Zedyone_kenobi

Can you give us more info on what year your Z is?

I will let you know how it goes, did you leave the stock ballast in, or take it out. I have read posts where people switched coils and left out the ballast..

As I have mentioned before my car has always had issues revving past 5k. It use to stumble at around 4500, but after replacing my cap and rotor, things progressively got better. Now I can rev her to 5000-5500 rpm. Once I get to that point, crazy things start to happen. The tach needle runs smooth as a swiss watch normally. Idle and rpm response are great. Once it hits around 5000 rpm, the tach needle bounces around form 1000 rpm to 6000 rpm quickly. Its crazy. I think the car starts to stumble at that point as well. Its just weird for it to act so perfectly at all other times, then do this. Any ideas fellow Z car owners... I have checked my pertronix and it seems to be hooked up properly. I am entertaining the idea of dropping a mallory in there or a rebuilt one Nissan EI distributor.

I am very interested in this! I would love an OEM rebuilt dizzy for my Z. As I suspect mine has 'issues'. Does he do Z's as well as roadsters?

Great to have you here! welcome!!! Pics please!

It looks great, congrats on your purchase, and welcome aboard. I am still a newb here too but I assure you the folks on this board are as good as gold.

I am eagerly awaiting its arrival. But I got your message. THanks for the prompt service and extremely fast turnaround! Kudos to a good vendor/seller, etc.

Please do not call me a moron, but can you tell me how you linked to street fire and posted here. I will be posting pics of my ANSA tips next week as well...and never did figure out how to link it.

^^^^ what he said.

That I something I can do! Right after I finally get off my butt and buy a firewire cable for my camcorder. Then its off to the videos!

Thanks Frank, hopefully it made somebody smile.

No they are not. In the Corvette the LS9 does a pretty good job. But since when does a 6.2 liter engine that is supercharged have any problems making 600+ HP. Far from a technological feat. As far as mileage, um.... one word, gearing. I think the LS9 in the ZR1 is a fine package, and I would dearly want one. However, its still a knuckle dragger in my opinion. I would be okay with a knuckle dragger mind you, but its far from anything ground breaking. I like the technical wizbangs found in cars like the AMG and the M5. Tout their large packaging, and weight all you want, but they are engineering marvels. The LS9 is just a supercharged 'small' block. Been there done that. Its brute force nicely packaged. Again, pushrods are on the way out. They are just not as efficient as smaller displacement V8's with DOHC. I have had this argument a hundred different times. I have been called every name under the sun. There is little I do not know about the LS series of engines... all of them. And I am telling you that their time is limited. They need to do more with less. Not just keep making engines bigger. The new direct injected V6 in the upcoming Camaro is a perfect example. 305 HP, and from what I hear a very nice power band. Plus it gets decent mileage. THrow 2 more cylinders on that, and I am sold. Drop the BMW M5 V10 into a car that weights 3300 lbs, and I think you will see a revolutionary automobile born.

Update: Just talked to WingZr0 today and my ANSA is on the way, pics when it arrives and is installed coming.

In Chris's defense, he did say that he feels the Z IRS in particular is a little dated and not as efficient as others. I would think the Zs suspension design is not so bad considering how many SCCA championships it won. So he never said that a well engineered solid axle car is just as good as a well engineered IRS car. He just said that not every IRS car can outhandle a Solid rear axle car. Which is true, but its not a black and white answer. I did make some sweeping generalizations, and for that I do apologize. I fell victim to low brow, lazy posting, which I am usually careful not to do. Sorry. I will concede that there are probably a few live axle cars out there that can outhandle a portion of the IRS cars. I would wager that those cars had many dollars of development into them. Its never a one to one when comparing cars. And since there is not one brand of car with both a solid rear axle and a IRS setup as an option (other than that Cobra, right) any direct comparison is sort of apples to pears. Next point, you mentioned that all the cars I listed are mid engined. Is the arguement your making that if they had a different layout F1 cars would use a solid rear axle? I would think that cant possibly be what you meant by that. But assuming you did,lets take the BMW. Uber dollars of development and not a single live axle car in the bunch. Surly if they could post better numbers they would use one. But they do not. Neither does Ferrari, Porsche, Lambo, Mercedes, every super car in the world, etc. Lives axles are in the same boat in my opinion as pushrod V8's. VERY effective and reliable (i.e. LS1), but dated technology that is past its prime. Both of them can be made to work very well in different applications, but both have been replaced by better designs. To sum up, I did not say IRS is the ONLY design that will work. I said IRS is the best design. A live axle will do the job adequately but its not the best solution for the highest level of handling. I just dont see any way that statement is wrong.

