cobramatt Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 What kind of spring rates were you running, are you going to, etc? Jon, I was running 400f and 300r. I have gone to 500f and 400r. I was running the softer and not a large bar to get the power to the ground. We have been able to utilize aero to assist in that so we have stiffened the car up and we will maybe even go a little stiffer up front based on threashold braking and the pads were testing. I have always run a Carbotec 20front and 12rear. I am trying out new carbotec's and a padget set and will see what works best. One set is designed for more initial bite. We just replaced the rotors and did some modification to the control arms that I think are going to pay dividends. I will be taking three laps, coming in and checking data, three laps come in check data and so on. Hopefully by the end of the day we have a good understanding of our weakness' and strengths. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I found that mine really liked the 500ft.400 rear setup. Seems so much more compliant with the Koni 8610s. Mark Icard tipped me to that. I really need a softer swaybar though. I'm picking up the inner tire on most slow to mid speed corners. Wish I had the crew to help me dial in my ride. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 (edited) The break in of the new engine, tranny, and suspension set up went very well. I was able to instruct for PBOC this past weekend and get all my testing done at Road Atlanta for free. The day started with the usual three laps, come in and check the data, put it up and check for any leaks and so on. By the later part of the afternoon we were finally getting a little more speed in the car and giving some ride alongs when this absolutely beautiful R8 Grand Am car passed us and I decided to give chase. Nothing at full speed as they were dialing in their car as well, but nonetheless it was fun. I do believe he might have said at least once "Is their something wrong with my car or is that a Z car on my tail?" Below is the link to watch some of the video............ Edited February 27, 2013 by cobramatt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 tuff z Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Oh what fun it is to play...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zack_280 Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Very nice! I'm guessing he thought that he just halucinated a Z running 1.36s at RA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Had a similar situation happen with a guy in a Porsche 911 Cup car a few years back. It's amazing how egos will erase the most recent of memories! Well done Matt. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrayZ Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) I just watched some of your race videos and man i have to say it looks like a BLAST!! When i first picked up my Z i had intentions of drag racing it. After spending alot of time at family friends shop (former dirt track racing legend around Houston) he has convinced me to setup the car up in a manor to race it on a road track. Ive always been a fan of this type of racing but never had the funds to try it out. Compiled with a proper facility, Trailer, Driving instruction and know how of an ex professional driver i think im going to give it a whirl. Oh and a much larger bank account all of the sudden.. My build will be no where near as detailed or intricate as your own but for some reason your videos and build have inspired me to take a larger step towards my goal of getting on the track. The car should be track ready in 4 months or less. Again well done and congrats on building such a cool car. Edited March 7, 2013 by CrayZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) I just watched some of your race videos and man i have to say it looks like a BLAST!! When i first picked up my Z i had intentions of drag racing it. After spending alot of time at family friends shop (former dirt track racing legend around Houston) he has convinced me to setup the car up in a manor to race it on a road track. Ive always been a fan of this type of racing but never had the funds to try it out. Compiled with a proper facility, Trailer, Driving instruction and know how of an ex professional driver i think im going to give it a whirl. Oh and a much larger bank account all of the sudden.. My build will be no where near as detailed or intricate as your own but for some reason your videos and build have inspired me to take a larger step towards my goal of getting on the track. The car should be track ready in 4 months or less. Again well done and congrats on building such a cool car. Thank you for your nice comments. I would never try and deter someone from road racing or building your dream car. I just want to go on the record for saying this once. "DRUGS WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER" I have always been around Z cars. I had one when I was 16 as my first car and I'm 50 now. It is like my first love and she could never be outdone...............That being said. If I were your driving instructor, and I do instruct quite a few racers. I could build you a car that would outrun just about any car on the track for what I spent to build my Z. You could spend half of what I have spent and build the most incredible Corvette you could imagine. ANYWAY. I hope that doesn't deter you but, the car is extremly hard to drive and very dangerous. If this is your first road course car I would suggest something