johnc

Krylon glossy, any color you like. Wipe the cage down well with Prepsol to eliminate any fish eyes.

No. I was going to trade them for two Quaife diffs around Christmas but the buyer got laid off. I'm probably going to use them as the rain tire set for the OTC in April. Or, if someone wants them, I'll let them go for $300 each ($1,200) without the 245/45-16 R3S03 Hoosiers or $425 each ($1,700) with the tires. Here's a link to Eric's Wheels for Sale page: Monocoque 16 x 9s

If its a street car, I would powder coat the cage. If its going to be on a race track somewhere under the sanction of SCCA or NASA, you cannot powder coat the cage. The tech inspectors need to see the welds pretty much as it (you're also not allowed to grind the welds). A very light coat of paint is allowed for rust protection only.

I drove a train once (GM switcher with 15 cars behind), does that make me an engineer?

Ian, I'll be out there Sunday driving Lynn's Miata in CSM. The car is getting closer to completion with goal of it on a chassis dyno by the end of February. Owen, open a phone book! A quick look by me found Vee Parts and Accessories in Santa Ana, Vee Dub Parts Unlimited in HB, Wolfsburg West in Anaheim, Bug Pack in Anaheim, etc. Mudge, its a rubber gasket with a bead that fits between body panels. Used mostly for vehicles with separate fenders.

Depends on the MIG welder and wire size. While at the Lincoln Welding school I MIG welded 1" steel plate with 3 passes using .050 wire. If its a 110v MIG welder you can weld up to 1/4" steel plate with 1 pass and up to 3/16" or maybe 1/2" with multiple passes using .030 wire. Just take your time, bevel the edges, and lay down a good root pass.

The welting can be found at auto parts stores that specialize in VWs or old trucks. Regarding the wager: I lost. I was trying to get two sets of custom wheels built before the May 2002 OTC. Monocoque came through but the wheels weighed more then they promised. I then contacted BBS about a custom set of 16 x 10 wheels and received lots of promises about "deliery in two weeks", "perfect fit", etc. Basically, they lied - to the point of giving me bogus UPS tracking numbers. Even when they sorta had the wheels they had bored the centers for 5 studs instead of 4. BBS is geared to support race teams that buy dozens of custom wheels at a time. They talk like they support the privateer, but they sure don't deliver. I ended up getting two sets of wheels from Kodiak. 16 x 10s that weigh 14 lbs. And that wager was that BBS would deliver my wheels in their claimed two weeks. The Viper was involved because a friend had just received 4 sets of BBS wheels for his Viper race team - which he received in two weeks.

Depends on where the diff broke.

Those are from MSA. They look wider probably because of the welting. Most any VW performance or restoration shop has the stuff but I was told the welting is only available in black or white.

Go here and scroll to the bottom 2 pictures. I used black VW fender welting Defcon 2.5

> Ive read that Zcars can have quirky handling > when they dont have zero offset. I would just try it first and see how the car feels. Normally you have to adjust toe front and rear a little bit. > I am running alot of HP from a V8 so I > need the width out back for traction. Traction is much more dependent on tire compound and air pressures then width. A set of 6" wide drag radials will give you more traction then a set of 10" wide Sears Roadhandlers. > Will I have atleast decent traction from the > 9.5" wide tires even tho the 17's have minimal > sidewalls? Will the ride quality be like a > brick or tolerable? When you get below a 50 series tire on a 240Z (or any car really) you are transferring some of the compliance requirements that the tire took care of (from the sidewalls and the air volume) to the shock absorbers. Some of this is from the stiffer sidewalls and some from the increased air pressures. In essence, the traction you'll get and the ride you feel will now be more dependent on your shocks.

> Well on Friday I managed to STEP OFF a 6 > foot scafold... Amazing how, once you get used to working on a scaffold or a roof, you just "forget" about the height. I was a roofer for a number of years and I once walked right off an 12' roof going to get something out the the back of my truck. I was looking at the roof of my truck at the time too! Luckily I landed in a big juniper bush. Had scratchs all over my legs, back, and chest.

