a four wheel alignment on the porsche and cleaned up the shop. Track day season is upon us and with the 996TT and the SpecMiata both occupying time, I hadn't been able to get into the shop since we cooked the starter on the Z back in late March. So, yesterday I got the Zcar in the lift bay, in the air and replaced the starter and re-installed the right downpipe from the header to the exhaust. I've now got the rear axle appart trying to resolve a few issues with fitment there, will need to further clearance the rear caliper craddles so they don't rub on the rotors and then continue on with the minimal amount of welding left under the car and clean up a few more things inside the car. I plan to have the car RUNNING and AT THE TRACK July 12-13 where Pete Paraska and I will be attending a trackdaze.com HPDE event. Poor Pete has requested me as his instructor, so we're doomed for sure! Last two weekends I was at first Summit Point's Shenendoah Circuit, and then VIR with PCA First Settlers doing the national instructors course for PCA. This is what I got to play chase with on the 3rd day: Nothing like chasing a 2560 # 450HP race car with sequential shifter...That's a 2008 Cup Car with some 2010 upgrades in it... I'm still rusty from 18 months not tracking the 996TT, so my times were off slightly, but man it was fun reeling him in under braking and corner entry... More in a few days... Mike

Pete, Here's the real problem... And I'm not trying to start a pissing contest with anyone in this thread, but this has been my experience: Unless you're tracking your car, a lot, you're not going to "see" what you're now noticing. You are seeing it because you're aware and concerned. Most guys don't notice it because their eyes are glued to the road and what they're doing. I've seen this a number of times in cars from Miatas, to BMWs, to porsches, and anything else with 4 wheels. As an instructor I have time on my hands in the passenger seat to observe the driver and what his car is doing... You'd be surprised at how few novice students can drive and scan the gages at the same time... I honestly don't think that you're going to find a wet sump setup that is sufficient as a "be all/ end all" correction for your current issues. Your motor and suspension/tire combo is enough to cause the cavetation you're seeing. And I don't think the Canton accusump (which I also have) will be sufficient to combat the problem repeatedly. If all works well we'll have both our Zs there at the event on the 12-13th and we'll get to see how my cheapie CHAMP pan works with all the bells and whistles (crankscraper/windage tray/trapdoors/hi-vol pump/accusump/oilcooler). As soon as I get the car debugged I'm going to start building the LS1 and use Mark Icard's drysump setup on that power plant. I'm done chasing Chevy oiling issues. Heck, all the T1 racers running in SCCA have the same problems unless they upgrade to the drysump. Thats why most of them are lucky to get a season out of the motors. Mike

Pete, I wouldn't spend a dime on anything less than a dry sump system at this point. That's what I'll put on the LS1 when we build it. That said, The champion pan works well with angle plug head huggers, but I"m not sure it'll clear straight plug head huggers... Price a dry sump setup before you move forward on a new pan/pump/pickup/shaft/hardware.... Mike

From what i've read, the Scott Family is doing everything they can to keep the track booked solid. They're even talking to people about using the new kart track to run SuperMoto racing. As for the new track in Southern Md. Great... More the merrier. Also, the guys down in Dimwittie Motorsport Park just got approved for building a roadcourse on the grounds there, which is great, as it is 90 minutes from my house, and then there's another setup in North Carolina NCCAR at Roanoke Rapids... That'll reasonably close as well! Mike

Thanks for the positive comments... Apparently it's getting ripped appart elsewhere by those who over-engineer and over-think and are superior in their designs and cage fabrication. I've forwarded those threads to Mitch Piper and I'll let him defend his work. This guy builds professional cages for professional teams, and one of his best traits is that his cages are used so much by those in the Mid Atlantic region that they get tested in severe crash testing in competition. So much has been made about the "mistakes" made on my other cage, and the "inferior" design of this cage. The Zcar's cage will suit my needs well, and that's all that matters to me. The car was built to be a DE car. If we have issues with getting it past tech inspection, then I'll sell the albatros and move on... It's really not a concern to me at this stage of my life. However, I've been given assurances I'll get a waiver if I do enter the car in competition. Reality is we looked at a bunch of cages from a number of spec builders and talked to some who actually raced and more importantly crashed these cages. The biggest complaint we heard from several who totaled their $10K plus builds was the "crush zone" theory. I won't argue that you want a safe cage in the car. I will how ever argue that it's a balance. You have to weigh the investment vs. what is a reasonable risk. Backing the car into a tire wall at 45MPH and having the tub totalled seems pointless to me. I saw no less than FOUR examples of "superior" miatas with crush zones that were used at those speeds. We decided to go the route that made the most sense for us, given the way these cars get beat up. I'll offset the "inferior design" with more safety gear. It's done, I'm happy and that's all that matters. Mike

