TimO Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 I'm passionate about Datsuns and I probably should have posted this a few years ago. I’m an original owner of a 72 240z. I’ve worked on Z’s and 510’s for over 45 years and I’ve been a member of Hybrid Z since 2002. Yet I rarely post on HZ. Why? Because of the push back from inexperienced “my brother in law’s friend’s cousin says” challenges to innovation and experience. Personally I don’t have the time or inclination to justify my advice and experience. Over the years I've noticed a number of very talented and experienced HZ members drop off HZ. As a result we all lose their experience input and guidance. To me the big question is how do we turn this around so the young and new to Z’s enthusiasts continue to be exposed to the experience base that has stopped or now rarely post on HZ?? I don't mean to imply that HZ doesn't currently have a highly experienced community of posters. Only that many who could offer much experience and advice don't because of the push back. I don’t offer my comments as a complaint but more as a challenge to the HZ community to turn this around. I know many will not agree with me. This is merely my personal opinion and I hope I haven’t offended anyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 TimO?!!?! Now there's a name from the past! I agree with you 100% and then some. Way back when this was a place where there were no "experts". We came here to talk about what we were trying to do because we like to tinker. Opinions about how others were building their car were never posted unless asked for. If someone saw someone doing something that was going to get the original poster in trouble, they were told via PM and the original poster would fix the original post. Now it seems opinions fly all over the place and everyone here seems to have forgotten that there is no "best". We are all here because we like to make changes and to read about how other are going things. For how long I've been a part of this forum, I really don't post here much either. But I do read. I have been following Mike's build since it started. I've kidded him about the length of the post calling it a blog at times but I did like following what was going on with the car. The opinion stuff about Porsches and comparisons to Datsuns not so much but it did make for a good read. I'm sure not so much for Mike but for me it did. So from what I can tell and to get this post back on track and be relevant to the thread, after years of trying to get his Z sorted, the last set back was the last for this car under his ownership. For all of the crap that has gone on in the 65 pages of this build I'm impressed he lasted this long! And Mike, although you say now you are done with Z cars, you aren't. As long as this thread remains on Hybridz you will always be a part of the Z community. Good luck with selling the car and keep the shiney side up with whatever you are driving! Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sovereign Z Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Not to muck up the thread, and however not necessarily in Mike's case, the people do respond and assume things and it gets annoying. But its the guys like Mike and yourself that also set the standard for young guys like me to learn. Whenever you post something publicly there's always the possibility of negative feedback, however I've seen people chime in with things that help the OP with the build too (or just increase the awareness of other options out there). You have to take the good with the bad. Also just because someone has a different view of things, doesn't necessarily mean their challenging your wisdom either. At the same time, sometimes you showing a different way or a better way can disprove some of the myths that are out there about the best way to do things. There are unlimited number of ways to build these little Z cars. Unfortunately the people that do appreciate the build the most don't always chime in but trust me, we're taking notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 You guys all make valid points... the most valid of them is why I should be starting a blog. Maybe I'll get that started over the next few weeks. And Rags, at the rate HZ is going, as are so many other enthusiast sites on the web, there's no guarantee this one will be here in a few years...It's why I copy off all my content regularly. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 Block will be in tomorrow via FedEx. Things should start happening pretty quickly... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Who's doing the assembly of the LS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 (edited) Not me... Edited May 14, 2015 by Mikelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 Spoke to soon... Pistons are going to be drop shipped from manufacturer... That was two weeks ago... Ugh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 So, when we found the cracks in the block, I removed the drivetrain and pushed the car into the car trailer. I haven't seen her other than occasionally opening the car trailer to get a part or a tool since MARCH. Friday I rolled her out of the car trailer and back into a shop bay... I must admit not seeing the car was good for me not having to be reminded of the failures and frustration. Time heals all wounds I guess... I'm still awaiting a set of pistons to arrive so I can make the treck down to Richmond with everything. I'm going to let Jamie and RiverCitySpeed put this one together for me. We'll see if I have better luck this time... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 Still waiting on pistons... Killing me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 Finally, 3 months later, I have a tracking number for the pistons and I expect to have everything to Jamie Taylor at RiverCitySpeed within the week!! If all goes well I will have the motor back in Sasha Grey and have her tuned within the month on June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Mike, you have the patience of Job. Hope she goes back together smoothly and you get her running soon. Looking forward to seeing this beast in action (again)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Pistons are being held for me at FEDEX. I'm expecting to get everything loaded up and down to Jamie Taylor at RiverCitySpeed around lunchtime tomorrow. I hope Jamie can turn this motor around in a reasonable amount of time. I'm sure the motor will be put together correctly and am excited to get this project moving again so I can get it running, driving and on its way. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) And of course looking back to this post, here I am in JUNE and just getting the final pieces in place to build the damned thing... These came in for my "EGAY" motor...I am awaiting the block, pistons, rings and head studs. I hope to have a motor together in the month of may. Edited June 4, 2015 by Mikelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) Took a wire transfer in "full" for the sale of the Spec Miata today. So I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to give the datsun this season... This season, in full. I'm spending the money on CCW wheels, and then the efi upgrade, along with a coolsuit box and the fire system. If this car doesn't do two things in 2012, I'll be parting it out and moving on: 1. Perform reliably 2. Perform respectably I'm down to my tow vehicle, daily driver (97 M3) and the Zcar. And contemplating selling my motorcycle... I know some of you die-hard guys will be like "You have so much time in building it" and "Building it is the fun part". You're certainly allowed to have your opinions. I have morphed into someone who wants to drive their cars... I don't want to always wonder if the thing is going to start, stay running, or fail for yet another unknown reason. I'm a track day guy who wants to be competitive lapping in the groups he runs with. It's less about the car and more about the driving. I also want to be able to continue improving my driving, and you can't do that if you're troubleshooting in the pits... Spending more good money after bad to prove that you can make something work was fun, when I was younger... Now, at 45 my priorities have changed... So the Datsun gets one last season to prove to me that she can be reliable and competitive. Mike Three years ago... WOW...Neither reliable or competitive... Edited June 5, 2015 by Mikelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanof30306 Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Three years ago... WOW...Neither reliable or competitive... Come on, man. I agree, you have had terrible luck with this project, much of it that could fairly be attributed to either "acts of God", or acts of unscrupulous men, as your last engine builder appears to be, but a lot of the responsibility for your bad luck has to come home to roost on your own shoulders. I've been following this project since right about the time you wrote that post from 2011. I've been amazed by the quality of the work you've done, but over and over again, I've seen you hit a problem, and instead of sorting it out, make MAJOR changes to the car. Time and again, I've found myself asking "Why doesn't he just get what he's got working?" Ask yourself this. Since December 16, 2011, how many times have you ripped a subsystem you were having trouble with out, and made major changes? How different might things be if, on December 16, 2011, you had stuck with what you had, gotten it working, and driven and raced the car, making upgrades as you found weaknesses in the car, or things you wanted to improve? "There is no fate, but what we make" - John Connor You have a dog in this hunt, Mike, and you know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) +1 ^ this guy! Wish you lived closer. I wouldn't let you quit and it would be running now. Edited June 5, 2015 by rags 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilC Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I don't think he is going to quit Joe - sounds like she will be put together this season and enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I'm anxious to hear about this beast getting on the track soon! But I believe Mike is going to get it sorted to some reliable degree, and then it will be sold to a lucky individual, probably someone he knows. And probably before he gets it to its full potential, as I see him as jaded about this car. Reading his writings makes me think he can't wait to see it go. Mike has stated several times that he wants another Porsche for track days, and I fully understand his reasons. After all, the caliber of P-car he will get will be one designed to