different. This is not to say you eventually dont end up in an LSZRC but get something like a Thunder Roadster or a Spec E30 or a Spec Miata. Your Laughing right now...... Hear me out. You might not like road racing. I would rather you spend $18K on a brand new Thunder Roadster and go learn what its all about, then build a $250K that no one, but an idiot like me, would buy from you. It that takes a team of guys doing R and D for a few years just to get it to the point it is. I didnt just buy a kit and bolt it on my car. The majority of my car is fabricated one off parts. My car is a pain in the ass. Would I have it any other way? NO. Is it one of the coolest cars at the racetrack? YES. Does it kick ass and take names? YES. If you had the money to really do it right, would I build one for you? YES. I just want you to buy a glass of milk before you buy the cow. Please consider the comments I've made. I hope you build one even faster than mine, but having it done in 4 months like you said.................NOT IN A MILLION YEARS. I hope you are a patient man. Edited March 11, 2013 by cobramatt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrayZ Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Thank you for your nice comments. I would never try and deter someone from road racing or building your dream car. I just want to go on the record for saying this once. "DRUGS WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER" I have always been around Z cars. I had one when I was 16 as my first car and I'm 50 now. It is like my first love and she could never be outdone...............That being said. If I were your driving instructor, and I do instruct quite a few racers. I could build you a car that would outrun just about any car on the track for what I spent to build my Z. You could spend half of what I have spent and build the most incredible Corvette you could imagine. ANYWAY. I hope that doesn't deter you but, the car is extremly hard to drive and very dangerous. If this is your first road course car I would suggest something different. This is not to say you eventually dont end up in an LSZRC but get something like a Thunder Roadster or a Spec E30 or a Spec Miata. Your Laughing right now...... Hear me out. You might not like road racing. I would rather you spend $18K on a brand new Thunder Roadster and go learn what its all about, then build a $250K that no one, but an idiot like me, would buy from you. It that takes a team of guys doing R and D for a few years just to get it to the point it is. I didnt just buy a kit and bolt it on my car. The majority of my car is fabricated one off parts. My car is a pain in the ass. Would I have it any other way? NO. Is it one of the coolest cars at the racetrack? YES. Does it kick ass and take names? YES. If you had the money to really do it right, would I build one for you? YES. I just want you to buy a glass of milk before you buy the cow. Please consider the comments I've made. I hope you build one even faster than mine, but having it done in 4 months like you said.................NOT IN A MILLION YEARS. I hope you are a patient man. I hear you loud and clear and to comment on your response I would say that perhaps I have given the impression that I'm trying to build a car to win races. This is going to be a weekend/occaitonal track car. I'm not looking to win a championship or race professionally. This will be something fun for me and the wife on the weekends! Store bought bolts on parts. If I do infact enjoy it that much I will probably look elsewhere for a more affordable competition car. I just wanted to say that I enjoy your car and it has given me some modivation to get it track ready for the level I'm looking to use it at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) I hear you loud and clear and to comment on your response I would say that perhaps I have given the impression that I'm trying to build a car to win races. This is going to be a weekend/occaitonal track car. I'm not looking to win a championship or race professionally. This will be something fun for me and the wife on the weekends! Store bought bolts on parts. If I do infact enjoy it that much I will probably look elsewhere for a more affordable competition car. I just wanted to say that I enjoy your car and it has given me some modivation to get it track ready for the level I'm looking to use it at. I appreciate the comments about the build and thank you for hearing my reply. I would be glad to make any suggestions on the parts to add to any car, much less a Z car, to make it safe and enjoyable for the track. If someone asked me what should I do to a Z car so I can go to the track and really have fun. I would start with these things and then go from there. These are listed in order of importance. Dont get #8 before you have #3 and so on. A minimum two day instructional race class. (Skip Barber) Helmet with snell approval Hans device Fire extinguisher (for incar mount) Safety harness bar 4 point minimum (5 point recommended) saftey harness Driver side competition style seat. BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES (this is not a typo...) a spare set of wheels (dedicated track set) track tires mounted on the spare wheels These are some minimal items I would suggest and please notice all of these items are about safety. The brakes can make you faster but more importantly they keep you safe. Only until I have these items in place do I ever recommend someone start to improve the suspension, mod the engine, add aero, etc.... Please