Mikelly Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Jim McNemar, a member here, is dropping his car and (Estimated) $15K worth of parts off to my garage this afternoon for me to start his transformation... Jim's got an original Scarab Zcar that comes with ALL the trimmings, body work, bulging fenders, and a 355 Chevy with 4 speed... And OLD technology brakes and 15inch tires... Jim asked me to put together a wish list of parts for him last winter and they finally came in three weeks ago. So today is the start of phase one... We're going to transform Jim's CLEAN, Straigh, Wonderfully painted fire engine RED scarab into a 21st century supercar with the help of a Ton of parts... Phase 1 is: Coil overs, Five lug Hub and axle upgrade, MM EXTREME 13inch front and rear brakes, and a new QUAIFE LSD R200 Differential with CV Axles, and finally a set of CUSTOM CCW 17X9 and 18X11 wheels shod with sticky tires... 8) I'm also gonna whip together a set of my custom front control arms to stick under the front of this car, since the others are still on back order... Doug Carrow will do the assist on this install, and we expect to be done by Sunday afternoon. Phase2 will take place probably over the Thanksgiving weekend. It will consist of ditching the Scarab mounts, and 4 speed transmission. We've opted for a JTR setup for mounts, and will install a new GFORCE 5 speed tranny. I'll also likely have to shorten some exhaust, upgrade the cooling for the radiator/ motor, and possibly do something about the oilpan/ header clearance... I'll know more once we're done... Doug and I will be taking LOTs of picks, and Doug will put them up online early next week so you guys can see the work we're doing... Oh, and Jim was nice enough to order me a GForce T5 transmission for all my hard labor! Can't beat that! More to follow! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Is this an original factory scarab car like this: http://zhome.com/rnt/Scarab/Scarab.htm .If so aren't they worth something in original form? Or was this built by someone at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 24, 2004 Author Share Posted September 24, 2004 It is indeed an original... However, a worth can't be placed on it if the owner doesn't drive it because it doesn't "do" what he wants it to... Focus on this car is to do track days and the occasional cruise in... He wants to drive it, and right now it is sitting... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Whose your sugar daddy!!! One book I have says there were only 250 factory built Scarabs. Not to violate the HybridZ covenants but why not sell the car in original form and pick up another Z to mod? (or even two. Maybe Jay Leno would want it). Not telling anyone what to do, but seems like a potentially very expensive mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 24, 2004 Author Share Posted September 24, 2004 Well it's kinda funny, I was on the fence, but it isn't like we're actually doing anything BAD to the car. The car will still "look" like a scarab, but with updated wheels, suspension and brakes, and it will have a better position for the motor... Those guys did an excellent job back in the day, but today's technology is just gonna bring it into the 21st century! Besides, this guy is super attached to the car, and once you guys see the pics, you'll understand WHY he wants to keep it! He should be here within the hour! 8) Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steveo Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 take loads of pics please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zfan Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Sounds like an awsome car with lots of potential. Good luck with it. It's been along time since I have seen a real Scarab. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskrat Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 I see no problem with taking an origional scarab and converting the mount style and changing parts. IMO, you are doing nothing but improve on whats already there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 26, 2004 Author Share Posted September 26, 2004 So an update is expected I suppose... Friday night the car and parts were delivered... At my suggestion at the time, Jim ordered the parts from Ross at MML... The parts took 8 months to get in, and the list of parts was extensive... I'm pretty sure Jim ordered almost everything Ross has to offer! I had never sectioned struts, so I had asked Ross to have them done by his machinist... I didn't expect a few things would still be required when I got them in, so some spacers and welding the coil over rings was still required. Yesterday morning I did that while Doug pulled the suspension loose... The car is gorgious with Ferrari 300 Sikkens RED paint on it, but the underside was filthy. We spent the afternoon cleaning and then painting suspension parts. The story on this particular Scarab goes like this: This car is a 1973 240Z that was sent by its owner, a dentist in California to have the transformation done... However, the Dentist did NOT want the body work or the badges. His intent was to have a sleeper he would be able to sneak races with. According to JIm, the car was quieter then, didn't have as radical a motor, and was a stock bodied Z. The guy eventually sold it to another Dr type guy who let his 18 year old son drive it for a few months... It was sold after it was deemed to much car... This was 1986. Jim bought the car in 1986 from this guy and drove it back from California. It was still a stock bodied Z at the time. THe paint you guys will eventually see on this car is the paint Jim had sprayed when the custom bodywork was done in 1988... This PAINT is GORGIOUS. When Doug gets home tonight and recouperates, I'm going to have him post some pics for me, since he has made space for my stuff on his server... We took before