Um, okay, you are entitled to your opinion, that's fine. But saying I am wrong in all caps is unfriendly and honestly, incorrect. You prefer the feeling of a live rear axle. I respect that, and you have made that clear. That's your personal taste and by default is 100% correct for you. I am not trying to change YOUR mind. I am just stating that IRS is better for handling in any kind of on road performance driving. I never said you cannot drive a solid rear axle car fast around corners, its just not as good as an IRS. If you want proof, go to the top I always say. Formula 1 LeMans IRL/Champ Car World Rally All these teams with budgets the size of what we make in a lifetime have endless resources to build a car to compete. They all use IRS. If a live axle was better they would be using them. You have extremely limited camber control with a solid rear axle. The purpose of a suspension it to keep the tires contact patch on the ground throughout the suspension travel of the car, and an IRS can do that better than a live axle. The SCORE BAJA trucks use a live axle mostly due to strength and heritage. Last I checked they were putting down over 700 HP and solid rear axle geometry has decades of research and development into it for off road trucks. Plus they can take one heck of a pounding. If I were to build an off road truck, I would stick with a solid rear axle myself. Its what fits there already, it works fine, why reinvent it. I have had both in my lifetime as I grew up with powerful rear drive live axle cars. Its a preference thing. You prefer the live rear axle, I say have fun with it... but for all those reading and are considering this choice, know which setup has which strengths. Compare those to your budget, and make the right decision for you.

Fixed axle cars can be made to perform adequately around a bend or two, but there are caveats to that. First the road needs to be very smooth. As solid rear axles do not like to be upset in a corner, and second, the spring rates usually need to be pretty darn high and the car pretty low. Modern day solid axles (i.e. mustang) have somewhat complex linkages attached to try to solve some of these problems, but in the end an IRS is a far better choice for all out handling. Your priority is mainly drag racing, handling second. As is your choice with the solid rear axle indicates, and there is nothing wrong with that. But just to get all the facts on the table, if handling was your priority, then IRS is the way to go. Generally you cant have it both ways, as one setup will compromise you in one direction or another. It sounds like you have your priorities straight and are building your car accordingly.

Not to sound callous, but your in college. What you need is a super reliable daily driver that gets 30 mpg. Have some patience and graduate first. A Z will just take time away from your studies, as it will need two things, that college students do not have, Time and Money. You can be a Z fanatic after you graduate. Do not lose site of the goal...school should be first and foremost your mission in life. All good things come afterward. You will see. Keep the civic, its a fine car...and will serve you well until you get your diploma and get a good paying job. Then you can make good with your Z ambitions.

I would say its either a late 71 - 73, hard to tell, as the hood has been switched out for a later 280Z hood with the dual hood vents.

I thought you may be looking into the ZG flares. I have never seen them, but I wish you luck on your project. LONG time subaru junkie here as well. Sold my 06 STI to get my 240Z. Still have the outback XT. My last 8 cars have been subarus since 1999. My NASIOC name is SCRAPPYDO

Let me know which forum Frank, I am always interested in peoples reactions to my thoughts... I will be heading to TWS after I take my baby in to let Awesome Z get it a run down. Just want to make sure its doing what its suppose to. I think I have all the major gremlins licked, but having somebody with expert ears can let me know if I am missing something..

IT most definitely has fender flares...The stock valance is easy enough. He removed the vertical bumperettes and painted the bumpers flat black. Unlike some, this Z has had its flares blended in. Very tasteful if your into that. WOW, you have a lot of questions there. I think a day or so on HybridZ.com will help you out. Yes they can be heavily modded cars. Swaps from RB series engines to V8s are all too common. The stock R180 diff found in the early Z's is plenty for an L24, but the R200 is much stronger, and can take the abuse from everything, even V8s. Most people do not removed the independent rear suspension for a solid rear axle, as most people like the way these cars drive. And a solid rear axle is not good for much other than drag racing. The straight 6 is buildable, but like any 2 valve head its going to have limits in NA form. Like the old addage goes, "speed costs money, how fast do you want to go" Any engine is capable of making much more power, if you wallet is deep enough. The stock 240Z engine had 150ish HP. That was good for a high 7 to low 8 second blast to 60. Not sure about the quarter which is what you were probably talking about. Do a search on 240Z stats and you will learn a lot. The stock L24 is very reliable, in fact most L series engines are very capable of going 150000 miles with little wear. Anything I Missed...

Looking forward to it Frank! Just waiting on the UPS man!

In her Z cave of course

just out of curiosity did you mean series 1? If so, then we would need pictures to be able to give you any useful information, also, what is the VIN?

