Zedyone_kenobi

I guess it is in the air to want new rims. I am looking to sell my 15x7 panasports. I am looking at you FRANK. I just bought some new rubber so I will probably be keeping the tires, but I will sell the panasports for whatever the new Konigs cost me if your interested Frank. Let me know here they are in all their wonderful glory.

Currently running 195/60/15's... 24.2" or there about in height. I was actually thinking of parting with my 15" panasports... Looking for more performance oriented rubber. 205/60/15's rub on my front bodywork, just BARELY, and I refuse to bend it or cut it. The list of quality tires is just about 0 for 15" rims in the 195-205 section width. However, if you go to 16" the world opens up, and it rains valve stems and fords and chevies get along... all is right with the universe. However, I have also been thinking of going to a 14" rim, as I can get more race tires in that size in a 195 to 205 section width (thank you miata owners of the world) Something to think about if your car is a good weather only garage queen like mine.

grandsport speedway south of Gulf Greyhound track

Wow, this is a very interesting build! Loving the progress

I find the words in this post above to be very true... I THOUGHT I could drive fairly well until I got into autocross. Many seasons later, after improving enough to finish in the top three regularly, I really knew I COULD NOT drive. The more I learn, the higher my expectations get. I really have to make myself not drive like I am at an autocross. I cannot allow myself to push that hard. The car has 70400 ish miles on it. So I think I am fine in that department. My rear strut bar came in today...Not sure if that will help, but it will provide a nifty camera mount!!

It will, I promise you. Just keep looking, getting better educated and saving money.

Marty and Jon, THANKS, that is what I am talking about...good advice. I have used a similar technique in autocross with the tires, but I will try your idea Marty. If I have an off, it is good to know keep her straight. It sounds like common sense, but it was worth confirming.. those tidbits help guys, I sincerely appreciate it.

A bunch of good advice on how to drive the car, much appreciated. I am already with you. I have read countless books on solo racing, and track days, the benefits of late apexing, traction circles of the tires, minimizing weight transfer, keeping the wheel pointed straight as much as possible, etc. Techniques, I think I am pretty solid on. Braking from high speed is the great unknown. I will resist the urge to trail brake like I did in autocrossing. Will try to get all my braking done in a straight line. Not the fastest but easily controllable. I was looking for car advice more. Tire pressure recommendations...does the 240Z have any funny handling characteristics, (snap over steer, bad understeer). Again, in an autocross things happen at a much lower speed. Track days the physics are a bit different. Momentum and kinetic energy are exponentially higher. Is there a recommended car set up I can do at home other than the things like brakes, seat belts, etc. Much appreciated though! The track day is march 13th, so I have time to make some car changes should I need to.

I am taking my Z to a track day here hosted by the local Lotus club. Looking forward to finally letting her stretch her legs. I have bled all the brakes and slave cylinder. Installed new shoes in the drums and checked to be sure I have good pad left on front. The car is idling and running fine, pulls great, and is really in pretty darn fine shape. I want to go push it a bit and see how she goes, but I was looking for any advice. I am an old school autocrosser, and have done that to death, but never any high speed track day stuff. This will be my first. I will be filming it all with my new GoPro wide angled in car camera for your viewing entertainment. Any advice to an autocrosser about taking his Z to a track where speeds will exceed what you see during an autocross. Hoping to do many of these type of events and the bang for my buck is far better than at an autocross.

Love the idea of installing a mild cam, just enough to get the car to really pull to 6500, rather than limp to 6500.. may have to look into that if I ever get around to needing a rebuild.

Just ordered this part from Rock Auto...23 bucks with shipping...pump itself looks identical.

You still have to get a safety inspection.. horn, lights, wipers. It is about half the price of a regular inspection. Takes about 10 minutes

New tires installed. Showed up at the dealer today and said I am not leaving until its done. They were finished in 1.5 hours. New tires feel good. Less slop. Looking forward to getting them broken in. And on a positive note...got my inspection sticker while I was at it!

Okay, as good as Grand Prix was, I have to nominate LeMans

exactly...great customer service was more of a fluke than the norm... I can forgive a mistake or two. But when you are genuinely disinterested in doing anything to help me out, and you waste my time three different times, my trust fades quickly. It has more to do with keeping your word. I hate being lied to repeatedly. Dishonest people do not deserve my business. Lets review.. They said, come in any time, I always have those 960's in stock, I will swap them out for just labor - I came in, said they had to order them - LIE They said they will order them friday - I called they said they had not orderd them -LIE They said they would definitely order them Saturday - I called, they had not ordered them - LIE They said that for sure Sunday they will get them here, and I should come in Monday morning, and they will be waiting for me - I came in Monday morning, and they had not ordered them - LIE They said can you come back in a couple of hours I will get them in for sure - I called to check and they said they will not get them until the afternoon, I should come back after lunch time - Miscalculation, or borderline LIE I came back AGAIN after lunch, around 1 and they said NO way I can get to you today, can you come back on another day - LIE There is only so much I can take of this. If you cannot run your business any better than that, then you do not deserve my business. There is a Discount Tire around the corner that will take my tires off my hands... they even said they may give me up to 80% of their value if they are in like new shape. The saga continues...

not really Frank, they were very good with my Z the first time I got these tires mounted. THey were very careful and was not a scratch to be seen. 195/60's are far from low profile, so they should be an easy install.