pics, and are taking after pics, and there will be at least one more stage. However, Jim is now thinking about freshening the motor in the car when we do the JTR swap, and We're also thinking about a cage and fuel cell so he can have true duals... I have a PILE of parts that will be for sale from this car... I've got complete strut assemblies for a 240Z LOADED with Bilstein Strut cartiridges. The lowering springs are the Scarab springs and will go with the assemblies... This will inslude brakes and lines... Contact me offline... I'll also have the original Jim Cook Racing 15X10inch and 15X7.5 inch wheels mounted with BFG race slicks on the rear, and BFG TAs on the front... FOR SALE... These are in the factory fourbolt Nissan pattern. More to come Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synlubes Posted September 27, 2004 Share Posted September 27, 2004 I`ll have some pics up Monday, Tuesday. I need to go thru them and sort things out. I will post a link here for your viewing pleasure. It`s a beautiful car and will be setup very nice when done. Thinks Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modern Motorsports Ltd Posted September 27, 2004 Share Posted September 27, 2004 Hehehe, your eyeballs are going to pop when you see Jim's beauty! It was very inspiring to chat with Jim in our first conversation, he loves cars and has a passion for his scarab that's very strong! He's also greatly enjoyed his late model Corvette and Mike let him know some of the corvette attributes his Scarab didn't quite have (latmodern brake technology/suspension/CVs/quaife LSDetc) could be grafted to his car to further enhance the fun of his hybridz. Jim's accomplished a LOT with this car in the past, and we're very excited to see the pictures, hear his inputs on the transformation from his high hp Scarab to a very well rounded HybridZ with major use of our packages including the front and rear Xtreme 13" DOT PBR brake packages, Aluminum Hubs, CV shafts and CV adaptors, Quaife R200, and Koni race inserts with coilovers etc, combined with JTR relocation (very glad the JTR relocation will occur ). Jim enjoys his vette in the canyons but his Z just couldn't handle or brake in near the same manner he said, this will change massively with Mike and Doug's help Better than an episode of MonZta Garage Looking forward to the pics etc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 27, 2004 Author Share Posted September 27, 2004 I'd like to thank Jamie T. and Pete for coming in and giving a hand on this project, and I'd also like to thank Ross for giving me his direct line... I only posted it on three boards and two bathroom stalls!! Seriously, though, I appreciate it... we didn't use it, but it was good customer support. Jim McNemar is a very generous man. He picked up the tab for Doug's 18 hours so far, and for quite a bit more work in the rest of phase 1 Next Saturday, and phase 2 in the coming month. I appreciate that bit very much... We still need to get over the hurdle of the interferance of his CCW wheels on the front spoiler/ fender, but I'm going to install my adjustable TC Rod/ control arms and that might help some. We also need to sort out WHY he only has about an inch of free travel for the strut before it hit the bump stops. Fun Fun Fun... Pete asked me why I took this project on... Jim McNemar is infectious when you talk to him. He oozes enthusiasm about the things that interest him. You can see it come out of him, and hear it in the tone of his voice. This project was tough, hard work, but man this car is GORGIOUS and these parts made it even MORE gorgious! Glad I picked them! This project and Jim have also given me renewed enthusiasm to GET MINE done. When I saw just how much work we got done this weekend, it hit me hard... All these weekends my car has been pushed off to the side... it is THE NEXT car to be worked on, when this car is out of the bay... My vette motor will sit in plastic when it arrives, as I have no interest in installing it right now... I've got bigger fish to fry... So Pete, to answer your question from Saturday, that is why I took on this project... I can't wait to see my own ride done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted September 27, 2004 Share Posted September 27, 2004 I was just wondering how you got into it. Mike, if had your garage, tools, and LIFT, I'd be doing things like that too! Jim is really fun to be around and talk to and the car is really beautiful. The body work is A+++ and the paint is beautiful! The CCW wheels look GREAT under it and really look awesome from behind! I'm glad you took it on, as I really enjoyed seeing the car, having a hand in the project and meeting Jim. If those old wheels and tires weren't so wide, I'd buy them - nice old school look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synlubes Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Jim`s scarab project photo`s are up. Click the Z Pics link in my sig and go to the Scarab album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotfitz Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 That is a sweet Z! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 WOW! Is about all I can muster right now!!! What was used to get the SS pc's black, paint? Great Effect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Needs more tire.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 28, 2004 Author Share Posted September 28, 2004 The black parts were powdercoated... Awesome car... I just removed all the suspension and brakes in an hour and a half so we can shorten the struts... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 What a project! I envy you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Man do those CCW's ever make that car pop! What a great upgrade. Nice car too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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