Mikelly

We run 7200RPM for redline/limiter and the car is pushing a little over 10:1 compression from the factory. It does use an MAFS and I could get you that data on what the CFMs are, but I'll have to dig thru some logs. I have zero desire to mess with the tune from the custom tuner's parameters, and he locks them, giving me 3 settings, one for economy, one for track tune on pump gas and one on race gas. I recognize that I'm not smart enough to know what I'm doing with tuning software and leave it to the pros. At $28,000 for a replacement motor, I don't want to take that gamble. Mike

Well the weight is a bit high, but what I've found with my own supercar is that once you get it moving, it really isn't as big a factor as you might think, especially if it is distributed well and the chassis is dialed in. The claimed numbers are overly optimistic and more than likely a marketing ploy. These cars will likely be marked up upon release, and I'd expect you wouldn't be able to get your hands on one for less than $70K for atleast the first year. So who'se buying one gang? Mike

So because I owned a Vette and drove it for 2.5 years, I can't have an opinion on technology? come on Brian, get real. I hated the fact that it was a pushrod motor, but it WORKED. Regardless of what our collective opinions are on why Nissan chose to use the motor they're installing, it'll boil down to the bottom line, $$$. Mike

Randy, The injectors are sized to support over 700WHP from the factory. The intercoolers are the GT2 factory units and the turbos are Hybrid K16s with K24 internals. They used upsolute software to tune the PCM. What I'll do over the winter is have the computer sent to upsolute, the old tune written over with the factory program, then turn around and send it with a bunch of datalog files to Kevin at UMW. I expect this car to be around 550WHP when Kevin's tune is done. What I especially love about this car is the way they built it. Everyone raves about the Toyota Supra motors, and these boxer motors are even better from the factory. Mike

Guy inhe track day video link I posted below in the blue WRX STi is running about 460BHP in that WRX. He has a front mount intercooler, big injectors, and an upgraded turbo. It's a pretty solid package. He's thinking of selling it and buying an M3 or Porsche 996. Mike

Yea, Um' I'm not understanding some of these comments. The restrictions placed on the L6 motor that only LOTS of money can cure are why these guys are commenting about the V6 platform. I'd wage a large amount of money that the motor they put in the GT-R will have extremely strong internals... Lets next think about the heads and how much better (and more current) the design flow characteristics should be... Gang, It's called evolution. The L6 was a nice platform, for a 40 year old design. Mike

Oh man, The memories, just looking at that... I still have places in my body hair won't grow back on from rash I got many years ago. The day after mine I had to drive in a regional autoX championship. Took two people to load me into the cars and I was "medicated" to say the least... On the plus side, I did get Fastest time in my class... Mike

I spoke to the guys at Technotoy a while back and found out that they supply parts to Ralley teams in Europe and Africa. That's all I needed to hear... Their stuff is top shelf!! Mike

Get home in one piece and thanks so much for your service!!! Mike

We'll be planning one for January at the Kelly ranch. Stay tuned... Mike

Threw a set away last week... Dumped a BUNCH of stuff that was just taking up space... Killed me to do it, but I don't have the time to ship this stuff, and folks locally don't seem to need it, so it went! Mike

Lewis, You're one of the smarter guys here... So I know you've already considered this. But I'm gonna throw it out there, Because I've worn a path around this same block. Sometimes our lives become so complex, that we find ourselves distracted, and thinking of making otherwise bad decisions look good... Don't sell it. You'll kick yourself later and wish you'd never sold it. Your only other option would be transfering all the hardware to a different platform. But if you sell it, you'll regret it when the time comes back to you. Sit on it and fix it over time, or buy another and transfer the hardware. I love what you've done with the SR20Det and think that's one of the coolest platforms to swap into an S30. Don't deviate from that path, either. Just wait it out. Newborns get less time consuming as they grow. Give it time and the clock will swing back in your favor... But you already know this... Mike