Mayolives, The roof was on the car when I picked it up, and has no issues with removal... JohnC, Mitch Piper does about 50 of these per year, and has template bars made for them. I guess he worked the whole roof clip issue out years ago... Mike Kelly

We sent our project Miata out to Mitch Piper for a spec legal cage: http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/4fe36ecb.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/b7c6883f.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/54989ddc.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/50569247.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/20a6cf38.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/0dd172df.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/735ce10d.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/9b4c27da.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/eca854bb.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Miata%20Pics/391503f5.jpg Now we need to put it all back together!! Mike

Man this winter has been unreal... Yesterday morning I blew snow for about an hour while I was letting the fire warm the garage... By yesterday afternoon we'd picked up another 10 inches and I had to go back over it again... We're at over 2 feet. So, I managed to finish up the base for the driver's seat, and get it primed and painted and ready to reinstal the seat. I also managed to finish up the hood Dzeus fastener adjustment so they all work now... Today I might get back down there and finish up the harness mounts for the harnesses for both seats. The original bar location was to low for the mounting of the seats. Unfortunately when I had the cage done, I did not have seats yet and the fabricator was guessing I'd have the seats on the floorpan... So... No big deal, but I need to raise the shoulder strap locations... I also need to weld a pair of braces in at the fuel cell that will aid in rear impact safety and a couple of small brackets for bolting on the radiator air box... Then the welding is done and I can get back to the final buttoning up of the car. On the Miata front, I have the car stripped and loaded in the car trailer. It's going out for a SPEC LEGAL specmiata cage instal. The car was supposed to be at their shop on Friday, but the impending weather diverted us... I'm hoping to get there tomorrow, but the region is under a state of emergency and the auxilery drive to the shop has NOT been cleared yet... On the dreaded black winged car front... got it back from a lengthy stay at the shop. Had the transmission completely gutted and rebuilt with much stronger parts, along with a new billet Guards limited slip, upgraded clutch/pressure plate, and upgraded clutch hydraulics. I've got a pile of new parts to instal on it. New monoball suspension components, new Xflow exhaust system, new front bumper cover and inner fender liners... Lots of bits and pieces. Mike

Classic!!!!

Pete, We'll look at something in later February or March... I'm swamped right now... Try to coordinate with the women folk to make it "lady" friendly... Mike

Or weld on some braces and Dzeus fasteners and just remove the thing before you load it on the trailer... I use 6 on my MSA Type3 airdam and we are really low to the ground, and getting lower with the addition of a smaller diameter wheel/tire combo... Mike

That's all fine and good tony, but I have some serious issues getting in the way of "that hardware". http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r226/Mikelly_2006/Mikes%20Zcar%20Pics/143.jpg I don't "need" the doors right now, but I'm planning to remove all metal components from a "body" standpoint, and just go with glass or everywhere I can. This car hasn't been outside or wet for more than 2 days total ( and one hand washed and hand dried bath to get dust off it) in the last 5 years and it's got evidence of rust in a few places... I'll be replacing everything I can that isn't structural over time! Mike

John, I thought about you at first and then figured "No way he's doing doors now!"... Hahahaha Thanks man, that is exactly what I'm looking at. I've got nascar style door bars and don't have a need for arm rests or window hardware! The last two pics in your link are exactly what I'm looking for! Mike

Thanks. The goal is to have the appropriate panels available this season as we improve this car. We're considering options for running the car this year. I may do some NASA TTs... Lighter is better... Mike

I did a brief search and didn't see anything current for this, but is there a known vendor for carbon or glass cowls and door shells? I know we have an excellent vendor for hoods and hatches, but looking for other panels of a composite nature... Car is almost ready to track... We WILL make a 2010 track schedule...and my time is very near to becoming my own... Mike

Yea, they did the cage in my Zcar, and we're dropping the Miata off in February for them to do an SM cage in it. They've been doing good work for many years... Piper used to build racecars for Peter Farrell, before Peter Farrell ran the business into the ground. Mike