feel free to ask me any questions moving forward as I enjoy helping out. I wish you all the success with your build and encourage track time enjoyment. I just know how dangerous it can be if the proper steps aren't taken prior to getting on track. I suggest looking into this group. The HPDE 1 program will be the perfect place to start. Google NASA Racing. NASA RM/TX P.O. Box 460442 Aurora CO 80046-0442 972-584-9375 texas@drivenasa.com http://www.nasatx.com/ Edited March 11, 2013 by cobramatt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 tuff z Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Driver side competition style seat. BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES (this is not a typo...) Matt, if I could add to your list [abbreviated above] I'd say brakes and servicable tires are tops. If I had a preference, any first time or even first year students would drive an underpowered manual transmission car-say a pinto or something disposable. This allows the new student to focus on vehicle dynamics, proper corner entry/exit and carrying speed though the corners as the lack of power does not allow one to 'drag race' the straights. Additionally none of the orgnaizations I am fortunate to instruct with allow either a belt or seat differential between driver and passenger [instructor]. As one's skill build and you've gotten all the car has to offer in lap times, then begin to modify. I have never run dedicated track wheels/tires, preferring to drive to and from to events-keeps me from going too fast and my expenses down. my 2 cents... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 Driver side competition style seat. BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES (this is not a typo...) Matt, if I could add to your list [abbreviated above] I'd say brakes and servicable tires are tops. If I had a preference, any first time or even first year students would drive an underpowered manual transmission car-say a pinto or something disposable. This allows the new student to focus on vehicle dynamics, proper corner entry/exit and carrying speed though the corners as the lack of power does not allow one to 'drag race' the straights. Additionally none of the orgnaizations I am fortunate to instruct with allow either a belt or seat differential between driver and passenger [instructor]. As one's skill build and you've gotten all the car has to offer in lap times, then begin to modify. I have never run dedicated track wheels/tires, preferring to drive to and from to events-keeps me from going too fast and my expenses down. my 2 cents... David, Agreed. I have been in a few high speed accidents and I guess I harp on Hans, belts and such prior to even getting on track. I think by attending a drivers race class as #1, they provide everything and it gives someone an oportunity to see if they like it and test the waters so to say. I advise on the $500 insurance waiver at all costs. I do however like having a set of track wheels and tires. After a two day weekend most of my tires are history so I dont see driving home on them, or if something happend like a bent rim or flat I wouldn't be stranded. I do understand your point of keeping costs down though. One comment you made on driving to and from events on the same tires keeps the costs down and you from going to fast ??? Isn't that the point of going to the track? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 tuff z Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Matt, for me the thrill is do the most possible with what I have. The z is antiquated and, in my opinion, challenging to drive fast as compared to new[er] vehicles. I've had many passengers in my car over the years and occasionally let other instructors drive who comment, "amazing how fast you're able to drive this car-it's a wrestling match" or something similar. I smile and say, it is indeed and take great pride in the fact that I do it on street tires with no electronic aids. Guess if I wanted to go faster I would get dedicated track wheels & tires, a trailer to put them or the z on and possibly a tow vehicle. But...that would require more $$$ outlay and take up more space in my tight 2 car garage. With a 17 & 15 year old at home and college on the horizon [my son Alan leaves this summer] the $$$ are going to the college and not to my hobby-at least for now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 Matt, for me the thrill is do the most possible with what I have. The z is antiquated and, in my opinion, challenging to drive fast as compared to new[er] vehicles. I've had many passengers in my car over the years and occasionally let other instructors drive who comment, "amazing how fast you're able to drive this car-it's a wrestling match" or something similar. I smile and say, it is indeed and take great pride in the fact that I do it on street tires with no electronic aids. Guess if I wanted to go faster I would get dedicated track wheels & tires, a trailer to put them or the z on and possibly a tow vehicle. But...that would require more $$$ outlay and take up more space in my tight 2 car garage. With a 17 & 15 year old at home and college on the horizon [my son Alan leaves this summer] the $$$ are going to the college and not to my hobby-at least for now! David, "The thrill for me is do the most possible with what I have". That sounds like my sex life. I would race shopping carts if that was what my budget allowed. Having children and being responsible for their needs is clearly understood. I was