First, My apologies to Austin and Tom for being cut out of the mentions in the test... I sent a picture of the group (one that was published HERE) with all the names of the contributors and partricipants... Somewhere in the edits NissanSport cut out a lot of what I thought would be useful info. SUch is the life of a lowly writer. Austin I'd love to take you up on the offer, and also would ask for your assistance, along with Tom, and the rest of the crew from the last test. I do plan to re-produce my FIRST (Not the NissanSport article) article taken down due to some issues with a member, so folks can get the FULL story as it was intended. Priomadonna, I'd love to get numbers on your car, just for the sake of getting them. We'll have to see how extensive the testing, and if we'll be blowing smoke next time, or using ribbons again. Smoke takes a lot more time and would probably mean less tests run. To the other members, I'll keep you all posted... As to comments about the 280ZX or other platforms, I simply have no interest in testing them. It's that simple. I've never owned anything other than an S30, and would be more than happy to steer someone in the right direction for making that series of tests happen. But I'm not your man for that one... simply not enough time in the day. Mike

Gang, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. However, we have a system setup for people to sell parts... We've allowed regular members a bit of latitude on some selling items, but this "NEW FIRST TIME POSTER" is not gonna be allowed. You can contact him offline thru his registered email, or PM him. Buyer beware... We don't know that this seller is a bad guy or not, but we don't know him at all... Mike

As long as people read the rules and follow them, we see no reason that a member can't complain within reason about a vendor's customer service. Mike Kelly

I finally got the check from Nissan Sport for writing the article, and that $200 will go into a fund for the next round of tests. I'll start planning it in January. This next round will test more extreme versions of aerodynamic devices. I plan to roll my car thru it, along with Tom's Redbird, and maybe we can pry those Gnose headlight covers away From Mark I.s grasp to get some good numbers on Tetter's Gnose car with a more suitable whaletail or other rear aero device bolted to it. We'll probably start a donations "call" sometime in February timeframe. Stay tuned! Mike

What TonyC said! You're in our thoughts! Mike

Most important tool in my shop is in my skull. 2nd most important tool in my shop resides in my house. It's the DSL connection to the internet. 3rd most important thing in my shop is the mass of books and articles I have that pertain to auto-specific interests! Beyond that, Everything else can be purchased to build what I need. Mike

I'm shocked that you found this odd... You know your buddy and your buddie's dad. You know they are going to do what they can for you. Is your buddie's dad a Zcar specialist? What experience with the L6 motor does he have? Does he know the proper lash pads to have on hand to shim a cam? Proper way to assemble the L6? All the various combos of head/block/Piston to give you that perfect performance combo you want? every built that combo before? What are his references for Nissan L motors? You don't know the guy from ZSport, and he can see that you're not going to be "as satesfied" with his "deal". You want a deal or a performance motor? Personally, I don't blame him for taking you up on the offer to allow him to hang up. It's just like every other "DEAL" I've received in the 20+ years I have been dealing in Zcars. You want to get screwed out of your money by your own bad decision or do you really want the performance motor that will cost you more money and give you less warranty? I've spent cubic feet in dollars over the last 20 years buying Zcars and trying to get that perfect Lseries motor. I finally gave up in 1998 and switched to a V8. Before that I got screwed by any number of people who "thought" it's a 6 cylinder motor. How hard can it be? Not knocking your buddies dad, but if I were in your shoes, and I was a number of times, I'd ring the Z specialist back and eat a little humble pie. You're paying for his services. Pay for them, or don't. But dont expect him to "wheel and deal" and then be shocked when he chooses not to play your game. Mike

