[2020] What Did You Do To/with Your Z Today?

[gwri8]

2 hours ago, SteveJ said:

I took today off from work to recover from the ZCON trip, so I gave the 260Z a bath and used some C2 ceramic on it.

Purdy! what do you think of the ceramic?

 

 

[SteveJ]

9 hours ago, gwri8 said:

Purdy! what do you think of the ceramic?

It's ridiculously easy to apply. The surface is crazy smooth. I like it better than trying to buff out wax. My friend Randy got me hooked. (By the way, he's the owner of the Jaeger Bomb car that won the gold medal at ZCON 2018 and was in the lobby of the hotel at ZCON 2020.)

[gwri8]

2 hours ago, SteveJ said:

It's ridiculously easy to apply. The surface is crazy smooth. I like it better than trying to buff out wax. My friend Randy got me hooked. (By the way, he's the owner of the Jaeger Bomb car that won the gold medal at ZCON 2018 and was in the lobby of the hotel at ZCON 2020.)

Thanks, I've been intrigued and considering using ceramic at some point but didn't know of anybody who actually used it. I know it's glossy and hard but does it fill small surface scratches like a paste wax?

[SteveJ]

1 minute ago, gwri8 said:

Thanks, I've been intrigued and considering using ceramic at some point but didn't know of anybody who actually used it. I know it's glossy and hard but does it fill small surface scratches like a paste wax?

According to Randy, the ceramic coating is improved with each application. I don't know about filling surface imperfections. I'm pretty sure it won't show up as white where you missing buffing the way wax does.

[Racer X]

Spent the last week after work harvesting parts from a 77 280 I picked up from a neighbor about 15 years ago. The clutch and brake pedals for converting my 72 240 to manual, the seats to rebuild and reupholster, maybe for the 240, and all the usable interior, possibly for another 280 I have intentions of building up.

[AK260]

In an effort to reduce my low/mid range reversion issues, I added some 70mm ITG made velocity stacks / horns / trumpets (take your pick)!

 

 

 

 

Strangely they aren’t as loud as the stock back plate with built in trumpets, but they sound deeper and the in-gear / midrange throttle response is noticeably keener. Can’t really tell any difference at the top-end. The car still sprints eagerly into the limiter @6.5krpm.

 

The finish on them is pretty poor!! Having de-burred them for test fitting, I’m going to shine them up next on the inside for smooth laminar flow.

 

 

 

I’m going to start playing with the exhaust system next to cure / reduce the reversion issues. I can still get the AFR on WOT in 3rd to hit 9.5:1 [emoji33] @ 3.3-3.6krpm !

[siteunseen]

Nice clean look you have there. I "likes" that.

[AK260]

Nice clean look you have there. I "likes" that.

Thanks dude. Funny how we can be critical ourselves - to me it’s still a bit messy ;)

[AK260]

Well gang, a proper test today revealed that the new horns are making my torque dip even worse.

 

In 3rd starting @1.8k rpm with WOT:

 

Without the trumpets: she “touches” 10.9 on the AFR @ 3.3krpm and then sits doggedly between 12-12.5 from 3.6k to 6.5k.

 

With the trumpets: it goes to 9.5 (where it bogs down) and stays below 10.5 until 4K rpm.

 

Here’s a really interesting article showing how longer trumpets can actually accentuate a torque hole ...

 

 

http://www.emeraldm3d.com/articles/emr-adj-length-intake/

 

[siteunseen]

What about these? They're cheap enough to try.

https://zcardepot.com/products/su-carburetor-air-horn-velocity-stack-240z?variant=31930200850545&currency=USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv4Pu66ut7AIVDY_ICh3d2QA4EAQYAiABEgID5PD_BwE

Don't know if you've seen this thread.

 

[Patcon]

Have you thought about trying a run with no trumpets to see what happens? It's free...

[AK260]

What about these? They're cheap enough to try.

https://zcardepot.com/products/su-carburetor-air-horn-velocity-stack-240z?variant=31930200850545&currency=USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv4Pu66ut7AIVDY_ICh3d2QA4EAQYAiABEgID5PD_BwE

Don't know if you've seen this thread.

 

 

Thanks Site! I am indeed aware of that thread and “12 second Norm” with his baby toss rings! Such a cool solution! In fact it was reading his experiences that convinced me that the SUs were the way forward for my engine. I was hovering with intent on the buy button of RHDJapan for a set of triple OERs for sometime before giving myself a slap and keeping the SUs.

 

Interesting stacks in Zcardepot - thanks for the sign posting! [emoji106][emoji106] I will seriously look at those.

 

Have you thought about trying a run with no trumpets to see what happens? It's free...

 

Yes sir! It is free indeed [emoji1787][emoji1787]

 

Today’s test run was with the ITGs first and then off with them and naked carbs only. What I have found, is that the reversion condition is best without any horns. But with the stock backplate only (no filter etc), I get more butt dyno power and keenness than with just naked carbs. We all know that the sharp edges of the carb cause turbulence which acts as a choke at the carb mouth. So I’m now tending toward the baby ring toss solution for best airflow characteristics into the carb as my next nearly free intake experiment.

 

With naked carbs, the torque hole becomes more like a flat spot. Basically, I find anything sub 11 on the AFR makes the engine lose power / bog down. But anything close to or just over 11, feels more like a flat spot which I can just about live with for the scintillating top-end. But I have to get to that point with a solution that involves an air filter.

 

At some point this year or next, I will revert back to my old header (with 21% smaller cross sectional area on the primaries) to evaluate the suggestion that I’m losing exhaust gas velocity at low revs.

 

 

All good stuff gents! Thanks for chewing the cud with me and the great suggestions! Keep ‘em comin’!