not allowed to breed and have very little adult responsibility. Those college tuition fees are sitting in my garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted March 16, 2013 Author Share Posted March 16, 2013 (edited) A quick video of some of the highlights of the MTI Racing 240Z at the NASA SE Pot O Gold race at Road Atlanta this past weekend. There were three splits, first the Porsche Cayman GT field, then the American Iron rungroup, then our field of SU and ST cars. This race is the first race that I can remember that we did not have any double yellow flags or any major accidents. It was all out for 45 minutes of hard racing. The race started off with me in the P2 spot and my teamate and MTI owner in the P1 inside position. He qualified 1/10 of a second off our time. The race director for the SE asked to speak to us after the drivers meeting. He said "The first two splits will have a pace car and ya'll will be responsible for your own pace. I know the two of you and please dont wreck the whole field going into turn one. Please be nice". We agreed and when we were coming under the bridge down thru T12 I think we both forgot any conversation and it was a drag race to turn one. I was able to take T1 and never looked back. My crew chief kept saying over the radio that we have a long race and for me to pace myself, if we maintained our position we would win our division. I replied with "Whats the gap to the leader of the race"? In dramatic fashion we were able to surpass the #09 Porsche of Dan Martinez on the white flag lap and take the overall race victory. Day's like this day are what make all the hard work and $$$ worth it. We also in the process were able to set a new personal best and break my previous track record with a new race time of 1:30.3 Edited March 17, 2013 by cobramatt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Some good racing in that video man. What surprises me is how your RPMs rarely go above 6K. That motor is the definition of "broad torque!" Also good advise above to CrayZ! This website is great for one thing. It is a wonderful way to take expectations and change them forever, and in the process derailing any chance of ever enjoying the car, if you're not careful. I have 37 pages of "build report" to show for it. Get a helmet, get some track pads/hi temp fluid and get out there on the track. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I really appreciate Matt. #1 because he sold me my CLSD for a fair price and #2 because he shows us what our cars COULD be and #3 because he gives good advice,although the truth can be painful. The time/money commitment of a road racer and an autocross or drag racer don't even come close to one another. I think one of the most important things we can do is to set goals and expectations. Matt is great for that. So is MiKelly,so is johnc. Thanks guys for being on this forum. I'm gonna keep it at the Boy Scout level and admire the heros from afar. Please keep posting cool videos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 tuff z Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Yet another great virtual 'ride along'-thanks for sharing and a nice piece-o-driving to boot Matt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbondatsun Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 wow, honestly I am in amazement. I actually watched both videos and I am still in shock. Kudos to you sir for your hard work and dedication Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramatt Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 (edited) I really appreciate the kind words. I have been fortunate to have some very talented people around me that have assisted in the build of this car. If not for their hard work none of this would be possible. I post these things to share with my online forum family for everyone to enjoy. I am a grassroots driver/builder/head janitor and dont deserve any sort of praise. It does feel good when someone posts that they are inspired by what they see we have done. I hope for more of that than anything.......... Yesterday, Monday at Road Atlanta I hired Professional Racer and test driver Mike Skeen to coach me and give input on my Z. It was a wet and cold day for the most part, but we did manage one dry session in the am. I will post the video. My best time in the car at RA was 130.3. Mike was able to best my time by 2 seconds in one session. We downloaded all of his data and it is mine to study. It is very small areas that are different, a 1/10th here, 2/10ths there. He gets paid and drives Grand Am and World Challenge cars 5 days a week. I learned so much from our time together and it will make me a better driver. I knew that he would be faster and I would learn a few tricks of the trade but more importantly I wanted his input on the set up of the car. He sat down with me and the crew and discussed his impressions and what he feels is the most important areas for us to address going forward. This is where you say.............So what did he say? Thats a secret for now. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the answer most of the time if that helps. The real lesson here is that no matter who you are and how great your car is or how many people say good things..............There is always room for impovement and areas we can learn more about ourselves and ways we can become better if we seek guidence and coaching. I really appreciate the kind words. I have been fortunate to have some very talented people around me that have assisted in the build of this car. If not for their hard work none of this would be possible. I post these things to share with my online forum family for everyone to enjoy. I am a grassroots driver/builder/head janitor and dont deserve any sort of praise. It does feel good when someone posts that they are inspired by what they see we have done. I hope for more of that than anything.......... Yesterday, Monday at Road Atlanta I hired Professional Racer and test driver Mike Skeen to coach me and give input on my Z. It was a wet and cold day for the most part, but we did manage one dry session in the am. I will post the video. My best time in the car at RA was 130.3. Mike was able to best my time by 2 seconds in one session. We downloaded all of his data and it is mine to study. It is very small areas that are different, a 1/10th here, 2/10ths there. He gets paid and drives Grand Am and World Challenge cars 5 days a week. I learned so much from our time together and it will make me a better driver. I knew that he would be faster and I would learn a few tricks of the trade but more importantly I wanted his input on the set up of the car. He sat down with me and the crew and discussed his impressions and what he feels is the most important areas for us to address going forward. This is where you say.............So what did he say? Thats a secret for now. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the answer most of the time if that helps. The real lesson here is that no mater who you are and how great your car is or how many people say good things..............There is always room for impovement and areas we can learn more about ourselves and ways we can become better if we seek guidence and coaching. I really appreciate the kind words. I have been fortunate to have some very talented people around me that have assisted in the build of this car. If not for their hard work none of this would be possible. I post these things to share with my online forum family for everyone to enjoy. I am a grassroots driver/builder/head janitor and dont deserve any sort of praise. It does feel good when someone posts that they are inspired by what they see we have done. I hope for more of that than anything.......... Yesterday, Monday at Road Atlanta I hired Professional Racer and test driver Mike Skeen to coach me and give input on my Z. It was a wet and cold day for the most part, but we did manage one dry session in the am. I will post the video. My best time in the car at RA was 130.3. Mike was able to best my time by 2 seconds in one session. We downloaded all of his data and it is mine to study. It is very small areas that are different, a 1/10th here, 2/10ths there. He gets paid and drives Grand Am and World Challenge cars 5 days a week. I learned so much from our time together and it will make me a better driver. I knew that he would be faster and I would learn a few tricks of the trade but more importantly I wanted his input on the set up of the car. He sat down with me and the crew and discussed his impressions and what he feels is the most important areas for us to address going forward. This is where you say.............So what did he say? Thats a secret for now. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the answer most of the time if that helps. The real lesson here is that no mater who you are and how great your car is or how many people say good things..............There is always room for impovement and areas we can learn more about ourselves and ways we can become better if we seek guidence and coaching. I really appreciate the kind words. I have been fortunate to have some very talented people around me that have assisted in the build of this car. If not for their hard work none of this would be possible. I post these things to share with my online forum family for everyone to enjoy. I am a grassroots driver/builder/head janitor and dont deserve any sort of praise. It does feel good when someone posts that they are inspired by what they see we have done. I hope for more of that than anything.......... Yesterday, Monday at Road Atlanta I hired Professional Racer and test driver Mike Skeen to coach me and give input on my Z. It was a wet and cold day for the most part, but we did manage one dry session in the am. I will post the video. My best time in the car at RA was 130.3. Mike was able to best my time by 2 seconds in one session. We downloaded all of his data and it is mine to study. It is very small areas that are different, a 1/10th here, 2/10ths there. He gets paid and drives Grand Am and World Challenge cars 5 days a week. I learned so much from our time together and it will make me a better driver. I knew that he would be faster and I would learn a few tricks of the trade but more importantly I wanted his input on the set up of the car. He sat down with me and the crew and discussed his impressions and what he feels is the most important areas for us to address going forward. This is where you say.............So what did he say? Thats a secret for now. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the answer most of the time if that helps. The real lesson here is that no mater who you are and how great your car is or how many people say good things..............There is always room for impovement and areas we can learn more about ourselves and ways we can become better if we seek guidence and coaching. Edited March 19, 2013 by cobramatt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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