I dug up this article I wrote for an online forum that was going down hill with wanna be magazine racers and a new wave of immature types...hope it merits a read. I have always been a gear head. I can remember loving to have hot wheels with me wherever I went. I use to read every article on every car in every magazine I could get my eyes on as if my very being was defined by my encyclopedic knowledge of cars. The sickness began the first time I let out a clutch and felt the inertia of a flywheel propel me forward in what seemed like a rush of unabated joy and excitement. That feeling is still rooted deep in my being. As all things evolve, my knowledge of automobiles grew and changed based on need. I learned to turn a wrench on cars out of a need to get to work and school. Just keeping things running was a challenge and an education. Cars can teach you everything from humility, to economics, to shame, to pride. From my hand me down salvage title Datsun 510, to my moms 83 tercel, to my lateral G inducing 74 Trans Am, all the way to my STI, each car has taught me valuable lessons and were instrumental in shaping my views on cars and people along the way. Sure there were also other cars along the way that were notable, but I when I look back, I can still recall my Datsuns vague 4 speed and its impossibly narrow bias ply tires. I can still remember rebuilding my moms 83 tercel carb. I will never forget my 74 trans am and the countless hours adjusting the valves and working on the engine of what was still the fastest straight line car I have ever been in. Currently I am in my STI, which is no doubt the best all around performance car I will ever own in my life time. Each was like a chapter, and I can easily divide my life into what car I was driving at the time. Basically cars are as part of my psyche as hemoglobin is to my blood. I am a car nut. And I would wager many of you are as well. I remember a time when I would argue over tenths of a second and lose sleep at night if I did not pull on that Mustang like I thought I should from the light. I can recall days of building small blocks to be able to beat the guy in town with the hemi, whoever he was. I would obsess over every little detail to the n’th degree from wax to air pressure. I can recall a day when my happiness was directly tapped into the way my car was running that day. Many a night I spent pissed because I bogged a bit on that one race. I see people on this board doing the same things I use to do. Arguing to the death about this car is faster than that car. And this car can out corner that car. When in the end, it really just does not matter. In the end you drive home what you can afford and it’s just fine. You can easily make do with less if you had to. But we don’t want to. We are car guys/gals. When a car guy ages, a few absolute truths become more and more apparent. This is wisdom that cannot be just read, it is something that becomes true and one day it hits you in a moment of clarity. Now this is only for real died in the wool car guys here and all the rules apply in varying degrees, but the best I can figure, here they are: No matter how good of a driver you think you are, there is somebody else that will be better than you. No matter how fast your car is, somebody else’s car going to be faster. There is an inherent beauty to buying a car and learning to drive it stock, as the further away you get away from stock, the more lopsided and unbalanced your car can become. If your enjoyment of your car comes from the opinions of others, then you will never truly be happy behind the wheel. And if you’re not happy when you drive, you have completely missed the point of driving. There is a bus waiting for you. The fastest way to enjoy driving more is to become a better driver. Realize that you are probably the cars weakest link and work on getting better. Every step you take towards becoming a driver takes you one step away from being a commuter. The amount of HP your car has does not directly equate to the amount of fun your car is to drive. I hear all the bickering of people on this model STI vs this model EVO X, it echos back and forth the ghosts of conversations of the 04 STI vs 04 EVO, and the Bugeye vs RS. It’s always the same argument over and over in which there is no real winner. There are only people who place large amounts of their happiness on a cars performance numbers printed in a magazine. I have been there, I have held up my copy of motor week defiant to anybody who would not sing the praises of my 1999 Integra GSR….VTEC yo. It is just an argument not worth having. Get in the car, turn the key and enjoy the music. Learn what the car has to teach you. Long before I knew what Pwned meant. Long before I could even has a cheeseburger, I was a car guy. Before I put on my first flame suit and disagreed with a moderator the first time, I was a car guy. Before I even ’ed I was a car guy. All those who magazine race for a living need to realize that in 4 years it won’t matter. Enjoy what you drive and learn to appreciate it for what it is. The measure of your worth is not measured what you drive, more it’s measured in how much you enjoy driving. Cars come and go, and today’s magazine queen will be tomorrows 5th place comparo result. The auto industry always puts out bigger, better, faster, meaner, pricer, etc. Nothing is stagnant. Enjoy the now, the present, and don’t sacrifice it over what will be here tomorrow. Before you prepare yourself to do battle and argue over a tenth of a second here or there, ask yourself if it really matters. In the end of a day, the guy who enjoys his car the most is the real winner. My slow poke datsun 510 taught me that. It was slow, and I knew it. But I never closed the door and walked away without a smile on my face. Much faster cars never brought me that much joy.