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Spring 09 updates to my RBZ


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Spring came around I got the itch to fix/meddle with the car again even though I'm supposed to be leaving the old car as-is and focusing on the new car (http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/New_Z_Blog/New_Z_Blog.html).

 

After the January track event I swore I was going to fix the surge issue and a nagging spark problem. It turns out the spark problem came from plug wires set too close to each other (I use remote coil packs). That was a simple fix. But the turbo surge issue had been a bug since the orginal build. Since I had cracks in my downpipes and headers I took the chance to redo the turbo plumbing. I put an HKS header with balance pipes on and Andris Laivins (http://www.laivins.com/) fabbed up all the new piping. Beautiful work!

 

http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-Blog/Entries/2009/3/14_New_Turbo_Piping.html

 

With the new setup almost completely removing the surge issue, Justin Nenni at Tuning Concepts retuned the car and we were able to get almost 100 more HP on pump gas. We still haven't dyno'd it with race gas to see what the big numbers are.

 

http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-Blog/Entries/2009/4/1_Engine_Retuned.html

 

I also took this time to build some custom aero parts to see if I could make the car stick a little better on the track. Al helped me create a custom front splitter and side sills and I mounted an APR GTC200 wing on the back. From my initial impressions at Harris Hill, it works.

 

http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-Blog/Entries/2009/4/4_New_Aero_Parts.html

 

The car's going to sit for most of the summer as we use it as a design template to fab up parts for the new car. We're looking at creating CF rear quarter panels (with the flares molded in) to go with the custom front CF piece.

(http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/New_Z_Blog/Entries/2009/1/15_Front_Body_Mold_Finished.html)

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Mark, I just had Justin retune my 350z and we started talking about my datsun project and he told me he just tuned your car. I told him you were the inspiration for my build. Its a small world! Car looks great...keep it up.

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Inspiring checking out your car, the work that has gone into it and how quickly you seem to move on the projects. Most your webpage won't work for me on any of my 3 computers though. I get: "# Exception: TypeError

# Message : 'browserVersion' is undefined" and if I go to the archive and click on the links, none of them work. They all come up with a 404 error as they all link to: http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-Blog/$link$

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Really cool. Can't wait to see a tube chassis with a drop on Z body.

 

Any plans for carbon on the body elsewhere? Doors/hatch/rear fenders/roof/rocker panels... doesn't leave a lot of steel left over.. :)

 

 

yes, actually I haven't yet updated the site but we decided rather than to try and do the rear flares in fiberglass that we'd instead cut away the steel rear fenders and replace the whole section with a carbon fiber casting of the current car, just as we have done with the front section. So, as the plan is now, the roof and doors will remain steel (safety) and the rest of the body panels will be done in CF. I'll have a big update late in may with the space frame built, the rear suspension set up, and the VQ35 and tranny in place.

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you can't see the site? I've been told this before but everytime I check it out it works for me. What browser and computer are you using? Anyone else had a problem looking at the site?

 

 

At work I have a windows pc running xp service pack 3, IE version 7.05

 

At home I have a windows pc running windows 2000 and Firefox 3 and another windows pc running xp with firefox 3 and for some reason it won't load on any of those. Maybe its my hardware...I dunno. If I go to the direct links like you have at the top of this page everything works fine unless I click on "archive".

 

I can't wait to see a nearly full CF bodied Z. Are you planning on painting the CF or are you going to leave it raw? What is the motivation of running steel doors compared to having some custom CF skins made for those as well, I'd think that'd be relatively simple compared to making the rear fenders, etc. Is the VQ35 a built motor and what year Z or Maxima is it out of?

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At work I have a windows pc running xp service pack 3, IE version 7.05

 

At home I have a windows pc running windows 2000 and Firefox 3 and another windows pc running xp with firefox 3 and for some reason it won't load on any of those. Maybe its my hardware...I dunno. If I go to the direct links like you have at the top of this page everything works fine unless I click on "archive".

 

I can't wait to see a nearly full CF bodied Z. Are you planning on painting the CF or are you going to leave it raw? What is the motivation of running steel doors compared to having some custom CF skins made for those as well, I'd think that'd be relatively simple compared to making the rear fenders, etc. Is the VQ35 a built motor and what year Z or Maxima is it out of?

 

I'll definitely paint the CF since we won't be taking the time or cost to get the surface perfect. The doors are a safety issue. I want doors that open that I can step out of. With CF doors you'd need a cage inside to protect you and then getting in/out is a pain.

 

The motor is an 07 VQ35 from a 350Z. Right now it's just stock. But it'll be fully built and turbocharged. The plans for that are a long story for later.

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After spinning a bearing at Harris Hill, I did a complete engine rebuild to fix it and try to address some longstanding bugs- Since I did the last build in a rush I knew there were many problem areas. The motor ran too hot. The water channels and lines weren’t ideal, the oil pickup was crap, the tolerances were to tight, and the head was still mostly stock. This is the price I’ve paid for doing some of the work myself (I'm still learning) and being in a rush each time (i'm impatient). The last build was half-assed. It’s a testament to how amazing the motor design is that I got so much power and miles out of it.

So for this rebuild, a friend Mitch Nofisinger, who has amazing machining and assembly skills helped me rebuild the engine meticulously. We used a brand new N1 block and crank since the old block and crank was too distorted and had been reworked too many times. We port polished the heads and upgraded the valves and springs with Ferrea performance parts. Overall we’ve taken the time to make sure everything fits and seals up like it should.

 

http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-Blog/Z-Blog.html

 

3735749532_6fc180ffa5.jpg?v=0

 

and also I started a thread in the V6 section about my slow, ground up build of a complete tube frame car. I'm hoping to stop messing with the RB so I can focus on this.

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=150346

 

,mark

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Yesterday Justin at Tuning Concepts retuned the motor. On 93 pump gas it did 529whp and on Q16 it did 652. It seems we could not get it any higher because the intercooler airflow rate seems maxed out. At least this is the impression since the hp numbers wouldn't change between 24 and 27lbs of boost. It was also 101 outside and we were tuning for four hours. Hopefully we could get better numbers in cooler weather. But at 652 I'm not complaining.

 

http://web.mac.com/markrolston/NewSite/Z-Blog/Entries/2009/7/30_Engine_Retuned.html

 

later,

mark

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Looking great! Can wait for your next step! Your set up is really close to my current build in progress. any idea what you or Justin think the max power of those turbos will be? There is a ton of non informed speculation of max power of them across the net, just wondering what the first hand experience and thoughts may be.

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Looking great! Can wait for your next step! Your set up is really close to my current build in progress. any idea what you or Justin think the max power of those turbos will be? There is a ton of non informed speculation of max power of them across the net, just wondering what the first hand experience and thoughts may be.

 

I've had folks say 800whp is possible but Justin thinks they are getting close to max flow now- maybe 700whp is possible but not likely a whole lot more. That's his opinion. I don't know any better.

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