'Er, uh the Howe Unit I'm refering to is an internal bearing, not a slave cylinder... But that said, I'd contact howe and make sure that unit is up to the task. Mike

Which is why I'm upgrading from the Kirkey Intermediate Road Race seat (which isn't a bad option for a general seat) to the Ultra-Shield unit. This thing is way better built... I've love to go with a Lajoy or something else, but I have bigger fish to fry right now... Mike

So today was eventful... I welded up all four side mount plates for the Dzues fasteners, and then drilled all of the holes in the bumper cover. I then mounted the pop-out aluminum Dzues fasteners inplace on three of the 6 locations... I ran out of pop-rivets, so that part of the project is on hold until I can get more rivets. I also welded on the extension for the front tow hook. While I was at it, I added gussets for the oil filter relocation mount, and welded gussets to the brackets that hold the Dzues base plates for the MSA type 3 bumper cover. While working on those issues, I moved to the mounts for the Carbon hood. Once I get the rivets, I'll relocate one mount for the hood, and finish up the "prime" and "paint" on the areas I welded up. I'll then move to the seat base and the few brackets I need to weld in for the interior safety. Window net brackets and such... Then I'll move to the rear of the car and finish up the welding back there... Getting there... Mike

Drew, It is, but I would NOT use that bearing. We had it in Jim's car and found it would not stand up to the pressure of an aftermarket pressure plate. Within 100miles the seal started leaking. I contacted HOWE and the tech specifically stated that the unit is made for OEM clutch/PP systems only and is stated in the instructions... Mike

We're in final preparation for this coming season for track events, and I'd previously mentioned to the wife that I really expected to use the trailer a lot more this year. The "wants" list for the trailer is fairly large, since the trailer, although having finished ceiling and walls, is pretty basic. I've got a work bench with a grinder and vice, along with a wire wheel, but no power. I need to have a small subpanel installed, better lighting for the interior, an AC system for the roof, a source for heat, and portable power... She's a good listener, that wife of mine... Along with some nomex and some upgraded suspension alignment tools, she bought be a very small, very quiet 2000watt generator for the car trailer. For $179 shipped, the thing is amazing. So now I need to talk with a guy I know who does a lot of work on car trailers and see what he'll charge for installing a small sub-panel, and outlets inside the trailer, along with some flouresent lighting. I've already sourced and will instal the AC unit later this spring. On the car front, we've entered final discussions with the cage builder for the Spec Miata. Piper Motorsports did the cage in the Zcar for me in 2005 and that ran me $2400. I expected a race certified spec legal cage to run me well over $3000... But because I'm a repeat customer, they're charging me $2500. Can't pass it up. The Zcar, which is the point of having a blog (so I'm told) on a Zcar site, is getting some new bracing welded in today. I'll weld in the final impact supports for the sides, and also finish up the DZEUS fasteners for the MSA type3 airdam/bumper. I wanted to be able to pull it off quickly and easily to load the car into the trailer... And that's what we're going to be able to do... I'll have a total of 6 fasteners holding the bumper cover on. PIcs will follow in the project thread. I'll also add a few braces here and there for other stuff, and some tabs for bolting the bottom of the airbox on to the radiator mount, along with the bolt tabs for the front tow hook. We're going to get rid of the Moroso switch box and use some of that KYDEX I ordered (I have a bunch of this stuff we're going to form for fender liners and other panels...) to make a console panel to house a flat switch plate. We're also going to bolt on an eyelet for the right side net to hook to off the mounts for the dash tube from the cage. I've also got a bit of welding to do on the driver's seat mount that will take about an hour... Once this list of items is done, I need to get a windshield mounted, and I need to DRIVE the car to debug it. That's pretty much it. Mike

Mark, Trust me, it'll be on a track near you in one of three cars this year... I think by the end of this coming season, with getting the instruction in that I've committed to, along with getting the two sons licenses for SM racing, and myself, I'll maybe have my fill of the race track! We expect about 35-40 days total this year. Mike

This seat will start out as a weekend seat for the 911turbo, but may end up in the zcar or the spec miata we are building! Mike

Which, if you rewind the memory banks, is what our windtunnel engineer mentioned, using Roddy's car as a perfect example. He was pretty clear on the fact that those spinning tires having coverage in front of them was a good thing, and referenced the new design of the COT in NASCAR as well... Merry Christmas! Mike