I've known racers to run 275 ft.lbs. through it. At these torque levels it would need to be opened up and checked at least annually.

> has anybody done this on their Ls? > notice a difference? I do and yes, there is a difference that is noticeable on an engine dyno - assuming the rest of the engine is in perfect condition.

Already been done by Mitsubishi. Page 12 of December 2002's Automotive Engineering International (SAE's magazine). Its on a bus and uses a Lithium Ion Battery/Capacitor hybrid combinationn along with a 8.2L diesel engine and a 100KW generator.

Here's an old BSP/IT racer trick: Use a projector tip spark plug and index it using the Moroso washer kit part # 71910. I ran Champion 412 RC12LYC plugs and they gave my shaved N42 head, dished piston combustion chambers a .1 compression ratio increase.

Damn! That's why I rarely drive a student's car. And even when I do, I drive conservatively and shift slowly. If I want to give a student a fast ride, I'll take them in my own car.

Even experienced folks goof up. During last year's OTC I was braking for turn 1 at Willow Springs, which is a 4th gear turn in an ITS 240Z, and I put the clutch in and down shifted to 3rd. Luckily, I realized what I did as the rear started to lock up and I put the clutch back in. I went way wide on the corner and almost ended up in the dirt. I wasn't paying attention and was looking in my rear view mirrors at a Lotus 340R that was right behind me. I almost wrecked that poor guy and his brand new race car.

Ahhhh... PIR. Put my 240Z into the tire wall in turn 2 trying to outbrake a Viper. The 240Z emblem from the right side C pillar is still in that tire barrier somewhere. Mike, It looks like you're really loose under braking or you've got a bias problem. A little rich on overrun too I bet. Have fun in Florida.

> Getting back to JohnC's challenge: given my > arguments, why do you think the inline 6's > perform better than the V8 conversions? I agree with everyone that a well prepared V8 Z setup for a road race track should easily beat an ITS prepared 240Z. Unfortunately, no one's build such a V8 Z yet that I'm aware of (although I saw some photos of a NorCal V8 Z that looked interesting - looked like a GT2 car with a V8). Once of the other issues is weight. Everyone talks about how a V8 (aluminum Chevy or a SB Ford) weighs less then the L6, but no one talks about how much more the transmissions, rear diff, plumbing, electrical, mounts, etc. weight. An ITS 240Z has to weigh 2435 without driver. Although I could be mistaken, I have yet to hear about a V8 conversion the hits that weight number before adding the SCCA mandated roll cage, fuel cell, etc. BTW... my 240 with its 300+ hp L6 should weigh in at 2200 lbs without my fat butt in the seat. So once one of the V8 guys beats an ITS record somewhere here on the West Coast, he gets to play with me...

In theory... But I have yet to see a V8 Z break any of the current ITS lap records at the tracks I run (Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, Las Vegas, and Phoenix PIR). When I see a V8 240Z turn a low 1:3x at Willow Springs (which is definately a power track) then I'll agree that V8 Zs can handle. Until then, a lowly 2.4L ITS 240Z will probably stomp the V8 boys on a "real" race track. Anyone notice the gauntlet thrown down?

Both... Greater throttle openings reduce pumping losses and increase engine efficiency. Less rpm reduces operating friction and increases engine efficiency. That's the basis for BMW's eta series of 6 cylinder engines in the 1980s. But, if you run a CVT transmission, then you can tune the engine for even greater efficiency in a much narrower rpm band.

Chicago Electric and Central Machinery are specific Harbor Frieght trade names for a couple Chinese equipment manufacturers. These exact same products are sold under different trade names by Northern Tool, Enco, etc. As with anything, you get what you pay for.

> points of attachment (limited to 6), Its 8 now. You're allowed 2 points of attachment to the firewall.

It looks like my 240 will be ready fairly soon and Mike and I run the same tracks. Comparisons will be inevitable. BTW... Mike, are you doing OTC this year? Bryan and I (Team Rusty Old Datsun) will be out there again.