THe local tire shop forgot to order my tires. For the second day in a row. Then they said I could come back after lunch. So I did, then they told me that they are too busy to do the swap. This is the third time I have tried to get them to do this...I think its quite apparent that they really do not want to. Sort of ticks me off. As I just dropped 889 bucks on some RE-11's for my Mazdaspeed3, and 8 weeks before, 411 dollars on these tires for the Z. I think I am done with them. I will just live with the mushy sidewalls.

I ran several sets of RT-615's for autocrossing, and was hoping to get some for the Z, but alas, my size is not available. I may be able to get some if I go to 14" or 16" though..

I NEVER drive my car in the rain if I can help it. Its a fun weekend car. I have now fixed it up to the point where all my mechanicals I believe are up to autocross, and light track day duty. However, the sidewalls of my G019's flex so much in turns that the steering response is not always in phase with the body of the car. I have grown accustomed to the car doing what the wheel tells it to do. I had some summer tires on there, that were extremely old. I took them off for safety reasons. But trying to find summer tires was near impossible in a 195/60/15. A 205/60/15 rubbed on my front body work, so it had to go. I know ES100's are available but my local tire shop would have to special order them. If I could get a competition tire I would. I do not need wet weather traction at all, Certainly an all season is not the perfect fit, but it will do. Since I only drive about 700 miles a year, I could get away with come DOT street legal race tires, but trying to find them in the right size is nuts. So, having said all that, the RE960AS seems to get great reviews from all the car forums, as an all season tire with near summer tire response. Sounds like the ticket. Also, the 960AS gets great reviews for ride comfort. Since my car is primarily a street car, the refinement of a softer tire was a welcome change in my G019's, and its good to know the 960AS gets better reviews for that. THe Z likes those softer tires, as it creaks and moans a bit less than with those rock had 10 year old summer tires I use to have. I will report back on how I like the 960AS's. I get them installed on the 15th. To answer your question WING, sidewall response to me is defined as how much the rim can move axially in the tire. Imagine the car parked. Get out and push on the fender. The tires do not move but the rim goes back and forth inside the tire. This leads to very slow steering response and a more numb feeling. Good summer tires usually have reinforced sidewalls that respond immediately to steering inputs. Less flex, means less delay and quicker transitions.

going from a set of Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grips, to a set of Bridgestone 960AS pole positions. The tire place local to me said they would do the swap for the price of mounting and balacing. I am pretty happy with that. I was just never happy with the side wall response of the Grips. I am hoping an ultra high performance tire is better than a high performance tire.. HAHA. anybody online run the Potenza 960AS tires?

Hey Texi300, welcome to Houston! We started a classic Z get together a few weeks ago in Houston. Had a great turnout... Shoot me your email address and I can get you a copy of the member names and numbers of all the classic Z guys in this area. The purpose is to ask others questions, compare notes, check for spare parts, etc. Here is a link to the pics Dis referred to.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdamico/sets/72157623149004415/

OH yeah, thats what I am talking about!!!!

I am assuming he is putting a steel liner in the aluminum drums. I would like to know the process involved with this. How do they account for the differential expansion, is it an interference fit, and if so, how does that effect the residual stresses in the drum. Lots of questions... but I would want a set once mine are worn out.

Sounds like your getting closer to reality my young friend. Go to AMazon and buy the how to restore your Z car, as well as how to build your L series engine. You cannot hot rod anything until you understand the physics behind how the engine works in this particular car. Get to know every single part.. which oil pump do you have, which distributor. Does it have points, or has it been converted. What is your compression, what head do you have. Does it need new plugs, wired, cap/rotor. I love your enthusiasm, never lose it. But many have given you great advice. We want to hear more from you, and your adventures. But I am going to call your bluff. haha. You do not ask people here where you can get a twin turbo kit, and then tell us its for 30 years down the road... gotcha! I do not know anybody who knows what they will be doing 30 years from now. You may be married to a wonderful woman, and have 6 kids.. Keep the Z stock, and go over every nut and bolt. As said before, you will have much greater joy in great condition daily driver Z car, than an ultra sensitive thrown together turbo thingy.

I love those wheels!