So how are you going to compensate for that big valley in the tranny tunnel that runs back to the rear diff and control arms/axles/swaybar? There's a lot of pockets under the car that cause problems long before getting back to the area where a rear valance would start. It's really not hard to understand the whole "total package" that Bob Smith described... Look at the Spook/Whaletail combo... It's the same kinda deal as that, except "under" the car. I'd bet large sums of money that you'd cause more harm than good... And I've got the same exact problem as you. I removed the rear spare tirewell and installed a flat bottomed fuel cell. I'd love to make the underside much more flat and integrate a difuser. But I know that it would take a lot more work than might be useful. However, I'm smart enough to know when I'm getting good advice. Bob Smith doesn't do brain surgery, he does windtunnel testing. I'll go to someone else for brain issues. But when it comes to things aerodynamic, He's a true authority in my book and the only person I know who sees aerodynamic devices tested on a daily basis. But hey, what does he know? Mike

There will be another round of testing, and hopefully Mayolives RedBird will be in the tunnel. His car does have a rear difuser and will be able to answer some of the speculation. Mike

OK, let me try the OTHER approach... What if it made your car handle worse? Putting that device on the rear without the added benefit of the rest of the package would seriously hinder its ability to function. Sometimes looking cool hurts the performance of a car... This is the WINDTUNNEL category... You want looks, go over to the Body and Paint section. I'd like to keep this category focused on what works, what doesn't and why. Mike

As the windtunnel operator told us, our money and time is best spent elsewhere... Take a look under that Ford GT and you'll see a flat bottom car, very similar to the C5-C6 Corvettes and very similar to my 996TT. They're flat for a reason... No frame rails, or exsposed trans tunnels, no open engine compartment... It's all sealed off or as flat as can be in the corvettes case. You guys are trying to come up with things that simply won't add benefit, unless you plan to do the whole bottom of the car... Remember, TOTAL PACKAGE is what works... anything else is only addressing one end of the car, and making a significant negative impact on the "other" end. Mike

We're pulling for you dan... Let us know how things are when you get back to the homestead and if you need any financial assistance... Mike

Haven't been around much the last few days, and been in a real foul mood since Friday night... I was asleep and had been for all of five minutes when the sound of skidding tires and a huge impact woke me. I jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, and told the wife to call 911. Got my keys and drove down to the end of my driveway to take a look... I live off a fairly busy secondary road that is wooded and has lots of wildlife. Speedlimit is 45mph. All of the homes in my little cluster stand back about an acre or two from the roadway, and you can't see the road for the trees, kinda like a park setting really. So I see car lights to the left and head that way... Sure enough I pull up and see a car sitting sideways behind a couple trees, with a young man laying on the ground in front of the car. I checked him for pulse, which he had, and then moved over to the passenger side of the car, where I find a young woman laying by the passenger front door, which is open due to the impact. I check her pulse and she's got one. I then look up and see a young woman sitting in the back seat of the car, a toyota corrolla four door compact. She isn't moving. Due to the position of the young woman on the ground, I can't get past her and into the passenger in the rear. It's probably a good thing, as when I move around the driver's side of the car I can see the damage and the fact that she's not gonna make. We watch as she takes her last breath and it just breaks my heart. I'm not an EMT, and haven't had trauma training for a while and I know what I learned way back then is gone from practicle use. Several other bystanders start applying pressure to the wounds of those on the ground, while a neighbor and I start looking in the woods for a possible 4th passenger. Finally the fire/rescue workers get there and take charge. Then it sets in. I haven't seen someone die in a while, and I've got two stepsons about her age. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Not tears or anything understandable... Just a hole thru everything I know to be good in life. What really bugged me was the fact that she was belted in. The paper reported it wrong, but of the three individuals in the car, this 16 year old kid was the only one doing the right thing, wearing her seatbelt. The story was released yesterday and it appears that the young woman driving the car was the 16 yearold girl's older sister, a 20 year old. The unidentified male is 16. Both are listed in serious condition. Alchohal and speed weren't a factor. I know kids get killed every day, and we read about it in the papers all the time, but this one was right in front of me, and man it just really was so tragic. To top it off, Her mother works at the fastmart right up the street I stop in at 3-4 times per week and I've seen them in there chatting with mom and checking in... It stinks and I've been in a terrible funk since Friday. Mike