BE on the track and he will have a basis for a reliable and respectfully performing track car. Any unsorted Z build would take considerable R&D to get to the level of car he is moving towards with his next P-car choice. No one should take offense at that statement. I love the S30 platform and the potential it has. But no one has the $$$ for the R&D needed to make it competitive and reliable to the point that the upper-echelon track-oriented models of P-car that Mike is going toward. Will he miss the Z? Probably somewhat. But I believe him when he says he will move away from Z's. The LS swap definitely added a year plus to getting the car back on the track. Oh well. Personally, I would only let a very few, very well known firms build an engine for me. I'd much rather build my own and make my own mistakes, knowing what parts are in the engine and what the tolerances are that I measured as I blueprinted the engine. I've made mistakes on some of my builds, and rebuilt them better. (The current 406 SBC Bullet has been reliable on the street, but there have been problems uncovered on the track (oil leak issue). That get's fixed this weekend with a solid roller lifter swap (going to the bushed Isky Red Zone solids) and I'll seal the intake to the engine to fix the leak. But it's a reliable.) This story has been and will be interesting to watch unfold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 (edited) What do you want me to say... You're right? You are correct? Well You are.I had motor problems with the 383 stroker. From day one I could not get that motor to stop leaking. So going a different route on the motor seemed like a reasonable option if I was going to do it right and go with a drysump, which complicated things incredibly because A: I had never set one up by myself and B: adding it and an alternator that sits low in the engine bay was a whole lot more complicated than I would have thought... Hell doing the motor mounts I did ended up being a lot harder than I thought.The LS motor by itself, as has been proven by Joe and Clive and a host of others should not cause problems if you are using the Johns Cars mounts and a stock computer/harness configuration... I am not. My standalone created more problems, all of which again are MY OWN fault due to my decisions to go standalone efi. And integrated dash... Nothing with that is easy either.The Ford 8.8 conversion to me, that was a no BRAINER. That is the smartest money I have spent yet on this project. It just is. The serviceable part availability and the gear choices coupled with the inexpensive LSD choices, I dont feel guilty at all about that decision.The T56? Looking back, that could have waited, but while in Rome... It should have cost me an extra 2 weeks... It cost longer because I simply was rebuilding a transmission that I never touched before and there was limited info on reassembing some key parts.All in all you guys are 110% right. I could have resolved the oiling issues with the 383 again and just driven it with the other setup. Maybe I should have. I wasnt happy with the car. There were tings in that particular combo that were going to limit the ability to reach the goal I had in mind. That goal morphed into "Hate this thing and want it out of my life". BEST thing I could have done was roll it into the car trailer and not allow it to remind me of my shortcomings and failures. everytime I walked into the shop.There is good news in all of this... The motor is at the shop in Richmond being assembled. I hope to have it back within the month. When it is assmebled, I will install it immediately, along with the trans and hopefully all will go well so I can get the thing tuned by Matt Shue. Then, I will start debugging and enjoying the car. I plan to drive it a LOT to sort the chassis and brakes. I hope the car is as reliable as I planned and I hope I can share a lot of data and video with all of you. I hope that... I also hope that someone loves it enough to buy it for the price I want, when it is done. If it sells, then great. I will get to enjoy it for a bit before she sells, and the eventual goal of liquidating it into cash will be acheived. As a couple of you have hinted, maybe I will be bitten by her charm again and will opt to keep her. Although I seriously doubt that one at this point. Regardless, she does nobody any good sitting like she is.I know some of your are frustrated with reading 65 pages of a grown man pissing and moaning over this epic saga... I have stated before that I use this as my build diary/blog and it is often one-sided. I have been curt and even rude at times with some of the comments from those participating in this discussion over my selfmade nightmare. Thats the frustration of the build, my mistakes, my bad decisions, and my inability to seem to bring this project to its close. It isnt an excuse or apology. It is simplye why I am in such a mood at times.The car will be back together soon. What happens from there, its anybodies guess. I guess we will all have to stay tuned. Its certainly episodic in nature and one that I honestly wish I had not played a staring role in. But here we are... I will keep writing, and you all will keep reading. Maybe in the end we will all be happy... Edited June 7, 2015 by Mikelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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